A lot of people say the first book in this series sort of feels like Supernatural - and while I've only seen a few episodes of that show, I can gr...more3.25
A lot of people say the first book in this series sort of feels like Supernatural - and while I've only seen a few episodes of that show, I can grok it.
That said, I would say this one feels a bit more like Buffy, as Thomas and Caramel are even bigger parts of the story, and it kind of felt like a little Scooby gang. Also, Gideon sort of was like Giles and the Order of Blah Blah Blah was like the Watcher's Council. There were some part of this I liked (Thomas and Caramel, though mostly Thomas), but I felt the whole secret occult order was a bit hackneyed, and those parts got draggy.
That aside - overall I think this one felt more like a ghost story, whereas the first one felt more like a monster story. I mean, sure, Anna was a ghost and all - but the ghosts in this book weren't like ghosts. They were too solid, for one thing, and dispatched with a knife? I mean, even a magical knife, it was always a little weird for me.
In this book, though, Anna is sort of haunting Cas, and he has to try to figure out how to communicate with her and what she wants and how he can help. All very ephemeral kind of stuff... you know, like a ghost story. :)
All that said, I didn't quite like this one as much as the first... mostly because of those aforementioned draggy bits. And also because things kinda kept going in circles, with people having the same conversations and doubts and things, and Cas's insane "I know I shouldn't trust this person, but I do" thing, along with his constant dithering, was really grating on me.
But, in the end, it was mostly worth it.
Now, I know a lot of people don't like the end. And I can kind of see why. I mean, it's one of those things... it's not a matter of good or bad writing, imo, but just whether people were happy with how it came out, or not. Whether it met their expectations, or not.
I can't really say that much without getting into spoilers, so I'll just leave it by saying that I thought it was really fitting. I mean, (view spoiler)[it could've never really worked. It just couldn't. And while there was a part of me that was expecting they'd pull something out of their hats - like Anna would become human when she came back, or, hell, at one point I was expecting Cas to die and be okay with it 'cause he was with Anna, but, really, I think, deep down, I expected something like this.
Because, as I said, it couldn't work. But this way Anna gets her happily ever after and, even though Cas doesn't, he at least knows that she's free, and she's happy and, really, I don't think you could honestly expect more than that, given the givens.
And I like to think that, someday, when Cas does die, that he'll take the place of the dream-Cas in Anna's heaven, and they will be reunited.
Some day.
But, until then, there's this bittersweet ending, which is beautiful and sad and which left me both smiling and teary and kinda at peace with the whole thing...
I'm also glad that it is a conclusion. I mean, not that I wouldn't've liked the series to continue, but if it is just gonna be a duology, then I'm glad the ending was settled and not having Anna come back and her still being a ghost and them being together but you knowing, in the back of your mind, that it'll never really work out in the long run... (hide spoiler)]
But, before all that, there's the big climactic battle which, honestly, I thought I was a bit rushed. I mean, it was satisfying and filled with jujubes and all, which is cool, but after sort of belaboring some of the 'fruitless searching' bits, I think she could've lingered on the actual fight for awhile.
Anyway, overall, I liked it, and I think that it was a fitting conclusion to the story.(less)
I just finished this today at lunch. I liked it - I think I'll go 3.5 stars, though I can't decide if I want to round up or down. Possibly down.
At fir...moreI just finished this today at lunch. I liked it - I think I'll go 3.5 stars, though I can't decide if I want to round up or down. Possibly down.
At first I was sure I was going to like it. I was expecting more of a horror story, and less of a sort of urban fantasy, and I definitely wasn't expecting the sort of romance angle. (Yeah, I must've skipped half the blurb or something.)
So take the fact that it wasn't what I was expecting, add that in with the fact that the reddish-brown lettering on the yellowish paper was killing my eyes - yes, I imagine it's meant to be like dried blood. Didn't help it not hurt my eyes - and compound that with the fact it was a bit of a slow start, and I honestly wasn't digging it at first.
But, eventually, my eyes got used to it, and I was able to be brought around to it being more a urban fantasy sort of thing, and I tried not to think too hard about certain aspects... and I started liking it.
The characters grew on me, even though their reactions were a bit unrealistic and/or annoying at times, and I started sort of rooting for Cas and Anna (though I couldn't stop wondering how Anna is so physical? And it could just be written off as her being uber-powerful and stuff, but the other ghosties seemed to have it, too, which didn't make a whole lot of sense.)
Anyway - one thing I really liked was when they helped Anna by (view spoiler)[dealing with her fetter instead of killing her (hide spoiler)]. I was a little irritated with Cas, to be honest. I mean, I know that that's his deal and all but, come on...
But, overall, I got into the story and the characters and while it wasn't really ever what I would call scary or anything, there were definitely some tense bits, especially at the end. My heart was thumping and everything. ;)
I also liked the representation of Wicca and magic and stuff. It wasn't all fires from your fingertips and lightning bolts. And I liked that it wasn't dismissive of kitchen and herbal witches, which a lot of these kind of stories tend to be. (It was one thing that kinda irritated me about Buffy, to be honest.)
That said, there were still a few things that bugged me.
I didn't think the action scenes were very well written. I had a hard time following what was meant to be going on at times, and it didn't always make sense. It was especially annoying when I had to go back and try to work out the logistics of things in my head, which pulled me out of the tenseness of the moment.
Also, I wish more was explained about the Anna and Cas thing. Like (view spoiler)[why could she not kill him. What was it about him that was different? And aside from him being impressed with her awesomeness, what was different about her for him, too. (hide spoiler)] There was a bit too much of an instant attraction thing going on, and it never really was adequately explained.
And I know I already mentioned it - but what's with the ghosts being so physical? I was half expecting (view spoiler)[Cas' hand to sort of not be able to touch Anna, and them have that unfulfillable longing thing going on... and while that's still there, for other reasons, it just seemed weird to me that, aside from being dead, Anna was pretty much just a person. (hide spoiler)]
But, like I said, enjoyable overall, and I've already put the next book on hold at the library.(less)
I just read my review of the first book in this series, Johannes Cabal The Necromancer, to refresh my memory. I also gave that book 3 stars, down from...moreI just read my review of the first book in this series, Johannes Cabal The Necromancer, to refresh my memory. I also gave that book 3 stars, down from 3.5. This one is sort of coming from the other end – 3 stars bumped up from 2.5.
