Starting off promising with an approach that looked to be nicely tongue in cheek, sadly this was soon let down by the poor execution, bone headed char...moreStarting off promising with an approach that looked to be nicely tongue in cheek, sadly this was soon let down by the poor execution, bone headed characters, more ridiculous plot than could be found on Garth Merenghi's Dark Place and a lack of Richard Ayoade to make up for it.
Jackie is an overweight, glasses-wearing museum guide when she gets hammered one night and wakes up in a dumpster. Dead. She's gotten up close and personal with both a fallen angel and a vampire you see, meaning she's now a succubus. Which means she now has to have sex constantly, thanks to the Itch, and looks like a sex doll.
Forced to go hunting for an angelic halo on behalf of Nitocris, Queen of the Vampires and our Big Bad, it's not a particularly hard quest (it seems the halo is simply where Nitocris left it) which is probably a very good thing as Jackie is one of the densest characters I've ever come across. Unable to fathom who her vampire 'master' is, even though he's practically dancing around her for the entire book singing "I'm your master", all of her brainpower is geared towards checking herself out and trying to resist the urge to screw everyone.
I've got to start exercising some quality control during those freebie sprees in the Kindle store!(less)
That's it. I am definitely going to read every Robin Hobb I can get my hands on after this fantastic book - starting with the next book in this trilog...moreThat's it. I am definitely going to read every Robin Hobb I can get my hands on after this fantastic book - starting with the next book in this trilogy that I'm starting immediately.
A fantasy sea adventure starring liveships - sentient ships crafted from wizardwood and each bound to a blood member of the families that own them - I wouldn't have thought I'd find myself feeling so strongly for what are, essentially, a bunch of boats but that's where I find myself (especially poor, tragic Paragon) to the point that I even blubbed on their behalf on more than one occasion.
I'm even more invested in the other characters - Althea and her quest to retrieve her rightful ship, the bullying Kyle (view spoiler)[who I would have happily seen thrown to the serpents (hide spoiler)], his desperately-in-need-of-a-good-slapping daughter (view spoiler)[who I no longer want given to the Rain Wild Traders - they've not done anything awful enough to deserve her (hide spoiler)], Amber who I desperately want to know more about, and all the others. Not forgetting the buccaneer who'll stop at nothing to own a live ship and become King of the Pirates - Captain Kennit, who despite himself can't help but make people love him and things change for the better, all while being a manipulative, conniving, selfish and hilarious bastard. At this point, I have as big a crush on him as Etta does (view spoiler)[and now Vivacia too, I suspect (hide spoiler)].
I've no idea where things are going to go from here, but I'm expecting to grin, rage and weep my way to the end just like I have in this. I'd try and eke the experience out a little, but I'm way too greedy for more. I'm rushing right back to my kindle for the next.(less)
Beating Mort to the title of my favourite Discworld novel to date, I loved every second of this.
Great characters, great dialogue, great story, great d...moreBeating Mort to the title of my favourite Discworld novel to date, I loved every second of this.
Great characters, great dialogue, great story, great dragons and very, very funny - I want more with The Watch please...(less)
What can I say? There's been a lot of football on the telly in our house recently and I didn't want to get engrossed in something big and brilliant wh...moreWhat can I say? There's been a lot of football on the telly in our house recently and I didn't want to get engrossed in something big and brilliant while I waited for my two awesome loaners turned up.
In yet another erotic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, this time Rory is a young woman on holiday on a Carribean island, about to lose her virginity, when she falls into a coma.
Jacob White is the brilliant neurosurgeon (or something) brought in by her wealthy family six years into said coma. Jacob soon starts having sexy dreams about his comatose patient, and....oh whatever. The story doesn't really matter, and is merely a ridiculous and silly setting in which our 'characters' have lots and lots of sex.
