Filled with the tedium of day-to-day Viking life, I could understand why these boys were made to go after dragons. It was the only thing to lift the m...moreFilled with the tedium of day-to-day Viking life, I could understand why these boys were made to go after dragons. It was the only thing to lift the mundane awfulness of a land that seemed mired in a bog where all walking involved wading through muck and a lifestyle devoted to senseless violence at all times.
Trampling the noble traditions of being a Viking (they were singers, skilled musicians and gifted boat builders as well as being fearsome warriors), the reader is force-fed the usual stereotypes about them: bullying as being acceptable behavior leading to the crafting of a noble fighter, illiteracy, sneering at any kind of studying or book learning as being geeky, contests for the ugliest baby (!), shouting and bellowing as being effective ways of communicating at all times and the usual clichés about horned helmets (the Vikings left behind numerous well-preserved graves and archaeologists have picked over them with fine-toothed combs; there was nary a horned helmet in sight).
The confrontation between the Vikings and two enormous sea creatures is rather sloppily handled as well, the whole exercise meant to show the bravery of Hiccup and the selflessness of Toothless. While Hiccup comes off well, Toothless is a self-involved, lazy whiner whose abrupt change of heart is less than convincing.
The illustrations are just terrible, nothing more than the crude scribbles drawn by a first grader in the margins of a notebook. They do nothing for the story and might as well have been omitted altogether.
Most books turn out to be much better than the films they inspire. This isn’t one of those books.(less)
Before she was an immortal witch teaching naughty mortals a lesson, Kendra Hilferty was just an ordinary girl. Her past gets suitable exposition here,...moreBefore she was an immortal witch teaching naughty mortals a lesson, Kendra Hilferty was just an ordinary girl. Her past gets suitable exposition here, starting with the difficult times during the plague in the late 17th century and leading up to the 21st century and its modern ills. Her travails are convincingly portrayed, although the author neatly avoids the angst of the eternal Kendra getting married and having children and watching her family grow old, wither and die. Instead, Kendra uses her magic to remain an eternal teenager, shrewdly observing that adolescents are usually too self involved to notice anybody else.
Mostly light hearted in tone, although there are moments of tragedy and loss, “Bewitching” shows us what Carrie White would have been like if she and her mother had gotten along better and she had almost three and a half centuries to get it right. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was happy to learn that there may be sequels.
However, I do have a couple of complaints. The whole business with Doria the mermaid was meant to refer to "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. But here Flinn sets it around the time the Titanic sank, which would place Doria in 1912. But in "Beastly" Kyle Kingsbury goes online with other fairy tale characters (placing the story in the late 20th or early 21st century), including SilentMaid, clearly the online name for this same little mermaid. Seeing how badly Doria's story turned out, is it likely Kendra would have repeated her mistake? And if Doria is the same mermaid, then Ms. Flinn just blithely moved her from one time period to another. Did she think her fans wouldn't notice?
Also, Kendra is supposed to be a loner in "Bewitching". She has no friends and apparently doesn't hang out with other witches. According to the gingerbread witch she met, such distance from other witches is common; witches are born from human stock but rarely enough so that they don't encounter each other very often.
But in "Beastly" Kendra is part of a coven of witches who have ousted her because she broke a rule about never making blatant shows of magic. At the end of the book, she is reunited with these witches (all appearing as ravens) when Kyle's curse is finally broken. So she's not a loner at all, merely temporarily banished from her "family".
This sort of massive change in a character or characters suggests sloppy writing or forgetfulness about the details. It's one thing for fan fiction writers to make changes. It just sows confusion when the original author does it.(less)
“Geek” is a novel that breaks a good many rules about the written word, including the adventure novel, the fantasy novel, the coming-of-age novel, the...more“Geek” is a novel that breaks a good many rules about the written word, including the adventure novel, the fantasy novel, the coming-of-age novel, the story-within-a-story novel, e.g. That should have made it witty, funny, intelligent, satirical, surprising and offbeat.
