Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
I am a huge Stephen King fan. The first book I ever read from him was 11/22/63, which was my favorite book the year I read it. It's so different than his other works, and I feel like I've been constantly chasing the high from that book ever since, searching for another one of his novels that gives me the same feelings that that one did. He has some other great books I've picked up (Misery and Billy Summers to name a couple), but I have yet to find another book in his catalog that hits as hard.
Fairy Tale is one that I was super excited about when it first came out. I had never picked up one of King's fantasy books, and this one, with it's intriguing cover and premise, seemed like a perfect fit for me. Even if it didn't become an all time favorite, if nothing else I expected to have a fun time with it.
Fairy Tale follows a young boy, Charlie, who's life is turned upside down when his mother passes away. He learns to fend for himself as his father spirals into alcoholism. But through a strange turn of events, he befriends a mysterious old man (and his dog, Radar) who introduces Charlie to a new, dark and troubled world that is in need of his help.
The beginning of this book really pulled me in. Charlie is a pretty stereotypical Stephen King protagonist. A young boy struggling through grief and adolescence. The relationship he developed with Mr. Bowditch, the secluded old man in the neighborhood, was interesting, and the subtle hints at the fantasy elements in the beginning were well done.
However, the pacing of this book was incredibly off for me. It's a novel that is close to 500 pages long, and at least the first 200 are exclusively set up. There is a huge build up of suspense that almost felt too drown out. I'm used to more build up in Stephen King's books, and I don't mind it as long as it's actually building up to something worthwhile. But unfortunately, in this book's case, I did not feel like it paid off well at all.
Once the fantasy elements came into the story, I lost all the momentum and interest I previously had for the story. It felt like the first half and the second half could have been two entirely different books, that's how disconnected it seemed.
I just did not care for the fantasy world that King was trying to create. It was definitely a dark world, like a classic fairy tale story, but the "fairy tale" elements felt like a stretch most of the time. There wasn't as much time for the worldbuilding as there was for the initial suspense and build up of the beginning, and I felt very lost throughout the journey Charlie went on.
I also found the characters rather bland and forgettable, including Charlie towards the end. And because I didn't care about what happened to them, I found my mind wandering quite often as I was reading.
I do still absolutely love King's writing, and I believe with some editing and tightening up the plot this one could have at least been an enjoyable romp. But as it stands, I'm sad to say that this is officially my least favorite Stephen King book I've read so far. I am happy to knock this one off of my TBR, though, and will hopefully find some more favorites that he has written eventually.
Rating: ★★
"I think all worlds are magic. We just get used to it." --Stephen King, Fairy Tale
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd is a book I've been interested in reading for awhile, if not for it's incredibly unique premise, because of how polarizing the reactions to this book are from fellow reviewers. This seems to be a story that people either love or hate, and I'm always curious to find out what my thoughts are on a book when there are so many different opinions out there on it.
I thought The Book of M was one that had a lot of potential to be one I would absolutely love! It follows the idea of memories being connected to our shadows, and what would happen if people then began to lose their shadows, and therefore their memories with them. The shadowless pandemic begins to sweep the world and the main characters are forced to make alliances and find their way to a sanctuary where there's hope for a cure.
Out of all the dystopian/survival stories I've read, this one is a lot more in the realm of magical realism. There is no explanation or imaginary scientific evidence given for why memories are connected to shadows in this version of our world, or why the shadows are beginning to disappear. You just have to suspend your disbelief while you're reading. In this way it reminded me of books like Station Eleven and Bird Box as it was really vague about the condition and deals more with the characters and how they survive.
If you don't like it when books make you do that, you probably won't like this one at all. I typically don't have a problem with imagining a different reality, so I didn't mind that aspect. But despite that, this book was a downward spiral of a reading experience for me. It wasn't the lack of explanation or world building that threw me off, it was just how extremely confusing the structure of this story was and the way the interesting concept was executed.
It started off well enough, even if the multiple perspectives were all occurring in different points in time, some before the shadows started to disappear while others were going through the repercussions of society falling apart as people lost their memories. I was able to follow along pretty well at the beginning because I was invested in the characters and was so curious to see how they got where they were and where they would go in the end.
The characters were another strong aspect that I loved in this book. They all had very clear motivations and backstories that were interesting. They were all from such different phases in life and I was excited to see how they would all inevitably come together in the climax of the story.