I keep coming back to these smutty reads hoping for something different each time, but it seems that instead of having sex as the point, I prefer it as part of a believable story (by which I don't mean it has to take place on a council estate or anything, after all I inhale fantasy and paranormal stuff like it's going out of fashion). Oh well, it seems I'm destined to be forever disappointed in this genre.(less)
Starting off particularly well, with Harry hugging a box of puppies and running from some purple monkey demons flinging explosive poo (definitely one...moreStarting off particularly well, with Harry hugging a box of puppies and running from some purple monkey demons flinging explosive poo (definitely one of the most memorable opening moments I've read), this was another great instalment of Harry for me.
Taking on a case for his friend Thomas, the possibly shady vampire, Harry gets dragged into a mess involving gruesome entropy curses, porn stars and succubi. Oh, and Mavra, the badass Black Court vampire that he came up against a while back, is gunning for him. Luckily, Harry's got a few friends that have his back.
And by the end of the book, a couple of new additions to his household too - both of which I heartily approve.(less)
I should probably start this review by admitting that if you are looking for something intelligent or insightful to be said about this book you should...moreI should probably start this review by admitting that if you are looking for something intelligent or insightful to be said about this book you should probably look elsewhere, as not only am I still slightly agog at how brilliant it is but I'm also quite likely to descend into fangirl wibbles fairly soon. I should also probably confess to the fact that I previously knew sod all about this period in our history, and the people who ruled us, other than what I have gleaned from Horrible Histories (and even then it's mostly the songs I remember, particularly this one - spoiler alert!)
A big, fat book, I put off reading this one for ages, daunted by not only the size but its reputation, its many awards and the fact that I somehow thought it was going to be heavy going, ever so clever and very dour, while hearing rumours of hard to follow dialogue. However, while I did find it handy to read with the cast of characters beside me initially, I now regret not having picked this up sooner as it confounded every one of my expectations and was more than worth the effort.
Putting flesh on the bones of the many names and events that I'd previously only been slightly familiar with, this charts the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell as we're taken through the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the great annulment/divorce debacle and the union of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn, the growing enmity between Henry and Rome, the birth of Elizabeth and the hopes for male heirs, the changing spiritual and political landscape of England, the changing fortunes of Sir Thomas More, the squabbling and maneuvreing of the preeminent families of the land and a host of other things besides, and every last second of it was utterly fabulous.
Clever, funny, beautiful, shocking, lovely, terrifying, and a wealth of other things besides, I'm now bereft that the book didn't go on forever as I could have continued reading it for eternity. I now wish every book I read could star Cromwell, fantastically cunning bitches like the Boleyns, grasping and calculating nobles, religious maniacs, superstitious monarchs and some cracking verbal sparring, and am impatiently awaiting the minute I get my mitts on Bring Up The Bodies while being ever so grateful to Is, who insisted I should read it.
After The Age of Innocence and now this, I'm starting to wonder if Wharton's husband secretly fancied her cousin.
In an intense tale that made me feel...moreAfter The Age of Innocence and now this, I'm starting to wonder if Wharton's husband secretly fancied her cousin.
In an intense tale that made me feel as trapped as its protagonist, Ethan Frome is bound by poverty in a harsh life on a pitiful farm in a small rural community, married to a mean and hypochondriac woman. It's small wonder his wife's poorer cousin, brought in as help for Zeena (the wife) looks so appealing. But when it looks as though Mattie is to be sent away, Ethan's predicament becomes even more awful.
As excellently written, though a lot more depressing than The Age of Innocence, this packed a surprising amount of weight for such a small book and, while I'll probably give it a while before I pick up more of Wharton's work, I'll definitely be reading more.
Oh so painful...This is the story of Sue, a multi-millionairess lottery winner, and the assassin, 'Tony', who she hires to kill her. Yep, you just rea...moreOh so painful...This is the story of Sue, a multi-millionairess lottery winner, and the assassin, 'Tony', who she hires to kill her. Yep, you just read that right. Only as well as being a killer, Tony's connected. And a werewolf. And although Sue is a pathetic, needy, self-pitying, clingy and spineless excuse for a human being, romance somehow blossoms.
