This really isn't one of my favorite fantasies. The first in the series about a magical land and its people and their adventures, this book is mediocrThis really isn't one of my favorite fantasies. The first in the series about a magical land and its people and their adventures, this book is mediocre to me. However, while there are certainly better fantasies out there, this one does suit for a cold snowy day inside.
Shea and his brother Flick learn that he has a very important past. When the half elf/half human and his adopted brother meet Allanon (a powerful traveler) they learn that Shea is the last descendant of the line of Shannara. And as such, he is the only one that can wield a powerful sword. Because they are in danger from an evil sorcerer to the North, they have to run and hide to seek help as Allanon has other duties. They join Menion Leah (a friend and prince) and travel to the dwarves' city where they meet back up with Allanon and form a party of humans, elves and a dwarf to seek out the sword and obtain it before the sorcerer Brom can. They encounter much danger along the way and the ever present growing army of the North will be difficult to defeat. Not only this, but along the way, Shea must learn to accept his destiny.
I wasn't a big fan of the characters in this book. They just weren't easy to connect too and a lot more personality could have been injected into them. The only one that really was described well was Menion Leah. He was quite the guy and very believable in that he wasn't perfect. On the other hand, Allanon was completely unbelievable. Unconvincing reasons were given for why he wouldn't share information and he also was a complete jerk with no apparent reason despite all the descriptions that he was supposed to be good and powerful.
The writing was easy to read but leaned on the overly descriptive side. I found myself getting bored with some of the pacing and endless descriptions of areas and battles. The battles, while they should have been the most exciting parts, instead were tedious to get through. Brooks did have an interesting point of view on where the different races came from though and I would have liked to see that expanded more.
I hear the series gets better and more original from here on out so I'll continue. This is probably a good book for die-hard fantasy fans while those not as familiar with the genre might not care for it.
This was a pretty entertaining book. I won't say it was the best written out there, but it certainly kept me interested and was one of those great booThis was a pretty entertaining book. I won't say it was the best written out there, but it certainly kept me interested and was one of those great books that goes well with a bubble bath and a glass of wine. And it's the first in a series, which means that there is more of this entertainment to be had.
Rachel is a runner for the IS (Inderland Security) a somewhat police force that monitors the magical realm of things as opposed to the human's FIB (Federal Inderlander Bureau) and is generally made up of such magical beings as witches and vampires. Rachel herself is a witch, and due to a series of not so great assignment, she's ready to quit. To her surprise, Ivy, a vampire hotshot in the Security also wants to force, but once that happens a price can be placed on their heads, and Rachel has to stay alive long enough to figure a way out of her contract.
Rachel is an ok character. A bit too brash and she has trouble thinking things through sometimes. But I guess that makes her realistic. Her love interest, Nick, I didn't care for too much. I think he just reeks of trouble and I couldn't find too many good qualities about him. Ivy was one of the better characters. She gets mad a little too often but she's more level-headed and seemed the stronger of the two girls. Jenks, the pixie, was a lot of fun at least and I enjoyed reading about him and his family. The bad guys weren't even too bad in this. They hada mysterious quality about them and that kept things interesting. I just wish more time had been spent on Rachel making her a well-rounded character. As it was she just had a few extremes and that's what made her.
The plot was decent. There was a lot of action and the book was constantly moving and things were always being done. I don't think Rachel ever sat still except for when she was hurt. Which was somewhat unbelievable, but oh well. I did enjoy all the different mysical type beings coming together and thought that the explanation for how the world turned out the way it did was well thought out. I would have liked to have more detail, but at least I got a good giggle out of how a genetically modified tomato is what started the who downward cycle of the human race. And people wonder why I eat organic. There's no sex in this book bu there is some romance. And with Ivy being a vampire there's a bit of tension between her and Rachel, but I thought it was an intriguing way to develop their working relationship. There is also violence in this book and magic and a myriad of other things that some people don't like, but then again those people probably shouldn't be reading a book with "witch" in the title.
Very entertaining and I'll be sure to read the next one when I come across it. It seems like this is a great series for fun, light reading.
Ok, so this is probably wildly unpopular of me, but I found A Game of Thrones to be only average. After all the hype and build up I'd experienced for Ok, so this is probably wildly unpopular of me, but I found A Game of Thrones to be only average. After all the hype and build up I'd experienced for this novel I expected something amazing. And well, it wasn't. I'm not saying it wasn't a good book, but it wasn't something wholly original and marvelous either.
Upheaval seems to be nothing new for the world A Game of Thrones takes place in. There are always intrigues and other things to keep people on their toes. Among them, the family Stark has been charged with upholding honor and in their frozen north it seems honor may be all they have compared to the wealth of the southern cities. But when Lord Stark is called to be the hand of the King, he is thrust into politics and danger lurks at every corner. And whether he likes it or not, his children are involved in one way or another as well. In a different part of the land, Deny, a young princess has just been made bridge to the lord of a fierce and wild tribe. Descended from Kings and outcasted, she knows in her blood that she is the last of the dragons. She wants to regain her homeland, but with a crazed brother and new rules to learn with her new tribe, she wonders if she will be able to be strong enough to rule.