Once again, it’s not a bad book, but I keep expecting something more from it. There are moments of real cleverness, wry humor and dry wit, and these moments really shine out.
There are other moments, however, where the humor feels more forced than anything, and where everything sort of just falls flat. More than that, though, is the fact that while the devil carnival is not exactly a unique premise, was still more original than the locked door mystery of this book, complete with expositionary explanations of what happened that aren’t really hinted until the big reveal.
And it just took a good while to get there. The set-up was slow, especially when we were first meeting everyone and setting the scene, and I found myself dozing off more than once while trying to read.
It did pick up, and I’ll say the intrigue was handled well enough, the action, though sort of restricted to the end, was done pretty well, and the inclusion of Leonie was a more than welcome addition. I also enjoyed the growth of Cabal, after his getting his soul back in the last book. He’s still pretty amoral and all, but with the occasional twinge of conscious which makes things interesting.
Not bad, overall, but far from great. I may continue with the series, but I may not purchase the next in the series, favoring getting in from the library instead. I don’t see much reread potential if things continue as they currently are.(less)
I'm not quite sure what I expected this book to be like when I picked it up - maybe something a bit like The Night Circus, but with Vaudeville ins...more3.75
I'm not quite sure what I expected this book to be like when I picked it up - maybe something a bit like The Night Circus, but with Vaudeville instead. But, really, the Vaudeville aspect is sort of a mask for the deeper story which, at its core, is about the power of Creation versus the forces of Destruction.
I have to admit that, for most of the book, I figured I was going to rate it 3-stars. I was interested enough in these strange people that comprise the Troupe, but none of them really resonated with me. George was annoying, Silenus a git, Kingsley always seemed a bit thin, Collete just angry, and Franny, well, Franny. Stanley was cool, though - almost a Silent Bob sort of character, but with more silence.
But I was interested in the magic and the world and the ideas, so I persevered, even through a slumping bit around the 1/3 mark where things were so focused on the little inner dramas of the Troupe that my interest started flagging, and I was wondering if it might even be a 2 star book.
I wanted more of the weird sort of magical realism, more of the search for the Song, more explanation from Silenus and less "stop asking questions", and more understanding from George, who we're told is intelligent and clever but is rather oblivious and needs everything spelled out for him all the time. (I had to keep reminding myself George was only 16, 'cause he sort of came across as older, maybe early 20s, except for being so bone-headed much of the time.)
I also wanted a bit more than the sort of standard writing, some level of lyricism to fit the concepts being portrayed would've been nice, or, even, a fuller feel of the time period, which I felt was kind of lacking.
But a little more than halfway through things started picking up and about 3/4 through shit got real. When characters I didn't think I really cared about started being put in peril, I found my heart racing a bit... I found myself hoping for a happy ending, and not sure I was going to get one. As it was, I'm still not sure... though I can live with bittersweet. It is the way of life, after all...(less)
For a lot of the first half of this book I've had the same problem I've had a lot with this series - i.e. not remembering what happened last time a...more3.5
For a lot of the first half of this book I've had the same problem I've had a lot with this series - i.e. not remembering what happened last time and, thus, having a hard time following what the hell was going on.
It didn't help that it was jumping all over the place in time, and things kept changing...
This was doubly irritating because there's actually a summary thing at the start of the book, but it neglected to reference a really fucking important person in this book, so I was like "Huh? WTF?"
About mid-way, though, things started to become more clear, and a lot was explained. Not just explained but, in the end, summed up.
See - what I didn't know going in is that this seems to be the last in the series. And the epilogue - because Fig likes epilogues and, as she says, too bad if you don't - wrapped up all the various lose ends of people who sort of went off and were never heard from again and their ilk.
The bump to 4 stars (instead of down to 3) comes mostly because I liked the ending. I'm glad that we finally got an explanation, of sorts, as to what the hell was going on this whole time, and I did like the epilogue bits - even if I thought it didn't feel more organic and more like "Ok, we're ending this now, so wrap up time".
Also, I liked the bit after the epilogue. (The epi-epilogue? See, the epilogue was the end of Fig's tale, but not the end of the House's tale... )
Three groups of people, in some untold future time, try to figure out the House - where it came from, and what happened to it. Cain and Abel make one last enjoyable appearance, and the ending was totally fitting, considering the name of the game.
This is definitely a series I want to go back and reread straight through at some point, to fill in a lot of those missing gaps in my memory. Until then it's hard to pin down whether the story, itself, was jumpy in places, or whether it truly was just me.
In which Courtney learns that the darkness which they might fight comes not from the Night Things so much as from humanity, and that while Uncle A is...moreIn which Courtney learns that the darkness which they might fight comes not from the Night Things so much as from humanity, and that while Uncle A is the badassesiest of all badasses, he is, alas, not indomitable against said darkness.
Courtney grows a bit - perhaps a bit more cynical, if that's possible, but also a bit wiser - and there's a fair bit of pathos involved.
And it's nice, though a bit sad, to see Aloysius' more fragile side.
The parents are mostly absent in this installment, which is a blessing. While I know they're meant to be clueless and annoying, they are really annoying and their presence grates, so it was nice that they were hardly around for this installment.
Also, as I said with the last of these special editions, I am loving the colorized versions of these stories. It adds so much more depth to the art, and to the world. ♥
I had already read this book in the original black & white, but when I saw they had released a color edition I squeeled in delight and just had to...moreI had already read this book in the original black & white, but when I saw they had released a color edition I squeeled in delight and just had to have it - and my wonderful husband obliged me. :>
First, for the art, the colors do wonderful things. One of the, erm, issues with Naifeh's art is that a lot of it is similar and I sometimes find it hard to differentiate things. The color both helps create depth and detail, as well as just bringing the images to life. 4.5 stars.