Why does Sue want Tony to kill her? Because her family are assholes - cartoonishly evil manipulators who view Sue as their slave rather than relation. So of course suicide is the only way out, as opposed to, I dont know, moving. And although Tony's peen soon makes Sue want to to live again, he's got some enemies too, and they will happily target Sue to get to him. Sadly for all of us, they don't succeed.
I'm surprised I managed to finish this considering how much it bugged me. There were some incredibly strange writing choices ("she tasted salty, like grass and woods" - oh yeah, I've always thought the woods were dead salty.) and what little that could pass for plot was more often than not sidelined in favour of exploring the bond between Sue and Tony (which is a complete turn-off, by the way. Who wants a relationship where you pretty much share a brain? I don't care how much we love one another, I want some damn privacy), or different characters telling Sue how much Tony cared for her, or her whining that she can't be left alone. The sort of person who can't make a cup of tea without emotional support, I fervently wished throughout that Tony would take her up on her initial offer and put a bullet in her brain-stem. Not that he was any better.
I won't be returning for the rest of the series, and would be surprised to find that anyone ever has.(less)
A Victorian scientist transports himself 800,000 years into the future via his Time Machine and arrives in a version of our world which on first glanc...moreA Victorian scientist transports himself 800,000 years into the future via his Time Machine and arrives in a version of our world which on first glance would appear to be a utopia, peopled by a simple and child-like race called the Eloi. But they're not the only ones populating this future world and the Eloi live in fear of the Morlocks, a subterranean and violent race.
Instead of Mankind evolving into ever better versions of ourselves, humanity has divided itself in reaction to the growing disparity of the classes, with the rich becoming ever more refined and indolent, leading to the Eloi who are now prey to what has become of the ancestors of the increasingly brutal poor, the Morlocks.
I've somehow managed to go my entire life without any familiarity whatsoever with the many adaptations of this story, and so was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't just an adventure story. The gap between rich and poor was huge in Wells' time and so his speculation on what might become of mankind is a nice little nightmarish piece of social commentary that is still rather relevant (especially as that gap is widening again in the present).
I expect that if this had been one of my first forays into science fiction I would have rated it higher, but I can't help but bring my own reading history to it, and as such I would have liked a little more meat. (less)
Well, that was exciting! And fun, and quite possibly taking a turn toward the epic...and I'm now even more excited for the rest of the series.
Harry's...moreWell, that was exciting! And fun, and quite possibly taking a turn toward the epic...and I'm now even more excited for the rest of the series.
Harry's still broke, but that's not his only problem. For one, a Duke of the Red Court of vampires has turned up and challenged Harry to a duel. For two, the Turin Shroud has been stolen. Three, assassins (both demon and otherwise) keep trying to take him out and four, Susan's back in town.
Throw in not one, not two, but three Knights of the Cross and some big hints about Harry that we weren't clear on before - just who did his mum run around with? And could he really (view spoiler)[be immortal, as Nicodemus implies? (hide spoiler)] - and throw in that he's now (view spoiler)[in possession of a holy sword (it's my bet that it's gonna go to Murphy - I remember that vision of her as an avenging angel from a few books ago) (hide spoiler)] and you have one of the best entries yet, with a promise things are only going to get bigger and better from here on out.
Kurt Vonnegut seems to have the rare gift of packing more ideas, power and profundity into his books than other writers who toil over thousands of pag...moreKurt Vonnegut seems to have the rare gift of packing more ideas, power and profundity into his books than other writers who toil over thousands of pages in an attempt for the same effect. I dangle his books in front of me like a carrot - something to always look forward to, a treat only to be savoured every once in a while, to make it all the more special.
Mother Night doesn't disappoint. American Howard W. Campbell Jr was one of Nazi Germany's greatest propagandists. He was also a spy. Now facing trial for war crimes, does the fact he didn't truly believe in what he was saying make him any less guilty of his role in the deaths of millions? Is he his secret self - a hero? Or is he what he did - a villain?