So while the Starks are the main characters of this novel, Deny is my favorite. She is a very intriguing character. Young, but with a good head on her shoulders and strong when she needs to be. But she can also be brutal which makes her interesting. The Starks are ok, especially Jon, the son sent to guard the dangerous wall to the North. He has a lot of compassion despite the way he is treated so often. The other Stark kids I didn't find as fascinating, and honestly, a good portion of them were just annoying and sniveling. Their father wasn't very likable either as he seemed like an idiot with some of his decisions. The bad guys are ok, and can be very menacing at times.
This book is very brutal. There is rape, incest, war, abuse, and a myriad of other harsh topics. Its not for the light hearted. Some of it even made me cringe a bit. But the writing, when its flowing smoothly is good. My main complaint about this book is the amount it bounces around. Each chapter seems to be from a different point of view and I would have preferred to just have a couple point of views that maybe covered a couple chapters at a time instead. It would have made the book easier to follow. And in the beginning its definitely hard to follow with all the characters introduced and things going on. By the end of the book I was all caught up on who was who, but it lessened my enjoyment that it took so long to have that happen. The book wasn't extremely original either. While there were some elements that were I recognized bits and pieces from all over. And maybe Martin did have some of those elements first but he couldn't have had them all. Still entertaining reading and I like the fantasy genre so I can't bash it too hard, but I'm not going to proclaim it wonderful either.
A solid 3.5 stars from me. I'll definitely read the rest of the series and take a look at the tv show, but there are other fantasies I'd put ahead of it.
What a strangely disturbing, dark and intriguing tale. I actually enjoyed it for the most part despite the violence and dreariness.
The Child Thief is What a strangely disturbing, dark and intriguing tale. I actually enjoyed it for the most part despite the violence and dreariness.
The Child Thief is a different look at the tale of Peter Pan. In this tale, Peter steals children, but only the runaways and down and out ones. He leads them through the mist to Avalon where things aren't as wonderful as they used to be. A group called the flesh-eaters roam the island, men who have been twisted by the magic there and they are destroying the magical place. So Peter recruits these children to help him fight them despite it being a losing battle. And his greatest enemy that he knows is the Captain.
I hesitate to call anyone a good or bad guy in this book. Its kind of just shades of grey and at times I find Peter more menacing than the Captain. And I think that's how Brom meant it to be. Everyone is misguided and vicious and the very base of themselves. Certainly goodness has been lost in this twisted world and savagery what replaces it. Peter I didn't really find very likable at all, but that's just as well considering Nick, one of the children doesn't find him impressive either and I really like Nick's character. I found him the most real out of all of them. There are several of the "lost" children as well and even they are not quite human if not humane.
As I said before this book is very very dark. So dark in fact that it starts with the rape of a young girl by her father. And it just goes down into gore, murder, and other violence from there. If this isn't to your taste don't even try to read this book as its in every page. It also paints a pretty bleak picture of Christianity, so again be warned if this isn't to your taste. Despite all the violence and rage this book holds I did enjoy the vast majority of it. My main complaint would be the ending. It just seemed to lose focus and the tone wasn't as interesting as the first part was. It seemed more like action and less plot was the important role.
I did like it. And I think it was inventive. Add in the great pictures from Brom and it really completes the picture. A very dark wonderful book.
I've read a good portion of the Dresden Files, which, while having issues in the first few books, matured and improved as the series went on. So I wasI've read a good portion of the Dresden Files, which, while having issues in the first few books, matured and improved as the series went on. So I was very much looking forward to this series, which is still fantasy based, but more of the traditional fantasy. And I'm pleased to say that it was just as good as what I had heard. While there are some issues (mainly characterization), largely I enjoyed the magic system, world-building, and general premise of the book.
There are a few main characters in this; so I'm not going to go into too much detail. The most important are probably Tavi, a young boy who does not have the elemental abilities much of his people do, and as such has to be capable in his own ways. And Amara, a cursor working for the main top guy in the book and capable in her own right. There are plenty of other characters of course, as I said, but really, I only cared about Bernard, because he's supposed to be the fawnable guy in this one (and he is mostly, I guess, still can't get a good read on him).
Strife, intrigue, betrayal. This book has it all. It largely follows yours standard fantasy plotline of big evil coming against good against all odds, small but scrappy group fighting, different creatures or peoples with different abilities. But the magic (elementals) was good, the plotline mostly exciting and adventuresome, and it's easy to get caught up into it. I can definitely see myself continuing with the series (and hoping that maybe, just maybe, the female characters will be a bit more nuanced than they tend to be in Butcher's earlier books).
