Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "epic"

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic fantasy set in Middle Earth starring hobbits, dwarves, elves and even a few men.

I love this story. I remember the first time I read it, at twelve. It took me three days to get through the Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. All I did was eat, sleep, and read.

I remember the chills that ran down my spine as Frodo and Sam first hid from the mysterious black riders (Ringwraiths) as they raced through the Shire and later on the road to Rivendell. The simple ring of invisibility (from The Hobbit) having taken on a dark purpose and the formation of the fellowship of the ring to take it into the very heart of Mordor captured my mind and drew me on.

The characters, the places and the enemies are what make the story so memorable to me. So I wanted to list each below with a brief description (most are spoilers if you haven't read this before, but probably not that bad if you've seen the movie).


The fellowship:

(view spoiler)[Gandalf the Grey, powerful wizard who still suffers the self-doubt and worry that plague all mankind.
Strider, mysterious ranger who both fears and desires to take on the responsiblities cast upon him by his sires.
Gimli, dwarf from the Lonely Mountain on a personal quest to discover the fate of Balin and his crew who disappeared into the Mines of Moria never to be seen again.
Legolas, the woodelf from Mirkwood, who comes to Rivendell to report the loss of the prisoner Gollum.
Boromir of Gondor, who sees in the ring a chance to turn the tides against the darkness in Mordor.
Merry and Pippin, Frodo's dear friends who conspire to join him in his quest before they know what it is, simply because he is their friend. They come as a pair until their paths diverge in the later books.
Sam Gamgee, Frodo's gardener and loyal companion who is determined to help his master succeed in his quest and make it back to the Shire alive.
And, of course, Frodo Baggins himself, Bilbo's heir, who volunteers to take the ring and destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, "though he doesn't know the way," although he does know there is every chance he will not survive the attempt. (hide spoiler)]


The places:

(view spoiler)[The Shire, the ideallic home of the hobbits, neverchanging, peaceful, and pure.
The Old Forest, borders The Shire and home of vindictive willow trees with mesmerizing voices, but also home of the jovial Tom Bombadil and his lovely Goldberry, the river daughter, who help the hobbits reach Bree in one piece.
Bree, an outpost community where hobbits and men live together in peace, where the Butterbur, the forgetful barman, redeams himself.
Rivendell, home of elves and the Lord Elrond, half-elven, and his daughter Arwen Evenstar (recently arrived from Lothlorien), the last homely home.
The Mines of Moria, deeply delved, filled with orcs and something much, much worse.
Lothlorien, the golden wood, home of the elves and the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. The Lady keeping secret one of the three elven rings of old.
The Great River, Anduin, the last road of the fellowship before it is sundered for good or ill. (hide spoiler)]


The enemies:

(view spoiler)[Ringwraiths, nine ancient kings of men who were seduced by the power of their rings under the One Ring. They are no more than shadows of their former selves, though the beasts they ride are real enough.
Sauron, the ancient enemy who gained power under the dark eaves of Mirkwood before being driven out and returning to Mordor to cast his shadow over the entire world.
Gollum, scrawny, pathetic former owner of the ring who desires and fears it more than anything else.
Saruman the White (Saruman of Many Colors), the leader of the white council who studied the darkness too closely, becoming it's servant.
Birds, ominous clouds of fowl who spy for the enemy. No place open to the sky is safe from their piercing eyes.
Wolves and Wargs, minions of Saruman who hunt the fellowship and drive them into the Mines.
Orcs and Trolls, dwellers in dark places and servants of the enemy, they are numerous and foul and always seem to turn up at the worst times. (hide spoiler)]

Besides the awesomeness, there are a few things to consider (though they don't change my rating):
One, the songs are lengthy, numerous and everywhere. Not too bad in print because you have the option to skim past (though I think it worth it to read them all at least once), but I hear you have no choice but to listen to all of them in the audiobook. However, I do have a favorite among them: the longform version of Hey Diddle Diddle, which I believe comes along in the town of Bree.

Two, this is a long book, purposely so according to the note from Tolkien in the frontmatter of the book. His goal was to write a long book, and he succeeded. But he did it well, so that doesn't bother me. Considering some of the epic fantasies written since whose individual books are longer than the entire combined Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I don't think they're too long.

Three, there is no three. I like everything else.

I recommend this to anyone, preferably in print. If you find you can't tackle the book, go see the movie. It's not an exact match, but it definitely channels the best of Tolkien in a format most can enjoy.








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City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Surprising, complex, and insane...but I like it.