But it isn’t. The book is too arch in tone, the “hero” is an arrogant bumbler who doesn’t help the others in adventures so much as make a right mess of them and the wish-granting is clearly going to be such a disaster right from the start you wonder why anyone would bother. In fact, the latter is made clear in such broad terms that it might as well be written in capital letters: DON’T MAKE WISHES!!! So where does the surprise come in when all the wishes go spectacularly, awfully awry?
The writing is choppy, featuring as it does a “narrator” that willy-nilly decides to cut scenes, sneers at its protagonist and treats death in such a cavalier fashion that it becomes impossible to mourn anybody when they expire. In fact, some of these so-called death scenes are so trite, you want to yell, “Oh my god, they killed Kenny! You bastards!” Which would make it the only funny thing about this novel.
Adding in off-kilter touches as sparkly fairies, exploding bunnies, malevolent unicorns, invisible Hellacious Hellhounds don’t help make the novel any more of a draw. It’s like adding ribbons on to a tattered dress. No matter how artfully placed, they don’t hide the fact that the trappings underneath are shopworn and threadbare.
The ending was so abrupt as well that I wanted to fling the book against the wall in disgust. The conclusion avoids triteness but provides no real surprises. It’s a case of much too little, much too late.(less)
Mr. de Lint uses the curious device of two separate stories that twine around each other like the two snakes of a caduceus. They don’t touch or meet b...moreMr. de Lint uses the curious device of two separate stories that twine around each other like the two snakes of a caduceus. They don’t touch or meet but wind up facing each other in eerie parallel. You wonder, briefly, which is the tale being told and which is the one being read. It’s neatly done yet wins the reader with its utter charm that is greater than a mere clever plot device.
The accents, colloquialisms and local talk pepper this story. The accents are never played for laughs (although there is the occasional poking at Americans) but form the backdrop of a tale about the race for a mysterious talisman that is different for everybody who gazes on it.
Touching, lyrical, oddball and exciting, “The Little Country” makes its case that there is magic all around us with firm yet gentle insistence. There are musicians, singers, people tone-deaf and incapable of playing, believers, skeptics, users and abusers of magic and those who are smart enough to leave it alone. All of them take their turns in this novel, leaving you a-buzz with their various ambitions, desires and longings. Whether all the ills of the world could be solved with listening to an illusive tune is debatable, yet when you read this novel you find it hard to muster your doubts. (less)
The whimsy in this novel of Mr. Fforde's is more measured with less reliance on puns and wordplay than on the sheer silliness of the situation. Howeve...moreThe whimsy in this novel of Mr. Fforde's is more measured with less reliance on puns and wordplay than on the sheer silliness of the situation. However, silliness is swiftly dispensed with to present a conundrum and a severe moral dilemma.
The protagonist is a very young girl, only a couple of weeks shy of being 16, who finds herself wrestling with an arrogant, possibly devious dragon, greed in massive quantities, product placement offers, marriage proposals and the threat of war…and all this in the space of one week.
Mr. Fforde makes all this feel inevitable and very plausible as well. Magic becomes almost immaterial, especially in the imminent encroachment of Big Magic, an event that present both magic’s most glorious moment and threat of complete dissolution. No one knows exactly what Big Magic is or how to coax it into being or what it will do when it arrives. So while some people chatter about it, it is wisely put aside to deal with the colorful, exacerbating and lively people involved in Jennifer Stranger’s life as she tries to fulfill her role as the titular character while struggling to do the right thing.
She is a flawed heroine, as she freely admits, but a fascinating one. Following the footsteps of many literary foundlings before her, Jennifer shows great promise. Future books in this series are bound to give Fforde’s many fans wonderful surprises.(less)
In this novel, Ms. Flinn wanted to rework fairy tales that hadn’t worn themselves into the public mind through movies. So “Cloaked” features a variety...moreIn this novel, Ms. Flinn wanted to rework fairy tales that hadn’t worn themselves into the public mind through movies. So “Cloaked” features a variety of twists on well-read though perhaps not so well-known fairy tales. But you don’t need to have read or seen these stories to enjoy this one. “Cloaked” is a gay romp around the world as the protagonists and their enemies use magical and non-magical means to outwit, outrun and outdo each other in a race to grab hold of an enchanted frog and get hitched—not necessarily in that order. (Oh, and there are shoes and the guy who is interested in them.)