But, unfortunately, after I hit the half way point everything fell apart for me. Maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I thought and accidentally missed something, because I got incredibly confused. The timeline became so twisted and I couldn't tell how much time was passing in between events. Also, some characters I thought were important either became unnecessary or very unsettling.
The most confusing aspect of everything came at the end with the climax in the "One Who Gathers" storyline. This was the point that all the magical realism stuff started to go way over my head. I don't want to spoil anything, but that whole last bit of the book made me uncomfortable for some reason.
I will say that the plot twist took me off guard. I didn't even realize it happened until I finished the book and read a different review that explained it. It was a good twist, but for me at least, it got drowned out in the straight up weirdness going on.
In the end, this book just left me feeling sad because it had so much potential to be great. If the structure could have been smoothed out and the weirdness toned down, it could've been a favorite. But I'm sure there are plenty of people who will love this book regardless of my personal problems with it.
Rating: ★★
"There's a difference between when the mind forgets and the heart does." -- Peng Shepherd, The Book of M
Wheel of Time is a huge series! It's so much more vast with more perspectives and characters than even the Lord of the Rings, and with far more installments than any other fantasy series I've ever attempted to read before. With fourteen full length tomes and a prequel, it didn't seem fair to simply wait until I had completed the series to review it as a whole. I will inevitably forget details along the way, and I didn't want to wait years to finally talk about these books.
I decided to review WoT every three books from the perspective of a first time reader. If you've read the series, I'd love to hear your thoughts and any clarification for aspects I might have misunderstood, but please no spoilers beyond the books I'm reviewing!
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The first three books of the series, The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, and The Dragon Reborn, were all incredible reads in their own way. The set up is gradual, and the history and world building is masterfully handled. The prologue of The Eye of the World is so iconic because it literally starts the series off with a bang, providing a small glimpse of the history and conflict of the story while leaving you wanting to know more. Robert Jordan doesn't do huge information dumps often. Most of the information and world building is picked up through context and dialogue, and most of the time you are still left with more questions than you started with. In fantasy books, I love this slow paced kind of story.
I will say that the first book, after the prologue, was very average for me. That's not a bad thing, though. I think there are a lot of people who read the series for the first time and give up after The Eye of the World. It's not because it's a painful, horrible book, but because it can seem like just a rehashing of every other classic fantasy series. It's the story of a farm boy who is thrust on an adventure after his village is threatened by a mysterious evil force. There's a group of companions, and a wise leader who teaches them about the magic of the world. It was fine, but nothing extraordinary. If I had not been encouraged by promises of greatness in the next books, I doubt I would have been too motivated to pick up the second book quickly myself.
The Great Hunt changed everything for me with the series. I absolutely loved it! It made so many things I had either ignored or forgot as unimportant in the first book make sense. Something I didn't realize while reading The Eye of the World is that Robert Jordan does not write anything lightly. It may not seem like it at first, but every word means something. Every offhanded comment will probably come back in the future and fit in the puzzle. And that's what I appreciated the most with The Great Hunt. While it was still a lot of set up, I think it propelled the series in a different direction than other fantasy stories.
I was excited for The Dragon Reborn after the exciting, unexpected ending The Great Hunt left off on, and it was good. It continued through the repercussions of the last book and develops the other characters as Rand, the main character, is hardly present in this book. But I appreciated the deeper look into the motivations and personalities of the other characters (especially Mat, he's my favorite!). And I also appreciated the look into the other cultures of the world, such as the Aeil. While The Dragon Reborn wasn't quite as exciting to me as The Great Hunt, I still really enjoyed it!
I can't say much to the grand scheme of the plot or arcs yet, since these books were a lot of set up. But I can see the glimmer of potential in everything going on. I'm most curious about Rand, Egwene, and Mat. I would love to see more of Lan and Moiraine, since I felt they were sorely underexposed in the second and third books.
From this point in the series, I expect there to be a lot less exposition and set up and more action. There's been a lot of buildup, and I think it's going to begin to come to a head soon, maybe even within the fourth installment. I can't wait to see how the characters I've grown to care about grow and mature through the journey, and I can't wait to see how Robert Jordan will continue to make the classic fantasy tropes his own.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is first and foremost a romance book. It's your classic story of a boy and a girl falling in love, facing life together, and growing in their relationship with each other. But there's a huge difference that sets this particular love story apart from all the other typical romance books out there. Henry, the man in the relationship, has a condition that forces him to jump through time.