City of Ashes is the 2nd book in the Mortal Instruments series. These are books that should be read in order, in case you're not already familiar withCity of Ashes is the 2nd book in the Mortal Instruments series. These are books that should be read in order, in case you're not already familiar with them. On the whole, I think I actually liked this one a bit better than the first. Still filled with teen angst and a whole lot of running around, but the characters and mystery seemed somewhat better developed.
Clary and friends are still trying to figure out everything that has happened in their world, especially since Valentine has disappeared again and everyone knows he is up to know good. This is made especially clear when young downworlders all over the city start dying. Valentine is dangerous, and Clary and her friends may be in more peril than they know.
Clary is a little better in this book. She's still a bit flaky when it comes to romance and everything else, but it's not quite as annoying as it was in the first book (or I'm just more used to it). Jace, however, is full bore annoying. He's too angsty to be real and the attitude is getting a little old. My real callout for this book was Luke though. As a more side-kick type character in the first book, he gets fleshed out just a tad more in this one, and I think I enjoy his progression. Or maybe he's just easier to relate to than the flighty teens.
But anyways, this being the second book in the series, it moved the plot along but by no means had any sort of resolution in it. You learn a bit more about Jace and Clary, interesting new things happen, but they're still not any closer to solving mysterious or vanquishing foes. But that's fine. These are quick and entertaining reads and that's all I was really looking for out of it.
I'd heard a lot about these books. The Disc World series is huge and even has a few movies to its name. I decided it had to be good right? Well, to beI'd heard a lot about these books. The Disc World series is huge and even has a few movies to its name. I decided it had to be good right? Well, to be honest, I was very disappointed in this book. It wasn't near what I expected from all the hype that accompanied Pratchett's books.
The Colour of Magic is the first book in the series, although I've heard that they can mostly be read as stand-alones. Which is probably a good thing since I believe there are over thirty novels in the series. This one involved two main characters of Rincewood the incompetent wizard and Twoflower, a bumbling tourist. They encounter a myriad of characters along the way, including Death. Coerced into keeping Twoflower safe, Rincewood encounters all sorts of hazards and people trying to kill them. Especially since Death himself is interested in Rincewood. They travel and meet dragons, edge-worlders (Discworld is of course a disc, balanced on the backs of four elephants who in turn stand on a turtle), trolls, and other strange beasts, most of whom are not very friendly.
Rincewood and Twoflower are not very exciting characters. They don't have a lot of development and their conversations are not very intriguing. Rincewood especially I just found annoying. There is only so far you can make someone inept and he didn't really seem to have any redeeming qualities. Just a lot of luck. Twoflower is little better, but at least he has some interesting background compared to Rincewood.
The writing was very jumpy. So many characters and and places were introduced in the beginning that I never got them sorted out in my head before having to move on to the next thing in the plot. The story also jumped around a lot. I'd no sooner get to one point in the novel then it seemed that they were already on a new adventure without resolving the last. I just wasn't a big fan of the way it flowed. There were a few funny moments, but it wasn't enough to make up for the majority of the book.
I do hope these books get better. I'm going to try a few more because there's got to be a reason the series is so popular. I have heard that the writing and plots get better so I am somewhat excited to read more. Here's hoping that I can leap into Discworld with further novels.
The Colour of Magic Copyright 1983 210 pages + extras
This came highly recommended and I remember adding it to my "to-read" list almost ten years ago. I finally got around to reading it and have to say thThis came highly recommended and I remember adding it to my "to-read" list almost ten years ago. I finally got around to reading it and have to say that I am not as enamored as a lot of people seem to be over this book. While I liked the concepts, the execution left a little to be desired for me.
This book is solidly in the young-adult genre; teenage angst, unrequited (not really) love, misunderstood girl, mysterious boy, it's all there. And that's not a bad thing necessarily; there are plenty of good books that play to those concepts. It's that the characterization doesn't develop much beyond that.
Both Kate and Jarrod leave much to be desired. They are too much of whatever it is they are supposed to be (obsessed with magic, in denial over magic, outcast, you get the picture). This causes their dialogue to be inauthentic because they're telling rather than showing you the plot. And since it's narrated from both of their views, you get to see both sides of the story, sorta, but not in a meaningful way. Rarely is something seen through one's eyes re-explored through the others.
And for plot, I did love the idea of the magic and its use, the curse and it's origin story, and several other elements. I do think that the second part of the book though, and this is a somewhat possible spoiler so stop reading now if you don't want to see............... could have taken place in the normal time and setting rather than where the author chose and would have been a more effective story. I think doing what she did actually detracted and made it more inauthentic in terms of scene detail and focusing more on setting versus issue. But, if you like surprise twists or want to explore Kate's interests that are central to her personality, it fit for that reasoning. There were also some plot aspects that I wish would have been tied up neatly (like Jarrod's ancestral parentage questions), but overall the story finished itself and had a good resolution.
I think that there's some good elements here, but I wish it would have been developed a bit further and the characterization worked on. The story wasn't for me, but the interpretation of magic was.
