The older I get and the more of these I read, the more they read as author insert fiction (I'm sure there's a snappy name for that) BUT, on the other The older I get and the more of these I read, the more they read as author insert fiction (I'm sure there's a snappy name for that) BUT, on the other hand, why become an author if not to put your personal fantasies to paper?
Not terribly well or poorly written, but right down the middle and enough to be a ride (predictably fridging aside...sighhhhhhhhhh), and I'm invested enough 17 books in to continue paying for tickets.
Because the first 60-70% or so is really slow, it took me...9 months to get through that? Nothing ever grabbed me. And, in the eTHREE AND A HALF STARS
Because the first 60-70% or so is really slow, it took me...9 months to get through that? Nothing ever grabbed me. And, in the end, I'm not sure all that padding was worth it. I feel like the book needed a really cruel editor to chop 100-200 pages out of it. Harsh, I know. Maybe cut out a semi-major subplot or two (I know it would hurt if I wrote it, but I feel like the book as a whole would be better for it - some of the stuff with Ley's crew & the train heist, maybe? Turn it into a standalone novella or something, and fasttrack whatever plot points needed to be hit because of that)?
BUT, I did really enjoy the last 100-200 pages - even if I still don't understand some of what happened. Like, what's the deal with the city now? Were both of them [SPOILERS INCOMING] physically and spatially merged, or are they separated by something??
Also, as much as this series puts on a facade of magic being sort of ...lawyer-y...it still felt like a lot of things just happened "because".
Anyway, I like where it ended up, and I'm curious about where the series is going, so I will definitely keep reading BUT I hope he (the writer) keeps the next book down around 300-350 pages, as that seems to be a sweet spot for him....more
I like the characters but just couldn't get into the villain(s) of this book for some reason. I do like how it tied back into thThree and a half stars
I like the characters but just couldn't get into the villain(s) of this book for some reason. I do like how it tied back into the short story that originally got me into Older's writing, but I felt like it just needed something more.
Also, I think he re-used a plot ~gag from the previous book that was a bit too much Chekhov's gun for me.
ANYWAY. Interesting and worth reading (especially if you're a fan of Urban Fantasy that's not romance in disguise), but not the best thing ever....more
Solid entry in the urban fantasy genre, but nothing that really shook me or knocked me out or whatever. However, given that there's real3.5-3.75 stars
Solid entry in the urban fantasy genre, but nothing that really shook me or knocked me out or whatever. However, given that there's really not much out there in this genre, and much of it is crap or borderline erotica - if you want something that's not that, this is a good place to go.
The ending...I dunno, it just felt a little rushed, and I was let down by the fallout (avoiding spoilers here), although it was understandable in context. ...more
I debated not doing a review, because I don't have much of intelligence to say here (STOP. Don't compare that [update: "real" review]
by: Max Gladstone
I debated not doing a review, because I don't have much of intelligence to say here (STOP. Don't compare that to anything else I say, ever.), but I felt I should say something (TM), even if only to get the book whatever extra tiny press my blurbage here might generate.
Because it's pretty good, and the series in general is also pretty good, and the writer seems to be a pretty good guy. Not that we owe pretty good people anything! Nor pretty people, nor good people. Look at me re-using basic words. I'm pretty good at that. You can debate my subjective and objective prettiness and goodness in your own free time. I'll spend mine re-using words.
So, first things first: I will shamefully admit that I have no idea who the woman on the left is supposed to be. I wondered that through the whole book. It can't be Izza (she's a kid). Is it Mara? I think she's native to Kavekana like Kai (woman on the right)...so it wouldn't be her. Or Cat (she's blonde)...so it would have to be Teo? But isn't Teo from Quechal?? Maybe not Quechal nationality...but she does mention having the Quechal priest tattoo things and I AM SO BAD I PRETTY MUCH FORGOT THE ENTIRE SECOND BOOK. I guess Teo is priesty? Shit, I need to re-read them all now. Doesn't it have to be her?