This is a laudable entry into her fairy tale series and much more mature, in its way, than “Beastly” which featured a spoiled, arrogant jerk trying to get back his human face. The wicked witch is just a bit too much of a caricature but her fretful mama’s-boy of a son makes up for her. (less)
This book is genuinely creepy but in the way that delights all children, who instinctively know that the world of sweetness and light that their paren...moreThis book is genuinely creepy but in the way that delights all children, who instinctively know that the world of sweetness and light that their parents try to project is actually crowded with dark menaces. Then the author takes that idea and turns it on its head. Creatures old, familiar and decidedly grim crowd these pages and there are passages that make it not for the faint hearted. In fact, it's a good idea to keep it away from the very young since it could inspire truly vivid nightmares.
The protagonist succeeds in his tasks with his wits, cunning, intelligence and heart. All this makes him suitably admirable to his friends and deadly to his enemies. But it is his journey to maturity that makes the book truly memorable. The protagonist is forced to learn what every child must if he or she is to become an adult--getting what you think you want is sometimes more dangerous and less fulfilling than what you have already. This is a book elegant in its descriptions and riveting in its execution. (less)
Many mangas have similar looks to them. But Minami’s characters are a breed apart, instantly recognizable. Her men are bewitchingly beautiful, the clo...moreMany mangas have similar looks to them. But Minami’s characters are a breed apart, instantly recognizable. Her men are bewitchingly beautiful, the clothing is sumptuous and richly detailed and the stories are full of rousing adventure.
Based on “The Sagas of Dietrich” and “The Songs of the Nibelung”, this tale upends the usual storyline of the boldly swinging hero and his loyal advisor. The king is lazy, his advisor performs magnificent deeds and heroism doesn’t necessarily result in wedding bells with gorgeous shoulder candy (damsels in distress). The original sagas are a lot more convoluted and involved than what is shown here but the unusual paths the individual stories take inject them with welcome notes of humor.
In terms of sexual heat, there’s plenty of that to spare and there is consummation between the main leads. However, the expected sexual payoff is much too brief. The men’s bodies are quite lovely with just a hint of androgyny in one of the characters. But cones of light are substituted for male genitalia and I always find that a bit of a letdown.
There are additional short stories added with this but I found them much too confusing, with too much exposition packed into the pages. There was also that touch of brother-on-brother incest that seems to pop up unexpectedly in manga. I've seen it elsewhere and realize that it's a common trope. It's not something I find agreeable in my yaoi, which is why it tends to detract from my enjoyment and causes me to give such manga a lower rating.(less)
How much is our destiny foretold and how much is due to free will? That surprising conundrum and its startling answer wind through this tale about La...moreHow much is our destiny foretold and how much is due to free will? That surprising conundrum and its startling answer wind through this tale about La Serenissima and the ancient history that brings three siblings in contact with an adventure from the past and a sinister force that wears the cowl of a holy monk.
A modern book about enchantment had better have something unusual about it and this book has them in spades. Moving statues, pictures that come to life and talking cats and birds are just a few of the wonders that permeate this book about a story that spans centuries and calls on six unlikely heroes. I was utterly enrapt by this novel and found the characters no less gripping than the adventure story it told. Even, as one character says, this is a story that benefits from having children in it, the adults play their small parts as well, making this novel one older teens can enjoy.(less)
In this mixed bag of confections, the pornographic content is bold and unashamed. But, as in all the best erotica, emotional content doesn't go lackin...moreIn this mixed bag of confections, the pornographic content is bold and unashamed. But, as in all the best erotica, emotional content doesn't go lacking. There are also surprises in store... In "The Changeling" one woman discovers that fantasies aren't all they're cracked up to be. And "The Windsday Club" proves that women can be as demanding and lusty as men. "Manacles of Love" is a title that gives away the plot but shows that the fight for dominance in a relationship needn't be fraught with bitterness or hostility.