I don't know why it took me so long to get to this book. It's been on my to-read list forever. But I'm glad I finally did! I found this book for the mI don't know why it took me so long to get to this book. It's been on my to-read list forever. But I'm glad I finally did! I found this book for the most part charming and an interesting take on dragon riders. And it's part of a larger series, so I'll have plenty of reading material for awhile (haha, as if I didn't already).
Laurence (let's face it, nearly no one refers to him as Will so that's his name) is happy being a ship's captain. But his fate changes when they take hold of a dragon egg. And that dragon seems attached to him. Now, faced with a change in position, he has to adapt to a new life, with an unexpected companion by his side.
Laurence is a bit overbearing at times. He's one of those kinds of rule-followers. And you better not step out of line as a result. It will be my greatest delight to hopefully watch him ease up throughout the series. Termeraire of course is magnificent. Thoughtful, eloquent, he makes Laurence look like a slouch. There are plenty of other side characters, but their roles are note nearly as large as these two, so I'm not going to go into them too much. Suffice to say, they help move the story along.
What stopped this book from getting the full five stars from me was the amount of battle/strategy talk vs dragon talk. Anyone who is into military tactics would probably love that aspect, but for me it was something to gloss over to get to the dragon information and conversations part. I just don't have the interest in war maneuvers. I did like the various ways dragons were integrated, the types of breeds, the way their bond works, etc.
I'm eager to see where the story goes and have a feeling I'll be reading the rest pretty soon!
And this is why I like to wait until all books are out in a series before I read them. Because authors like cliffhangers and no resolution. Which is eAnd this is why I like to wait until all books are out in a series before I read them. Because authors like cliffhangers and no resolution. Which is exactly what happens in this book, you're plugging along reading it and then "BAM", it ends.
Sylvi is the fourth child to the King and Queen and the last heir. Which makes her pretty unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But she's still important enough to be bonded to a Pegasus on her twelfth birthday. Of course most nobility are bound, but none have the connection that Sylvi and Ebon share. But it's a connection that threatens the alliance between humans and Pegasi and upsets quite a few people who want things to remain the same.
You'll get to know these characters really well. Because most of the book is about describing them. For instance, Ebon is black. With a shiny black mane and tail. And Sylvi is short and can talk to Pegasi like no other person can. Don't worry if you forget that, it's all there over and over. There's a large cast of characters in this book too so a new face is always lurking in another chapter. It's actually hard to keep track of sometimes, especially since a lot of the names are long and nonsensical. And the way they are written you are supposed to like the Pegasi better, which I did. So I actually have to applaud that. They were interesting creatures and much more noble than their human counterparts. Ebon especially has a wonderful sense of humor.
There's a lot of things I don't understand about this book. Which is surprising because of the amount of time and effort the author put forth into describing and world-building. I actually found the book to drag at times because there was so much description going on. And some of it was sort of disturbing as I just can't picture the hand-things she gives the Pegasi without being creeped out. But as the book moved along the pace got better until you got to the abrupt ending. Meaning that you have to read the next book if you want to know what happens. But there were still a lot of unanswered questions in this one. Like the deal with the magicians, some of the things Sylvi saw, and what exactly happened at the magical Caves Sylvi visited as that part was so fast paced the whole sense of what happened eluded me. I even tried to go back and read it again and was still a bit confused. I know it was supposed to seem alien, so maybe that was the effect it was supposed to have though. The writing, in addition to being descriptive, is easy to read. I would actually rate the level of it as a middle-school age rather than young adult. It was simplistic without being dull.
I'll read the next book of course. I want to know what happens. But I hope it's just a tad more polished than this one was. And that the numerous questions this book leaves hanging are answered.
Eldest is the second book in the Eragon trilogy. As such, the first book should be read first as it cannot be read as a stand alone type novel. It borEldest is the second book in the Eragon trilogy. As such, the first book should be read first as it cannot be read as a stand alone type novel. It borders on mediocre with several problems in the writing, but in all, was at least an easy enjoyable read. When last we left Eragon (Spoilers ahead!), he had discovered a dragon egg, became a dragon rider, and gallivanted through the land with Saphira (the dragon) trying to find his Uncle's killers and then joining up with the rebel Varden group who seeks to destroy the King (a really bad dude). The ending leaves off after the end of a huge battle in which Eragon slays a shade (mystical bad guy).
Now, he travels to the Elves' homeland to complete his training. Once there he is surprised to find another surviving dragon and rider. They are to be he and Saphira's teachers despite their maimed bodies and help them discover new uses of magic and flying techniques. They have to be ready in time for another battle for the Varden against King Galbatorix's army and a few new enemies they were unaware of. Meanwhile, Roran (Eragon's cousin) returns to their village to find who slayed his father and where Eragon has disappeared. But when he arrives, more of the evil King's troop comes for him and threatens the village when they won't give him up. They are forced to move over the mountains and seek refuge in Surda where they can help and be protected by the Varden.