The City of Golden Shadow has been sitting on my bookshelf for over ten years, unread. In times past, I've picked it up and tried to read it, only to give up after twenty pages or so. That being said, I'm glad that I decided to stick it out this time, because this is an astonishingly complex, intricately woven masterpiece.

Now, to get it out of the way, let me begin with why I never got far in previous attempts. The book starts off on a battlefield with Paul Jonas, a lone soldier stuck in a ditch listening to a man screaming insanely in the background. The imagery is fantastically realistic and more than a little disturbing. In short, it gives every impression of being a war book, which isn't a genre I particularly enjoy. Alas, until this time, I never made it far enough in to realize that nothing is as it seems at first glance.

Keeping in mind the realistic kick off, it doesn't take long for the story to take its first turn for the weird. Like some kind of odd Jack in the Beanstalk, Paul gets hit by a missile and dies, only to awaken at the bottom of an enormous tree that reaches into the clouds. At the same time, everything as far as he can see in any direction is wiped clear, a desert wasteland, leaving him nowhere to go but up. So, he goes up, where he finds a cloudscape overlooked by a castle. Taking a chance, he follows a road of clouds to the distant building and in doing so meets a mysterious, winged woman kept in a cage like a songbird, but her master, megalithic clockwork giant, returns and a terrifying chase ensues as Paul desperately tries to escape. Then, he wakes up on the battlefield. Could this dream be the result of a head injury? He's not so sure...

After this, we fast forward into modern (future) South Africa to follow Rennie, a university teacher who specializes in Virtual Reality. After a bomb threat turns real, she meets up with a student and they decide to meet as planned. !Xabbu, a bushman, is brand new to VR, and Rennie worries that it might be too late to teach him. This side plot goes on for some time, until the first glimmer of trouble in Rennie's world appears when her little brother and his friends stumble into a simulation they can't handle. She comes to their rescue, but only finds two of them, the third having fallen through a hole in the "world". And, the complexity builds as more players are introduced: one, a barbarian in middle country, another, a twelve year old with a secret friend in the U.S., and of course, the bad guys.

At first, the various characters and scenarios are cycled through almost at random, but later it becomes obvious that nothing that happens in the story is insignificant. The truth is hard to pin down; the story jumps between virtual life and real life, and each chapter begins with a news-feed that gives a sense of the "now" in the real world: politics, pop-culture, interactive story casting calls, to name a few.

The story is a roller-coaster ride, dizzying at times, but exhilarating and rewarding as a whole. I devoured this book, despite its 700+ pages, and eagerly purchased the next in line before I finished the first.

In short, I loved this book and am it's earned a prominent place among my all time favorites, alongside The Lord of the Rings, Battlefield Earth, and The Death's Gate Cycle to name a few.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves epic fantasy or sci-fi, to gamers, and to those who enjoy a good puzzle. On the other hand, I don't recommend it to those who like a story to get to the point in short order. This story takes it's time, and the journey is well worth the effort.



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River of Blue Fire by Tad Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Enjoyable, but takes its time...

The second installment of the Otherland series by Tad Williams picks up where the last leaves off. The "heroes" gathered by Mr. Sellers at the Golden City narrowly escape into another simulation, one that seems perfectly normal except that they are now 1/100th their real size. Gigantic insects and birds populate the world, going about their natural activities, but those are hazardous when you're the size of the next meal.

Soon, events beyond their control shatter the small company and each remnant must find its own way through the increasingly disturbing simulations. Renie and !Xabbu find themselves in Oz gone wrong where they meet a mysterious man who can overcome the rules of the simulation and a naive young girl named Emily who needs rescuing.

Meanwhile, Orlando and Fredericks find themselves in the kitchen sink of a cartoon simulation. Soon, they are drawn into a quest to save a baby match (yes, a match) called Little Spark from evildoers who have kidnapped him for nefarious reasons. The river becomes a stream of spilled water where Orlando, Fredericks and Chief Strike Anywhere's (the match's father) lives are threatened by ravenous salad tongs that call the river home.

Shortly after Orlando and Fredericks are swept away, the others find themselves in a world where the river takes on the form of a jet stream, where flight is as natural as walking. Martine becomes the voice of this segment of the group, keeping a log of what's happening and to whom. The mystery of "who is Dread" takes hold as several of her log entries note anomalous behavior by various members, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Finally, Paul Jonas continues his quest for the mysterious winged woman who haunts his dreams. Plagued by the tireless Twins, once known as Finch and Mullet, he runs from simulation to simulation, some quite horrifying. Gally, a kid who is neither puppet (part of the program) or citizen (human guest) makes another appearance but fails to recognize Paul from before.

