Adrem has
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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
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date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
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| B0026REBG4
| 4.18
| 1,052,796
| Sep 21, 1937
| unknown
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| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| Nov 26, 2012
| not set
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Nov 26, 2012
| Kindle Edition
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| 1416963960
| 9781416963967
| 3.89
| 15,705
| May 04, 2010
| May 04, 2010
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Oct 23, 2012
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Oct 23, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0446585025
| 9780446585026
| 3.67
| 26,963
| Oct 04, 2011
| Oct 04, 2011
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| not set
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Oct 23, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 9781849010
| 2.61
| 28
| Jan 01, 2009
| 2009
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| not set
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Oct 23, 2012
| Paperback
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| 0061773964
| 9780061773969
| 3.41
| 858
| Jan 01, 2010
| Mar 30, 2010
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Based on the real-life trial of Emma Cunningham, Horan switches point of views between Henry Clinton, Emma Cunningham and other characters to tell the...more
Based on the real-life trial of Emma Cunningham, Horan switches point of views between Henry Clinton, Emma Cunningham and other characters to tell the tale of a widow falsely accused of murder—or is she? Henry Clinton believes in her innocence. Others will stop at nothing to place her behind bars. Even if you are familiar with the Emma Cunningham trial, there are enough plot twists and original characters to keep the story original. Not only does Horan change points of view, she alternates chapters between the present and the past. These flashback chapters are set one year before the murder and detail the meeting between Emma Cunningham and Harvey Burdell. At the beginning of their meeting, Emma and her gold-digging ways set her up to look like the perfect culprit. But as these flashbacks continue, more characters and motives are introduced, adding to the mystery that someone else could have been the murderer. Through believable flaws, motives or acts of desperation, Horan is masterful at keeping readers guessing as to the true culprit’s identity. What I admire the most about 31 Bond Street is that Horan gives just the right amount of information to keep new speculations moving while keeping the readers guessing—not too much, not to little, but just right. Dialogue matches the elegant prose and adds to the ninteenth-century feel of the book. The only problems I had with 31 Bond Street came from the prose itself. Horan often goes through painstaking detail to describe the character’s surroundings. While beautifully written, she often fits these long descriptions in between dialogue or actions, breaking up the flow of the scene. Also, characters are either described suddenly with no explanation, or are introduced with a paragraph of his or her entire life story, which I feel also breaks up the flow. Eventually these descriptions added deeper insight to the characters, but I felt that these pieces of information could have easily been placed in the dialogue or through character actions. Overall, 31 Bond Street is an intriguing mystery with the perfect amount of pacing to keep readers guessing. I recommend this book for people who like historical fiction or a decent mystery.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Sep 21, 2012
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Oct 04, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0439023513
| 9780439023511
| 4.03
| 842,854
| Aug 24, 2010
| Aug 24, 2010
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**spoiler alert** Part 2 of the Hunger Games was tense and could be depressing with people started to die off. Come Part 3, as I started reading throu...more
**spoiler alert** Part 2 of the Hunger Games was tense and could be depressing with people started to die off. Come Part 3, as I started reading through it, I started to wonder if I would see the same characters in the next chapter, or if I would be reading the details or their deaths or read as it happened. Since come Part 3 the Capitol and District 13 are at war, Collins probably intended for readers to get this feeling. I can only imagine how soldiers fighting in an actual war might feel. I really enjoyed how the plot twisted and turned. I had no clue of what could happen next, and every page felt like a riveting thrill ride. Generally I find a lot of twists and turns in a story can make me feel a bit jarred. Not so in this case. I thought the constant twists and turns worked really well for Mockingjay. Enough to keep you guessing without feeling completely disconnected from the story. Another thing I like about Mockingjay was how Collins portrayed District 13. Even though everyone got enough food, I found myself wondering if it would be much better with District 13 in power as opposed to the Capitol. I can understand the need to keep an iron grip on the food supply, but the imprinting of the daily schedules on people's arms was a little unnerving. Why not have people