The characters in this book are very unbelievable. Their motivations are not natural and actions are often very awkward to read. The dialogue between them is also horrendous. Mere farmers are made out to sound like high nobles in speech and accent which proves to be very unrealistic. They also use a lot of description in speech that goes far beyond the normal in everyday conversation.
The writing too is very descriptive. This tends to bog down the story at parts and bore the reader. For example, the training for Eragon and Saphira takes up quite a bit of the book and got very tedious at times to where I started wanting to skim (but stopped myself). Quite a bit could have been cut out and it wouldn't have hurt the book at all. Aside from that, it is an easy read and although there's violence; there's not too much to make in inappropriate for younger readers.
Overall its a fun story to read although not in the least original. I can see it appealing to younger reader's because it is a reader-friendly format compared to a great portion of regular fantasy novels. I'd like to see how the story ends, so I do plan on reading Brisingr.
Would I call this the best fantasy written? Of course not, it borrows many elements from all over, but what Mallory and Lackey have done with this booWould I call this the best fantasy written? Of course not, it borrows many elements from all over, but what Mallory and Lackey have done with this book, is make it entertaining and captivating, and for that reason I like it very much. This book is the first in what is known as the Obsidian Trilogy and it does make a very good beginning.
Kellen is almost your average boy. Except that he's not. He's mageborn and not to just any mage, he is the son of the Arch-Mage Tavadon, leader of all the mages in the city of Armethalieh. He isn't like his father at all however. He longs for freedom and new things (market wares and the people of Armethalieh for that matter are closely controlled by the mage rulers to discourage dissent). He also isn't very good at the High Magic practiced here. That's why, when three strange books find him, he is very susceptible to what they hold. These are outlawed books in his city, books that contain the Wild Magic. He snoops into them and eventually is caught out and banished from the city. With the help of Shalkan, a unicorn sent by the wild magic to protect and guide him, he makes it out of the city's boundaries alive.
Fortune smiles on his and he is able to reunite with a sister he never knew about. But nothing stays peaceful forever, His father cannot rest with him having escaped and widens the city's borders to come after him, driving him into Elven lands. Here to are problems. An unnatural drought has taken hold of the Elven lands and they are in danger because of it. With Idalia his sister, the elves are relying on Kellen to help them and defeat whatever is behind this strange drought. With Idalia working magic from home, Kellen takes off with Shalkan and a Knight elf named Jermayan to fulfill his quest despite the dangers along the way.
It is easy to like the characters in this book. With the exception of a few, they are well written and you come to truly care for them and what happens to them. There are a few that are written very heavy handed though. Kellen's father, for example, is the biggest misogynist you'll ever read and it definitely makes him unlikeable, which is what the authors wanted.
For having been written by two writers, the writing is smooth and flows easily. The very beginning is slow to start but the book soon finds it's pace and the description is well done. There really isn't anything offensive in this book and pre-teens on up could probably read it easily. There are a few instances of adult humour, but the more innocent wouldn't get the joke.
I really like this series and eagerly look forward to reading the next in the trilogy. It may be the same old fantasy as a lot of novels, but at least it is interesting.
To Light a Candle is the 2nd book in the Obsidian Trilogy. It is very important to read the first book before proceeding to this one, however, there aTo Light a Candle is the 2nd book in the Obsidian Trilogy. It is very important to read the first book before proceeding to this one, however, there are a few things you should know. Kellen is a knight-mage and has been ever since he was cast out of the High Mage city of Armathelieh by his father for practicing wild magic. Since then, he has found his sister, traveled to Elven territory, and helped save it at his own health's expense by destroying a dark keystone set by Demons (known as the Endarkened) to cause a drought in the land of the elves.
Now in this installment, we are brought back to Kellen's party who is traveling back to the elves with Kellen much injured. With him is Jermayan (elven knight and friend), Vestakia (a girl who looks like a demon but is pure of heart), and Shalkan (Kellen's unicorn friend). They reach the elven city safely and there can plan the next course in the battle of the Endarkened. It is decided that the elven children must be sent away to a castle stronghold but on the way there they are kidnapped, including the Elfish prince. Kellen leads a party to rescue them and in doing so discovers a new dark race that will break the Elves hearts, for here is a race that is part Elf part goblin that exists merely to hate the regular elves. It is with sad hearts they must flush this enemy out of their territory. But all is not at a loss, with foe they also find a friend, one who has not been seen for a thousand years, one who is a dragon.
Meanwhile, in the mage city of Armathelieh, things are not going so well. Cilarnen, a young apprentice mage, has grouped together with some others to help put a stop to the city's famine and talk some sense into the high mage council. Unfortunately, they are being led along by an agent of the Endarkened and fall into his trap. Cilarnen is banished from the city, and with the help of an elf, manages to survive the city's hunt (stone dogs that will rend you to pieces). With his mage gift supposedly burned out of his mind he does his best to make what he can of life, but a surprise attack leads him to learn new things and discover that he must get to Kellen to tell him news.