The writing isn't always sophisticated or subtle--not surprising given the brevity of the stories. But this is erotica, ladies, not Shakespeare. What matters is whether the stories give you that moist, tickly feeling deep down inside and I'm sure you'll find something that delivers the proper payoff. (less)
This isn’t a great novel, by any means. True, it has action, adventure, magic and bloodshed. But there is a hurriedness to the story that made me feel...moreThis isn’t a great novel, by any means. True, it has action, adventure, magic and bloodshed. But there is a hurriedness to the story that made me feel rushed along with barely any exposition, a style more suited to a children’s tale than one designed for young adults who presumably have a longer attention span. In the space of one chapter, young Julia finds a doll and gets consumed by the malign presence in it. Her brother Paul sees that it’s evil (how does he know?) but Julia doesn’t. The Ragwitch, grown in size and possessing Julia’s spirit, runs off to the midden where she was found, makes an ancient fire, jumps into it and disappears—all in the same day!
A few days in the mundane, everyday world spent battling Julia’s spirit would not have come amiss as well as showing the reader something about Julia and Paul’s parents. We also read about mysterious beings called the May Dancers who capture Paul and then release him. They are never encountered again in the book.
Such frustrations abound in the story, making for tiresome reading. Thankfully, it is a quick read and easily dispensed with in one day. (less)
Anthologies are like boxes of chocolates: you never know quite what you’re going to get and, while you’ll like some of the selections, others will sim...moreAnthologies are like boxes of chocolates: you never know quite what you’re going to get and, while you’ll like some of the selections, others will simply not appeal to your palate at all. This is especially true with pornographic erotica (or is it erotic porn?).
While I liked two of the stories in this anthology and found them quite stroke worthy, the first one “The Jewel” left me quite cold. In fact, I really couldn’t bring myself to finish it. The story of a woman being abducted from her home world, drugged, enslaved, kept prisoner and forced to be some man’s sexual plaything wasn’t a subject that could be made palatable no matter how most of the characters tried to gussy it up by telling her the cage she was in was a gilded one.
The other two stories were more to my tastes, especially given the surprise ending for one of them. The prose was a little awkward in some places but this is porn; I don’t expect high-level editing and literary excellence. (less)
Witchcraft gets new and unusual twists in this anthology as witches battle for supremacy, vengeance or simply keeping their lives. Calling or summonin...moreWitchcraft gets new and unusual twists in this anthology as witches battle for supremacy, vengeance or simply keeping their lives. Calling or summoning magic is a thing inherently tinged with peril and these authors make that very clear in powerful and sometimes humorous ways. Their different approaches to the subject offer a smorgasbord of literary witches, vampires, werewolves and even assorted humans. One lesson that becomes abundantly transparent is that magic doesn't necessarily make your life easier--just a lot more interesting. (less)
This is strictly for Vampire Hunter D fans. Bearing his one-initial name, his enigmatic beautiful face and chatty sidekick (literally), D is launched...moreThis is strictly for Vampire Hunter D fans. Bearing his one-initial name, his enigmatic beautiful face and chatty sidekick (literally), D is launched into yet another adventure as he sallies forth reluctantly to see about the goings-on about resurrected soldiers, a battle between father and son and the rescue of lost refugees.
As always, it is life on the Frontier that takes center stage. Life is brutal and short and the innocent are usually the ones to suffer. Throw in the undead, the walking dead and the possessed and surviving in the wild, wild west takes on a whole new meaning.
The awkwardly stilted writing and one-dimensional "hero" at the center of the melodrama are off putting, as usual. Either the foreign language remains fiendishly difficult to translate into meaningful English prose or they need a new translator and editor. After 19 installations in this series, I don't hold out much hope for any improvement.