[UPDATE: Via @MaxGladstone on twitter, it's Izza! ]
[sidebar: Per this post by the author, the chronology in the craft books goes 4->2->1->3. Note that the 4th book isn't out yet. So when I re-read, I'll do Two Serpents, then Three Parts. Also what's up with the him using numbers in the first 3 book titles, then dropping it for the 4th (Last First Snow)? HATE BREAKING CYCLES. ]
[sidebar 2: How weird is it that there are no actual wiki entries for these books, only the author? What the literal actual fuck? How is that helpful to detail obsessed people like me? You're telling me that no one more neurotic than I has read these books, lost their battle with self control, and succumbed to creating those wiki pages? INTERNET YOU HAST FAILT ME. ]
Uhh. Back to stuff. So. I quite liked this book. It was a little like a legal drama from the other side (the point of view of someone working at a company involved in the drama, without actually being involved in the drama itself...UNTIL - but you know, that's an interesting angle), with a bit of corporate whistleblowing and corporate ethics (if such a thing exists) thrown in. Not to mention the question of where a tiny independent island and its potential economy fits into a larger picture in a world dominated by larger powers that could potentially easily squish/consume it.
Oh, and there's also more than a finger's worth of looking at being transgender in a world like this. As an outsider to this community, I can't comment much on that - other than saying I suspect trans folks in this world would love to have the options available in that world.
I love all the stuff about idolatry as a 9-5 and the differences between worshipping and selling and man...I wish there had been like forty pages explaining the technical details of it all. I would read that.
FOUR STARS
Good, solid stuff. Still hinting around the bush at the over-arching plot. I wonder how long it will take to knock the leaves off?...more
Finally! The Sanderson book I've been dreading. You know, the one that's not quite as good as the others? Yup, this is that book.
It's not terrible or Finally! The Sanderson book I've been dreading. You know, the one that's not quite as good as the others? Yup, this is that book.
It's not terrible or even bad or mediocre or really even average - but I still found it the weakest thing of his that I've read (I haven't read the Rithmatist stuff). In part, this is because it feels "too simple" to me. At first glance (up until the final quarter of the book or so), it lacks Sanderson's traditional (habitual?) sense of depth and worldbuilding. There just isn't much here. I mean, it's a fucked-up, metal Chicago, dig? We do get more later with some of the big twists towards the end (all properly foreshadowed) - one of them kept the book a "Sanderson book" - if that makes any sense. Without it it would have just been a decent book. Oh, but with it (and a few other bits along the way)... with it you have Sanderson's wacky magic worldbuilding that take things up a notch and bring the interest home.
Also, was this a YA book? I found it with his stuff in SF/F, but that's to be expected for a big name author (is he a big name now? I think so...?). I'm thinking it might be YA. Maybe that would explain the simplicity?
So yeah. Superpowers. With a catch. What's the catch...? It should be obvious. I mean, it's RIGHT THERE - but, it was one of the twists I didn't see coming. The fact that each power has a weakness seems a bit overwrought but I'm willing to hold my breath for now because, given XXXXXXX, he really could take it so many places that I'll just sit back and see where it winds up.
Don't get me wrong - I did like the book, and I'm looking forward to the next one. But I can confidently say that, to me, it was his weakest work.
THREE AND A HALF STARS
A good, solid read. A little weak around the beginning and some spots in the middle but the payoff (note that I'm not even talking about how they defeated the bad guy -I had that figured out quite early - although I wouldn't have put it past Sanderson to turn that on its head as well) was worth it.
Oh, and I hate the cover. True, I hate most photorealistic covers, so it's not really a stretch. But. Yeah. ...more
Another ancient bit of text from the recesses of my literary past. I can't even remember when I read these books, nor any plot specifics in the slightAnother ancient bit of text from the recesses of my literary past. I can't even remember when I read these books, nor any plot specifics in the slightest - but I remembered that I liked them, and the general gist of Amber itself AND I was all out of new books to read. SO. There was that.
First off - the title is something of a red herring. I mean, technically I guess we learn the names of all nine princes, but only 8 are featured - and one only for a brief, confusing interlude. A more apt title may have been Seven and a Half Princes in Amber. I point this out only because I was expecting a little more about the individual princes (there are also four or six princesses not mentioned in the title, but I guess in Amber only a male can rule. Or something...).