sign up for what they were interested in versus delegation? I can also understand the need to survive and that people would need to pull together. I cannot understand, however, the point of toppling one dictatorship to simply form another. I think that is what would have happened had President Coin been allowed to take power. Seriously, having another Hunger Games, only with Capitol children? Since when do two wrongs make a right? All of the people of the Capitol did not rise against their government and their twisted control over the Districts, however I do not think this means they deserve to suffer that much. Take away their fineries and make them work for a living, sure, but there is no justifying another Hunger Games. The way I saw it, the Capitol controlled its own citizens as much as it controlled the citizens of the Districts. Take down the government, absolutely, but why punish the citizens? Anyway, I am grateful that another Hunger Games did not happen. I am not so sure if it was right for Katniss to kill President Coin, however at that point, I could see why she felt she had no choice. Speaking of Katniss, I was also quite please with how the romance turned out. I know there is a tendency in romance to have the male best friend fall in love with the heroine and the heroine chooses the new person over the existing one, which can seem unfair. In this case I thought it worked out better. I agreed with Katniss that she and Gale were too much alike with their bitterness and anger at the Capitol, even after its defeat. I think even if they had tried to work things out as a couple and Katniss learned to forgive Gale for creating the bomb that killed Primrose, I doubt the relationship would have worked out for long. There would be too much anger and bitterness and no balancing factors. Peeta, on the other hand, does balance out Katniss. He has seen hardship, suffered the loss of loved ones and feels anger towards the Capitol. In the end, however, even after everything that happened to him, Peeta knows how to forgive. Peeta can see the folly of constant fighting between human beings, and understood that everyone needed to work together to survive. I think this balances out Katniss' feelings of anger and bitterness perfectly. In the beginning she doubted whether she could care for Peeta or anyone, yet I think she also did. Her whole life, Katniss has had to be the adult, to take care of her little sister and her mother, to keep them fed and take responsibility for everything. I doubt it meant she never had feelings or did not care about people. She just had no idea how to express it. Even if she was not sure if she had romantic feelings for Peeta in the beginning, I think the fact she always fought so hard to protect him is a sign that she has always cared. I still have my complaint from the previous book, however. I am still annoyed how important conversations are skipped over. Even important events such as what happened after Primrose was killed. To be fair, I guess Katniss was injured and unable to participate further than that. Yet is it asking too much to show a conversation where she is told what happened, versus having Katniss narrate everything? I am a firm believer in the art of show, not tell, and there was too much tell for my taste in both this book and the previous one. I can understand skimming over things like getting changed, getting prepared for appearances, and so on. Yet skipping over things like what happened at the end? Really? Despite the shortcomings, I felt Mockingjay was a good end to the trilogy, and that overall the trilogy was an excellent read. I really enjoyed reading about a female lead who was not overly emotional, capable, and at the same time, did not have to "be manly" to be a good heroine. I thought the story was unique and well written overall. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a dystopian story. I would also recommend it to anyone who wants to read about a different kind of heroine, even if they do not normally read dystopian stories or urban fantasy. Even if you just want to read about a described socially awkward character who is actually socially awkward, this story is for you. I definitely plan to re-read it again in the future, once I recover from reading such an awesome story!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Oct 10, 2012
| Oct 12, 2012
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Oct 02, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0439023491
| 9780439023498
| 4.30
| 926,456
| Sep 01, 2009
| Sep 01, 2009
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**spoiler alert** Just like the title, once I started reading Part 2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy, I caught fire and had to finish it as quickly as pos...more
