So....why do I rate this book many others are raving about only 2? Because I just can't really like it.
I go 2 instead of one because the story does hoSo....why do I rate this book many others are raving about only 2? Because I just can't really like it.
I go 2 instead of one because the story does hold interest at least at times. I suppose I was looking for a lighter read than this. The book is at it's base very heavy with the angst and the personal/interpersonal "struggles" (I suppose that would be the best word) of the protagonist and to a lesser extent the other participants in the "story".
So I like the set up a bit and the "in story" part of the book. However it just leans on my "woe is me" button a bit too much for my taste.
Aside from this there are issues with grammar...I mean (poor usage that) doesn't anyone care that proper use of language is how we communicate. Then atop that I have the audio version and while the reader does a pretty good job (in general) there are egregious mispronunciations....
Well, anyway....long story short (if it's not too late) while I sort of liked the game framing the plot over all the book lost my interest.
I didn't read this when it was published back in 2009. The main reason then was that my wife had been in a long term illness which was progressively wI didn't read this when it was published back in 2009. The main reason then was that my wife had been in a long term illness which was progressively worse. She passed away in Aug. 2009.
However I read this now (2017) when the Obama regime is passed. It gives an interesting perspective.
Any of you who have read many of my reviews know that I generally fall into the political grouping called "conservative". Now that can mean a lot of things and I find that those left of center usually have a rather stereotypical idea about me or anyone else termed "Conservative". These ideas are more often than not incorrect (wrong) and based on what they have gleaned from left wing spokespeople, mostly in the media...and since the "media" is overwhelmingly "liberal" or left there are a lot of "spokespeople" to choose from.
A while back I reviewed a book here which is a very left wing version of American History. There are now 214 likes on that review and 219 comments...most of which are ad hominem attacks. I have been (in comments to this review and others where my views come to the front) called names, racist, hater, a "deplorable" human being (haven't we seen the "deplorables" thing somewhere else recently??? Oh well.)
So anyway here we look at the media's relationship with Barack Hussein Obama and I know going in that sensibilities will be....what...damaged? Maybe I should just say feathers will be ruffled?
Here we look back at the left's (note that now anything right of center is called "Conservative" [or something insulting] and those left of center are called "moderate".) high hopes and dreams for the Obama presidency. Now we can see that all he really accomplished was spending more than every president before him combined and leaving a $20.4 TRILLION...yes great, great, great grandchildren it was the Obama generation who sent you the debt you'll still be paying off for the next century (or two).
It has been recognized by (probably the majority of) Americans that the main stream media is heavily liberal (leftist) and that when Pres. Obama ran the majority were simply and plainly in his camp.
Look I know up front that many will never pick this book up and hate me for recommending it. That said if you are able give the book a read. The ratings tend to be "1 star or 5 stars', it obviously runs along ideological lines. However the statements are simple factual statements and the arguments are backed by facts. Yes there are a few laughs...but then looking at the situation we could use a few laughs.
Recommended to those who can manage an open mind. ...more
Well...a good read. I have for some time been in a slump. I couldn't "get into" a book. Watching TV, playing computer games, D&D...blah. Well notWell...a good read. I have for some time been in a slump. I couldn't "get into" a book. Watching TV, playing computer games, D&D...blah. Well not blah as I do enjoy D&D but come on, you can't just "get the group together" whenever you feel like adventuring in a fantasy world.
Then I picked this up. The first of the book almost put me off as it began with a reference to King Arthur. Now I burned out on Camelot, Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Galahad....their horses, the ladies and courtiers the entire Arthurian legend, told and retold story a long, long time ago.
Happily this isn't another retelling. It simply picks up after the disasters of that tale as the "survivors" have gone (fled?) to another world. The story told in that world, or rather begun in that world has drawn me in and while I have other books to get to first I do plan to buy the next book...and I truly hope it stays as good.
So, what do we have here? This is for my money a great read. The The Gray Knight is in many ways a "standard" epic fantasy (if there is such a thing as a "standard" anything) we start out with heroic (yet fallen) knight who is terribly wounded and carries his wounds silently and stoically.
You get the idea.
I suspect that the comparisons with Middle Earth, Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy "tropes" will be somewhat inescapable here. The world these humans have arrived in contains High Elves, Dark Elves, Orcs, Kobolds etc. There are magisters (mages) good and bad, Clerics, shamans there are magic weapons, knightly orders...
Again, you get the idea.
From the story's inception however all these parts come together to form what for me is an enthralling story. I sat up till 2:30 this morning and finished the book today.
So, I'd recommend you grab this one up...I like it. Of course everyone won't, we never all agree, but I'd say give this one a shot.