Thought provoking, powerful and compelling, I read this in one sitting as I was completely unable to put it down. I don't think I'll leave it so long before I allow myself my next carrot.(less)
I love Greek mythology and think the fall of Troy is easily one of the most powerful myths around. Prior to reading this I would never have believed t...moreI love Greek mythology and think the fall of Troy is easily one of the most powerful myths around. Prior to reading this I would never have believed that anyone could tell it in such a way as to make it utterly boring, but sadly Margaret George has proved me wrong.
Telling the story of Helen of Troy, the face that started it all, it's clear that Ms George put in rather a lot of research. It's just a shame that, while remembering to add in details like what sort of cups people might have drunk from, she didn't bring any real storytelling talent to the table. A tale that should have been pulsing with passion, instead I felt nothing. Even during the parts that would normally have me weeping like a bereaved child (the death of Hector, and Priam's pleas for his son's body to be returned) or cursing furiously (anything to do with that shit Achilles) I found it all strangely lacking.
As for Helen, considering this is all told through her eyes, it seems that even though she's the main character she's not much more than an insipid, passive nincompoop, hardly the sort of person that thousands of men would give up their lives and bring ruin to kingdoms over, and the 600 odd-pages in her company were a slow torture.
If you're after something that really brings the story of Troy to life you could do much better - I'd recommend David Gemmell's Troy series instead.(less)
And so we come to the end of a great fantasy trilogy that I've had trouble putting down, full of intrigue, emotion and characters I could both believe...moreAnd so we come to the end of a great fantasy trilogy that I've had trouble putting down, full of intrigue, emotion and characters I could both believe in and root for (as well as many that I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands), tinged with sadness and ever so bitter-sweet.
I spent much of this book willing Fitz either not to be so bloody dense, or to tell everyone around him to get bent. After everything he's been through, with yet more and more flung at him in this, the attitudes of those who supposedly cared for him (apart from Nighteyes and The Fool, my favourites) really started to piss me off. Have you not had enough out of him already folks? Kettricken, Starling and Kettle (particularly Kettle) wound me up by constantly insisting he was an ignorant fool, but then refusing to illuminate anything for him. I'd make a terrible fantasy character as instead of not only putting up with it, but giving even more as Fitz did, I'd have told them all to swivel on my middle finger before stomping off into the woods and taking my wolf with me.
After everything endured in this series, I did find the ending a little rushed and anticlimactic, but it's a small flaw in something that held sway over me for so long. I'm glad to see there are many more Robin Hobb books for me to get into next!(less)
Another 4.5, this one is as unputdownable as its predecessor although I did have to put it down for a day, much to my consternation.
King Shrewd isn't...moreAnother 4.5, this one is as unputdownable as its predecessor although I did have to put it down for a day, much to my consternation.
King Shrewd isn't so shrewd these days and King-in-Waiting Verity spends his time attempting to battle the Red-Ships still raiding the coast, while those they've Forged are getting ever closer to Buckkeep. Prince Regal continues to bastard about and is in the process of dismantling the kingdom around them as he furthers his ambitions, and making life harder and harder for our Bastard.
While reading this entry was even more frustrating than Assassin's Apprentice, given all that's getting relentlessly thrown at Fitz (and his denseness around the Fool. Listen to him you fool - he's told you loads more than you've picked up on, plonker!) this is only because I'm so ensnared by the intrigue that abounds in the Six Duchies and care about the characters we've been following (as well as some newbies - yay for Nighteyes!). I'm loving to hate the villains of the piece and can't wait for their comeuppance, and want lots more of the Wit.
Hmmmm, well, er...bit hard to pin down, this one...
Vernon Little is from a small Texan town, Martirio, and his best friend has just shot up the school...moreHmmmm, well, er...bit hard to pin down, this one...