Oh, and while we're talking about things that are first (we weren't, really, but now we are - sort of) - this book is written in first person! First person which I usually can't stand... thankfully it's first person past (the tale is being told to an unknown audience, but you get the sense that if the series progresses enough you'll find out who) and *not* first person present. Ugh. LOATHE. I mean. You know. Impersonally. Or something.
So yeah - it's simple and direct and short and sweet and quick to the punch and doesn't spend too much time on any one point - pretty much what you'd expect from 60-70s fantasy. Where it differs from some (many?) others is that I found it entertaining and engaging.
THREE AND A HALF STARS
A classic fast moving fantasy. Reminds me (and is contemporary to/with, I think) of Fred Saberhagen's Empire of the East series.
One of the best I've read in this new urban/fantasy tradition/style/framework/slash.
There was a nice, if entirely logical, twist,This was a good book.
One of the best I've read in this new urban/fantasy tradition/style/framework/slash.
There was a nice, if entirely logical, twist, and some painful being human-ing. I enjoyed (while simultaneously cringing - don't hate!) the way this world's social struggles echo our own (sexuality, religion) and the sort of interesting take on how to resolve theism and ?capitalism?, although I'm not sure how to convert that metaphor into our world. Maybe it can't be done. Fine either way.
I love the world, love the magic system (even though it's quite similar to some of miiiiiiiiine!) and enjoyed all the characters. It's rare to feel so sympathetic toward the villain(s), but I felt like I understood where pretty much everyone was coming from here. Convincing arguments all around.
I'm very, very curious where this series is going next. I have to say, if there were some way for book three to be about Caleb and Tara (from Three Parts Dead) meeting well, that would be just sick. It seems like a logical progression too...unless the books set in this world are just going to be a string of unconnected interludes. That being said, I don't see a unifying "big bad" tying the books together, but maybe that's actually a good thing.
This book was just as short as the last one, but didn't feel as short - it seemed to hit enough of the right notes and had very few misfires, making economical use of the similarly limited page count.
I mean, what's this going to be in paperback? 300 pages? Does it count as "urban fiction" (it does have a vampire)? Maybe that's why It was too short.
I mean, what's this going to be in paperback? 300 pages? Does it count as "urban fiction" (it does have a vampire)? Maybe that's why - those tend to be shorter.
I love the way the world's laid out. Magic/god system, etc. Some of the pieces were really similar to ideas I've had myself, so I'll just take that as a compliment. OR maybe Max should. <.<
So.
It had a lot in common with the parts I like about detective fiction - clues! - and the rest felt mostly like urban fantasy, even though the environment is pretty much steampunk+magic. Which ...well maybe that is just urban fantasy? People felt very "modern", at least Tara and the folks from outside Alt Coulumb - business suits and all that. Although the knives stored in(side?) their collarbones weren't exactly that. I really wanted more meat about the world, but I think I get the whole "make it feel fast" that pushes a lot of modern fiction. Me, as a more patient reader, would have loved for things to slow down a bit and flesh out the world more.
Well, sequel fodder, right? Well, it looks like there kind of is a sequel on the way (looks like it's set in the same world but with totally different characters...nooo! Needs more Tara.). October eh? Bummer.
The clues were mostly well done and quite clever - at least one of them was something I noticed early - one of those "Why is X character even HERE?" type things. I loved that you were maybe supposed to feel that way.
I won't mention another thing I particularly liked, because it might be something that would turn others off and I wouldn't want to do that. Let me know if you figure out what it is ;).
FOUR STARS
This is maybe a tiny bit generous, because it was really too short, but I loved pretty much everything about it. However nothing really blew my mind, and that's usually required from > four. So. Four is good! READ THIS BOOK....more
14 (?) books in and still building steam. My first reaction upon finishing was "Wow, he managed to do exactly what I expected him to do AND exactly wh14 (?) books in and still building steam. My first reaction upon finishing was "Wow, he managed to do exactly what I expected him to do AND exactly what I expected him not to do."
The expectation had to do with control over his mantle ("Duh, he's Harry Dresden and it's a genre book, of course he's going to X...") and the surprise had to do with the final status of the mantle ("Duh, he's Harry Dresden and it's a genre book of course he's not going to Y - OH, he is? Alrighty then!")- not to mention the other notable character who picks one up. Was not expecting that! But, in true Butcher style, the groundwork was laid over the course of at least a couple books - no monkeys flying out of asses here.
