George R.R. Martin must be a fascinating guy. Between all the incest and the lack of qualms when it comes to the killing or injuring of well-liked chaGeorge R.R. Martin must be a fascinating guy. Between all the incest and the lack of qualms when it comes to the killing or injuring of well-liked characters, this guy is downright heartless . . . or just really imaginative and true to his vision! I do not recommend reading this book if you are one of those people who expects your favorite characters to eventually find happiness. There is no happiness here.
On the other hand, A Game of Thrones was astoundingly good. The writing style was phenomenal. Even the word choices gave me a feeling of being in a another time or place, in which knights battle to the death in their highly-ornamented suits of armor, while dragons and zombies fight their own battles in other parts of the world. I felt the icy cold of the Wall, the warm cold of home in Winterfell, and the heartless warmth of King's Landing. I think it might be hard not to feel something while reading A Game of Thrones.
I didn't understand the title before I picked up the book, but after having finished the book, I have to admit that the title is perfection. As the book opens, there is at least one conspiracy to take the throne. As the book progresses, it becomes unclear to various characters who has a right to the throne. Various houses and groups rally around leaders, and in the end, there appear to be a number of claims to a number of thrones. It's a marvelous game the players play, a game of thrones!
In most of my reviews, I say something about the characterization of the main character. In A Game of Thrones, there are many main characters, and each one is beautifully characterized. I understand every one's motivations and desires. I know what drives them, and I desperately want them all to achieve their aims.
I almost gave this book four stars. Frankly, Daenerys's apparent partial loss of her sanity (in my opinion) toward the end of the book threw me for quite a loop. The last few Dany chapters were just odd. And unfortunately, they were so close to the end of the book that I didn't have much chance to let go of the bad taste they left in mouth. So I initially planned to give this book four stars. But after taking several minutes to reflect, I felt the need to come back and change this star-rating to five stars, as it should be.
Post-Review Update:It's been a while since I first read and reviewed this book, and now I'm increasing its rating to FIVE stars. Why? Well, every timePost-Review Update:It's been a while since I first read and reviewed this book, and now I'm increasing its rating to FIVE stars. Why? Well, every time I write an action scene I think about this book. I think it makes me better. And that's deserving of full marks.
I found this useful, but it didn't blow me away. I'm giving it four stars because it gave me something invaluable: confidence. I can write good action scenes. And it got me thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish with my action scenes and how I should put the various parts of the scene together to accomplish that.
All of this book was useful. But in my opinion, the most useful aspect of this book didn't get enough attention. It was thrown in toward the end in a section designed to provide additional tips. I'm talking about pacing. Throughout the book, the author told me about stunts, which make up engagements, which make up sequences, and he described various kinds of engagements and what to think about for each kind of engagement. All this was very informative and increased my confidence level by giving me a frame of reference.
But how do I write a stunt? That's the building block of an action scene. All through the book, I kept thinking, "Okay, but how?"
I think my action scenes tend to be too mechanical--probably a downside of my being a patent attorney during the day. So how do I write action scenes that flow and excite? The author finally got into this issue while wrapping things up at the end of the book. And what he had to say about pacing was invaluable. But I wanted him to say more, and I wanted him to say it sooner.
So if you decide to read this book, and I absolutely recommend it, then I suggest you skip to the end and read the pacing section first....more
I'm not really in a review-writing mood right now, so I'll keep this brief. This book was non-stop awesome for the first 75% or so. I love Great book!
I'm not really in a review-writing mood right now, so I'll keep this brief. This book was non-stop awesome for the first 75% or so. I love the idea of grimspace, an alternative to faster-than-light travel. Plus, we have a conspiracy theory, some romantic tension, bounty hunters, and a flawed and tormented heroine. Fun, fun, fun!
Imperfections that I'm willing to overlook because of the overwhelming awesomeness of most of the book: It slowed down a tad between the 75% and 90% marks--when Sirantha's internal torment overwhelmed her and she needed a break. I didn't love that little interlude, but I understand it; it seemed a reasonable path for her. March, the love interest, could have been developed a little more. Most of what I know of him, I learned from Sirantha's thoughts. I didn't get to see his personality as much as I got to hear about it. But I did root for him and Sirantha to couple up, so I guess he was well enough developed for me to care.
Despite the flaws, this book is a great ride. I give it high marks....more
Although this is definitely a unique series, I noticed a lot of parallels to the Kate Daniels series. And that's a good thing. If something worked forAlthough this is definitely a unique series, I noticed a lot of parallels to the Kate Daniels series. And that's a good thing. If something worked for me in one Ilona Andrews series, I imagine it will work for me in this one too. I'm so excited for the next book!...more
This book was truly marvelous, even better than the first.
A thing to keep in mind when undertaking the reading of The Name of the Wind or The Wise ManThis book was truly marvelous, even better than the first.
A thing to keep in mind when undertaking the reading of The Name of the Wind or The Wise Man's Fear is that these are not your everyday fantasy novels. Throughout these two books, much emphasis is given to the idea of a well-told story. The characters regularly tell each other stories, and Kvothe in particular prides himself on being an excellent story-teller.