Vernon Little is from a small Texan town, Martirio, and his best friend has just shot up the school before turning the gun on himself. With the culprit dead the town, the cops and the media turn to Vernon, who they've already decided is also guilty as it fits better with the narrative playing out on their TV's, where they're now small-screen stars too.
At equal turns compelling and frustrating this almost worked for me as Vernon has a brilliantly bitter voice, but the more ridiculous things became on the way to the climax the less I enjoyed it.(less)
Continuing my journey through the Discworld I spend some time outside of Ankh-Morpork, and find it less irritating than the wizards, but not as good a...moreContinuing my journey through the Discworld I spend some time outside of Ankh-Morpork, and find it less irritating than the wizards, but not as good as the witches or Death.
"Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door. As I went out, they went in, and hit me on the head with a rolling pin"
Tha...more"Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door. As I went out, they went in, and hit me on the head with a rolling pin"
That's the version we used to skip rope to when I was a kid, but thanks to Mr King it's even creepier now that it's the Tommyknockers coming to do an Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. That's right, instead of a supernatural threat this time it's aliens menacing a small town in Maine, and ticking two of my 'things that freak me out' boxes - body horror, and something taking over your mind...
Initially I struggled with this one, partly because of my own shaky state when beginning and partly due to just how drawn out Part One of the book is - essentially a two-hander taking us into the minds of old friends Bobbi and Gardener, as Bobbi stumbles over something on her land and feels the compulsion to dig. Either I got better around Part Two, or the book did, as we saw the wider effect Bobbi's discovery was having on the town.
With one of the effects of the Tommyknockers being a staggering array of gadget invention, King clearly had as much fun making these up as I did reading about them (even if some bits of this did threaten to make the book jump the shark at times - the killer Coke machine dragging me out of my nail-chewing reading and making me giggle stupidly instead, being one of these). I also found the self-references a little more jarring in this - while some of them worked within the context of the story they're starting to come a little thicker these days, and I found the IT reference in particular unnecessary, reminding me that I was in the act of 'reading' (instead of my usual feeling with King's books that I'm an invisible bystander in the town, unable to stop what's happening). However, King wins out by keeping things so deliciously creepy all the time that small niggles can't sink it.
A tale of 90's Brixton, starring Elfish - a spectacularly filthy (not just long unwashed, but prone to vomiting and urinating all over herself and sti...moreA tale of 90's Brixton, starring Elfish - a spectacularly filthy (not just long unwashed, but prone to vomiting and urinating all over herself and still not washing or changing, and yet still able to find people willing to go down on her!), lying and manipulative, completely appalling person who has a dream: to stop her ex-boyfriend from claiming the name Queen Mab for his band by reciting the Queen Mab speech from Romeo & Juliet before his gig.
Bullying and deceiving whoever could help her on her way, it's odd to find yourself hating the main character as much as I did, and yet still enjoying the ride...(less)
A cheese-a-licious romance with a side helping of ham,this was exactly the kind of shallow I was looking for to ease my tired and achy brain and, whil...moreA cheese-a-licious romance with a side helping of ham, this was exactly the kind of shallow I was looking for to ease my tired and achy brain and, while I can't bring myself to go any higher with my stars, it does get a bonus point for making me snigger so much.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin....
(view spoiler)[Amy is a foundling working as a (priiiivate)Â dancer (a dancer for money) in the Pleasure Palace, a gentleman's club run by a mean former Queen of Madagascar (!) Madame Rafaramanjaka. Entering the club one night is one Edmund Hawkins, scoundrel and sailor, who gets bonked on the noggin while rescuing her from mysterious ruffians and promptly gets amnesia. Of course this means that Amy has to take him home with her, where she reveals she's a snot who thinks she's above her neighbours as well as wondering if "she wasn't making a mistake in letting the seaman reside with her." Snigger. Yes, I know I'm a child.