As to the stories - some of them were more abrupt than I remembered but I still, overall, really like the world and the characters. Well, by characters I mean Courtney and Uncle A. Everyone else kind of sucks - but that's sort of the point. But I wish there was a bit more to some of the stories - they could stand to be longer, to develop more. The stories I'll give a 3 - 3.5, depending.
I will say I'd forgotten how dark the stories were. I don't mean the scary house, and magic and goblins and things - those I remembered. I mean when (view spoiler)[Courtney's 'friend' in the first story gets eaten, and the narrator just says something like "And, well, no one missed him much, sad to say, and Courtney did have other things on her mind".
Also, in the story with the changeling baby, Courtney fails to save the baby and Uncle A is like "These things happen, Courtney. I wouldn't let it bother you too much."
(Please note I'm paraphrasing, as I don't have the book in front of me... ) (hide spoiler)]
So, yeah, it's not that I'd minded or anything, and it adds a level of cynical reality to the stories - I was just sort of surprised that I'd forgotten... which I guess, in a way, is rather fitting. Heh.
Anyway - I really enjoy this series, and I'm very happy they've gotten a full color make-over. ^_^(less)
I first noticed this book when I saw it was written by Laini Taylor, whose Blackbringer book I really enjoyed. But when I read the blurb it sounded a...moreI first noticed this book when I saw it was written by Laini Taylor, whose Blackbringer book I really enjoyed. But when I read the blurb it sounded a bit too much of a typical YA PNR sort of thing, so I passed.
But then I started hearing lots of good buzz and hype about it. On several of the groups I'm in, people wtih varying tastes and opinions all seemed to agree this was a great book, so different and original, and one person even described it as being beyond classification as it so broke genres and boundaries.
Also, the opening was good. Not great - I mean, it didn't have that immediate hook that I so look for in a book, but it had some really interesting ideas and some fair amount of potential.
So, maybe, this is a case where my expectations were just set too high... but, honestly, I don't think so.
Anyway -
First, the good.
I really liked the setting of Prague. It's different from the stuff I've normally read, and it seems like a really great city for a magical story. I do wish that there was a bit more developing of the atmosphere and ambience and whatnot, but, all-in-all, it seemed like a good setting and was handled fairly well.
I also liked the general premise - a sort of angels vs. demons thing, but with a twist. I liked Karou well enough, especially in the beginning as she dealt with her ex- with a mixture of longing, regret and strength, and navigated her strange life, balancing school, friends (well, a friend), and her 'delivery' jobs. She's a little too perfect - swan-like grace, svelte and beautiful, magically blue hair, a wonderful artist and singer, etc - but she does have some flaws and could be developed well.
And learning about Brimstone and crew was just cool. I liked how the details were blended with a fair bit of mystery, and the system of wishes was a pretty cool, and unique, magical system - at least based on stuff I've read.
Like I said, while I found some aspects interesting it didn't quite have that hook that really captured me, and I wasn't longing for the next time I could crack open the spine... but I was interested enough to continue reading.
But then comes the angel - Akiva.
Since Karou is raised by the chimera (i.e. demons), she is, obviously, an enemy to Akiva, so their first meeting is one of violence. But he's struck by her - her beauty and something familiar about her. So, after she escapes his half-assed attempt to kill her, he starts stalking her... Following her, watching her sleep...
Yeah...
My first thought was "Oh, great, another creepy Twilight thing" - and, hell, I haven't even read Twilight.
And Karou, of course, is also drawn to him. Even while he was trying to kill her, she couldn't help but be struck by his alien beauty. She draws him and fantasizes about him...
And, so, the next 1/3 of the book or so is crappy romance schtick. They're on opposite sides of the war, they're enemies, they can't be together... and yet... and yet... they can't not be together. They must touch. They must...
And, yeah, nevermind that Akiva has (view spoiler)[destroyed the portals that allows Karou to get to Brimstone's shop and that he's the cause of her suffering (hide spoiler)], 'cause, ya know, it's destined love or something.
And, yes, there is an explanation for the insta-love, but it really doesn't mitigate it. Especially when (view spoiler)[their original meeting, when Karou was Akiva's dead love, Madrigal, was also fraught with insta-love vibes (hide spoiler)], so, yeah, no...
And then we jump into a flashback, filling in backstory and whatnot - but a lot of it was already gleaned, and it could've been shorter and tighter - but some of it was interesting, at least the bits that weren't focused on the romance - the bits where we learn more about the world and the war.
And then we're back in the present, and the inevitable happens...
And then we're left with a giant fucking cliffhanger.
There's no resolution in this book. None. It's half of a story. You have to read the next book to find out how any of this gets resolved.
Ugh!
So...
Honestly, I probably will pick up the next book. There are parts that are interesting, and I do want to learn what happens and what repercussions come from this book. There is potential here. If Taylor had just stayed away from all the insta-love mooning and bullshit, and focused on the world and the war and characters, it coulda been a really good story.
And it's not like I'm anti-romance. I wouldn't even have minded if Karou and Akiva had romance vibes going on if, ya know, it was developed in any real kind of way. Characters that could've been 3-dimensional never quite manage because everything gets swept aside by star-crossed lover bullshit.
***
Summary: The parts that weren't moon-eyed insta-love were interesting, and, for those bits, I will probably read the next book (though I would like to know, before going in, whether or not there's actual resolution first).
For the rest of it - Romeo and Juliet does not need to keep being remade. It just doesn't. Just stop. For everyone's sake. Please just stop.(less)
Not much big, epic stuff happens in this installment, but it sets up a lot of things for future stories, including the picking of a new North Wind, a...moreNot much big, epic stuff happens in this installment, but it sets up a lot of things for future stories, including the picking of a new North Wind, a return to the Farm with an eventual plan to return to Manhattan (which I assume will be in the next volume, which should be interesting), and the return of a few characters.
I was surprised when, around page 90-something, the story ends and, literally, leaves us hanging. (I had forgotten about Bufkin's side story, which is also continued here.)
I was a bit miffed that we only got 90-or so pages of story and then entered what, at first, seemed like filler (a Christmas story), but was quickly appeased when the Christmas story tied into the larger one with furthering Rose's story as a new hope.
Also curious as to what will come of the characters we met in the 'how things one were' bits at the end.