Kvothe's story, as told in The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, is much like many of the stories told by the characters within. It is a beautiful tale that encourages you to enjoy the journey, instead of focusing only on the end goal. Most books are highways, straight and true, with perhaps a bit of character development from side to side along the way. The Wise Man's Fear is a path through the mountains; it meanders. But there's definitely more to see as you travel, and if you're suited for the journey, it's loads more exciting than a boring old highway.
Kvothe's goal is to find the Chandrian, but unfortunately for Kvothe, the Chandrian are a great mystery. So while the end goal remains the same throughout, we witness Kvothe's life as it progresses. And Kvothe has a very interesting life, including adventure upon adventure, and resulting in Kvothe's ultimate notoriety.
The Wise Man's Fear includes masterful characterization and many many stories within the story. As Kvothe seeks the Chandrian, he repeatedly runs into trouble. His sharp and curious mind encourage him to learn, while also encouraging him to shoot his mouth off imprudently at inopportune moments.
If you're looking for your typical novel in which the protagonist makes noticeable strides toward his goal at every turn, then this may not be the story for you. (Also, if that is the case, then I regret that you are stuck in your little close-minded box.) On the other hand, if you are a true lover of stories, and you might enjoy a beautifully told tale of a marvelously fascinating young man who meets a new adventure at every turn, then read this book right away!
The Wise Man's Fear has earned a place on my "favorites" shelf....more
I don't know how I'd feel about it as an adult. But I do remember that I absolutely adored this book when I read it as a kid. It's on my favorites sheI don't know how I'd feel about it as an adult. But I do remember that I absolutely adored this book when I read it as a kid. It's on my favorites shelf. It's also on my to-read shelf because I intend to reread it....more
My five-star rating is based on the assumption that the information presented in this book is accurate. I don't know enough about magic to judge this My five-star rating is based on the assumption that the information presented in this book is accurate. I don't know enough about magic to judge this for myself. Based on that assumption, in my opinion, this is a great reference for anyone who has experienced a string of misfortunes and is open-minded about the existence of hexes.
There's some guidance here about how to determine whether you've been hexed: what to look for, what tasks may be performed to test for hexes, and what circumstances indicate lack of a hex. There's also guidance about how to remove hexes and how to deal with psychics so you don't get cheated when it comes to determining whether you have been hexed and, if so, removing the hex. Should you determine that your misfortune is not the result of hex after all, there's also some guidance about how to deal with negative energy that may be causing your misfortune.
Overall, I found this to be a great reference for the lay-person. It uses understandable terms and presents logical steps for approaching the problem. Most of all, I appreciate the general focus of the book on, first, determining whether a hex exists before addressing it. A less cautious author might have jumped right into how to remove hexes, but the approach taken here seems more trustworthy.
Thanks to the publisher for the free review copy, provided through NetGalley....more
This is the best book on practical writing tips I have ever read. I may have to change my star rating after implementing these concepts, but right nowThis is the best book on practical writing tips I have ever read. I may have to change my star rating after implementing these concepts, but right now I feel really good about what I learned while reading this....more
Mistborn is a truly super-awesome and fantastic book, with the masterful sort of ending that I have come to expect from the genius that is Brandon SanMistborn is a truly super-awesome and fantastic book, with the masterful sort of ending that I have come to expect from the genius that is Brandon Sanderson!
At the beginning of the book, we meet Vin, a street urchin just trying to survive as a member of an oppressed socio-economic class. One of the ways that Vin survives is by using what she thinks of as her "Luck." Her use of luck is detected by some very bad guys, as well as by some questionable guys.
Among these questionable guys is Kelsier, who brings Vin in as part of his thieving crew and explains that her Luck is simply one of the eight basic forms of Allomancy. Allomancy is the burning of various Allomantic metals, where each metal provides an associated ability to the person burning it. "Mistings" can burn exactly one basic Allomantic metals, and "Mistborns" can burn all Allomantic metals, which includes a few additional metals on top of the basic eight. Vin and Kelsier are Mistborn, and various other members of their crew are Mistings.
The Lord Ruler is a mysterious god-like bad guy who oppresses everybody, especially the lower class, while asserting his rule. So of course, Kelsier and Vin seek to bring down the Lord Ruler and pretty much the entire government, all the while being hunted for their abilities.
One of things I adored about this book is that we, the reader, get to learn all about Allomancy and how metal-burning works, as Kelsier breaks it down for Vin. So in a beautiful, non-contrived manner, we are introduced to the magic system.
The characterization in the book was great. I understood Vin and Kelsier. Vin is stubborn survivor trying to find her place in the world, and Kelsier wants vengeance and justice for his wife's death. The Lord Ruler has his own super-secret motivations that remain a mystery as the book comes to a close. I can't wait to read about this in the later books! I really hated (i.e., the way a reader should hate the bad guy) the Lord Ruler and his minions, who were pretty freakin scary. I think further development of the other crew members would have been nice, but maybe I'll see more of them in the later books of this trilogy.
Throughout a great deal of the book, the crew is working their "job," which is a multi-layer plan to give themselves a fair shot at taking out Lord Ruler. In the end, some parts of the plan succeed and some fail miserably. Despite the failures, the crew members forge ahead against the Lord Ruler . . . whom they have no idea how to kill.
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