On that thread: Butcher continues to rock the Dragon Ball Z-age that is Dresden's continuing rise to powers unknown to mortal men (or at least, to Harry Dresden in the previous book). HOWEVER. It's done well so far. It's a combination of the slippery slope downward - that manages to be way more convincing than say, Anita Blake's similar trip - and the hard road upward while bearing an ever heavier burden. The heroic journey after kicking back a case of Red Bulls.
What else can I say without spoilers? (And why am I avoiding spoilers? I DON'T KNOW! For some reason I just decided to. Maybe because it makes things harder).
So yeah. I don't think this is my favorite book of the series or anything, but it's pretty solid. Better written than the earlier books and chock full of lore and world-fill-in-the-blanksing. I love how nothing ever feels like it comes out of nowhere. Almost everything simmers. Well... that bullet there at the end KIND of did but, you know. I mean, it's not like it was out of character for anyone, yeah? ;)
The one thing finishing a Dresden Files book is really good for is making me salivate for the next one.
Random thought: did it seem like there was more cursing in this book than the others? I'm wondering if that's actual (it's been quite a while since I read Ghost Story) and, if so, is it accidental or intentional - maybe to hint at how the mantle of the Winter Knight is changing him?
It felt long for a Dresden book, but I wish it was longer. I wanted to see more of pretty much every character featured. FOUR STARS
Because it was awesome, but it wasn't the best thing on the planet. Annnnd I am pretty invested, so it's hard not to be biased....more
Decent, but the ending was A) rather forced B) out of the blue and C) in one incredibly obvious way very much the same as the second book's ending (ShDecent, but the ending was A) rather forced B) out of the blue and C) in one incredibly obvious way very much the same as the second book's ending (She's got a mind control bullseye on her forehead I guess)....more
So. 300 pages into Dust of Dreams (Malazan #9) and this comes out. I’d forgotten – I’m glad I put all the new book release dates I care about in my caSo. 300 pages into Dust of Dreams (Malazan #9) and this comes out. I’d forgotten – I’m glad I put all the new book release dates I care about in my calendar!
Anyway, I took a 10 or or so detour through Dresdenland on my way through Malazan – like I could wait another week to read this. Hah. Especially after the way Butcher ended Changes. Balls!
I’m going to try and keep the spoilers here to a minimum and vague but I can’t avoid them entirely.
This book picks up seconds after the last one ended (sort of! Wait till the end…) with Dresden being, well, dead. Now, you and I know that he is only comic book dead – because Butcher is on record saying that the series has at least twenty books in it, and it seems unlikely that he would do them all with Dresden a ghost (but wouldn’t that be awesome/more ballsy?). BUT, in the meantime we get to watch and wonder how he brings Harry back.
I mean, there are a ton of ways for that to happen in this world. Hint: The way he does it it happens is the most obvious one.
What we get instead of a quest for Harry to return to life is, instead, what Harry thinks is a last hurrah for his eternal soul, sort of. He’s sent back to Chicago with a task that, of course, he mostly ignores (although finds the answer somewhat accidentally) because his friends are in danger! Duh. So he goes around and charges into things and looks foolish a bit, as usual, then learns some stuff, as usual. I mean, we know the formula! But it works! It’s fun! Homer this is not, you know? This is “good times” reading, and it totally is.
Everyone gets more emo. People actually say the word “emo”. There are more Star Wars references. X-Men & Star Trek, too! Mort gets an upgrade. Karrin gets her butt kicked and she’s OK with it. Molly carries the weight of the world. Harry finds a new ally. We find out who killed Harry. And, more importantly, who had him killed.
Oh, and Harry learns to stop and think. Kind of. He still mostly doesn’t, but he does sometimes. I mean, he still mostly does what he would have done anyway, but at least he does some analysis beforehand.
A couple bits about the climax didn’t make sense as I rolled them around in my brain. Why couldn’t she just eat the other ghosts? I mean. Huh? Also, why did she have to eat the specific ghosts she did? Why not just the other huge horde of them she had milling around.