I heard about this book while listening to my favorite book podcast, Currently Reading. In episode 46, the hosts let their listeners recommend books, and this was one that was mentioned. I have been slipping into a mild reading slump lately, and when I heard about this book it sounded like the exact read I needed.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a book I truly believe should only be read during the winter.
Worlds Beneath is the second installment in the epic young adult sci-fi/fantasy trilogy, The Blood Race. It's a dual perspective, action-packed adventure following flawed characters as they struggle with finding strength and purpose while overcoming dark pasts. The series is full of other worldly dimensions, superhuman abilities, and themes that will lead you to think deeper.
The second book follows where the first one left off. There are new characters and secrets that are revealed. This book also has a lot more political intrigue and world building that adds so much more to the series as a whole!
I loved this continuation! And I'm so excited for everyone else to finally be able to read it too!
I have followed Kate's journey through her blog, The Goodness Revolt, for a long time. Something that has always struck me when reading her work, on her blog and in her novels, is how her stories relate so much with struggles that everyone experiences in their own lives. I almost feel like I get to see Kate's faith and vulnerabilities first hand through her writing.
Her stories are deeply allegorical and are knitted together with so much Biblical truth and hope. I know it has inspired me, as well as many of her other readers and followers.
In celebration of Worlds Beneath's release and blog tour, I asked if Kate would be willing to share a little insight into how her faith in particular has influenced her and what she does.
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| | goodreads | ★★★★★ |
This was a book I found randomly. I very rarely just browse at the library and pick a book I've never heard of. I'm typically committed to choosing reads from my TBR. But for whatever reason, this book caught my eye. I started reading it. And I couldn't put it down.
This is one of the most unique and just plain weird stories I've ever read. All about a mystical, magical sourdough bread starter the main character, Lois, inherits from two brothers who come from a mystical, mysterious culture.
The reader is kept guessing about the significance of the bread starter and where it came from. And even though it's strange, I grew pretty emotionally attached to the bread starter.
I adored Lois and watching her grow confidence throughout the story. She pushes herself out of her comfort zone a lot, despite her fears and insecurities. I felt like she was extremely relatable.
One thing I really appreciate about Robin Sloan and his books is the fact that he incorporates a bunch of technology into his books. In Sourdough and in Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, there is a theme of old traditions, such as physical books, and bread making, and contrasting them with the complicated technology that's developing in the modern era. This is shown in Sourdough with the main character being a coder for a robotics company. It's extremely fascinating to read about, even though it's hard to understand at times.
This is a book that is hard to place under one genre. I would describe it as an adult contemporary, with the feel of science fiction with all the technology that's incorporated into it, and the slightest hint of magical realism.
Honestly, I feel like I could rant about this book and about how much I deeply loved it for forever. It's a book that leaves you helplessly craving sourdough bread with the special spicy soup. It's a super quick read that could be finished easily in a day without effort.
Overall though, I believe it would be best to go into this book mostly blind, without any expectations or preconceived ideas. To just accept the story for what it is, and not question it. But I do highly recommend it. It's made it to my list of favorites for sure!
I have come to believe that food is history of the deepest kind. Everything we eat tells a tale of ingenuity and creation, domination and injustice-and does so more vividly than any other artifact, any other medium. ― Robin Sloan, Sourdough
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| | goodreads | ★★★★★ |
I have a special appreciation for retellings. Taking a two-dimensional, tired, overused story like a fairytale or a myth, and turning into something new and powerful is no easy feat. I've read countless retellings, and I'm constantly amazed at how creative authors can be while still keeping with the integrity and significance of the original story that makes it what it is.
C.S. Lewis does a phenomenal job at retelling this relatively unknown myth. He adds so many layers of depth that I almost felt as if I were drowning at times while I was reading it (in the best way possible, of course). Like The Chronicles of Narnia, this book is incredible and enjoyable for anyone to read just for the story itself. But in his traditional way, C.S. Lewis is extremely allegorical with his fiction, and this book is no exception. I could probably dissect this book for years and years and still not figure out all of the theological significance and truth he wove into this simple little book. I could've underlined the whole book and plastered it all over the walls in my bedroom with how many beautiful passages and quotes I loved!