The addition of a father clumsily trying to help his abandoned son doesn't lend much emotional resonance to this story. The ending just felt contrived and tacked-on--a case of too little, too late. (less)
Ms. Yolen gives us a tale of what happens when the otherworldly makes its intrusion into mundane existence. While magical beasts have long vanished fr...moreMs. Yolen gives us a tale of what happens when the otherworldly makes its intrusion into mundane existence. While magical beasts have long vanished from the world, belief in them has not and when a dragon reappears, people are quick to believe.
That belief and its subsequent unity fire this unusual tale of dragon versus human beings. What raises it from the ordinary is that it is not the figure of a powerful he-man that saves the day. There is no jousting here, no sword-wielding hero, no fainting maidens. From a master like Jane Yolen, we can expect nothing less than an old tale with a new twist.
Her story is amply aided by the stellar efforts of illustrator Rebecca Guay. Her characters show the pencil lines that made them but to telling effect. Men and women are all individuals with their thoughts laid out and appropriately matched by their expressions. The dragon itself is a creature of terrifying menace and exquisite beauty; you feel almost sorry at its defeat.
This is a graphic novel worth reading again and again, the story ever enthralling, the pictures with new details peeking forth from its pages. (less)
This novel plunges its readers into a world of children schooled to be mystical fighters. (Think of what "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" would have been if...moreThis novel plunges its readers into a world of children schooled to be mystical fighters. (Think of what "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" would have been if everybody in Sunnydale High School were slayers.) But this is a story with a twist and that conflict is what sets the story off and running.
The heroine is thrown a curve ball and, since she's a teenager, she doesn't take her disappointment well. The author deftly twines how she she comes to grips with the unexpected turn in her life with her learning how to deal with a mystery from her past and a deadly threat to her life. Emma Jones comes off as a bit of a pill in the beginning but the author eventually had me commiserating with her plight as well as rooting for her to succeed where others had failed. (less)
Mr. Granger takes us behind the scenes for an in-depth look at the literary antecedents and works that inspired Ms. Rowling when she decided to craft...moreMr. Granger takes us behind the scenes for an in-depth look at the literary antecedents and works that inspired Ms. Rowling when she decided to craft a seven-tome epic about a boy wizard. Insightful, incisive and very clear about what makes for great literature and what doesn’t, Mr. Granger does more than give us a glimpse into the minds of a successful writer. He invites us to go out and seek the precursors that influenced Ms. Rowling and gave so many people a fabulous world and its inhabitants, one that will doubtless wave its magic wand over generations to come.(less)
Mr. Granger is a very devoted Christian father with seven children. He wanted to make sure his offspring weren’t being tainted with unsavory influence...moreMr. Granger is a very devoted Christian father with seven children. He wanted to make sure his offspring weren’t being tainted with unsavory influences like sorcery. So he proceeded to study the Rowling books about a boy wizard.
This mindset permeates this treatise as he dissects the first six books one by one in his effort to prove that Rowling has created not only classic books for the ages but books toting truly Christian virtues. While he makes a few factual mistakes about the books themselves, his message about their Christian content is very convincing.
However, I take issue with the implied assumption that this was the reason Ms. Rowling wrote about a scarred boy wizard. She was a single mother desperate to make money to take care of her children. She was smart, learned and gifted enough to whip together influences and creations from other literatures to make a ripping story about good vs. evil, magic, spells, adventure, etc., and make it SELL.
Somehow, this fact never seems to enter Mr. Granger’s texts. When he writes disparagingly about Gilderoy Lockhart’s books and mentions that, among other things, they exist only to generate money and fame and the adventure stories are all the accomplishments of other magical persons, I thought the same could be said about the Harry Potter novels as well. Face it, Ms. Rowling has probably made enough money from HP to buy one of Jupiter’s moons.
My main objections to Mr. Granger’s points stems from the fact that I’m agnostic. When he goes on and on about Christianity, he might as well be writing in Sanskrit. So this book isn’t exactly aimed at people like me. Others might find it revealing though and that makes me give this book a qualified good rating. (less)
By turns filled with strange twists and turns of phrases and then pragmatic, matter-of-fact storytelling, Ms. Winterson’s collection of stories places...moreBy turns filled with strange twists and turns of phrases and then pragmatic, matter-of-fact storytelling, Ms. Winterson’s collection of stories places human beings at cruxes in their lives. The lyrical eroticism of a woman in “The Poetics of Sex” takes a dark turn in “Disappearance II” as a man ruminates on a woman he captures. Love breaks or makes people, re-forming them in new and sometimes terrifying ways. Even the love of a dog isn’t necessarily a simple matter.