**spoiler alert** Just like the title, once I started reading Part 2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy, I caught fire and had to finish it as quickly as possible. It was tense from the moment I started it right up until the end. When I started reading Part 2, I honestly wondered what would happen. There was the issue of Katniss choosing between Peeta and Gale from Part 1, and I figured that the citizens of Panem would not let the Capitol stand for much longer. I even figured there would be another Hunger Games and Katniss would be a mentor to the tribute from District 12. When it was announced that Katniss would be going right back to the Hunger Games, I felt as shocked as Katniss. The Capitol had been painted as cruel from the beginning, but this seemed a bit much even for them. It does seem like a stroke of brilliance on the Capitol's part - what better way to get rid of the troublesome Katniss Everdeen and her rebel following than by publicly executing her? If she died in the latest Hunger Games, or the Quarter Quell, nobody could say anything about it, really. Although it also reeks to me of the classic villain who prolongs the protagonist's demise and this ultimately backfires. That's all right in this case since nobody wants to read about a completely unwinnable situation. They just want to read about a challenging one. What I really enjoyed about Catching Fire was the way the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale developed. In very general terms, to me it seems like love triangles go down well-trodden paths. You have two girls that one guy must choose between, and he loves them both too much to decide, or he's only playing on their affections, or he's oblivious and they're fighting over him. You could also have one girl agonizing over two guys and she loves them both, however she has a hard time deciding between them and keeps having romantic moments between them. It was refreshing to see a situation where this is a girl torn between two guys, but instead of agonizing over who she loves more, she's agonizing over whether she loves them at all. Katniss defies the stereotype of the heroine who is in harmony with her feelings. Katniss has always had to struggle to protect and feed her family. She has learned to care for others besides her family, however she has always had her priorities. Love is a new and bewildering experience to her since it's not something she ever wanted or expected. She goes between Peeta and Gale trying to decide which one she cares about the most, yet she does it in such a way that she doesn't feel like a two-timer. Katniss honestly relays her confusion in a way that's understandable. I have the same complaint from Part 1, which is how Katniss can wander off into a memory in the middle of a scene, and then she snaps back to the present. It can get a bit confusing. There is something else that got on my nerves, which is a problem I have no come across since reading Twilight. Instead of seeing the important conversations that talk about the plot, Katniss just glazes over them in summary. I could understand her glazing over things in the first book when she's preparing herself to die in the Hunger Games. At that point Katniss was not even involved in many important conversations so this did not seem to come up. Come Book 2, however, when Katniss is privy to important conversations, it makes more sense to me to see those conversations in full and see what Katniss thinks after the fact. Even if this was supposed to be an indication of how much attention Katniss pays to the world around her, it was still jarring. Despite the snags listed above, I enjoyed Part 2 of the Hunger Games. The book was very tense and I could only put it down if I had to. Once I finished it I had to continue on to the next book. Then I did not find the time to write the review until I finished reading the third book. Then I had to take a week to recover from everything that happened. While I was able to finish Part 1 without continuing the trilogy for awhile, once I read Part 2, I was gripped right up until the end of Part 3. This is not to say that Parts 2 and 3 are bad. It's just it's so tense and so much happens, I had to stop to absorb everything. A must-read for fans of The Hunger Games and people who enjoy dystopian stories. However, you definitely have to read Part 1 to understand Part 2 and eventually Part 3.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Oct 02, 2012
| Oct 06, 2012
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Oct 02, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0307352145
| 9780307352149
| 4.02
| 38,255
| Jan 01, 2012
| Jan 24, 2012
|
Quiet, in a nutshell, examines the difficulties faced by introverts in a world full of extraverts. For those who are unaware, a very general definitio...more
Quiet, in a nutshell, examines the difficulties faced by introverts in a world full of extraverts. For those who are unaware, a very general definition of 'introversion' and 'extraversion' is someone who is more focused on their inner world versus someone who is more focused on their outer world. That's only a very general description, though. Quiet describes it in much greater detail than I do here. For an introvert working at an extravert office during the day, I can really feel the drain of having to talk to people all day long. It's not that I dislike people, I just find it very difficult to strike up and maintain conversations. It was a great comfort to discover that I am not the only one with this issue. I used to think something was wrong with me and I should socialize more to promote myself more, both at the office and as a writer. It was nice to read about how people managed to survive in their jobs and their lives without having to somehow magically transform into an extravert. That even if we are quiet and soft spoken, that we can still exist in a world mostly run by extraverts and still make it somehow. Most importantly, it was nice to read that nothing is wrong with me just because I am an introvert who needs lots of me-time. That's just the way I'm wired. It might sound strange to need approval like this, but after spending a lifetime of being told how to "come out of my shell", which I still hear to this day, it's nice to know that it's perfectly okay to be in my shell. My