At it's core, this is a story about faith and how someone can put their trust and believe in something even when they can't really see or fully understand it. I thought it was interesting how the book was narrated by Psyche's sister, Orual. She was a very tragic character, and it's fascinating to see the contrast between her faith and the faith of Psyche as they both develop. Orual had an ominous narrative voice which gave the book a dark feel, but I thought it was fitting and I grew to really care for her.
I think it would be best to go into this book mostly blind like I did. The best way to experience it is to just be immersed in C.S. Lewis' comforting writing style. Allow yourself to sit back, digest it slowly, and reflect on the messages and themes. This is probably one of the best retellings I've ever read, and even if you aren't familiar with the original story of Cupid and Psyche, I would highly recommend it.
“I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?” ― C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces
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| | goodreads | ★★★★★ |
I read this book for the first time a couple years ago, and ever since I finished it I have been dying to have the time to give it a reread. It has wowed me both times I've picked it up and I can't rave about it enough!
V.E. Schwab is able to put together some of the most unique plots I have ever read. They're not predictable or boring, and you could be stuck reading for hours and hours just to find out what will happen. That's a tricky thing to do.
The world of EOs and the city of Merit takes what everyone knows and loves about the classic superhero stories, but gives it a new twist that makes it so much more. The characters are also some of the best I've ever read. They're flawed and believable and their motives are clear. You root for them, you cry for them, and you want to smack them all at the same time.
The action is very well paced, and I was able to keep up with everything that was going on very easily, which can be somewhat difficult for me sometimes. There is a bit of swearing though, which pushes this book toward a more adult audience.
I think this is a book that is best to go into blindly. In order to fully immerse yourself, you shouldn't have any expectations. I do, however, believe that this is a story that most anyone can get something out of and enjoy. And it has great messages of friendship, jealousy, and evil woven into the whole plot.
If you find yourself in the need for superheroes, villains, and action this time of year like I do, I would highly recommend giving this one a go!
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
― Victoria Schwab, Vicious
I have been following Kate Emmons on her blog The Goodness Revolt for a long time. She never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful, insightful writing and poetry. I always knew that someday she was going to go somewhere with her writing, and when I heard that she was releasing her debut novel, The Blood Race, I was so incredibly proud and excited for her.
Today I am beyond honored to be a part of her launch team and to contribute a post to the awesome blog tour hosted by Kate's sister, Abbie, from her blog Abbiee, and Grace Anne from Totally Graced.
You should go and give these ladies all the love because they deserve it!
He’s spent his life running from who he is. She’s been trying to escape her past for 100 years…
Born with unexplainable abilities he struggles to control, college student Ion tries desperately to integrate into his new school and finally put his dark past behind him. But after making a serious enemy, which leads to an accidental rendezvous with the mysterious old man next door— and his hauntingly beautiful but troubled young protégée Hawk, Ion realizes his life will never be normal again.
Late one evening, Hawk drags him by the hand into a closet-turned-rabbit-hole to an extra dimension, and Ion finds himself stumbling involuntarily into a secret society of training for “anomalies,” teenagers with a special set of abilities. Just like him.
As they train to become Protectors of future Earth, battling each other as well as their own demons, both Ion and Hawk begin to realize that they are far more alike than they realized. Unsettlingly so.
When the Dimension is shaken by an unthinkable betrayal, will an ancient prophecy bring Hawk and Ion together—or will a deadly threat hidden in plain sight cost them both their powers… and their lives?
Trust is a superlative. The result is never lukewarm: it is either an extreme producer of life, or death.I love stories like this one. Fresh stories about superhumans and different worlds are undoubtably the best, and K.A. Emmons was able to execute it so well in The Blood Race. I got so many X-men/Miss Peregrine vibes while I was reading, but not in a bad way at all. The author was able to take the familiar concepts and make them her own flawlessly.
-K.A. Emmons, The Blood Race
I could tell that great care and detail were put in developing the universe of dimensions and Sliders, but I still found myself confused from time to time, trying to keep up with explanations or new, complicated aspects of the world. But that's pretty usual for me when starting a new fantasy series. I was able to catch on to what was going on eventually.
I really enjoyed learning about and immersing myself in this new world. This is definitely a first book in a series though, because, while there was a plot, much of the story was spent world-building and explaining how the system works instead of following a lot of action.