I have to say that I liked Kellen a little less in this book than the first. He constantly worries about things he doesn't need to, and yet never learns from these mistakes. The elves however, are more pronounced, and their ways are more described in this book giving a better insight into this peculiar race of creatures. Idalia, Kellen's sister, takes a rest in this book and doesn't appear nearly as often.
For a book done by two authors, this one flows pretty seamlessly and there isn't a noticeable difference in passages and pages. There is a lot of description though and some of it does get a bit boring. For instance, its admirable what they want to do with the Teas the elves like so much, but after awhile the idea gets a bit monotonous. There are some bloody battle scenes and violence in this book, and while not extremely graphic, perhaps enough to not be appropriate for younger readers.
I can't wait to read the last book in the series although I'll be sad that its over. Its a great story with likeable characters.
This is the third book in the Obsidian Trilogy. One should note that the first two books should be read before this one or the story will not be underThis is the third book in the Obsidian Trilogy. One should note that the first two books should be read before this one or the story will not be understood at all. The important thing to know about this series though is that Kellen has been banished from the High Mage city of Armethalieh and in doing so, finds his lost sister, goes to the elven lands, and becomes a Knight Mage. As a Knight Mage, he must save everyone from the Endarkened (demons).
In this book, it takes off shortly where To Light a Candle left. Kellen is slowly developing power within the Elven army and during the hard winter he must fight demon minions, find the last enclave of the shadowed elves, and help his friends. Cilarnen the high mage who was also banished discovers how to use High Magic outside the city and must use it to his advantage as the only representative as such city. The rest are being deceived by the Endarkened. With this, the plague, and tons of refugees flooding the area things are certainly busy. But most of all, they are all preparing for the final battle that is sure to come, and bring with it either pain or glory.
The characters in this book are developed better than they were in the last. Cilarnen is interesting instead of annoying and really adds to the story. Kellen stops berating himself and is an enjoyable character. The rest are as wonderful as ever.
The writing, having been done by two authors, flows nicely without breaks and they take a break from unnecessary description in this book. There is still violence which may not be good for younger readers. The authors do make a flaw though, they use the same plot device repeatedly during the book. After awhile, hearing that a character is about to do something that should kill them, and then it doesn't, gets unbelievable. Maybe if they had only used it once or twice during the series it would have been ok, but they use it more than they should have.
This is a great series and very entertaining. I look forward to reading more from the authors as a pair.
I have to say I liked this book of the Discworld series. Although technically the fourth book in the series, this could be read as a stand-alone quiteI have to say I liked this book of the Discworld series. Although technically the fourth book in the series, this could be read as a stand-alone quite easily. The only thing you really need to know about Discworld is that its a disc shaped world, held up by four elephants who in turn are on the back of a giant turtle, and it's a magical world.
Mort is kind of hopeless. All lanky limbs and awkward he definitely can't go into the family business, all his hopes as an apprentice are quickly dashed when the job market doesn't yield a prospective employer for him. Then, when all hope is lost, and the clock chimes midnight, Death comes for him. But its ok, really, Death just wants to take him on as an apprentice (although I'm not sure why). He gets to travel back with Death to his home where he meets his man servant Albert (who is more than meets the eye), his daughter Ysabell (very stubborn and willful and who Albert WILL NOT be set up with if he has his way), and of course learns a little more about Death himself.
With all his training comes great responsibility however. When he's not mucking out the stalls for Death's horse he is learning how to be there for important deaths. The training goes so well that Death decides to take a vacation and Mort will be in charge. This doesn't go so well though as Mort doesn't carry through on the death of beautiful princess Keli and throws the whole world askew. With death enjoying himself in the kitchen, he has to figure out a way to restore balance to Discworld.
The characters in this book, with the exception of Death, are only so-so in this book. I didn't really enjoy any of them. More detail would have been greatly appreciated and would have helped develop them better. Ysabell was annoying and Mort was just awkward. Death on the other hand, was fantastic. He was very stoic but also had a unique way of approaching the world that made him absolutely hilarious.
Pratchett's writing was much better in this novel. I found parts funnier than in the other's of his I read and the story came together cohesively. Then he spoiled it with the ending. I don't want to give much away but it was such a cheap way of finishing the story I just couldn't like it. It almost ruined the rest of the book for me.
I look forward to the next book in this series and hope they keep improving. It seems that there is a reason why movies have been made and a large fan base formed for this series, and I'm finally starting to see it.
This book could have had so much potential, but instead, Lynn has destroyed it. The plan was probably a good one, but the execution, nothing short of This book could have had so much potential, but instead, Lynn has destroyed it. The plan was probably a good one, but the execution, nothing short of terrible.