Maybe more of a 3.5, all around, but I liked it so I'll bump it to 4.
The artwork remains strong, and I enjoy the different styles employed in the different stories.(less)
What can I say about 'Unspoken'? I liked it - but it frustrated me.
First and foremost I liked the voice of the story. Not just Kami, though I did most...moreWhat can I say about 'Unspoken'? I liked it - but it frustrated me.
First and foremost I liked the voice of the story. Not just Kami, though I did mostly like her, but just the style and tone of narration.
I liked most of the characters, though I'm not sure any of them really felt entirely fleshed out. They all seemed to have their one or two dominant traits, and pretty much stuck to this pattern. I still enjoyed them, but I never became fully immersed into their lives.
As to their lives...
This book had a few things in it which are sort of pet peeves of mine. The first thing is the love triangle thing. While it wasn't entirely overblown, just the fact that it was there kinda irked me - doubly so that it was between two boys who were not only related (cousins), but who looked almost like twins, except one looked "angelic" and the other like a bad boy.
(Speaking of angelic, the idea that someone or something looked like an angel of some sort - avenging or guarding or whatever - was used a bit too often.)
The other thing is that this was one of those books where a lot of the drama/angst (and there's a fair bit of it), not to mention the ongoing mystery, was all created by people not talking to each other. Kami is trying to investigate things, but everyone has a "no talking about the Lynburn's" thing. And even when they find someone from out of town, we don't get any answers because Jared becomes so unbearably sick they leave, after tons of travel getting there, without asking a single question.
Manufactured plot point, much?
And, of course, this might not have been so annoying if Kami's own investigations often seemed to take a backseat to the love-triangle/angst stuff.
Part of me gets it. I mean, you have this voice in your head which you think isn't real and then you meet the person who it is, and there's lots of issues there. I get it. To a point. Being a sort of fierce individualist myself, I get the sort of fear that comes from not knowing where someone's impact on your own mental and emotional state stops and starts can be scary. How can you be sure how much of your emotions are your own?
And I admire Kami's desire to want to understand it and deal with it rationally, and not just emotionally. But the problem was that she wasn't really entirely rational about the whole thing. Or, rather, she didn't seem to really think things through. She said she wanted privacy - and yet they were constantly putting up mental walls and keeping secrets from each other, so it's not like they didn't have some control over it. And she also never seemed to consider the ramifications of losing a link with someone you'd had since birth... she focused so much on one side of the issue - the not having privacy and being linked to someone - that she seemed to ignore the other side completely - of facing the idea of being entirely alone in your own head for the first time ever, and the emptiness that would bring.
Of course, I imagine it's hard for her to be rational when every time she wanted to talk about it rationally Jared sulked or went off in a huff. I mean, I can get brooding bad boys, I really can, but my gods. The fact that Jared was all possessive and demanding and shit certainly didn't help her case.
But, anyway -
Not only does the whole town have secrets that could have helped Kami out a bunch - including her own mother, but the people who can read each other's minds never seem to actually talk out their problems. There's lot of sulking and huffing and shouting and misunderstanding, because there's no communication.
I mean, how the fuck do you have a book where the two leads can read each other's minds and still end up with one of those annoying books which is all manufactured angst from lack of communication?
I wouldn't have thought it possible... so I guess that's a win?
But, for all that, I still found it a compelling enough read. I half-guessed the bad-guy - i.e. (view spoiler)[I knew Ash was involved somehow, though I hadn't guessed about Rob, though I didn't trust him at all after his little visit to Kami - and it was a bit of a shame, since he seemed like the only decent/sane one of the lot. I guess that shoulda been a giveaway... (hide spoiler)] - though I gotta say that end battle was kind anti-climactic and didn't make much sense. I mean, I wish it would've explained a little bit why (view spoiler)[taking just a little bit of Kami's blood made Rob so strong and her so weak. It's not like she was bleeding a lot - it was made out to be, like, not much worse than a shaving cut, but it caused a hella lotta difference.
Also, how are there so many sorcerers in the town? All the focus is on the Lynburn's for so much of the story, but really the town is full of these hidden sorcerers that no one knows about? (hide spoiler)]
And then the post-battle bit... Ugh.
I admit that I ached a bit at the end... part of it was an emotional attachment, but part of it was frustration at the stupidity of the whole thing. (I know I said earlier that I never entirely clicked with the characters, and this is still true in the sense that none of them seemed entirely plausible as real world people. But I had enough of a connection to get a bit attached, yes.)
Ya know, (view spoiler)[I wanted to root for Jared, I really did... but he's just such an ass most of the time, it's hard to really get behind wanting them to be together. But I sure as hell wasn't rooting for Ash, either, 'cause I never really liked him. He always seemed too smug, or something. (hide spoiler)]
So...
I know I'm mostly grumbling, and there was stuff, obviously, that bugged me... but I also found parts of it interesting. The overall story was kinda cool, what with the hidden magic in the sleepy town kinda thing, and if they'd only focused more on the mystery and the magic and less on the romance angst stuff, it coulda been so much better... and maybe that's where part of my frustration with the rest of it comes from. It's also kinda irking to see a story that could be pretty awesome sort of languish in the typical teenage drama shit.
But, all that said, I was planning on reading the next in the series. I immediately wanted to continue to story - though that's partially 'cause of the effing cliffhangery non-ending bullshit aspect of it - but...
Well, then I read the blurb for the next book, and I read some reviews which talk about excerpts from the next book that royally pissed them off (which I have not read myself, 'cause I'm kinda scared to), but I get the impression that the next book is still pretty heavy - and potentially a good deal worse - with the relationship drama. I mean, when the blurb ends with the focus being about who Kami will date... well...