only gripe would be that in the beginning, it feels like the book is trying to convey that extraverts are all loud and annoying and all introverts are thoughtful and considerate. This changes as the book goes on, but I found it a bit troubling in the beginning. Telling me that I am okay by saying someone else is not is not something I find very comforting, though it does get much better as time goes on. Also before, I've been told I wasn't really an introvert by other introverts since I'm one of those that learned how to talk to people. It took seven years of being a cashier in a grocery store to learn this, believe me! It doesn't magically make me an extravert. Quiet got into that, too, since it's possible to learn how to make small talk. Just in small does. I highly recommend this book to all the introverts of the world, whether they feel comfortable being introverts already or not. I would also recommend this for extraverts trying to understand their introvert counterparts.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Aug 12, 2012
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Jul 27, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0316006688
| 9780316006682
| 4.64
| 129
| Nov 01, 2007
| Nov 01, 2008
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**spoiler alert** Normally when I go to write a book review, I try to think of everything I enjoyed and did not enjoy about the story I read. I try to...more
**spoiler alert** Normally when I go to write a book review, I try to think of everything I enjoyed and did not enjoy about the story I read. I try to write a fair review that expresses my opinion without spoiling the plot of the story too much. Yet when I started to write this review, all I could think about was how sad I feel. With other stories, I finish them, reflect on them, and usually move on to the next story. I adore reading and actually get cranky when I have nothing to read. For the first time, I find myself very reluctant to move on. It must sound silly, but by putting down my Tintin collection, it feels like I am saying goodbye to a good friend. I first heard of Tintin when I saw the cartoons on television as a youngster. When I heard about the Spielberg movie, I knew immediately I had to go see it. I think it was Mr. Spielberg's movie that convinced Egmont to publish the original comics in English. Shortly after, I bought the whole box set. It took me awhile to sit down and read through all of Tintin's adventures. Once I started I was hooked. Since this is a comic book from the 40s, I tried to overlook things such as the racism, the lack of any noticeable female characters (other than Castafiore, who is very noticeable!) and the fact that everyone bows to a white man. Since it's a comic book, I could forgive the fact that out of all the people in the world, it's a young reporter from Brussels who can put a stop to many dangerous criminals and dastardly schemes. What I could really not forgive was the very drawn out tangents that would happen in some of the stories. I think the time I found this particularly irritating was in The Broken Ear. I can understand the need to insert humour to even out the tension of a serious plot. I get boggled when Tintin is somehow forced into joining an army, simply because he managed to get drunk before one of his many scheduled executions. Then after he was done with the army, the plot managed to get back on course. By that point, the original plot felt like an afterthought. That was the worst instance of it, but there are other times it happens. I always find these instances a bit jarring. The stories did get good as I kept reading. Where it seemed that Herge had used a tangent at first, everything would eventually come full circle to be connected again. I really enjoyed the stories that were fully connected like that, such as Cigars of the Pharaoh, The Blue Lotus, The Seven Crystal Balls, Prisoners of the Sun, Tintin in Tibet and Tintin and the Picaros. Once I started them I had to finish them since they were so tense and action-packed! There are several characters in the Tintin series. For this review I decided to write about my favourite character, which is Tintin himself. I have heard complaints that Tintin has little to no personality. I think the reason it seems that way is because Tintin seems like an introvert. He does have plenty of personality, it's just when he's standing next to Captain Haddock or Professor Calculus, it's harder to see it. In The Blue Lotus, he talks to Chang about racism, and how people have an idea that Chinese people have long fingernails and are quite mean. He also points out that people have these misconceptions because they simply don't know enough about each other. I doubt someone without a personality would say this. Even in Tintin in the Congo, even if the drawings themselves are racist, Tintin himself is not. He never says anything such as "filthy nigger" or something equally stupid. He has no problems becoming an important member of a tribe. He also had no problems becoming an officer in an army, or becoming involved with an Asian society. He even stops people from harassing an Indian child or from harassing a Chinese worker. Given the time period this was written in, this says a lot about Tintin's personality. He believes in what's fair, even if it goes against popular thinking. He's frequently cross with Snowy since Snowy is prone to misbehaving. I would be pretty concerned if my own dog was a Whiskey lover. If Tintin was truly so bland, he would probably reprimand Snowy very