Okay, you'll note I put this on several shelves. We have here a time travel/alternate universe story that at least attempts to look at some of the thiOkay, you'll note I put this on several shelves. We have here a time travel/alternate universe story that at least attempts to look at some of the things that most stories that delve into this area sort of gloss over.
So what do I tell you without giving a spoiler???? Not much really. Anything I give you is sort if a spoiler so...here's what I'll do. I'll give some info under a spoiler tag and if you want to look it's on your own head.
(view spoiler)[ So our protagonist gets snatched out of the life he actually loves. He's not made any huge splash in his life so far as a career is concerned but he has a wife he's still head over heels in love with even after years of marriage. he has a son he loves and a job he enjoys, teaching.
It turns out he was snatched by a version of himself from an alternate universe where he had used his genius to make huge discoveries and become a premier scientist...but was lonely and unhappy. so "he" decides to replace "himself" in a universe where "he" was happy.
Now the "he" we're concerned with and the point of view we share is of the "he" who had the wife and was happy though not materially so successful. (hide spoiler)]
Okay that's enough to "be going on with" as our cousins across the pond might say. This book/story is really a good one and it tries (it seems to me) to try and split the difference between deeply serious and humorous...and it works. I mean if every time "we all" make a decision there's another universe where "we" went the other way...what does that really mean?
This looked like a good book. The idea was/is good, the synopsis looked great...sadly the execution was less than wonderful.
Let me first sayWell crap.
This looked like a good book. The idea was/is good, the synopsis looked great...sadly the execution was less than wonderful.
Let me first say that I bought the Audible edition. One problem here was the reader/narrator. He just didn't do a good job. I'm sorry Mr. May, maybe you've done better work, I don't know. This however was not a great job of reading. It came across as stiff at places with the emotions coming across (when it did come across) sounded forced. Had the narration been better I might have finished the book... But it wasn't and combined with the other...problems...I laid the book aside after reading half or so.
So, on to the problems with the book itself. I do leather work. Wallets, knife sheaths, belts, holsters I enjoy the work. Sometimes I'll get an idea and my brain will run with it. The idea may grow and I begin cutting and tooling the leather. BUT sometimes the idea has become "ideas" and when I finish I find that the project has become what might generally be called "busy", or just overdone.
This book is like that. There are so many ideas here that range from science fiction to fantasy to comic book characters to mythology. There is one point where we had a fight that seemed more like a fight between Superman and the Hulk. Our hero smashes into the street and leaves a crater (taking no damage of course) and then shatters bricks in the nearby building's wall...
Without spoilers our "hero Victor" woke up 10 years or so ago with no memory of his past. He's apparently immortal, knows about magic (but doesn't seem yo posses any) is filled with biological nanites (which seem to me to bear a remarkable resemblance to "midichlorians" [one of the worst ideas ever to come out of science fantasy]), he can generate a transparent protective shield which protects him but can be extended to do other"stuff". The world has all kinds of "evil" from undead to shape-changers and mythological beings.
Oh yeah and Victor isn't human but he doesn't know what he is.
Anyway I saw echoes of dozens of novels, comic books and movies I'm familiar with...that along with the poof reading was just several bridges too far. I plan to return it to Audible....more
Okay...going slow here. I've read other books by Ms. Wiehl and enjoy3ed most of them.
This one gets a 2 from me (I'm sure others will like more) so I gOkay...going slow here. I've read other books by Ms. Wiehl and enjoy3ed most of them.
This one gets a 2 from me (I'm sure others will like more) so I guess I need to say why I dropped it to just above dislike and have decided not to follow with the next in the series.
We have a situation here I and I'm sure others here have seen before. This is a good idea, maybe even an inspired idea. It's one Ms. Wiehl seems almost uniquely equipped to write. However the execution here suffered from a couple of problems. First it seems (to me) from the writing that she's venting a little about things as the situation in the book is so obviously based on some things we've seen in the "news" (by that I mean the more scandal oriented type stories) of late. I say this in no judgemental way at all except that whatever the details of things that actually happened...the villain here is a bit heavy handed, almost a caricature.
The second thing is that (and again please read/hear this in a neutral tone, I mention it simply as something that is here) Ms. Wiehl believes strongly that women still aren't getting a fair shake. We're speaking of the "glass ceiling" here. Now whether you agree with her or not even whether she is correct or not isn't the issue. The problem is that this idea along with the situation above simply take over the book. If (as I was) you're actually actually interested in the main character and the story's plot the book can get very frustrating as both plot and character most of the time take a back seat to book's messages.
So sorry I can't go (for me that is) above 2 stars here...too bad....more
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