I kinda of find myself half wanting to read the next book, and half terrified of the prospect of it. :-\
(ETA: I hafta say that, despite my issues with parts of the book, I was planning on giving it 3.5, maybe bumped up to 4, for a large part of the book, but that non-ending just killed me... )(less)
Tull has always been one of the more brutal episodes in a fairly brutal series, and seeing it graphically adds a bit more visceralness to it. Definite...moreTull has always been one of the more brutal episodes in a fairly brutal series, and seeing it graphically adds a bit more visceralness to it. Definitely high impacting - though also a bit slow in places (but, then, it was in the novel, too, imo).(less)
Little Sisters has always been a weird one for me. Maybe it's because it's a short story in Everything's Eventual and not part of the original Dark...more3.5
Little Sisters has always been a weird one for me. Maybe it's because it's a short story in Everything's Eventual and not part of the original Dark Towers series, or maybe it's just because I don't like (view spoiler)[Roland being snuck up on and beaten to a pulp and having to be saved by the sisters (hide spoiler)], or just the general vibe of it, but this one always felt like it both did and didn't quite fit into DT as a whole.
Which is a long winded way of saying this isn't one of my favorite interludes in the series and, thus, not one of my favorite GNs.
That said, I think the this is a good adaptation of the original story - and certainly much better than what the first GN made of the W&G story. (Yes, I know there's too much of that story to fit into one GN, but I would've preferred the story be broken into multiple volumes, even, to get more of the story in.)
But I digress...
I did have on GN specific complaint: I didn't really like the way that a lot of what is Roland's internal monologue/thoughts in the book translates into Roland talking to himself in the GN. ;)
Short version:
A good adaptation and not one of my favorite parts of the DT story. The end. (less)
This is probably my least favorite of the GNs so far.
For one thing, it bugged me that it didn't open with "the line". I mean, come on, how do you chan...moreThis is probably my least favorite of the GNs so far.
For one thing, it bugged me that it didn't open with "the line". I mean, come on, how do you change that?
Also, this isn't the first time it's happened, but it bugs me when the previous volume ends one way and the the next volume picks up, backtracks a little, and changes how it happened. Like I said, this isn't the first time it happened, but it was kinda a huge change in this one - (view spoiler)[At the end of Battle for Jericho, everyone's dead and Roland wakes up, wounded as all fuck, and sort of crawls away. Now, all of a sudden, Aileen's also alive, Roland's barely injured, and Aileen wants Roland to take her back to Gilead. WTF?
Jer has told me that this makes some sense as, in the novels, Roland tells Jake of when he went back to Gilead and saw it in ruins - which I'd forgotten about while I read this novel - and this creates a reason for him to have done so.
Still, I keep thinking it could've been handled better/differently. (hide spoiler)]
And I'm really not sure what was up with the story of the Not Men and the (view spoiler)[Susan clone (hide spoiler)]. Was there a point to that, really? And I thought the thing with Billy the Bumbler was (view spoiler)[too reminiscent of poor Oy's end. (hide spoiler)] I'm guessing that was on purpose, but it seemed like a cheat, to me.
All-in-all, not one of my faves, but I'm giving it a three so I didn't hate it. There were just some things that bugged me.(less)
If you've read the Dark Tower novels - and I really do recommend you read them first - then you pretty much know the tragedy of this story.
That didn't...moreIf you've read the Dark Tower novels - and I really do recommend you read them first - then you pretty much know the tragedy of this story.
That didn't stop a little part of me, however, from hoping that somehow, someway, things would turn out better this time you hear the story... and it also didn't stop the hitch in my chest when it didn't.
*le sigh*
Two down points, though:
1) I wish there was more consistency in the artwork between volumes. Some of the characters change to the point where they'd hardly recognizable until someone mentions a name or something.
2) I'm a little tired of the (view spoiler)[traitor within (hide spoiler)] storyline. It's been used in almost every volume so far, and it'd be really awesome if there was a chance in plotline from time to time. I mean, I get that that's sort of Marten's thing, but it's growing a bit wearisome.(less)
GN series still continuing strong - though I have to admit I always imagined Gilead's Fall to be a more gradual thing, and not such a sick and sudd...more3.5
GN series still continuing strong - though I have to admit I always imagined Gilead's Fall to be a more gradual thing, and not such a sick and sudden sort of rout. Wasn't really much in the way of fighting, all things considered, and a lot of it was just so ignominious.
Also, I know these books aren't quite cannon, but in my head I keep trying to fit in the story from Wind Through the Keyhole into this timeline, and it doesn't quite work. Heh. (less)
We continue with Roland's struggles with the grapefruit, and, damn, but does my heart break for the boy. I mean, it's hard hearing this story in W&G...moreWe continue with Roland's struggles with the grapefruit, and, damn, but does my heart break for the boy. I mean, it's hard hearing this story in W&G but seeing it in all its awfulness is just gutting. And the one scene where he sees himself as (view spoiler)[an older man and goes something like 'who is that lonely wretch?' (hide spoiler)] Gah!
I liked the character of Aileen, the girl who would be a gunslinger, but not sure how I feel about the sort of (view spoiler)[pseudo-arranged marriage (hide spoiler)] storyline.
Also, I like Cuthbert, in general, but he's very exasperating sometimes. I wanna tell him to give poor Roland a break, and some time to grieve.
But, then, I've wanted to shake some sense into Roland a few times, too.
Anyway, like the story overall, though it seemed a bit jumpy in places. The artwork continues strong, and I like the sort of Wild West period styles. Still feel like you almost never see someones whole face, tho, with the constant play of shadows and angles. I like the general effect, but sometimes it seems just a touch overdone.
Oh - and what a place to end the story! Ach!(less)
An interesting glimpse into the journey from Mejis, and the poor Susan Delgado, back to Gilead. We see Roland's struggle with the grapefruit, as we...more3.5
An interesting glimpse into the journey from Mejis, and the poor Susan Delgado, back to Gilead. We see Roland's struggle with the grapefruit, as well as what happens to Sheemie on his journey, which comes into importance later down the line.
I certainly didn't imagine it so eventful, based on what little you get from it in W&G, but it's an interesting tale, for sure. And I love the artwork, even if everyone's face seem mostly shadows. And I liked seeing the Crimson King actually frightening, instead of, well, sneech boy on a balcony. :>(less)
I'm not really sure what to say about this one. I gave myself a day or so to mull over it, but it didn't really help.
