Month: April 2007

Riddle-Master

10 Comments

Wow. I don’t know where to start with this trilogy — The Riddle-Master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind — by Patricia McKillip. I’m at a loss for words.

It’s a huge, dense book, a homage to Lord of the Rings. And as a homage, it’s brilliant. Instead of copying the world, or the ideas from Tolkien, she used the themes — of redemption, of the passing of an age, of harnessing and the temptation of power — to craft a masterful work. I was caught up in the story, in the world, wanting to know the answers.

But… it was almost too dense. I would read passages and think “What the heck just happened?”, and re-read them. And they wouldn’t be any clearer. I’d go on with the hope that everything would make itself known in the end. I suppose if you read a book entitled Riddle-Master things are probably going to be confusing for a while. But, when the end finally came, and the resolution, I was oddly disappointed. Perhaps it was that I saw it coming pages before, but just didn’t quite figure it out. Or perhaps it was too pat and I wanted more. But I don’t know what that would entail.

I really enjoyed the first and second books. The first is Morgan (the Riddler of the title, the Prince of Hed, the Star-Bearer) figuring out his destiny, and traveling the realm looking for the High One (think High King) to get some answers. It ends with a spectacular cliff-hanger, which isn’t fully resolved until the end of the third book. The second is all about Raederle, who is Morgan’s love, companion, friend. Morgan disappeared for over a year after the end of the first book. She got worried. And, despite the objections of her father and all the other land-rulers (think oh, the lesser kings in LOTR), she and Morgan’s sister Tristan, and Lyra (a kick-butt guard; think Eowyn) they go looking for him. Raederle figures things out about herself, for herself, and becomes, gradually, Morgan’s equal (or at least comes close) in power. It’s quite the book.

The third, however, doesn’t work as well. It builds up, and builds up, but is way too dense to have made much sense to me. I tried to get it, but it all came crashing down in the end, a huge battle, thousands of lives lost, power thrown and hurled everywhere, and I couldn’t visualize it. I didn’t get it. I don’t get it. Someone will have to explain it all to me.

Still. I’m not sorry I read it. Thanks again, Corrine, for sending the book. I’ll get it back to you soon.

Visual DNA

1 Comment

Mother Reader posted this and I just couldn’t resist. Like her, I couldn’t resist the combination of beautiful photos and personality tests. Amazingly enough, it’s pretty accurate.

http://dna.imagini.net/friends/swf/widget.swf

Bloggers vs. Reviewers

6 Comments

I’m not going to weigh in on this debate (being one of those who are blogging reviews…), but for a thoughtful overview, check out Betsy’s thoughtful post on the whole debate.

In other news, I finished Riddle-Master of Hed last night. And I’m SO glad that Corrine sent me the whole trilogy, because it ends with a major cliffhanger. I would be totally up the proverbial river if I’d checked it out from the library. Maybe I should talk to them about it.

The, um, review will be forthcoming, after I finish the other two books.

River Secrets

9 Comments

I’m reading a lot of fantasy books these days, but almost none are from my Once Upon a Time challenge list. I will get to those eventually…

I threw this one in here (I figured it would be a quick read), because I discovered the library had it while searching for books for M. Not to pass a Shannon Hale book up, I threw it in the bag and took it home. Where it sat and called me and nagged me until I finished Temeraire and I could happily indulge myself in Hale’s wonderful storytelling.

I liked this one. A lot. At least, a lot better than I liked Enna Burning. The basic plot: Razo (the sheep boy from Goose Girl, and Enna’s good friend) is asked to be a part of an envoy accompanying the ambassador to Tira, following the uncertain end to the war between Bayern and Tira. Times are uneasy; there are elements in Tira that want to go back to war with Bayern, and it’s up to the ambassador and the soldiers to stop the assembly from voting to go to war.

Razo’s role in all this is uncertain until about a third of the way through the book, when he gest a special assignment: discover who’s behind the burned bodies that Razo keeps discovering.

I enjoyed this for many reasons. Hale’s a great storyteller, and has a way of describing a world and yet letting her characters be characters rather than elements of the world (which is more difficult to achieve than you would believe). I liked Razo’s development from an insecure kid to a self-aware, and confident young man. I liked Dasha as a counterweight to Razo. I loved Enna and Finn’s romance. And Radiance, the Tiran prince, cracked me up.

Unfortunately, while she alluded to Enna Burning, and pretty much explained the really important parts, you can’t effectively skip that book and read this one. This one makes more sense having read Enna Burning, and there were times when I wished I had read it more recently.

And, this one makes it worth your time.

Black Powder War

7 Comments

When we last checked in with Temeraire, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the story line. However, Hubby insisted that the next one in the sequence was worth slogging through Throne of Jade, so I kept with it.

And he was right.

If anything, Naomi Novik is becoming a better writer. The first book was solely carried on the novelty of the idea. The second she tired subtlety and totally fell flat. But this time, she managed delightful ambiguity along with all the daredevil adventures and suspense. And, I have to say, it’s the best of the three.

Laurence and Temeraire are waiting to leave China and head back to England when 1) a fire breaks out on the ship and delays the journey and 2) they get urgent orders to head to Turkey to pick up some eggs that were bought by the British government. They decide, because of incident number 1, that it would be faster to go overland. For that, they need a guide, and get a sort of nomad, Tharkay, to fill the role. I loved Tharkay as a character. Is he loyal to Temeraire and Laurence? Is he a traitor? What is his deal? Kept me guessing the whole book.

