Man, I just couldn't do it. It's all "awards circuit language" - what the author thinks is pretty, but is really just very hard to read. I like to thi...moreMan, I just couldn't do it. It's all "awards circuit language" - what the author thinks is pretty, but is really just very hard to read. I like to think I can handle a complex sentence as well as the next guy, but this was just too much work, with too little promise of reward.(less)
It was okay. Some of the ideas were pretty good, but better handled in Altered Carbon. I didn't get a whole lot out of the characters, and the stakes...moreIt was okay. Some of the ideas were pretty good, but better handled in Altered Carbon. I didn't get a whole lot out of the characters, and the stakes weren't really compelling. I did enjoy the bit where they invented Scrum (or Agile methodologies, whatever).(less)
I liked the series overall, but the promise of the initial books was never really delivered upon. Hundred becomes less sympathetic, and I found the st...moreI liked the series overall, but the promise of the initial books was never really delivered upon. Hundred becomes less sympathetic, and I found the storyline wandered around a bit. Then Hundred became unsympathetic. It made me sad - I'd really been rooting for him.(less)
Chock full of interesting ideas, and glimpses into richly imagined worlds and settings. Grim though. Super grim. The Wind-up Girl universe-set stories...moreChock full of interesting ideas, and glimpses into richly imagined worlds and settings. Grim though. Super grim. The Wind-up Girl universe-set stories were very good, as was "The Fluted Girl". And I really enjoyed "The Pasho". Right up until the end. If only things weren't so bleak, and in many cases the characters so reprehensible. "Softer", though should've been left out. It didn't fit the speculative fiction theme and was just… disturbing. Not entirely without merit, but not something I wanted to read.
I wouldn't necessarily say not to reading The Windup Girl, but I'd at least find out if there's an ounce of human kindness in it before I did.(less)
Pretty skippable. The rabbit thing added interest. I was initially turned off by the reconstructive surgery done on the bartender, but at least there...morePretty skippable. The rabbit thing added interest. I was initially turned off by the reconstructive surgery done on the bartender, but at least there was a decent one-liner from it later on. I thought the book shocked and offended just because it could, not to make any particular point. There were perhaps two sympathetic characters - Jay and Satan. At least they cared and/or were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Everyone else I couldn't stand seeing.(less)
I just didn't see the point. Well, that's not true. I guess the point was to make everyone feel good by seeing prominent Marvel teams (and Spidey - wa...moreI just didn't see the point. Well, that's not true. I guess the point was to make everyone feel good by seeing prominent Marvel teams (and Spidey - was he on a team when this was written? Who can tell?) being nice to the sick man who happens to have acquired some very serious and useful powers. I guess I just didn't get much out of the arc - I didn't feel an emotional connection to the main character (Dennis?). And I have to wonder about the supers' motives - if he was some sick schmo with no powers, would they have been as involved? While I'm nitpicking, I thought that the orphan/irresponsible use of his powers angles a little too on the nose when Spider-Man was so heavily involved. (less)
It was okay. I enjoyed the hypoglycemia and hypogenea parallels and how features from Joe's house translated over into his magical land. And Jack was...moreIt was okay. I enjoyed the hypoglycemia and hypogenea parallels and how features from Joe's house translated over into his magical land. And Jack was super cool. I didn't think the artwork was as great as many, and was confused about all the "skriiii"ing and "squeee"ing - I thought something more was going to come of those similarities. The supporting cast was completely forgettable (and nigh useless), with the Mom's dialogue and behaviour being probably flattest of all.(less)
Ellis's take on an alternate history where the world's arms race involved creating superhuman beings was novel and interesting. I enjoyed the variety...moreEllis's take on an alternate history where the world's arms race involved creating superhuman beings was novel and interesting. I enjoyed the variety of the superpeople, with the implied commentary on the creator nations. Be warned though - the story is grim, and there's much to offend, if you're looking to be offended. The artwork fit the story well, I thought.(less)
An interesting premise, and two sympathetic protagonists, but ultimately much too long for what was going on. A too-large cast of unrealistic characte...moreAn interesting premise, and two sympathetic protagonists, but ultimately much too long for what was going on. A too-large cast of unrealistic characters (in the present, well near future, anyhow). A good editor could've trimmed the book down to a cracking novella or something. Oh, although I can usually overlook problems caused by older books written about the near future when my present caught up and made the predictions laughable, for some reason I just couldn't get over it this time.(less)
Disappointing. I guess I hadn't paid enough attention to the age range, as I was expecting something a little more Wolves in the Wall. No real plot he...moreDisappointing. I guess I hadn't paid enough attention to the age range, as I was expecting something a little more Wolves in the Wall. No real plot here, but the drawings were fun.(less)
Nice fun bite-sized stories. I liked seeing all the fairy tales laid out one after the other so we could appreciate their starkness and see how some w...moreNice fun bite-sized stories. I liked seeing all the fairy tales laid out one after the other so we could appreciate their starkness and see how some were related - a few were just pastiches of other types of stories. Pullman's commentary on the stories was often instructive. A good read.(less)
Awesome. From page one, the action started and never let up.
Here's a spoiler-free note that I sent to a friend early on:
- The Band of the Red Hand! - 2
...moreAwesome. From page one, the action started and never let up.
Here's a spoiler-free note that I sent to a friend early on:
- The Band of the Red Hand! - 2 Forsaken! - A scene that really reminded me of a scene from A Good Man. - Things that some people are doing that someone else isn't sure why they are still doing it after something that happened sometime in the past happened! - Caemlyn in flames! - A place that we never heard of! - A very splintery tabletop! - A weird occurrence that's a bubble of evil! Or weakening of the Pattern or something. - Hints about a mystery that was new to us last book and that when we learn more about it will probably end up being the answer to a question that we should've been asking ourselves since book 3 or 4, but we never did!
It's been a full 11 pages. I'm spent.
Sanderson did an excellent job of getting us to the end of the story, skipping deftly between characters. In most of the previous books (including Jordan's), there'd be a POV or two that I didn't enjoy as much and I'd count the pages until we could switch back to someone else. None of that here.
I think the writing was spot-on. In the previous two books I was aware that I was reading a WoT book written by Brandon Sanderson. This time, I was reading a WoT book.
Oh, and the terrible things that happened to good people. And the beautiful things that happened to good people. I think my wife feared for my sanity as I gasped, laughed, and cried my way through the book, torn between rushing to find out what happens and wanting to savour every page.
Of course, there are always complaints. I'm not entirely sure about the end. It raised more questions than I'd like, and there were still some big questions unanswered. And events that had been heavily foreshadowed for books and books ended up occurring offscreen, so that was a little disappointing. Still, a great ride - the best of the 14. (less)
Beautiful prose. I found myself dragged along with the story once it got going, but ultimately did not feel that I could connect with any of the chara...moreBeautiful prose. I found myself dragged along with the story once it got going, but ultimately did not feel that I could connect with any of the characters.(less)
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