After a bit, Ed's tracked down by his brothers and promptly regains his memory, and it seems we've stumbled into a series as we're introduced to the Hawkins family. As well as Ed the scoundrel we have James the barbarian (who must have come first, as he's the only attached brother) Quincy the scamp (get used to this, you'll read it every time you read one of their names) and William the nondescript (poor bloke doesn't get a suffix. Must be waiting until his book...), all of whom were once secretly "the most infamous pirates to ever ravage the high seas" (snort) but now are gentlemen thanks to the marriage of their sister to a Duke. You following all this? Good..
Now Ed knows who he is, he decides to My Fair Lady Amy up a bit by taking her home with him and finding her a place as a lady's maid. Flirting heavily with Ed while nursing Quincy the scamp, who's also an opium addict (though he's not just a normal junkie. The poor tortured soul is actually easing his pain over his guilt over the death of his mother while delivering him, the sort of thing that can only be eased by finding your true love in a subsequent book) it turns out that not only is Amy the most innocent exotic dancer to have ever lived, having not been so much as kissed before (what kind of prim 'Pleasure Palace' was Madame Rafaramanjaka running anyway?!) she also happens to be......dun, dun, dun! A lady. Yes, that's right - she didn't look down on her neighbours just because she's a snot, but because of blood. She's not just any old foundling but actually the daughter of a Duke and Duchess, kidnapped fifteen years ago.
Reunited with her family Amy soon finds out that, oh no! She's already betrothed! And to a Marquis no less, which is no consolation when all you want is (a) se(a)men. No worries though, as she finally gets her fill (snigger) - first thrashing around on some grass during a thunderstorm, and then in her mum and Dad's garden.Â
Thankfully, in case Amy was judged for being a ho, it turns out that the Marquis is a right bastard. Remember those mysterious ruffians from the beginning? You'll never guess who they were working for all along. Oh, OK! you will. Having thwarted her attempt to elope with Ed by having said ruffians bonk him on the noggin again, the Marquis tries to choke Amy to death on their wedding night in revenge for the death of the woman he loved, who killed herself after Amy's dad forced him into their engagement. But, phew! Ed turns up in the nick of time to save her and the Marquis slinks off. Just in time for his real wife to turn up and have the marriage annulled, thus freeing Lady Amy and Ed the scoundrel to live happily ever after. (hide spoiler)]
Like me, Harry's had a rough time of it lately. Unkempt, exhausted and prone to bawling like a baby (also like me at the moment), he's still restlessl...moreLike me, Harry's had a rough time of it lately. Unkempt, exhausted and prone to bawling like a baby (also like me at the moment), he's still restlessly searching for a way to undo the changes wrought upon Susan in the last book. On top of this he's being held responsible for the war brewing between the Red Court of the vampires and the White Council, and people (and things) are trying to assassinate him every way he turns. So the last thing he needs is to get drawn into intrigue between the Winter and Summer Courts of the Faeries, but drawn in he is.
Losing the saintly but dull Michael and making way for allies such as Billy the werewolf and his alphas, and Toot-Toot and his tiny pizza-loving posse, this was as entertaining and intriguing as I've now come to expect. I even started to like Murphy this time around.
Another great entry, I'm looking forward to continuing my adventures with the series but will be putting off for a little while...my present mental state is having difficulty even facing the mild peril and stress faced by a fictional wizard so I'm off to even shallower climes for a while.
Following Fool Moon with this, it seems Harry's gone from one breathless and desperate situation to another, as we move on from werewolves and onto gh...moreFollowing Fool Moon with this, it seems Harry's gone from one breathless and desperate situation to another, as we move on from werewolves and onto ghosts and vampires. Poor fella must be knackered.
Taking familiar figures and once more giving different sets different traits (like the many species of werewolf in Fool Moon, the different vampire courts all have different powers and strengths), it makes for exciting reading as I can never quite guess how we're going to get to the ultimate smackdown. Character-wise I continue to enjoy Bob the most, and while I'm not full of affection for the 'Fist of God'-ly Michael I did enjoy Thomas as a counterpoint.
Thinking of Michael, I was a tad irritated at the way he was introduced as if we should know who he was - is there some side short that I needed to read? If so, that's annoying.