In the "real world", the family and friends of those trapped play out their own dramas. Jeremiah is dismayed with Long Joseph abandons him to see his son who is still in the hospital. Christabel worries for her friend, Mr. Sellers, who has taken Cho-Cho, a scary street boy as his assistant. Catur Ramsey, a lawyer representing the Gardinar and Fredericks families, tracks down leads, including the skittish agent, Beezle Bug, who seems to want to help but cannot do so without his comatose master's permission, and one of the stars of a popular kids show on the net. And in Australia, a detective takes a closed case as a personal challenge and begins to unravel a mystery that may reveal the earliest conquest of a serial killer.

A common theme throughout is the feeling of hopelessness, despair, and perhaps even boredom of both those trapped in Otherland and those in the real world. It's difficult at times to believe that things will get better.

The River of Blue Fire is complex, vivid, and at times scary. The action is intense and hard to predict, which is something I like in a story, and the characters are well-developed and interesting.

On the other hand, this book reminds me of The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien, in that it's a continuation of a story in progress, sort of like a bridge. There is no true beginning or ending, though certain plot elements are resolved along the way. Like Tolkien, the story isn't rushed and in some places seems to linger just a bit too long. The length of the book and the pace may be daunting to those who are unprepared for it. If you have trouble finishing The Lord of the Rings or Battlefield Earth, you might have trouble finishing The Otherland series.

Overall, however, I really liked this story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes epic fantasy, epic sci fi, or the idea of living in a fantastic, yet unpredictable, virtual world.




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Mountain of Black Glass by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fantastic!

Mountain of Black Glass is the third of Tad Williams' four Otherland books, but it is definitely not least. Paul Jonas finds himself in the role of Odysseus, confronting yet another incarnation of the winged woman who haunts his dreams. His ultimate goal, given to him by the bird woman, is to find Troy, but soon he is thrown into a nightmare as he is forced to live through the tribulations of his famous character in reverse order.

Meanwhile, Rennie, Martine, !Xabbu, Florimel, T4b, and Emily 22813 (from the Oz simworld) find themselves in a building. Not just any building, but one that stretches to infinity. Yet, like in the other worlds, they find and are able to follow the river. On the long trek through balconies, hallways and cavernous ballrooms, Florimel, Martine and T4b finally reveal their histories and motivations for responding to Sellers' call to Otherland. And then, disaster strikes.

Long Joseph, Rennie's dad, and Jeremiah are still monitoring Rennie and !Xabbu in the abandoned military facility, but their stories diverge when Joseph, tired of waiting, escapes on a foolhardy quest to see his son and maybe find something to drink. Of course, he makes things worse, adding to the danger when the organization who murdered the woman who was Rennie's friend and Jeremiah's employer takes note of and begins to follow him. Meanwhile, Jeremiah, left alone finds the silence, and perhaps his sanity, shattered when the unthinkable happens: the phone rings.

My favorite duo, the ailing Orlando and his pal Fredericks now travel through ancient Egypt, where Osiris (a.k.a. Felix Jongluer, leader of the Grail Brotherhood) reigns. Soon, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to a strange temple. But the mysterious winged woman (who they remember as the sleeping woman from the freezer) had released The Wicked Tribe into their care, and these flying monkey children have a plan that just might help Orlando and Fredericks survive their encounter with the looming structure.

The villains don't stand idly by while the heroes make their way through the simulation. Dread plans his revenge against his former comrades, attempting to unlock the power of the golden lighter. Jongleur makes deals with key members of the Grail Brotherhood as the final preparations for the immortality ceremony are put in place. Dulcie, one time co-inhabitor of the sim who spied on Seller's heroes, finds herself equally drawn to and frightened by her charming employer, Dread. And the forces put in play to keep Rennie and her friends from investigating the Otherland network and Grail Brotherhood and closing in on her physical location. And, of course, there is the ever present threat of The Twins, the nasty duo that haunts nearly every simworld.

The tension and worry for the wayward heroes mount ever greater as the story progresses. The villains are heartless and clever, unrelenting in their personal and combined quests. The rich simworlds include both the familiar and the legendary, and those with a familiarity with the Iliad will find they cannot help to wonder just how closely the tragic tale will affect those caught up in its story.

I love this third installment in Tad Williams' Otherland series and would highly recommend it to people who enjoy epic sci-fi novels and who don't mind a story that takes its time. Those who have made it this far into the series will find that this is perhaps the best one so far.



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Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An exciting conclusion, I loved it.