That, and Lien (the dragon of the bad guy in book two) becomes a rogue element, eventually signing up with the French army as part of her revenge against Temeraire. There’s a brilliant passage where she confronts Temeraire and explains what she’s going to do to him. Chilling.

On top of that, they endure sandstorm, avalanche, mistrust, betrayal, loss, death, and a host of other things before their journey is done. Yeah, it’s a little over the top, but I was left hanging, desperate to know what happens next.

Great reading.

Bwaa-haaa-haa!

8 Comments

So, a while back, Leila posted about Shannon Hale’s new book, Austenland, which isn’t due out until June. And while I wasn’t exactly green with envy, I was just a little bit jealous. Then I got to thinking: hey, I write for Estella’s Revenge. I wonder, if I contacted Shannon Hale’s people, if I could get a copy of the book, too. And, so I did. And ta-da! I have in my grubby little hands, an advance review copy of Austenland. (does a little happy dance)

Y’all will just have to wait on what I think of it, though. I’ve got an interview and review lined up for the June issue, to coincide with the pub date.

In other news, I’ve got Rick Riordan’s latest, Titan’s Curse, coming, too. M is REALLY happy about that one.

I think I like this book reviewing thing. (grin)

The Sea of Monsters

6 Comments

M has been after me to read this book for quite a while. Ever since we picked it up a couple months ago at a book fair, and she devoured it. So, she was quite pleased that I finally did get around to reading it. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about the ending for a LONG time,” she said.

With good cause. Rick Riordan’s written one of the best endings I’ve read in a long time.

But, first the rest of the book. It picks up with Percy just finishing seventh grade, a year after The Lightening Thief ends. He’s hanging out with a mentally-challenged, oversized kid (okay, we find out he’s a Cyclops) named Tyson at his school, and on the very last day, some laistrygonians attack him and Tyson, blowing up the school, putting Percy on the run. He ends up at Camp Half-Blood again (his mother had told him he wasn’t going to get to go), and discovers things there aren’t right. Someone’s poisoned Thalia’s tree, weakening the magic borders surrounding the camp. Long story short, he ends up on an adventure to get the Golden Fleece to save Camp Half-Blood.

I really liked the illusions to the Odyssey here. Percy’s satyr friend Grover is captured by Polyphemus (the Cyclops from the Odyssey), and manages to convince the big guy that he is a lady Cyclops. Polyphemus wants to marry Grover, but Grover insists that he needs to weave his bridal train first. But, in a brilliant nod to the original, he unweaves it every night. Loved that. I also liked how they used Nobody to get into Polyphemus cave to rescue Grove. Okay, I guess I really liked the whole Polyphemus section.

It really was an intense little book. There came a point where I knew I couldn’t put it down, and I even had to ask M if they managed to succeed in their quest. (She answered,”Well, yeah…” with a gleam in her eye.) And, as I’ve said before, it’s got one of the best twists at the end that I’ve read in a while.

All that said, I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment. Can’t wait to see what happens to Percy next. (After M reads it first, of course.)

One book down for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Save the Chocolate

4 Comments

I know it’s not book related, but I had to do something. I found this over at Food Chronicles… the FDA is considering a petition by U.S. Chocolate Industry, through its Chocolate Manufacturers of America (CMA), and in collaboration with the Grocery Manufacturers Association to change the definition of chocolate in this country. They want to replace the cocoa butter with vegetable oil and real milk with milk solids. So, instead of eating chocolate, we will be left with this imitation-chocolate-like substance, that will probably taste overly sweet and be just icky. Enough of our lives are processed, does chocolate have to be, too?

Thankfully, it is America, and if we act NOW we can do something. Go here for details, and follow the links. It’s easy; it takes about 5 minutes, but only if you leave an impassioned comment like I did. Please. It’s chocolate.

Throne of Jade

Leave a comment

So, I admit that back in January I was so taken with the idea of His Majesty’s Dragon, that I didn’t bother telling y’all about the book at all. The reason being: there really isn’t that much to tell. Man (Laurence) gets dragon (Temeraire) and learns to love said dragon, fighting in conflicts with him. It was a world- and idea-driven book.

Which tends not to be enough to warrant another book. I found with Throne of Jade, that the world had lost it’s novelty and that the story left behind wasn’t quite enough for me. Not that I abandoned the book. Novack kept me turning pages for one reason: I wanted to know how on earth Laurence and Temeraire managed to stay together. For the basic premise of this book is that the Chinese government is highly offended that Temeraire (who is a Chinese Celestial, and is only supposed to be reserved for royalty) is being used as a pack animal, and in a war to boot. So, they are demanding that Temeraire be returned to China.

And what ensues is pretty typical. There’s a Bad Guy, whom you are supposed to suspect. And the Good Guy (Laurence) is supposed to over come all (assassination attempts, jealousy of Temeraire, uncertainty, boredom), and he does. There’s an Annoying Diplomat, who manages to get his way in the end, even though he’s not interesting at all, but rather a great big prick. There’s the Good Bad Guy, a Chinese noble who ends up being on Laurence’s side, but I, at least, saw it coming.

Enough complaints. You do have to read this one, though, because it focuses on Novak’s higher arc: revolution for the English dragons. Temeraire has to go to China, if only to see how dragons in China are treated.

And Hubby assures me that Black Powder War is much better.