A 4.5 really, this was leagues ahead of the first book in the series, possibly by taking every flavour of werewolf (some of my favourite paranormals e...moreA 4.5 really, this was leagues ahead of the first book in the series, possibly by taking every flavour of werewolf (some of my favourite paranormals ever) and flinging them all in. We've got loup-garou's, lycanthropes, hexenwolves and more...and it's awesome.
There's little to no downtime in Harry's world as instead we race from scene to scene and plot point to plot point, but I rather appreciated the lack of flabbiness (possibly because I've read some lesser books in the genre lately, which were mostly flab) even if I did miss seeing more of Bob the Skull (who works in a similar way to one of my faves - Bartimeaus - though not quite reaching his levels of snark).
Being in the middle of a high stress period, overworking and with not time for much reading, this also kept my attention perfectly in the short bursts of me-time I had, and I may continue in this vein while my employers see if they can make me get sectioned before Christmas.(less)
A 3.5 really, this is what Macbeth might have been like had the three witches been Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick (the two latter bei...moreA 3.5 really, this is what Macbeth might have been like had the three witches been Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick (the two latter being additions to Discworld that I wholeheartedly approve of).
Fun and undemanding with lots of lovely in-jokes, here's hoping I get more witches in my Discworld-reading future and less wizards...(less)
In which we learn my favourite character's first name, and I have conniptions when I think he's leaving us for good.
Artemis' father is now back, saved...moreIn which we learn my favourite character's first name, and I have conniptions when I think he's leaving us for good.
Artemis' father is now back, saved by Captain Holly Short in the last book, and things are going to be changing. For one thing, Fowl Senior would like the family to go straight from now on, so Artemis is in a rush to finish one last job before his dad gets out of the hospital.
Unfortunately for our (anti) hero, the job goes wrong when the fairy technology he stole from the People is stolen from him in turn, and he'll need the help of a certain LEP Officer and a centaur tech-genius to get it back and save the People from discovery by people with even less scruples than he...
More excellent fun which acts brilliantly as brain sorbet (I'm reading a table-breaker of a book at the same time), and a lovely perk-me-up for when things started to bog me down.(less)
A compelling novel of love and loss, guilt and forgiveness told in three parts: the first tells the events of an afternoon in 1935 from the perspectiv...moreA compelling novel of love and loss, guilt and forgiveness told in three parts: the first tells the events of an afternoon in 1935 from the perspectives of Briony, a precocious fledgling novelist of 13, her sister Cecelia and Robbie, the charlady's son. When Briony witnesses a moment of sexual tension between her sister and Robbie, her lack of adult comprehension and her passion for writing stories transforms the moment into one of evil intent on the part of Robbie and when her cousin Lola is later mysteriously attacked, Briony points the finger - the crime for which Briony is thereafter seeking atonement as Robbie is jailed and he and her sister torn apart.
The second part tells of Robbie, no longer in prison but still kept from Cecelia by World War II, as the British beat a hasty retreat from Dunkirk, as he tries to find his way back to her. Lastly, the third part sees Briony as she reaches her late teens and becomes a nurse, and then in her eighties as she tries to redress the wrongs she committed through a novel - the one we've been reading.
Clever, compelling and thought provoking, though a little too detached at times for me - I never really felt as emotionally engaged as I felt I should.(less)
A great introduction to what promises to be a fun series, this is a boisterous naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars in which our protagonist...moreA great introduction to what promises to be a fun series, this is a boisterous naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars in which our protagonist Captain Jack Aubrey dashes up and down the Med in the sloop The Sophie taking 'prizes' (basically, being a pirate with his Madge's blessing), ranting about papists, playing violin, getting roaring drunk, yelling indecorous things at posh parties and cuckolding his betters.