Ms. Winterson isn’t for everybody. But this book of stories shows why her works remain fascinating reading. (less)
Lyrical, terrifying and bizarre, the world behind the mirror is not for the faint of heart. Ms. Funke has crafted yet another fairy-tale world, one wi...moreLyrical, terrifying and bizarre, the world behind the mirror is not for the faint of heart. Ms. Funke has crafted yet another fairy-tale world, one with real fairies. These are the fae out of old stories, fairies with teeth and claws and a taste for mortal lives and human blood. By presenting the reader with a world rife with peril, treachery, greed and bleeding love, Funke gives us a tale of fragile beauty fraught with lingering unease. The love of maidens, brothers and otherworldly creatures never does run smooth and is often lined with dagger points as well. “Reckless” brings this message sharply home. This is no fairy tale for mere children but one decidedly Grimm.(less)
The story of Cinderella gets another facelift as we look at a put-upon redhead slaving away in a couture shop for her mean stepmother and stepsisters....moreThe story of Cinderella gets another facelift as we look at a put-upon redhead slaving away in a couture shop for her mean stepmother and stepsisters. The energy of the Roaring Twenties as well as the beauty of the fabulous dress designs swirl through this story. Humanity, warmth and a touch of magic in the story are melded with gorgeous color illustrations and inset black-and-white miniature drawings accenting the action.
Clearly the illustrator knows her history when it comes to the fashion of the Jazz Age because the dresses here are her own design, inspired by the great French couturiers of the times. This is a fine riff on the original Grimm story and worth adding to any children's collection, although I think adults will be more appreciative of the artwork.(less)
The title gives you a foretaste of who the central figures are in this old tale about a witch of classic legend. Baba Yaga poses an intriguing individ...moreThe title gives you a foretaste of who the central figures are in this old tale about a witch of classic legend. Baba Yaga poses an intriguing individual in her stern yet oddly appealing appearance. A figure of towering menace, she has her own sense of fair play and when a little girl beats her at her own game, she proves as generous as she is cruel.
But of course this story is about the little girl Too Nice and her doll, as shown by the cover illustration. It’s slightly disappointing because the little girl is one of those put-upon placid angels who are victims of circumstances and have hardly any personalities of their own. She wins out only because of help from beyond the grave and a Chatty Cathy-type doll.
However, the illustrations are gorgeous, with color and life given to the oddly clothed witch and her lively familiars. Light and shadow, line and form are put to clever use as we see the witch bringing an inky darkness with her wherever she goes and how a little doll can perform the tasks of a multitude. The cover illustration also holds a surprise, one that reveals itself only upon careful scrutiny and a close second look.(less)
“Art is the manipulation of someone else’s imagination.” – Sol Saks
Ms. Malone is surely not the only person to see the Thorne Rooms and imagine living...more“Art is the manipulation of someone else’s imagination.” – Sol Saks
Ms. Malone is surely not the only person to see the Thorne Rooms and imagine living in them. But she actually wrote a book based on her imaginings of what wonders her favorite rooms might hold. Charming, light hearted but tinged with melancholy and the occasional brush with danger and mischief, “The Sixty-Eight Rooms” is a charming book of enchantment, mundane life and a fascinating dip into the history of by-gone eras.