The “moral climax”, I guess, the decision Harry makes in the last section about coming to terms with what he is/will be also felt a little soft. Like “He had to die to learn THAT?”. It seemed kinda like basic knowledge. I suppose I get why he died, from his side of things, but from a story angle I’m a little confused as to why that was necessary. I’m guessing it’s because he learned a bunch about the spirit world in this book. Not complaining, I’m sure it will all pop up again.
[edit: I guess it was probably to flush out the state of mind he was in at the end of Changes. It's been long enough that it's not fresh in my mind, but I guess he was going to dark places and had to be reminded that he still had free will or something? It doesn't stand out in my memory that he had forgotten that, or something... but maybe he was mentally consigning himself to be a monster, which would have allowed him to become an actual monster.]
FOUR STARS
Because it’s fun. It’s what I expected, in a good way.
I forget how his brother’s (the lust vampire dude) thing with Justine works, but I suspect that the solution/final scene with him is going to be … mentioned a bit on the internet....more
Death Masks primarily concerns the fallout from book 3 (Grave Peril): the vampire vs. White Council war & theContinued from my Summer Knight review...
Death Masks primarily concerns the fallout from book 3 (Grave Peril): the vampire vs. White Council war & the status of Harry’s potentially lost love, Susan the (now) almost (SPOILER), and the other two Knights of the Cross. Plot A concerns the Knights of the Cross and a group of their ancient enemies (uber demons & their possessed hosts), Plot B concerns the vampire war, subplot A involves the theft of the Shroud of Turin (which leads back to plot A) and subplot B concerns the return of Susan and her status (which leads back to plot B) – yeah, lot’s of balls in the air. From this book onward I think it’s going to be a trend, as Blood Rites (book 6) followed a similar pattern. Hopefully Butcher won’t turn it into formula, but we’ll see.
Anyway, the series continues to be enjoyable page turners, and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in the nascent Urban Fantasy (sub?) genre, or just looking for a good, but not too heavy, read. I don’t think I’ve spent more than two days on any of the books, some only a day – they run in the 300s pagecount wise, but those pages demand to be turned.
I read these on the trip but couldn’t get the time to post a review. Trying to do so before I forget much morbook reviews: Summer Knight & Death Masks
I read these on the trip but couldn’t get the time to post a review. Trying to do so before I forget much more of them (yes, I do forget books *that* fast).
I’m just going to cluster them together, since the series is basically one big, long book anyway.
In both cases Butcher continues his trend of stacking the deck against our perpetually harried protagonist, then shooting the deck up with Meth and lighting it on fire. I always got the sense of “Wow, really? Overkill?” but, not in a bad way surprisingly. The majority of the building tension and additional drama seemed to flow organically from the established story – for the most part, nothing came out of nowhere. Although… it does seem like he’s picking up the habit of just flat out starting each book with two main plots, which has the potential to be annoying. However, everything always dovetails well and both plots are usually equally engaging so, no harm no foul – yet.
There are a metric ton of plots and potential plots running through the series now, and I’m curious if Butcher has any endgame in site (I have a vague sense of what it would involve), or is planning on making this an indefinite series. I think, as long as he can avoid the pitfalls of formula, it could work as the latter. Don’t get me wrong, his various formulas are visible, but not distracting or trite – yet. Don’t know why I’m so paranoid… just hate to see a good thing ruined I guess.
Summer Knight is basically our introduction to the Fae/fairie/etc. of Butcher’s Earth. We get a little more background on Harry’s ties to the Nevernever and his fairy godmother comes off looking not quite as horrible as she has in previous books. She may actually be looking out for him… duh duh dah! Based on the way the plots are shuffling about across the series so far, I’m sure that will rear it’s head in another book or three.
The Dresden Files do indeed seem to pick up with the third book – as was suggested to me by a few folks elsewhere on the net. Random note: apparently The Dresden Files do indeed seem to pick up with the third book – as was suggested to me by a few folks elsewhere on the net. Random note: apparently the author had the 1st 3 written before he was signed.
The stakes are raised so high in this book I actually had to wonder at a few points “How is he going to raise them any higher?” But, true to genre form/formula (no negative connation intended, it’s just the way the format works), he does.
The ending is bittersweet, and takes all characters involved to interesting places, as well as bumping up the stakes for the series in general.