Knowing absolutely nothing about sailing (other than it's done in boats, on water), none of the jargon meant anything to me (even when it was explained by one kindly character or other) rendering whole sections completely incomprehensible, and yet I still couldn't help finding it all wildly enjoyable. This was all down to the style employed (very much Jane Austen, for blokes) and the characters - particularly Jack and his BFF Dr Stephen Maturin who, despite the constant book obsession with denouncing buggery, gave me immense slashy fun. I also got a few unexpected prods back into the reality of things back then, via a crew made up of young boys and pressed men along with the odd officer, dodgy medical treatments and questionable hygiene (need to cut up your roast beef, Doctor? Just wipe off the scalpel you used to dissect a dolphin), and what it might have been like on deck of a boat engaged in a battle.
Good stuff, I imagine I'll be coming back for more soon.(less)
More like a 3.5, this provided welcome respite and much needed brain bleach after The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty as we enter the world of Anne Elliot...moreMore like a 3.5, this provided welcome respite and much needed brain bleach after The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty as we enter the world of Anne Elliott, a more mature heroine than the usual in Austen, and the only member of the Elliott family that isn't immediately and completely awful. Having been persuaded by a family friend to relinquish an engagement to one Captain Wentworth years prior to the book, we join her at a time when he is about to be reintroduced, and the usual to-do ensues.
With the usual brilliant characterisation and eye for the less flattering ways people have of carrying on, this one did however lack any real tension for me. It's not that I was ever in any doubt as to whether or not previous heroines were to get their happy-ever-after, just that those priors got to interact with the object of their affections more which perhaps increased my enjoyment of their journeys to the resolution.
Still, it was nice to lose myself for an afternoon amongst a world of drawing rooms and being indisposed by rain, minor falls being treated as life-changing, death-inviting events, constantly visiting neighbours and fretting over rank and precedence.(less)
It's here, it's here! Having pre-ordered this for my Kindle, I felt a little like a kid at Christmas when I woke up this morning and found it sat ther...moreIt's here, it's here! Having pre-ordered this for my Kindle, I felt a little like a kid at Christmas when I woke up this morning and found it sat there, waiting for me. I'm a little bit excited about this. Possibly too much - I'm slightly worried that my stratospheric expectations will leave me disappointed, but Mr Abercrombie's not let me down yet.
Before we start, some thoughts. I'm sincerely hoping that all previous the talk of Logen having gone back to the mud was just that - talk. After all, we didn't see him die, did we? So there's a little chance that maybe, just maybe, we might bump into him again shortly...? Shall we find out? Aaiiee!!
Whew. However many pages, a few near panic attacks and some lumps in the throat later, and we're done. And we're sad about that.
Delivering some pretty hefty blows to faces both familiar and new as Shy South takes off on the trail of the men who burned her farm and stole her brother and sister, with her cowardly (heh) old step-father Lamb in tow, the Far Country proves to be very red indeed. And a touch Deadwood-y too (if you took out the more upright characters and replaced them with more swindlers, thieves, liars and psychopaths), as rumours of gold bring scores of people rushing to settle the land.
Always brilliant, often surprising, and forever making you question what outcome you could possibly hope or wish for, I wish I could read books as good as this forever. So hurry up and write another one, Joe!
A strange stream of consciousness about squatting, pining for the lover that's left you, gods and goddesses, weightlift...moreUmmm, well....that was strange.
A strange stream of consciousness about squatting, pining for the lover that's left you, gods and goddesses, weightlifting, werewolves, finding a drummer for your band, cactuses, hallucinations, and some other odds and sods.
Still recognisably Millar, but left me a little perplexed and more sad and melancholic than with the usual grin on my face. (less)
More amusement from the pen of Mr Pratchett, that's only slightly marred by the fact that it focuses once more on Rincewind and the other wizards, who...moreMore amusement from the pen of Mr Pratchett, that's only slightly marred by the fact that it focuses once more on Rincewind and the other wizards, who all get on my tits. It does have Death and the Four Horsemen of the Apocralypse, amongst some other great peripheral characters, to save it though.(less)
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