At first, it’s a little hard to believe that a sixth-grade boy like Jack would be so interested or knowledgeable about history. But the author balances that out by giving him understandable quirks like daring and the inability to remember things like permission slips and homework assignments. All the individuals make immediate impressions with distinct personalities for each. Ruthie’s older sister Claire is left a little wanting. She’s going to college and is rather incurious about her little sister’s comings and goings. But her indifference is an important plot point so it can be forgiven. (less)
In a refreshing change from vampires and werewolves and zombies (oh my), four authors probe what it would be like to have a dragon for a mate. The sto...moreIn a refreshing change from vampires and werewolves and zombies (oh my), four authors probe what it would be like to have a dragon for a mate. The stories are well told, brimming with familiar themes as damsels in distress, daring duels, beleaguered princesses, brave knights and magical spells. But the directions are original, fascinating and sexy, as the title suggests, with dangers not always coming from the expected sources.
There is passion as well and sexual heat, although the erotic scenes are much milder than the usual fare. But they are decided parts of the stories rather than tacked-on adjuncts. The only story that didn’t quite measure up to the others was the last one, “Dragon Feathers”. I don’t care how it roars; pink dragons that purr and smell like sugar cookies aren’t inherently awe inspiring.
This is chick lit fare that is a notch above the usual. I could have wished for a better cover, however. In spite of the title, there is no evidence of a dragon except on the back and it’s barely visible, hidden by a foggy bronze tone and covered with print.(less)
Eye-opening, funny and tender, “Sidekicks” shows another side of the superhero genre, one not often explored. The life of a partner to a superhero isn...moreEye-opening, funny and tender, “Sidekicks” shows another side of the superhero genre, one not often explored. The life of a partner to a superhero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and Mr. Ferraiolo details just what it’s like to trot after an overly intense, brooding blowhard in a cape. But this is more than a story about the trials, tribulations and headaches of donning too-constricting spandex tights. “Sidekicks” delivers surprises and action galore as we see that the roles of good guy and bad guys aren’t so cut and dried. This story delivers on the fights but the real story is going on behind the scenes.
This is meant for adolescents but I think adults who have fond memories of their favorite comic book heroes will get a high-powered "kick" out of this, too.(less)
Set on an Earth that is witnessing the dying of the sun, the stories in this book are so rich in description that they stagger the imagination. Whethe...moreSet on an Earth that is witnessing the dying of the sun, the stories in this book are so rich in description that they stagger the imagination. Whether Mr. Vance describes indigenous people, florae and faunae, rivers, mansions, huts, mountains, deserts or forests, he does so in exquisite detail.
The main part of this tome, itself comprised of four separate novels, deals with the travels of Cugel the Clever. In describing the peregrinations of this protagonist, we are taken on a far-reaching journey of action, adventure, magic and skullduggery as the irrepressible rogue tumbles into and out of danger, missing death often by the skin of his teeth. Like Sinbad the Sailor, he gains and loses wealth with little purpose in his life save the next score or getting revenge on Iucounu the Laughing Magician whose demands have sentenced (or doomed) him to a wandering life.
Cugel is neither hero nor savior. He’s not on a mission or quest. He’s a thoroughly selfish, amoral rascal, equally given to scheming, lies, assault, rape, murder or theft as the moment takes him. However, he always manages to land on his feet. In spite of his amoral nature, Mr. Vance makes him rather engaging.
Where Mr. Vance fails is due in large part in creating noteworthy female characterizations. Most of his women are whiny, bitter, hostile or shrewish. When women of power exist, like Llorio the Murthe, they are seen as obstacles to be overcome, their lives as being subject to and subjugated by the whims and desires of men. If they are beautiful, the men seek nothing more than to bed them. If they are plain or ugly, they have little conversation besides the superficial.
This diminution of the female sex is baffling. It is acceptable for the first novel, which was penned in the 1950s; women in fantasy and science fiction were given short shrift then, being little more than beautiful adjuncts to muscle-bound heroes. But the latter novels in this volume were written in the 1980s. Surely he could have managed a wider scope to his female characterizations by then, given the vast social changes women achieved through the decades. All this being the case, I cannot recommend this book as wholeheartedly as I would like. (less)
Unexpected turns of events render this story an utter delight. Although its messages about accepting the good that life deals out to you, following yo...moreUnexpected turns of events render this story an utter delight. Although its messages about accepting the good that life deals out to you, following your own path and finding that every cloud has a silver lining, etc., are rather obvious, it’s acceptable, given that the writing is clearly aimed for pre-teens.