I will say that I think that my unfamiliarity with the source material worked against me with this one. While I do feel I was able to get the story, overall, without that familiarity, I think it would've added a layer of understanding and appreciation that I just don't have without it.
That said, it did instill in me a curiosity to go off and find the original story/stories and learn more about them, so there's that.
The whole story reads a bit like a dream.
The prologue starts as off later in the story, and then we go back and see how Marya got to that point. It starts off reading and feeling like a fairy tale - which is fitting considering that's what it is. And it keeps that feeling throughout the story. There's a level of surreality to the whole thing which really works for it.
But, both adding to and owing to that dream-like quality, I sometimes felt like I wasn't really grasping what was going on. Or why. People's motivations aren't always clear, and I sometimes felt like we had to piece together the missing bits. Again, this works to add to the dream-like state of it, but sometimes left me feeling floundering in a not so good way.
Overall, I liked it. I liked the dark sensuality of it, the idea of control and the passions invoked throughout the story. I didn't always agree with it, or necessarily grok it, but I liked it. But even though I liked it, I kept sort of wanting more from it, too.
ETA: Also, it was a bit slow and repetitive in places. In some parts the repetition was on purpose - the cycle of birds, of traveling to and from the place - and, overall, there's the whole theme of the constancy of stories and how things do get repeated.
And sometimes it worked. But, sometimes, it just dragged and I was like "ok, I get it, let's move on!"
Anyway...
On thing I will say is that I did like this ever so much better than The Secret History of Moscow which I recently read and which was my first introduction to Koschei (there spelled Koschey) and to other elements of Russian folklore like rusalka and domovoi and so on. This book so much better captures, to me, the essence of fairy-tales, as well as evokes the history and people of Russia that it seeks to portray.
Even though there's a part of me that still doesn't really know how I feel about this book (bouncing, as I do, between 3 and 4 stars as I write this review), I would recommend it - but not to everyone. To people who like what almost amounts to a dark exploration of the soul, of longing and passion, of life and death, in a way which is not straight-forward and is more felt than thought... To them, I would recommend this book.
As for myself - I plan on reading it again some day. I'm very curious to see how it comes across on a second read. (less)
One of the reasons that I really liked this series at the out-set was that while it was a standard-as-all-heck sword & sorcery/epic type story, Ma...moreOne of the reasons that I really liked this series at the out-set was that while it was a standard-as-all-heck sword & sorcery/epic type story, Martin wrote good characters that I liked and genuinely cared about. And even in this last installment, it's the little personal touches of the story between the characters that I enjoy the best.
Unfortunately, they're rather few and far between as the story, overall, focuses on the war being fought on multiple fronts.
One of the downfalls of our characters being spread all over - aside from the lack of personal touches - is the fact that we jump between 5 or 6 different perspectives, and as soon as things start getting good, we jump to someone else.
More than that, though, is the fact that our characters have little to know way to communicate with each other, so we see each group sort of have to learn the same things that you already watched the other groups already learn. And while it makes sense to the story for all the groups to have certain information, it gets kind of tedious to have to keep reading the same stuff over and over again.
And while the battles were sometimes cool, they felt mostly repetitive, and it was kind of annoying that it was just "ooh, here's the newest and baddest magical thing you have to fight against" and then, against the odds, people win, and then "ok, no, here's the newest and baddest magical thing you have to fight against".
*sigh*
There were some moments were it shined (Gethin was a nice addition, though I would've liked to see him interact more with Berry, Jonmarc's thoughts while on the battleground and missing the birth of his children was good, I liked the Aidane and Kolin storyline until Aidane started acting so stupid), but, overall, it just didn't live up to earlier installments in the series. I missed Carina and Calloway a lot, and Tris' parts, which were often my favorite in past installments, seemed to fall flat here - even though they were, arguably, some of the more intense and interesting. And after all the set-up, the climax was just so rushed and sort of unsatisfying, and a lot of the magical problems were resolved a bit too patly.
I don't know - just, overall, I felt like Martin was relying on our connections with the characters from earlier books in the series instead of putting any effort into it this go around. (I will say, though, that she's pretty good at reminding you of things that happened in past installments without doing huge info-dumps.)
Anyway, I didn't hate it and it was a pretty fast read, considering the size, but Fallen Kings doesn't hold a candle to the Necromancer cycle and it's kind of a pity that the end of the Kings cycle was so meh.
It was also kind of annoying that the ending read a lot like the set-up for the next arc in the series, which is obviously going to involve the children that everyone's having. Bit too heavy-handed with the hooks for the next arc in the series, there.(less)
Like other fans of the Dark Tower series, I was excited when I heard of Sai King's announcement that another story would be coming... and, like sev...more3.5
Like other fans of the Dark Tower series, I was excited when I heard of Sai King's announcement that another story would be coming... and, like several others, I assumed, wrongfully so, that the story would focus on the "present day" tet - Roland, Jake, Eddie, Oy & the bitch - so when I started reading the book and discovered that while we do see them, may it do ya, it's not really the thrust of the story.
What we have, instead, is a tale within a tale within a tale.
Roland and the tet encounter a storm and, to pass the time away, Roland tells a story of his youth and, within that story, we hear another story - a fairy tale or fable of sorts - that Roland, himself, heard as a child.
And while I found the stories interesting, I couldn't help but feel just a bit disappointed that we didn't see more of the tet we have grown to love - well, mostly.
So, anyway...
As for the story of Roland's past - I generally enjoy learning more of Roland's backstory. Wizard & Glass was one of my faves, the first time I read the series (though it seemed to drag in a reread) - and I like seeing the younger Roland. And it was cool to see Roland paired with Jamie - someone who gets referenced in the other stories, but whom we see little of. So that was nice.
Moreso, though, the parts I liked best about that story was seeing Steven Deschain react to the events at the end of W&G - it is something I had wondered about, and it was really good to see those bits and pieces.
That said, I found that story, as a whole, to not be quite up to snuff.
As for 'Wind Through the Keyhole' - the third level of storydom - at first I was rather chagrined with how much of the book it takes up and, for awhile, I found myself wondering if it even needed to be released as part of the DT stories, for it seemed, to me, that it could stand on its own as a short story in its own right.
