false 30 247 240 true 5919279 read 1 true 4517833 currently-reading 6 true 4517832 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78077140 to: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner
A hundred or so teenage boys, their memories wiped, are trapped in the center of a gigantic shifting maze, many miles across. As the book begins, Thomas arrives in the "Glade" -- the center of the maze, where they all live. The next day the first girl ever shows up too. And everything begins to change.

While living in the center of a giant ever-changing maze full of monsters is an extremely odd way to live, the boys have made do. After two years, they have a ruling council, they grow food, raise animals, and look after any sick or injured. They also send out trained runners to map the maze every day, in search of an exit, or a pattern, or some clue as to what they're doing here.

With the arrival of Thomas and the girl, the Gladers' carefully-crafted order begins to break down. Now solving and escaping the maze is immediately necessary. Fortunately, Thomas isn't quite like all the other Gladers, and is able to help.

The premise is great, and the plot moves well. There's a lot of action and the tension constantly builds. Unfortunately, the story failed in two important aspects for me.

First, the the maze itself is so absurd, the final explanation had better be pretty impressive for the story to hang together. And at least for me, the explanation was not plausible. Though, at least there *is* an explanation, which is more than can be said for some stories I've encountered!

The second weakness was the characters. I'd be okay with a somewhat implausible scenario if the characters were likable enough. But, Thomas is bland and whiny, and his only moments of greatness arise from his forgotten past. The other boys are mostly hostile and uninteresting. Not, mind you, that I expect deep, sophisticated personalities from amnesiac teenage boys! They were all believable, but they weren't compelling enough to carry the story. Neither was the new girl very interesting. Thomas is attracted to her, but again, that's an artifact of his past, not a real live reaction that we get to watch develop.

Overall, it was a fun read, and I don't regret the time spent, but I won't look for the sequels. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77550067 Lynne's review of The Gone-Away World
by Nick Harkaway

Woo! I loved this. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74639453 Finch (Paperback) by Jeff VanderMeer
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74639393 to: Child of Fire (Twenty Palaces, #1) by Harry Connolly
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51523367 to: His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1) by Naomi Novik
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68756656 to: Servant of a Dark God (Hardcover) by John Brown
It starts out with Talen sitting pantless at the kitchen table, plotting revenge. After some whirlwind antics between Talen and his two older siblings -- revealing much of their situation and personalities -- Talen heads out to the next village for some normal chores. But nothing will ever be so simple again.

Terrifying magic is affecting people who had appeared to be normal, and rumors are flying. Talen himself is accused, though he is as ordinary and suspicious of the dark arts as any teenage farm boy. Or is he?

And this question leads to one of the most appealing aspects of SERVANT OF A DARK GOD: the mystery. Talen's people live in a colonized land, remote from their imperial overlords, still marked with the ruins of ancient, extinct powers. Magic which grants vast power through the consumption of both people's lifespans and their souls is undeniably real. But who really controls it? Who is using this power for good, and who for evil? Is anyone telling the truth?

As Talen's life crumbles around him, he, his family, friends, neighbors, and even their leaders are all are in for some surprises -- at least the ones who survive.

The style is pleasant, elegant, easy to read, and occasionally quite humorous. This is a long tale, appropriately epic, but it never drags. The story is told through multiple points of view, but mostly centers on young Talen. Descriptions are vivid and precise. All the characters are distinctive and interesting, without being ridiculous caricatures typical of some fantasy fiction. The characters themselves don't know much about the powers of their world, and as they learn, everything is also clearly explained to the reader. So, while the events are complex, they're never confusing.

The story has a complete plot arc and a satisfying conclusion, even though there are sequels on the way. No need to wait for the series to end to enjoy this story now.

Overall highly recommended, especially if you're a fan of epic fantasy. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62192655 to: Rendezvous with Rama (Paperback) by Arthur C. Clarke
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62192642 to: The Foundation Trilogy (Paperback) by Isaac Asimov
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62192636 to: I, Robot (Hardcover) by Isaac Asimov
]]>