Everything falls apart at the close of Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3), and now the unlikely heroes of the Otherland system are scattered far and wide in the heart of the dying operating system and beyond. Renie, !Xabbu, and Fredericks are stuck with unlikely allies in the evil Felix Jongleur and the brain damaged Ricardo Klement. But even this tenuous partnership is shattered when the virtual world shatters, and Renie finds herself stranded in an amorphous landscape with the doddering Klement her only companion.

Martine, Paul Jonas, T4b, and Florimel find themselves back in the already terrifying bug world, made even worse with horrifically human-bug mutations on the loose, mutations whose sole desire is to rip them limb from limb. Not even the benevolent Kunohara seems to be able to hold off the writhing masses for long.

In the real world, things are becoming truly scary for little Christabel. Her daddy learns of Mr. Sellers and now the entire family, plus Sellers, the boy Cho Cho and the lawyer Catur Ramsey, end up on the run together. But they can't run forever...

Meanwhile Dulcie Anwin awakens from her fledgling crush on Johnny Dread into growing unease and fear, even as he begins to show her the romantic attention she has long desired. Dread himself revels in both the virtual destruction of the Otherland realms and the terrorization of the Other itself, the effects of which are felt keenly by those still trapped within the system.

Finally, Long Joseph, Jeremiah, and Del Rey find themselves under siege, the military stronghold under the mountain no longer the sanctuary they'd thought it to be. It's only a matter of time before Dread's mercenaries break through the base's defenses, and all the three have to defend themselves are a single gun with three bullets and none among them skilled enough to make them count.

This is perhaps the most edgy installment of the Otherland series. Everything seems to be falling apart and danger stalks the heroes and the villains at every turn. No one is safe, and still the children lie comatose in their hospital beds. Will the destruction of the Otherland network spell their doom?

I love this book and the series that spawned it. You'll find no plot holes in this series, everything, even those things that seemed insignificant in the other books, finds a purpose in Otherland #4. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sci fi and has the time and patience to tackle such a massive work.



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Missed my reviews for Otherland 1-3?  Check them out here:

City of Golden Shadow (Otherland #1) by Tad Williams

River of Blue Fire (Otherland #2) by Tad Williams

Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3) by Tad Williams



Have you read this series? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Adventure, social and economic exploration, revolution, a true David vs. Goliath tale.

I was staring at this book on my shelf the other day and thought to myself, "I need to review this." This is one of those stories that I've read several times and often think about, even when I'm not actively reading it. As such, I'm writing this review cold (having not read this in recent months) but am pretty sure I can do so well.

Battlefield Earth takes place hundreds of years in the future after a militant race of aliens takes over the planet to mine its vast mineral resources. Jonnie Goodboy Tyler and his bedraggled village live beyond the attention of the aliens and have done so for generations. They never stray far, fearing the monsters that have been passed down in the verbal histories. But Jonnie isn't satisfied with their lot. He sees his people getting sick with a strange illness and dying, his own father joining them. He sees them suffering and wants better for them, especially for Chrissie, the girl he adores. So he decides to leave and find a better place for his village, despite the protests of the villagers. This begins the first tale, where Jonnie sets out to find adventure and a better place only to encounter the sadistic aliens that destroyed his world for profit.

From there, the story becomes one of quiet revolution, as Jonnie is forced to help one of the Psychlos mine a uranium tainted gold deposit (because radiation ignites Psychlo breathe gas). His captor makes the mistake of giving Jonnie lessons from a machine that downloads information into the mind, supplementing Jonnie's already solid intellect with the information he can use to rise against the Psychlos. This part of the story is exciting and always reminds me of that old show where the prisoners run an underground spy network right under the noses of their captors. Like that show, Jonnie and those he gathers with him steadily gain a measure of control over their lives, unknown to the Psychlo, and plot to end the Psychlo reign over their world.

And this leads to the third part of the book. One would think once you've kicked out the aliens, all is done, but that's just not the case with Battlefield Earth. Instead, it's just the beginning. As the newly freed humans find and incorporate the far flung pockets of humanity that remain, political tensions rise between those that follow Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (capitalists) and those that follow Brown Limper Staffor (communists). This part of the story is ironic to say the least and disheartening as well. That hate and bias could survive an alien apocalypse is rather sad. Anyway, Jonnie and his crew manage just fine, even as Brown Limper tries his best to undermine them. All this occurs in the year following their uprising against the Psychlos. The whole time, they have no idea if the end of the year will bring with it the end of their hard-fought, and possibly short-lived, freedom.