But that changed as the story progressed, and little bits and bobs of Mid-World poked their heads into the story, and we saw more and more of the relevance from it to the world at large.
Also, I was glad to have answered, once and for all, the question of whether (view spoiler)[Martin was Maerlyn. :> (hide spoiler)] (Though Jer tells me this was already answered in one of the later books, and I guess I just missed it.)
Though it hurt, a little, to see (view spoiler)[Maerlyn speak of the Crimson King as so full of power and magic and might, because it brings up again the disappointing wreck of what he'd become by the time we concluded the Dark Tower series. It was another tantalizing glimpse into the villain that was... the villain that might've been... and even though I made sense of CK's ridiculousness via Roland's (and other's) chipping away at his power making him go mad and all, it still hurts, a little, that the big climactic battle was... well... you all know how that goes... (hide spoiler)]
But, anyway, despite the fact that about half-way through I was a bit irritated with the fact that this non-Roland tale was the bulk of the book... by the end of the story I wanted more. More of Tim Ross's life and doings.
So I couldn't be too disappointed, now could I?
After that, though, the other stories were wrapped up so quickly. I wanted more from the story of the Skin-Changer, and still more of the ka-tet, which is why I can't really give this more than 3 1/2 stars but, for all that, I still enjoyed the ride. (less)
A novella released for World Book Day which has all of the fun of the series without so much angst. I mean, there's a little angst and sadness, but, m...moreA novella released for World Book Day which has all of the fun of the series without so much angst. I mean, there's a little angst and sadness, but, mostly, it was a fun addition... and I didn't find myself disliking Stephanie as I had been. Pretty much a win all around.(less)
When I first heard about this book I was in. I loved 'Wonderland' growing up - or the Disney version at least - and tend to eat up variation...moreMaybe 3.5.
When I first heard about this book I was in. I loved 'Wonderland' growing up - or the Disney version at least - and tend to eat up variations of the story. When we were promised a "true story behind the story" type of thing, even darker and more mad than the original - well, what Wonderland aficionado could pass it up?
And I was into it pretty much from the beginning. I liked the voice of the story, even though first person isn't my favorite, and I liked the sort of madness of it. I even liked Alyssa, for the most part. I related to her mixture of insecurity and strength.
But then we meet Jeb and the first twitterings of romance are felt... and I was like, ok, I can deal with a bit of romance, and, hey, at least they were long time friends and not insta-love, which I hate - though the whole 'two people who secretly love each other but stay away for X stupid reason' is a bit tired, too.
But, aside from that, the story of a growing family insanity, the language and whatnot was good.
Then we get to Wonderland, and I loved parts of it. The way the characters are taken from the book but twisted and different. I especially liked the Twid Sisters, thought the Mad Hatter analog was pretty cool, and enjoyed the adventure, danger and insanity of the whole thing.
What I did not enjoy, however, is the love triangle. 'Cause, see, Jeb comes along on our adventure and is ever so tiring and annoying, constantly "protecting" Alyssa and sort of putting her down and generally being a giant ass, even though I think we're meant to be rooting for him as the "good guy" of the triangle. He's just so patronizing and domineering and annoying. I kinda worry about what it means for young girls if this is the good guy.
Then we have Morpheus. Morpheus is also an ass, but of a different kind. He has an agenda and he's kind of obviously pulling Alyssa's strings. And maybe it's 'cause I tend to go for the dark, broody types... or maybe it's 'cause Morpheus was actually honest about his treachery, in a weird sort of way, but I actually preferred him over Jeb.
But, regardless, the biggest issue isn't just that the triangle exists, but that it becomes such a huge focus of the book. So much of the awesome stuff is sort of swept away by the constant alpha-posturing and, even worse, Alyssa goes from being sort of willful and spunky, chasing away to Wonderland despite her mother's warning, to a typical damsel in distress, her biggest issue being which boy to trust/love/whatever.
She's constantly getting saved, constantly dithering and unsure, and becomes downright helpless when she's on her own. Gone is the spunk of the girl at the beginning of the book.
When Alyssa uses a (view spoiler)[wish and wishes that Jeb hadn't come along, I couldn't help but wish we'd gotten that story instead. (hide spoiler)]
That said, I did like the ending, for the most part, and Alyssa did step up. Finally.
So, overall, I'm a bit conflicted. The overall plot and the characters and the whole twist of Wonderland was really cool. The love triangle was way overplayed and tiresome. And some of the middle could've been tightened up... but the beginning and end were pretty strong, and the adventures were cool, overall.
I just can't help but being a bit disappointed because of the book that might've been if only we'd focused more on the story, if Alyssa had stayed more spunky throughout, and if there was a lot less romance. I'm not saying all of the romance had to have been cut - but it certainly shouldn't have been the focal point that it became.(less)
This was definitely an improvement over #6. We got to see a lot of Fig's backstory and history, and I loved watching Cain following her around and com...moreThis was definitely an improvement over #6. We got to see a lot of Fig's backstory and history, and I loved watching Cain following her around and commenting on said history.
I'll be interested to see how things go. The various characters are, seemingly, going their separate ways, and we're left with the words "things are about to get weird" - which is promising/terrifying for a series which has been weird and jumbled from the beginning.
And, speaking of weird, wtf was up with the Conception twins (view spoiler)[going rogue like that (hide spoiler)]?
After a few lackluster installments, I'm once again hopeful for the direction of the series.
ETA: The Halloween bit after the story wasn't as good as last years, but it was interesting to see the sort of tie-in with this series and Constantine, Lucifer, etc.(less)
A decent edition to the series, even darker and more dangers than before, but not one of my faves. Was disappointed that not much about the situation...moreA decent edition to the series, even darker and more dangers than before, but not one of my faves. Was disappointed that not much about the situation with Tanith was really dealt with.
While I enjoyed the book well enough overall, there were a few issues. For one, the pacing was off and definitely dragged in places - and some of the fight scenes, especially the last one... ye gods. The snark and humor is still good when Valkyrie and Skulduggery are bantering, but seemed sadly lacking any other time.