briefly and be done with it. However, we see Tintin become quite cross on many occassions. Not just with Snowy, either. Tintin does get annoyed when people are being roundabout or bullheaded, and has even told people where to go on occasion. He does not actively seek out friendships or people, yet he seems fine spending time with them when they come around. A very classic introvert. It's not that he never wants company or has no opinions, he just prefers to keep to himself unless it's necessary. This results in him appearing to not have much of a personality. I think Tintin's quiet personality does allow for the other characters to bounce off him, though. I think one of the few times Tintin instigated a story was the one he debuted in, Land of the Soviets. After that story, it's usually the supporting characters that drag him into his adventures. Once Tintin gets into his adventures, he always sees them through with his courage and wits. Tintin does get into several fist fights, but it's usually his wit that saves the day. Like any story, The Adventures of Tintin has its good points and bad points. The tangents can be random and a little annoying, however the really good stories and characters make up for them. The characters are developed enough to enjoy without taking away from the plot too much. Generally I prefer well developed characters interwoven into the plot. For the Adventures of Tintin, I think it works better that the characters are not always personally involved. I definitely recommend this for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, or stories similar to those. There is enough action to keep the action fans satisfied with enough character development to keep readers wanting to see more adventures. I will miss reading Tintin, since I have enjoyed watching him in his adventures, even the more annoying ones. For now I move on to other stories. I will definitely come back to read them all again one day, as will any existing and future lovers of the series.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 18, 2012
| Sep 28, 2012
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Jul 18, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0545425115
| 9780545425117
| 4.44
| 1,585,465
| 2008
| Feb 07, 2012
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By now, I imagine many people know what the Hunger Games is about, so I will skip my usual summary of what happens. The one thing I really enjoyed abou...more By now, I imagine many people know what the Hunger Games is about, so I will skip my usual summary of what happens. The one thing I really enjoyed about Hunger Games is the fact that Katniss describes herself as socially awkward and it actually shows. More importantly, there are actually consequences to her blunders. I have seen many works, published and otherwise, where characters were described as socially awkward but then struck up conversations quite easily. Most importantly, the people around them loved them. I realize that Katniss does end up becoming a fan favourite, but that's because of Peeta and Haymitch helping her and coaching her on how to do so. Even then, she still has her social inhibitions. Katniss can talk to people, but I think her awkwardness comes from the fact she does not like to talk about trivial things, like an introvert. As an introvert myself, I really appreciated this. Generally in fiction and even in real life interactions, introvert is seen as something to be "cured". It was nice to finally have a character who is an introvert and is not that bothered by it. She just recognizes it. Aside from Katniss, I also enjoyed the plot. It was easy to grasp the state of the world and all the little details. In other stories you usually have to learn the world, how it works and so on. It can take awhile to memorize facts and can take away from the reading experience. I always admire people who can create new worlds so seamlessly without hitting the reader over the head with it. Even though it's a fictional environment, I think the plot mirrors society perfectly. People crave the horrible in this story, much like they do in real life. They want to read all the horrific details of crimes and other terrible deeds. They want to know everything so they can shake their heads and condemn it. In the Capitol they enjoy watching children murder each other. I think that is part of why the Hunger Games is so popular. It reaches out to the macabre part of people that see the horrible realities of our own world that are reflected in the Hunger Games. The one thing I did not enjoy about the Hunger Games is the narration. I have nothing against first person, but like a true introvert, Katniss's thoughts go deep and wander far into her inner world sometimes. I have no problems with this, but sometimes she can be in the present and can start talkign about a memory out of nowhere. It can be a bit jarring to go from the present to the past at the drop of a hat. I managed to catch on and realize what she was doing, but I found it a bit jarring. I found this story enjoyable overall, and intend to read the rest of the series as soon as I get a chance. I hope that Katniss and Peeta can work out their difficulties too. I think they compliment each other perfectly as a couple. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 18, 2012
| Jul 27, 2012
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Jul 18, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 051512463X
| 9780515124637
| 3.78
| 2,801
| 1997
| Mar 01, 1999