Turning fairy tale conventions on their heads is nothing new in modern children’s books but Ibbotson rendered this story with flair and wit. The characters are all searching for ways out of their traditional niches (as if each one were thumbing his or her nose at the fates usually reserved for them in older tales). The means by which they find them make “The Ogre of Oglefort” worth enjoying again and again.(less)
This isn’t one of Mr. Fforde’s most winning efforts. In fact, it’s one of the most incomprehensible things I’ve ever tried to read. Only a few pages i...moreThis isn’t one of Mr. Fforde’s most winning efforts. In fact, it’s one of the most incomprehensible things I’ve ever tried to read. Only a few pages into the book and I was irretrievably lost in a morass of deliberately bizarre phenomenon, baffling rules and the odd social structure that’s supposed to lie at the heart of this book. When the book doesn’t get bogged down in the arcane folderol that is a world ruled by an arbitrary color spectrum, its premise is simple enough: dystopian world, totalitarian state, lack of individual freedom and secret rebellion.
I wish I could say that the needlessly convoluted worldscape that Mr. Fforde attempted to create is redeemed by his characters. But that’s not really the case. Everybody is on the take, and every parent is at pains to secure good matches for son or daughter. It’s like being in a novel about politics, the mob or the court of the Medicis. In time, having every character negotiating constantly for everything from spoons to information is just repellant and exhausting.
Edward Russet, our supposed protagonist, is portrayed too heavily as the relentlessly stupid type, the hero-as-buffoon who has nothing going for him except an ability to see Red and an annoying curiosity. He’s matched by the terrifyingly violent Jane G-23, who doesn’t have much going for her either except a sense of rebellion and the constant vicious bullying that she turns on anyone who crosses her, even an innocent would-be suitor.
She’s meant to be a “sassy” heroine, i.e., someone with spunk, a propensity for violence and/or flouting the rules much like Riff in Worldshaker or the thieving, nasty, ill-mannered, rough-tongued Ida Know in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series. Sometimes these girls are redeemed by their abilities and wishes to help people. But Jane G-23 is notable mainly for her relentless lethal temper, hostile tendencies and attempted murder of Edward. This is supposed to be a character we should care about or like? A girl who goes in for attacking people because they comment on her perky, pretty nose?
Naturally Edward becomes deeply and foolishly smitten with her, a fact she gleefully exploits. Thus, he becomes a hapless pawn to his own loins. This reader wanted to bang her head on a table when reading about this. Isn’t this the same sort of insanity that drives women to write love letters to convicted murderers on Death Row? If we ridicule such behavior in them, why would Eddie’s infatuation be compelling and not the risible idiocy that it is?
Fans of Mr. Fforde’s may be tempted to keep this book simply because he wrote it, much the same way an avid collector would keep every Beatle album, including the ones that don’t feature the band at its best. But upon turning the last page I was horrified to see that this is going to be a series and I just couldn’t bear it. This is not a story I wish to see continued or immerse myself in any further than I already have. (less)
The dear inhabitants of the river bank are just as memorable and alive today as they were when I first read of them as a girl. What makes these anthro...moreThe dear inhabitants of the river bank are just as memorable and alive today as they were when I first read of them as a girl. What makes these anthropomorphic creatures so memorable is that they are very much like human beings, albeit in antique and quaint dress. Shy but loyal Mole, sober Rat, wise Badger and conceited Toad are like a round of friends, each with their faults and quirks but ultimately well worth knowing.
But of course it is Toad who grabs the most attention. His loud, bombastic, conceited, arrogant, loquacious nature alternates with a self pitying, remorseful and deflated ego that makes him one of the most exasperating and yet engaging fictional characters ever written. He is larger than life and is eager to have you know it. You feel with his friends as they chastise him and yet thrill to his amazing adventures as he tumbles from one scrape to another.
This book remains one of the cherished classics of children’s literature. You have only to read about it as an adult to remember why. (less)
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