But my main issue was that Valkyrie isn't really very relatable. While I enjoy some of the snark and whatnot, she's just not very likable a lot of the term. You need to have a good side and qualities to counter the dark ones, and in this one she's mostly dark.
And I'm sort of tired of the whole insta-heal stuff. It just doesn't give the events a whole lot of suspense and immediacy.
I was torn about the one reveal, namely (view spoiler)[that Skulduggery was/is Lord Vile. (hide spoiler)] While it puts him in a unique position to understand the Darquesse situation, it also had a bit of a "really?" vibe to it. Like how much can possibly be wrapped up in these two?
Still fully plan on continuing with the series, and I'm nowhere near wanting to give up on it, but I'm also still hoping it gets better. It seems like it's kinda circling the airport at this point, so to speak.(less)
This book started off so promising, aside from the sort of whole amnesia cliche. But with the way it's written - in journal format - the beginning of...moreThis book started off so promising, aside from the sort of whole amnesia cliche. But with the way it's written - in journal format - the beginning of the book reads like watching a slow descent into madness, and it was really cool.
And then it was kind of about his loneliness and desperation to connect with other people, mingled with his feelings of fear and vulnerability because of his lost past.
But then things which were possibly bits of insanity started becoming literal, and it sort of descended from there and became a version of a story I've seen a bunch of times - i.e. (view spoiler)[the pending birth of a child which could either be the Second Coming or the Anti-Christ - they angels and demons aren't really sure (hide spoiler)], without adding all that much more to it.
And, after awhile, Gabriel's musings became less interesting glimpses into a mind of loneliness and desperation, and more just mewling and whining as his self-loathing and inability to make a decision and stick with it got repeated over and over and over again.
And then there was the reveal of his forgotten life. (view spoiler)[ Government trained assassin from childhood. (hide spoiler)] Really?
By the end, I sort of just wanted it to be over.
So much potential... gone.
Also, I never really connected with Gabriel on an emotional level. You would think that you would, written in the way that it is, but I just never did. And it's not even that I disliked him, despite his impotence getting on my nerves, it's just... I dunno, he never seemed like a real person.
I suppose the ending is supposed to be sort of happy and hopeful, but considering that (view spoiler)[Gabriel promised Casey he'd stay with her, no matter what, and then would've bailed as soon as he discovered the truth of his past - for her own good, of course (hide spoiler)], but I'm not sure how I could feel hopeful when (view spoiler)[I don't trust Gabriel to follow through (hide spoiler)].
It had been forever since I read the first in this series but, luckily, Alexovich put in a nice little recap at the beginning of the book. Still, I di...moreIt had been forever since I read the first in this series but, luckily, Alexovich put in a nice little recap at the beginning of the book. Still, I didn't have the emotional connection with the characters that was built in the first, and this is more of a plot-based sort of thing, so there wasn't really time for it to grow back.
That said, it was an interesting story - though bits were a bit confusing and hard to follow, graphics wise - but, overall, I enjoyed it and it was well drawn, and I really like the splashes of color.
My biggest complaint is that I wish/hope Serenity gets more pro-active in the future instead of just curling up and feeling bad about things.(less)
This is another one of those hard ones for me to review.
Overall, I really liked the story - the idea of the Night Circus, the whole dream-like qua...more3.75
This is another one of those hard ones for me to review.
Overall, I really liked the story - the idea of the Night Circus, the whole dream-like quality of it, and how it effected the lives of those involved in it, both for good and ill. I liked the characters - Celia and Marco, yes, but also Poppet and Widget and Bailey and Mr. Thiessen and mysterious Tsukiko... because it's more about the Circus than it is about the challenge, even if the challenge sort of creates the Circus.
In general I liked the descriptions of the Circus - but I really didn't like the little chapter snippets told in the second-person. Even though this is, I think, sort of explained at the end of the book - (and though there was a moment at the end in on of this snippets which I really liked, to wit (view spoiler)[when 'you' get the card for the Circus emblazoned with Bailey's name on it (hide spoiler)] - overall I found it jarring and it took me out of the story more than drew me in.
I much preferred seeing the Circus through the eyes of Bailey and Mr. Thiessen - and even watching Celia and Marco explore the tents that they create for each other. (The shifting perspectives and timelines were very confusing and jarring to me in the beginning, but about a third of the way in it gelled more and I was able to just go with it... )
Also, there were times where I felt the descriptions were a bit belabored, as Morgenstern lingered lovingly over them - and while I liked the ephemeral world-building it created, I couldn't help but wish that she spent as much time on the characters and their emotions because while those things were there - and there were some real moments of joy and sorrow and frisson and whatnot - I felt there weren't explored with the depth or breadth that they truly deserved.
Anyway - it's a story which is hard to describe. The style evokes the dreamlike quality of the story and the world and the characters - and is very effective in that regard... but, like a dream, it's hard to truly explain in the harsh light of day. It's more an experiential thing - something you just have to experience for yourself.
But, as with all such things, there's no guarantee that what works as one person's dream will work for another. This isn't a book I would recommend to everyone... but if you think you might like to wander through someone else's dream for awhile, then it's a book a would recommend for you.(less)
A decent enough story and decent enough writing - but there's nothing original or really all that captivating about it. Tropes abound, and the plot an...moreA decent enough story and decent enough writing - but there's nothing original or really all that captivating about it. Tropes abound, and the plot and character interactions are all pretty predictable.
And, ya know, I can live with a cliche story - some of my favorite stories are pretty tropey, to be honest - but there has to be something about the writing and/or characters to engage me in some way, and while Caim is the type of character I go for, and while I was rooting for certain things to unfold, it just didn't do it in a way which made it stand out from the other books of the type.
On the plus side, it was paced fairly well, and the short length works in its favor. And the characters, while sticking to tropes, aren't entirely 2-dimensional.(less)
Pretty intense installment in the series. Or, to put it another way, "Shit's getting real up in here, yo."
Still not quite as good as the first, but be...morePretty intense installment in the series. Or, to put it another way, "Shit's getting real up in here, yo."
Still not quite as good as the first, but better than the second. I still wish there was more focus on Bode, as there was in the first, because I think that's what made the first one the best one for me so far.(less)
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