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I never heard of the The Cat Who series until a work colleague recommended it to me. Since I am a cat lover, she thought I would enjoy reading about t...more
I never heard of the The Cat Who series until a work colleague recommended it to me. Since I am a cat lover, she thought I would enjoy reading about the exploits about Koko. If it weren’t for the fact a colleague loaned it to me and that Koko features in the book, I probably would have put it down after the second chapter. James Mackintosh Qwilleran, is a journalist who owns two cats, one of whom has a sixth sense that helps him solve crimes. Qwilleran, or Qwill, was the heir to a vast fortune and now has a charity. On the other hand, the plot remains a mystery because the mystery itself barely features in the book. Now, I wouldn’t mind if Qwill had problems in his personal life while the mystery was going on, but there no such luck. Qwill is a content billionaire with a barn, two cats, a moustache and a girlfriend. He writes a very popular newspaper column and is something of a local hero. The story focuses on Qwill’s life until the last two chapters when an occasionally mentioned plot point is solved through a deus ex machina – a letter explaining the mystery to him. A series that is touted as a mystery, only to have the mystery occur in the final two chapters, is greatly disappointing. Personally I think being the convenient heir to a vast fortune to pay for everything is just that - convenient. Qwill does charitable deeds with it, but why not show some of the trouble of maintaining it? Does he invest it? How does he keep so much money? Perhaps these details are explained in the other books, but after slogging my way through this one, I'm not interested to read any of the others. A cat with a sixth sense in a small town has plenty of potential to create a great story. Unfortunately that potential was not realized.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 06, 2012
| Jul 11, 2012
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Jul 06, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| unknown
| 3.79
| 267
| 1997
| Aug 01, 2009
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**spoiler alert** This is a review of all three books. I have re-read this trilogy a few times and still enjoy it like new each time. I have divided m...more
**spoiler alert** This is a review of all three books. I have re-read this trilogy a few times and still enjoy it like new each time. I have divided my review into two sections: Plot & Setting and Characters & Character Relationships. Plot & Setting The Great Game is a story of how human beings travelled through dimensions to another world called Nextdoor. On Nextdoor the humans discovered they could collect magical energy known as mana by feeding on the faith and prayers of Nextdoor’s natives. The humans then set themselves up as the great five gods – Visek, Karzon, Eltiana, Astina and Tion – and proceeded to rule the natives with their twisted ways. Then someone on Nextdoor foretells the coming of Edward Exeter from Earth, the Liberator. Edward will bring death to the God of Death, Zath, and liberate the people of Nextdoor. The story starts with Edward Exeter being charged with murder in England shortly before the Great World War is about to start. Once Edward is pulled into Nextdoor, he attempts to return home to do his part in the world war. Eventually Edward decides to fulfill his duty in Nextdoor as the Liberator. My summary is only the tip of the iceberg that is The Great Game’s plot. There is so much detail put into the world of Nextdoor that it’s difficult to keep track of it all. Thankfully Duncan is skilled at immersing readers into his world. Even if I can’t remember where all the different Vales are, he gives enough detail to understand the plot. Even the politics behind the deities of Nextdoor are easy to follow. Rather than feel like I have to learn all about the world, the Vales, the deities and the different life forms, as I read The Great Game, I felt as though I already understood all these details and there is nothing new at all to learn. From the beginning in Past Imperative to the end in Future Indefinite, the plot left me guessing about which way things will turn. Duncan drew me into his world and kept me interested right through to the end. If I had the time, I could probably inhale each book in a day since each one is so gripping. Characters & Character Relationships Edward Exeter Edward is a classic example of a Duncan male protagonist. He is handsome, intelligent, kind, morally just, and a romantic. There is nothing wrong with these qualities, but my only concern with Duncan is that almost every protagonist is the same. That being said, I still felt enough for Edward that I cheered for him. When Edward first comes to Nextdoor, he is reluctant about becoming the Liberator and just wants to return to England to do his part for King and Country. Edward's father raised him to be tolerant and respectful, and I could see how he wouldn’t want to interfere with the already established societies of Nextdoor. All of the above are admirable qualities in anyone. Yet, at the same time, Edward's unwillingness to face his destiny annoyed me a little too. He knew he had the power to change the fates of the natives and he still wanted to do nothing. Even after he got home and saw what a waste of life the war was, Edward still hammered on about doing his part. Julian, who had lived through the war, was not enough to convince him that maybe he was needed elsewhere, for