His world is believable and compelling, even if the magic system still feels somewhat arbitrary – hopefully continued flesh-growing in later books will deal with this. He toned town the “my magic is all goodness” preachiness a bit to a level I found much more consistent with the character and, even though the ending was close to a deux-ex, it fit within the constraints of the system he laid out. I think.
Oh, and he brought in a sex vampire… normally I would wonder if this was at the urging of his agent, who supposedly was Laurell K. Hamilton’s agent…but, like I said, supposedly he had this written before he got signed. Still. I’m trying to AVOID the whole sex vampire thing here, ok? Help a reader out!
Even though I was impatient enough to move over to the hardcovers, I still went into this expecting to be finally bored by the series. I mean, 10/11 bEven though I was impatient enough to move over to the hardcovers, I still went into this expecting to be finally bored by the series. I mean, 10/11 books is a lot for a series, you know? That’s a lot of investment into characters, story, etc. for no “big” payoff. Lots of little ones, but no big ones.
I have to say, I think this series has had some of the slowest buildup to the real “big bads” of anything I’ve ever read, save maybe a few comic runs. Sure there is HUGE ohmygodimgonnadiewe’realldead drama every single book BUT there’s been a shadowy villain group on the outskirts of things that we are just now starting to see. Curious to see where it’s going, but I hope he has the series planned as a finite series. Not big on the run ons.
So, the book itself – it did not bore, which was nice. I ripped through it in a day. His pacing is not quite Dan Brown-ish (in franticness or poorly written-ness), but things still tend to happen pretty fast and make it hard to put down once I got just a little way in.
It’s quite hard to review this series without giving spoilers, hence some of my generic statements… I will say though that this is the book with the pyrrhic victory ending. Almost everyone gets fucked in one manner or another and several strong supporting characters take serious hits. It did indeed make me a bit sad for them.
There was only one thing that really annoyed me, which was what seemed to be an ongoing subplot about headaches…. I’m guessing it will be picked up next book, but it was mentioned a few times, then just not. I think he should have either kept it bubbling just a wee bit more or not mentioned it at all.
On a series note – what happened to the other holy sword? Am I missing something? Didn’t one go to Karrinin the last book?? Two books ago maybe? And what about the other floater. Seems like they should have been at least mentioned.
Evidently there are some short stories running around that fill in some gaps, need to track those down.
A nice change of pace with much less sex than usual (yay!). Don't get me wrong, I like sex, but man is it freaking overkill in some of these books. MMA nice change of pace with much less sex than usual (yay!). Don't get me wrong, I like sex, but man is it freaking overkill in some of these books. MMmm author fantasy fulfillment much?
It was a nice change seeing Anita almost totally out of her element. The rather unexpected character development for Edward was a nice touch too, and I hope to see it address again in the future. Especially the molestation thing... AGAIN: DID THE CHARACTER REALLY NEED TO BE RAPED/MOLESTED? I see what the author was doing, but it seemed kind of out of place, especially considering the molester was just some human chic who we didn't even know had a predisposition to do this kind of thing.
I figured out in this book (I know, I know, I'm slow sometimes) what we, as readers are supposed to be feel threatened by. I mean, obviously Anita isn't going to die, so we can't worry about that, her love life isn't going to suffer - it's only going to prosper - so we can't worry about that, we can't worry about damage to her vagina from giant horse penis anymore - book 10 showed that she can take that.
So what are we left fearing for? Her humanity. With each book she trades away a new piece, sinking (if you view it as a negative) further and further away from what is "normal". And, we as readers, can see why she rationally made each choice. But with each choice, and each boundary crossed, she is a little (or a lot!) less like the readers. So I think that's what we're supposed to worry about - what will she trade this time to save those she doesn't really like but will risk (not life and limb!) but soul and sex for?
As a result, we (or me at least) find less and less to identify with her as a character about. So instead of reading a story where we're sort of riding along with the character, now I'm just kind of sitting back and watching the train wreck. Don't get me wrong, it's fascinating, but I really wonder how Hamilton is going to end this. Because she really should at some point. Maybe after Anita takes out the whole Vamp council and sits in charge of pretty much every supernatural being in the world?...more
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