Two brothers are born in an event that will kill their mother. They are not any brothers though, but rather Dragon-born. One is a direct dragon, born to be able to shape shift into a dragon at will when he grows. The other, is normal. We aren't given much of their childhood and instead come to the future where Tenjiro Atani, the brother without the dragon shifting, is now a mage and arguing with his brother Karadur. In a well concealed plan, he steals his brother's talisman and takes off with it to the north, leaving Karadur unable to transfer into his dragon's form. Three years later, a new man comes to town. His name is Wolf and he is also a shapeshifter (guess what into) and he meets and marries a local woman and has a son. Over time, he becomes acquaintances with Karadur and is there when his brother starts creating war in the North. Wargs, hideous beasts who like to kill, come to the land and start slaughtering. Karadur becomes determined to kill his brother and stop the havoc that is being strewn about his land. The return of his lover Azil (who was kidnapped and tortured by Tenjiro) only further sets his mind to the path.
The characters in this book could have had potential but never were really fully described. The best of them in terms of detail, Wolf and his wife, didn't get to stick around long and so did not keep adding to the story. The rest of the characters there is never a connection or motivation behind their actions. Yes, we are told that Tenjiro is evil, but background would have helped us understand him more. The same applies to all of the other characters.
The writing was deplorable. It's as if Lynn had a bunch of ideas and just tossed them into a blender and made this book. It bounces around, changes ideas, and never finishes a thought before rushing on to the next. Those parts that do start to make sense are rushed and feel incomplete. There are technically five parts and an epilogue, but the fifth part and the epilogue were next to useless and felt like a short story added on to what should have been a completed novel. The most grievous thing of all to me was the language. I was incredulous when fifty pages to the end of the book, Karadur stops talking normally (as he does throughout the book) and starts using language like thee, thou, art and other old forms. This would normally be ok, but it needs to be consistent! People don't start talking different without good reason.
I can't say I'll be looking to read any of Lynn's work in the future. The fact that such a neat idea for a book was translated into this just made me a bit sad.
Ok, this was the first of Pratchett's Discworld series that I actually enjoyed. After reading the first two books which were less than stellar, it wasOk, this was the first of Pratchett's Discworld series that I actually enjoyed. After reading the first two books which were less than stellar, it was with trepidation that I moved on to Equal Rites. But this one was good, not excellent, but still enjoyable. Although it is part of a series, this book could be read as a standalone, and as such I'm not going to recap the other books except to say that Discworld is in fact a magical world on a disc, held up by four elephants which in turn are held up by a giant turtle. That is all you really need to know.
A wizard knows when death is looming. And because of this they like to pass on their powers, most specifically to the eighth son of an eighth son. And so this is what Drum Billet set out to do. But he made a small mistake, see that eight son was actually a daughter. And everyone knows girls can't be wizards. Or can they? Eskarina is the little girl's name and she grows somewhat normally. That is, until one day she turns her brother into a pig. Seeing as how her magical powers could get out of control, local witch Granny Weatherwax, takes her under her wing and attempts to teach her witchcraft. Eskarina's magic is just too powerful though and Granny resigns herself to the fact that she'll have to escort her to wizard's school at the Unseen University.
Nothing is ever easy though and its quite the eventful journey to get to the entrance. Eskarina disappears at times and makes trouble and mayhem wherever she and her wizard staff goes. And even when she arrives at the Unseen University, who is to say that they'll let her in since she's a girl. She and Granny have to come up with a good plan or she could be forever plagued by troublesome magic.
I have to say I love Granny Weatherwax. She's a good mix of practicalitly and no nonsense and just her expressions are hilarious. In addition to that, she's a witch, and a reputable one at that despite the fact that she can't get a decent wart to grow on her nose. Eskarina was ok. For her being the main character I expected a bit more detail and this book just didn't have it. The rest of the characters played minor roles but were all interesting with unique attributes.
Pratchett aims to be funny when he writes and he does an above average job at it. I tend to read at face value though and largely ignore some of his more subtle jokes in the book. I know they are there, I just don't really care about them. He tends to jump around in ideas as well and this can make for hard reading at times. This was noticeable in the end of the book where he went on a complete leap of storyline from the rest of the book and it didn't seem to fit. I found myself skipping through this section of the book as I didn't find it particularly interesting.
Since I enjoyed this book I'll probably keep reading the series. With each additional book the writing seems to get better and better and the plotline more interesting.
In the world of Vampire novels, this is an older one. Written in the nineties I saw a lot of similarities to recent vampire novels in this book. It waIn the world of Vampire novels, this is an older one. Written in the nineties I saw a lot of similarities to recent vampire novels in this book. It was an ok book, not the best in its genre, but it wasn't bad either.
Eleisha is a vampire and her task is to take care of William, a vampire who was turned while having Alzheimer's and now has lived undead with the disease for many years. Taking care of William is about to get harder though. Normally solitary beings, they had made the friendship of Edward and he has just gone mad and killed himself in front of witnesses. Since Eleisha is connected to him, she has to hide. But these are no ordinary police witnesses, they have psychic powers and between them and William's son Julian who is also a vampire, she has to be careful or fall prey to all their schemes.