greater things. I think nobody ever expected the Great War to be so awful, but once he saw the war I would think he would think twice about rushing off to join it. On the one hand, Edward seems like a very loyal patriot. On the other hand, I think he seems pig-headed. Edward is more featured in the first book. In the second and onward he becomes more of a catalyst and I can see his impact on the lives of the other characters. By the third book he is shown from different perspectives. When I think of him as a catalyst for the other characters, the lack of any real character development does not bother me as much. But as a protagonist, I find him a bit lacking. In the end, I felt more like he just wanted to fulfill his destiny and get on with it rather than he cared about the people he was preaching to. Still, Edward is human. It’s nice to see that he does have flaws of which he acknowledges. Eleal Singer/Actor/HighPriestess Next to Dosh, Eleal has some of the worst luck in the series. Edward has his wits and his mana to help him survive through the difficult situations that get thrown his way, along with the assistance of some of the deities of Nextdoor, but Eleal rarely gets such help. What I enjoyed about her character is that she acts like a 12 year old. She's nosey, impetuous, selfish, and wants love and attention. I generally find that for the purposes of a story, a child is turned into someone sweet, kind, patient and so on. Eleal acts like a brat, but I care about her anyway. She does fuss over her deformed leg, but she keeps trying anyway. I felt really bad for her when she was forced into prostitution. After the first book, she disappears until the third book, where she ended up in prostitution anyway. She thought by helping Edward and serving her deity Tion that her leg would be healed, but Edward ran out on her and Tion never healed her leg. I really appreciated the fact she was bitter over the incident like any human being. To me, it's refreshing to see a female character like Eleal. She grew up with feelings I would expect from someone in her circumstances. In the end, she becomes the high priestess of Edward's new church, which was something I respected. Who would know the cruelty of the world better? I think people who have suffered have the potential to become some of the kindest people to exist, since they know what it feels to suffer. I got to watch Eleal grow up as a real human being instead of a saint. It was something I truly enjoyed. Alice Prescott/Pearson Alice is a character I have mixed feelings over because of her relationship with Edward, but I tried to see it from her point of view. Alice had the potential to be considered a horrible, two-faced harlot. Instead, she has a good, kind heart, and shows genuine concern over Edward, her cousin. She is aware of his feelings toward her, but she treats him like a brother and stays true to her lover D'Arcy. The odd time D'Arcy's wife is mentioned Alice calls her a bitch, but that is to be expected of a mistress. The reader does not receive a lot of information about D'Arcy except that Alice loves him and not Edward. Alice consistently rejects Edward's advances and tries to make it obvious that they will never be a couple. I did get annoyed with her in the second and third books. In the second book, when Edward returns from Nextdoor, Alice gets jealous and moody over hearing about a girl that Edward cared about on Nextdoor. Was Alice acting like a protective older sister, or were her feelings always mixed about Edward? I could understand if was something that had been hinted at in the first book, but she was always adamant about her love for D'Arcy. So why start to act jealous after having made her point, especially after Edward found out about D'Arcy? I am torn over Alice in the third book. After D'Arcy died, Alice realizes what had mattered more to D'Arcy. This lead up to Alice falling for Edward. Yet was it because D'Arcy had died, her rebound boyfriend/husband Terry died shortly after, and then all she had left was Edward? Or did she have feelings for him all along? I find her feelings to be dubious. That aside, I was happy when by the end of the book, Edward is alive and Alice could be with him as Edward had always wanted. Even if I doubt her feelings by the end of the novel, she could probably learn to love Edward for who he is. Maybe she made some mistakes, or maybe she had always had feelings for Edward and was just slow to realize it, but who knows? Dosh Houseboy/Envoy One of my pet peeves is when gay men are portrayed to be little else beyond flamboyant comic relief. Yet when Duncan writes for a gay man, I can actually see the character’s emotions, troubles and personalities beyond a stereotype. Dosh is probably better described as bisexual. His luck is worse than Eleal's; while Eleal had a family at some point, Dosh has always been on his own. He grew up with the Nextdoor equivalent of gypsies, and learned to do anything he could to survive. He learned how to lie and is a prostitute himself. When Edward becomes the only person to treat Dosh with kindness and respect, I think it gave rise to Dosh developing sincere feelings for him. I think at one point Edward said to Dosh and a girl that they both thought they were in love with him, but it was just his power as a stranger on Nextdoor. I had wondered the same at one point or anything, but how could Dosh ever figure out the difference? I really enjoyed how he was portrayed. As human as everyone else, and in the end, out of all the people who cared about Edward, Dosh