This book is very fast paced and filled to the brim with beautifully written descriptions and great characters.
I really loved Hawk. I don't usually care for the dark and mysterious type of characters, but I found that I was more intrigued with her chapters than Ion's. Ion got extremely frustrating sometimes. I didn't hate him necessarily, I just really wanted to lock him up in a basement somewhere so that he would stop messing things up. The secondary characters were also memorable. I adored Fin so much! And I became interested in Sensei as well. I would love to read a book about his backstory.
There are incredible themes of trust and redemption woven throughout the whole story that were amazing! It wasn't until the exciting climax of the book hit that I realized it was an allegory. There were some crazy powerful scenes towards the end --especially between Hawk and Sensei-- that made the reader reflect on their own life without being preachy. It reminded me of a modern, sci-fi, teenage Narnia in a way.
I'm so excited to see where the series will go from here and how K.A. Emmons will grow in her writing and story telling. After that cliff hanger I'm dying for more!
I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased review
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When she's not hermiting away in her colorfully-painted home office writing her next science fiction, passionate story-teller and adventurer Kate Emmons is probably on the road for a surf or hiking trip, listening to vinyls, or going for a power run. Emmons lives in the often-snowy hills of rugged Vermont with her husband and dog named Rocket.
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| | goodreads | ★★★★★ |
This book is deceptively labeled as a romance. When I first picked it up, I was expecting a magical, mystical romance novel. Honestly, I was uncertain whether I would really like it or not. I cannot emphasize how happy I am that did end up reading it, despite my skepticism. There is a romantic story arc woven into the plot, but it is much more minimal than I had expected initially going in.
This is a story that completely revolves around a circus. Le Cirque des Rêves is the heart and soul of this book, and it is what makes it such a special read. The author's writing is so descriptive and beautiful, and when I read it I get lost so easily within the world she has created.
I wish more than anything that the circus could be real, I want to explore the Ice Garden, the Cloud Maze, and the Labyrinth. I want to make a wish on the Wishing Tree, and, most importantly, I want to eat all of the delicious food.
The story surrounding the circus is also very intricate and detailed, jumping from different perspectives from different characters, and going back and forth in time until everything comes together beautifully at the end. The writing and plot can feel somewhat slow at times, but I hardly noticed since I was so enthralled.
I also fell completely in love with all of the characters. They were all very well balanced throughout the whole novel. There didn't seem to be any secondary characters as they were all vital to the circus. Isobel, Poppet and Widget, Chandresh, and Marco intrigued me the most. Celia, however, was the most difficult for me to like, even though she is technically the main character. I think this is because she keeps her feelings and emotions hidden away most of the time, making it harder for the reader to really get to know her. But it's part of her personality and who she is, so it was easy to get over, and I did eventually learn to like her.
Ever since I've finished this book, it has haunted me. Every time I think about it, I get this aching desire to read it again and again. The writing alone makes it worth the read, but it also has so many important and thought provoking themes such as sacrifice, love, wisdom, knowledge, and dedication, making it so much more than a simple romance or fantasy novel.
The Night Circus is most definitely a forever favorite for me, and I feel like I can never do it justice.
“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
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| | goodreads | ★★★★★ |
This fantasy story follows Tristran Thorn and his journey to procure a fallen star for his true love.
I admittedly saw the movie of Stardust before I read the book (it is amazing, albeit a little cheesy at times), and it was hard for me to disassociate the book from what I knew from the movie. The book and movie are very different from each other, though, and I found both to portray equally great stories.
As I was reading I was surprised at how many adult themes there were. It definitely reads like a children's fantasy book, but it is not at all a story for children. I found it somewhat nice, though. This book was more lighthearted than ordinary adult books (or other Neil Gaiman books, honestly), but it's still extremely enjoyable. It's an escape. A great read to help you forget all the stress and difficulties of life.
The book is very fast paced and humorous and keeps you hooked throughout, and it has the Gaiman writing style that is completely addicting.
While I really enjoyed reading this book, I can see how others wouldn't care for it so much. Again, there is not a whole lot of explanation for how the world works. It's just there. Which can be frustrating at times. The characters can get on your nerves at times (especially Tristran), and their actions a bit predictable. But if you're able to get past all that, it really is a magical journey.
“A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really..."Do the stars gaze back?" Now, that's a question.” ― Neil Gaiman, Stardust
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