Books 42-44
42. Golden Fool (Fantasy) - Robin Hobb
Rating:8
The second book in the "Tawny Man" portion of the Farseer universe opens well, but I'm a bit less enamored of it this time around. Fitz is getting whiny, refusing to see past his own needs and wants, and blaming himself for everything even with everyone tells him to stop. Chade has gone from a character I really loved to one I want to just... well, to just go off, fall over and be out of the series. And damnit, if SOMEONE doesn't give Fool a huge hug and tell him that it'll somehow someday be OK, I will implode.
Fitz manages to screw up the ONE relationship where he was treated as honestly as possible (Fool needed to use Fitz, but always told him so, and felt bad for it, at the very least, unlike EVERYONE else). And if I hear Fitz whine one more time that the Fool talks in riddles when all he freaking has to do is LISTEN I will throttle Fitz. I'm getting slowly tired of Fitz stubbornly held loyalties to people who don't deserve it (HELLO-- Burrich and Molly? I don't CARE if she needed help, it was as if your father falls for and marries your ex wife. Kettriken AND Chade both holding Nettle as a threat to make Fitz do whatever they want, all the while piously telling Fitz how screwed up he is while screwing things up themselves. Dutiful being anything BUT and Fitz even having to swallow himself to deal with Thick, making pleasing someone who was betraying the royals more important than Fitz himself) and the stupid things Fitz is forced to accept with a smile on his face (Anyone else want to cheerfully throttle Starling the bard? I've hated her since the first time we met her, but apparently Fitz has to let that nasty tongued bitch say and do whatever she wishes as 'making a bard angry is baaaaad' :P). And don't forget the people who pretend to be nice and who end up being nasty remoras who back stab the second they are away from the guiding influence of Martyr Fitz-- his adopted son who goes from a strong, confident, kind man to a sneaky lazy weasel. Or Jinna who went from an open, sweet kind woman to a overtly possessive, angry and judgment oriented snot. It seems like everyone in the universe is just waiting to turn on Fitz; it's all just a matter of time.
And my final rant: *Everyone* hating Witted... oh BOO -- not all farmers are superstitious fools, and just because you live in wealth does not guarantee that you will be able to overcome ignorance better; even in the Dark Ages, some towns did accept their 'wise women'... they were practical; she knows herbs, more of us survive illness, so caring for her and hers means we do better as a community. Yet somehow you say the word WIT and every SINGLE human (save the usually either dimwitted, or snarky Witted) in the Farseer universe ever turns into a slavering bigot who is just waiting to draw, quarter, and burn their neighbors.
Let's say I'm taking a break before finishing the series with the last book...
43. Safe Harbor (Par. Romance) - Christine Feehan
Rating: 6
Fifth Drake sisters book. Basically, take any of the last few, and edit the names. I'm stubborn and WILL finish the series... that is the ONLY reason I'm continuing. Even the sex is getting rote, and that is a truly sad thing to type.
44. The Last Guardian (Fantasy) - Jeff Grubb
Rating: 8
If you, like me, play Word of Warcraft, you will enjoy the book, set mostly in Karazhan. If you don't, well, it is a semi interesting fantasy novel and there are so many better out there. But those of us in WoW will hiss at Moroes, and scream, as I did "NO! NOT THERE -- IT'S JUST TRASH MOBS DOWN THERE!" which made it a really fun read. :)
44 / 50
(88.0%)
Rating:8
The second book in the "Tawny Man" portion of the Farseer universe opens well, but I'm a bit less enamored of it this time around. Fitz is getting whiny, refusing to see past his own needs and wants, and blaming himself for everything even with everyone tells him to stop. Chade has gone from a character I really loved to one I want to just... well, to just go off, fall over and be out of the series. And damnit, if SOMEONE doesn't give Fool a huge hug and tell him that it'll somehow someday be OK, I will implode.
Fitz manages to screw up the ONE relationship where he was treated as honestly as possible (Fool needed to use Fitz, but always told him so, and felt bad for it, at the very least, unlike EVERYONE else). And if I hear Fitz whine one more time that the Fool talks in riddles when all he freaking has to do is LISTEN I will throttle Fitz. I'm getting slowly tired of Fitz stubbornly held loyalties to people who don't deserve it (HELLO-- Burrich and Molly? I don't CARE if she needed help, it was as if your father falls for and marries your ex wife. Kettriken AND Chade both holding Nettle as a threat to make Fitz do whatever they want, all the while piously telling Fitz how screwed up he is while screwing things up themselves. Dutiful being anything BUT and Fitz even having to swallow himself to deal with Thick, making pleasing someone who was betraying the royals more important than Fitz himself) and the stupid things Fitz is forced to accept with a smile on his face (Anyone else want to cheerfully throttle Starling the bard? I've hated her since the first time we met her, but apparently Fitz has to let that nasty tongued bitch say and do whatever she wishes as 'making a bard angry is baaaaad' :P). And don't forget the people who pretend to be nice and who end up being nasty remoras who back stab the second they are away from the guiding influence of Martyr Fitz-- his adopted son who goes from a strong, confident, kind man to a sneaky lazy weasel. Or Jinna who went from an open, sweet kind woman to a overtly possessive, angry and judgment oriented snot. It seems like everyone in the universe is just waiting to turn on Fitz; it's all just a matter of time.
And my final rant: *Everyone* hating Witted... oh BOO -- not all farmers are superstitious fools, and just because you live in wealth does not guarantee that you will be able to overcome ignorance better; even in the Dark Ages, some towns did accept their 'wise women'... they were practical; she knows herbs, more of us survive illness, so caring for her and hers means we do better as a community. Yet somehow you say the word WIT and every SINGLE human (save the usually either dimwitted, or snarky Witted) in the Farseer universe ever turns into a slavering bigot who is just waiting to draw, quarter, and burn their neighbors.
Let's say I'm taking a break before finishing the series with the last book...
43. Safe Harbor (Par. Romance) - Christine Feehan
Rating: 6
Fifth Drake sisters book. Basically, take any of the last few, and edit the names. I'm stubborn and WILL finish the series... that is the ONLY reason I'm continuing. Even the sex is getting rote, and that is a truly sad thing to type.
44. The Last Guardian (Fantasy) - Jeff Grubb
Rating: 8
If you, like me, play Word of Warcraft, you will enjoy the book, set mostly in Karazhan. If you don't, well, it is a semi interesting fantasy novel and there are so many better out there. But those of us in WoW will hiss at Moroes, and scream, as I did "NO! NOT THERE -- IT'S JUST TRASH MOBS DOWN THERE!" which made it a really fun read. :)
44 / 50
(88.0%)