was the one to sacrifice himself to save Edward's life. It is never completely confirmed, but it seems obvious that Tion considered Dosh's wish to sacrifice his life for Edward, so when Edward was laid out to die in Karzon's temple in Tharg, Tion switched Dosh with Edward, allowing Edward to live. It was nice to see that Dosh may have started wretched and twisted as life made him, but he overcame the difficulties life had thrown at him, much like Eleal, and he cared about Edward enough to sacrifice his life. Julian Smedley I thought Julian Smedley was a perfect character who lived through the horrors of war. Julian was understandably a shell-shocked wreck when he first showed up in the story. He had lost his hand for the supposed great cause of the war. Julian crosses over with Edward, to get away from England. He eventually overcomes his shell-shock and goes on to join the organization known as The Service on Nextdoor, who are people from Earth who have crossed over and started their own religion in Nextdoor. It's nice to see that he is not a blindly loyal friend either. When Edward does some questionable things, Julian actually calls him out on it. As the wise Dumbledore once said, it’s hard to stand up to our enemies and even harder to stand up to our friends, but Julian did so. In the end he comes to understand Edward's motives, and joins him and carries on Edward's version of the religion of One True God. Overall, this is an excellent science fiction/fantasy story with a well thought-out plot and believable characters. Whether you are a long-time fan of Duncan, the genre or are new to both, I highly recommend this series. It’s an easy, enjoyable read that will still be enjoyable after many re-reads. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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3
| Jun 2012
| Jul 03, 2012
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Jul 06, 2012
| ebook
| ||||||||||||||||
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| B002PNAYJC
| unknown
| 3.74
| 288
| 1996
| unknown
|
Please see my review for the third book, Future Indefinite, where I review all three books.
| Notes are private!
| none
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2
| May 2012
| May 15, 2012
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Jul 06, 2012
| Kindle Edition
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| B002PNAYJW
| unknown
| 3.62
| 354
| Oct 1995
| unknown
|
Please see my review for the third book, Future Indefinite, where I review all three books.
| Notes are private!
| none
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2
| Apr 16, 2012
| Apr 30, 2012
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Apr 16, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385534639
| 9780385534635
| 3.99
| 154,147
| Sep 01, 2010
| Sep 13, 2011
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The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Out of all the phrases in the book, I think this one describes The N...more The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Out of all the phrases in the book, I think this one describes The Night Circus perfectly. Many elements of the story appear without warning. In my head, and sometimes when I talk about it to others, I call this story The Midnight Circus. I always think of midnight as being a magical time, and if I had to sum up The Night Circus, that would be my word. Magical. The book has its good points and its bad points. While reading it I thought of it like a slow waltz through a truly inspiring world. The prose is absolutely beautiful. Generally when I read long words, my first thought is that the author went to a thesaurus to find something fancier sounding than what they originally planned to use. However, in this case, I thought the use of elegant verbiage made me feel like I was really in a magical place. At first, the story unfolds slowly. Not so slow that nothing happens at all, but slow enough to draw you into the mystery of it. Much like its setting, it makes you feel as though you are walking through the many tents within the circus, exploring them carefully to see what new details you can uncover. The imagery is beautiful, and at some points I found myself craving caramel popcorn while I was reading. As the story continues on, you start to wonder where everything is headed. There is a great deal of build-up for a mystery and a love story, and unfortunately no answers are immediately given. The separate storylines, rather than intertwining, continue on their own separate course for awhile. Then near the end, everything suddenly starts to collide together as it feels like the author is heading for an ending. Had she started this intertwining a bit more slowly near the middle it would have been okay, but to suddenly start tying things together near the end makes it feel rushed. The ending is satisfying enough, but it leaves you with a feeling of wanting more information, rather than wanting more of the story. I do not think it is the worst book to ever come into existence, or even the slowest-paced, but I would not call it the best novel either. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy the feeling of being slowly enchanted rather than delving head-first into a complicated plot. The circus arrives without warning, and leaves you the same way.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Apr 2012
| Apr 09, 2012
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Apr 16, 2012
| Hardcover
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