2014 Booklist (As of June)

2014 Booklist (Part 3)

May, 2014

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2) by Brandon Sanderson

One of the best examples of “just because the old regime was bad, that doesn’t mean things are rainbows and kittens after it’s over” ever. (Yes, that’s a thing). Most books overthrow a government and then stand back to stare proudly at their accomplishment. Misborn points out that overthrowing is often the easy part.

So that’s nice.

But it’s not a heckuva lotta fun for me to read, I’ll be honest with you.

I finished the book, but it left me with a sour taste that I couldn’t quite shake. So I read the synopsis for the third book on Wikipedia. I don’t think I’ll be finishing the series. I’m sure it’s all very epic and amazing, but it sounds like something I’d slog through rather than enjoy.

If you like the sort of epic high fantasy that will rip a world to shreds in order to rebuild it, with unimaginably powerful enemies and tense political stand-offs? I cannot recommend this series enough.

My tastes are a lot lower than that. (And I still adore Sanderson’s short fiction, I just apparently can’t quite get into his longer stuff.)

SPOILERALERT : I am considering keeping a list of the number of times a female character’s death is used to motivate a main male character, but I’m worried it will depress me. ENDSPOILERS

A-little-too-much-of-everything 5 out of 10

Hounded, the Iron Druid Chronicles Book 1, by Kevin Hearne

Fun. Definitely, unquestionably fun. Not exactly super-fluffy-light but a fast and entertaining read. I’ve been told the author starts to really blossom around book 3, and I liked this one enough to try and reach there. I love the dog. It’s possible I’m really only continuing to read because of the dog, despite also loving that the main character’s lawers are werewolves and a vampire.

An intrigued and amused 7 out of 10

June, 2014

The Alloy of Law, a Mistborn Novel by Brandon Sanderson

Despite not finishing the Mistborn series, comments here (and via Perry in emails) meant I had to at least TRY this one. I’m so very very glad I did. Lovely reboot of the series, and rip-roaring Weird West fun. Steampunkish, with just enough nods to old westerns to set my nostalgia flaring. Fun fun read. Easily as much fun as the first Mistborn, I’d say.

A delighted 9 out of 10, y’all

Fortune’s Pawn (Paradox, Book 1) by Rachel Bach

My first sci-fi in a while, but written by a fantasy author I have trusted and loved since first I met Eli Monpress. I loved everything about this except the final chapter, which sent me into horrific eye-twitching spasms of anger.

The second book shall be read, but it shall be ANGRILY READ, with great, sweeping finger movements and two-hands-in-the-air punctuation as I skim pages until this wrong has been undone.

A Furiously Engrossed 9 out of 10 (I had to restrain myself from giving it a very frowny-faced 2)

Honor’s Knight & Heaven’s Queen (books 2 and 3 of the Paradox series) by Rachel Bach

These books don’t count as seperate to me, since I read them back to back without really coming up for air.

A FAST read, for sure. Especially the way I gobble action books like these.

Plot holes? Oh yes. Inconsistencies and conveniences galore.

Eye-rolling plot devices? Most definitely. Forced amnesia is rarely done right. (two-hands-in-the-air)

But I loved these books. Seriously. SO much fun to read and jabs wonderful elbows into gender roles. I want to read more adventures with these characters (especially after that reveal in the final chapter!) and I will cherish some of these scenes in my mental library of happy places.

You want to read a rollicking space adventure led by a strong heroine who names her guns and loves the sting of bloodlust in the morning? You want to read these books.

A Delightedly Engrossed 9 out of 10

Related posts:

2014 Booklist (Part 2)
[Perry] Pseudonyms
2013 Reading List (as of March 2014)