And then we get to the other aliens. The part of the book reveals that the Psychlos, while nasty and prolific, are not the only aliens in the universe, not even the most powerful aliens at that. A mysterious gray man begins making appearances at various locations around the world. When one old woman he meets gives him a coin bearing Jonnie Goodboy Tyler's image and name, the man knows he's found the one he needs. Not to go into too much detail, this part of the book is more intellectual than prior parts. Still there is the intrigue, the plotting and the mystery, but the focus is economic in nature. Here we find out exactly what the human revolt accomplished and also discover how small the earth is in the grand scheme of things. We also learn the identity of the most powerful beings in the universe.

All of this being said, Battlefield Earth is a massive book, but it's divided into four complete, yet interconnected tales. The hero, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, is charismatic and smart. He accomplishes the impossible with the aid of his team, but does not feel like the hero everyone makes him out to be. Not only is this an adventure with some incredible climaxes sprinkled throughout, it's a social and economic commentary. One could probably stop reading at the end of the second part and come away satisfied that good triumphs over evil, but some really interesting content would be missed.

For those who watched the movie, it only covers parts one and two, probably because those were much more translatable to the big screen. Still, as someone who's read the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie on its own merits. I think they cast it well, and though the way the mining team is selected and gathered is completely different (and not at all as entertaining or as impressive as the method in the book), it is otherwise pretty close. I loved seeing my favorite action scenes acted out.

Overall, I loved Battlefield Earth, even the parts that go a bit social/economic. It makes me think about where we're going as a society. And the plausible, though unlikely, scenario of aliens eradicating us to mine our planet still brings chills. It reminds me that we are truly a speck in the universe. We have no idea what, or who, is out there, and if they are out there, we could be nothing more than stock or an infestation to be eliminated or used as they see fit.

I highly recommend this book to those who love sci fi and adventure, particularly those who like stories to carry a deeper meaning. This is a long book, but it is broken down well and one could simply read the first two halves for the adventure and come away satisfied (but I recommend the whole thing).








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Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Alright, somehow I almost forgot to review this one properly. This isn't my most favorite of the Wheel of Time books, but I still love it, though while reading I tend to swap between liking and disliking it. For example, I particularly dislike what happens to Rand in this one, but I love the way Jordan handles his descent into madness. I dislike what the Aes Sedai do to Egwene (or at least why), but I love how she handles it. I think the bickering is a bit over the top, but it's also amusing to me.

Lots of folks seem to dislike how the women in this story behave, and they're right to do so. They are egotistical; they are disrespectful to each other and particularly to men; and they are petty. They are also strong. They persevere. They grow and try to be better. In other words, they are human, and that's interesting.

Just like in previous installments, this is a massive book. I am glad I have it in paperback because it helps to be able to see how much is left. I got to a point where I thought I was done and still had 200 pages left. That's normal for Wheel of Time books.

Overall, I love this book and this series. I recommend the series to folks who love epic fantasy, including all the detail and description the genre tends to have. However, if you haven't enjoyed the series up to this point, I don't think there's much chance you'll like this book. Then again, if you've made it this far, why not finish?




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The Fated Sky: Transgressor Trilogy Book One by E.M. Swift-Hook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Fated Sky is the first installment of the Transgressor Trilogy. I’m not exactly sure why it claims to be part of yet another series, Fortunes Fools. It’s all a bit confusing to me.

But the story itself is gripping and exciting. Lots of action and intrigue and plenty of interesting characters, not all of whom are likeable. When told from their perspective, the story provides a glimpse of personal history, inner struggles, and overarching goals. But the perspectives shift, so interesting details emerge from a variety of sources: a casual observation, a personal encounter, or even an offhand rumor. It was one of my favorite aspects of the story.

And here’s another thing I liked. Temsevar feels like a fantasy world, but it’s set in a science fiction backdrop. Unsophisticated and driven by slave labor and warlike tendencies, Temsevar is just one of the worlds humans have settled and is of little note in the grander scheme of things, nothing more than a trade stop. But there’s a threat that simmers behind the scenes, a threat that the Coalition will take a greater interest in the world, and I think it hinges on whether Avilon makes it off world.

The story is complex, particularly at first, but everything makes sense, and once it settles onto a few main characters, it’s much easier to follow, though not too easy. It does leave off on quite a steep cliffhanger, definitely not a standalone, so you can expect to want to read the rest of the books.

Anyhow, I loved the book. Folks who love immersive fantasy and science fiction on an epic scale will likely enjoy this book. It’s meaty and complex, full of action and intrigue.

I picked up my copy of this book on Amazon while it was on a free promotion.




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