Eleisha has a few defenses though. When a vampire is made, the attribute that was most profound becomes ten times as powerful. In Eleisha's case that is vulnerability, she can literally make people want to take care of her. She also discovers that most vampires have psychic powers as well and she can learn to use that to her advantage. Despite this though, she is playing with dangerous players and must keep herself and William safe.
The characters were ok. Eleisha of course was the most developed but they gave plenty of background on all of the characters so at least you knew their history. She takes pretty good care of herself despite being called weak and not so wise with the world.
Hendee's writing is pretty clear. She doesn't use a lot of offensive language but there are some violent scenes and descriptions in this book. Her style in this book was a bit distracting. With the vampires psychic abilities there were a lot of flashbacks as they showed each other things. This took away from the main story with a lot of huge gaps in the novel. Her writing isn't really engaging either and while I enjoyed the story, I wasn't drawn into it.
As far as vampire stories go, this is average. I do see a lot of inspiration for some of the ones written lately and advise people who enjoy the more recent ones to read this one. She has some other books out and it seems this could be a series so I'll definitely be checking more of her work out.
After having read the first book (and not really enjoying it) I decided to keep plodding through as there had to be a reason so many people like PratcAfter having read the first book (and not really enjoying it) I decided to keep plodding through as there had to be a reason so many people like Pratchett. While I was still less than impressed with this book, I did enjoy it more than I did the first. As much as I hate to suggest it, if you haven't read the Colour of Magic before this book, you should to get the background on the characters.
When we last left them Rincewind (the failed wizard) and Twoflower (tourist to the area) had been escaping danger, falling a lot, and fighting off evil creatures; finally they are dropping off the end of the world when the book ends. One should note, Discworld is precisely that, a disc that is sitting on the backs of four elephants which in turn are standing on a giant turtle. So it is possible to fall off the edge.
So now they are suddenly restored to an upright position on the disc and safe. They don't know where they are, and the trees are talking, there's gnomes, and an edible house in which to shelter is right there for the eating. Rincewind is having trouble with the spell locked in his head, and that same spell has become interesting to the rest of the wizards in the world when a big star is headed straight for them. So now Rincewind has to help protect Twoflower from crazy star people, rogue bandits, trolls, and other dangers. All the while, he's in trouble himself.
The characters in this were a little better developed than in the others. Rincewind is lets face it, a kind of boring character despite the fact that he's the main character in these books. Twoflower is little better and somewhat annoying at times. The luggage, of course, being an animate object that doesn't talk is as interesting as it can get (at least it eats people). It was the minor characters that really stood out in this novel. Cohen the Barbarian, was well, awesome. Despite being old and barely able to talk, he was the man. The trolls and gnomes also had a lot of pizazz as well.
Pratchett's writing is very jumpy. He has a million things to say and tries to express them all in one not very long book. He has a ton of books and I think that he could have just made more to include all the things he wanted to put out there. He uses a lot of humour, and while most of its cheesy, he did have a few moments that made me chuckle.
I'll keep reading the series, and hopefully like with this one, they'll keep getting better.
I'd heard a lot about these books. The Disc World series is huge and even has a few movies to its name. I decided it had to be good right? Well, to beI'd heard a lot about these books. The Disc World series is huge and even has a few movies to its name. I decided it had to be good right? Well, to be honest, I was very disappointed in this book. It wasn't near what I expected from all the hype that accompanied Pratchett's books.
The Colour of Magic is the first book in the series, although I've heard that they can mostly be read as stand-alones. Which is probably a good thing since I believe there are over thirty novels in the series. This one involved two main characters of Rincewood the incompetent wizard and Twoflower, a bumbling tourist. They encounter a myriad of characters along the way, including Death. Coerced into keeping Twoflower safe, Rincewood encounters all sorts of hazards and people trying to kill them. Especially since Death himself is interested in Rincewood. They travel and meet dragons, edge-worlders (Discworld is of course a disc, balanced on the backs of four elephants who in turn stand on a turtle), trolls, and other strange beasts, most of whom are not very friendly.
Rincewood and Twoflower are not very exciting characters. They don't have a lot of development and their conversations are not very intriguing. Rincewood especially I just found annoying. There is only so far you can make someone inept and he didn't really seem to have any redeeming qualities. Just a lot of luck. Twoflower is little better, but at least he has some interesting background compared to Rincewood.
The writing was very jumpy. So many characters and and places were introduced in the beginning that I never got them sorted out in my head before having to move on to the next thing in the plot. The story also jumped around a lot. I'd no sooner get to one point in the novel then it seemed that they were already on a new adventure without resolving the last. I just wasn't a big fan of the way it flowed. There were a few funny moments, but it wasn't enough to make up for the majority of the book.
I do hope these books get better. I'm going to try a few more because there's got to be a reason the series is so popular. I have heard that the writing and plots get better so I am somewhat excited to read more. Here's hoping that I can leap into Discworld with further novels.
The Colour of Magic Copyright 1983 210 pages + extras
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