Some more books...
16. A Fortress of Grey Ice by J.V. Jones: The second part in the Sword of Shadows series seemed a lot better paced then the first one. In retrospect it was lacking in memorable scenes though. The two main characters are slowly progressing towards where they should be and finding out what they should do to, but that's basically it. To put it nicely you can call it character development and that's definitely not bad per se, but still. It's a good book, well written and interesting enough to make you want to pick up the next one, just don't expect too much plot progression.
3 1/2*
17. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff: The third in the Blood series about 450-year old vampire Henry and nearly blind, but spunky detective Vicky Nelson. This time a thousand year old Egyptian mummy is on the loose and this might be an enemy that even Henry can't deal with. The story is very different from the TV episodes that are based on it. This one is a lot more light-hearted with the simple morale that you're stronger when you have friends on your side. Except for the prison abuse scene (which was brutal for no reason at all) this flows quite nicely. 3*
18. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein: A science fiction classic that bravely combines space adventure and mind-boggling social critique. Controversial is the nicest thing that it has been called, but in my eyes it's one of the best novels out there and definitely one of my favorites. The story of 18-year old Rico who joines the mobile infantry, interspersed with chapters about the social system and it's historic foundations (i.e. our society), is a not so typical growing of age story. It's about camerady, about living another day, about meeting old friends and being proud of them. It's about loss and how to keep walking. Somehow it portrays the best of human qualities in so very few words. Characters are introduced only to die shortly after, but you still care for them and even if there is no time for mourning, there's no way they're forgotten. And somehow it manages to end on an upbeaten note.
Of course there are many faults that could be exploited: One could say that it's telling people to join the army, the society it portrays has been called fascist and there's plenty more. Truth is that you could probably read it that way if you'd be so inclined. I think that it stresses the free will too much to be any of that, but why don't you give it a try and see for yourself?
For those that have seen the movie and didn't like it, give the book a try. The movie is more like a persiflage of the book than anything else. For those that liked the movie, the book is so much more and I'm sure you'd love it. 5*
19. City of Illusions by Ursula K. LeGuin: A man, who knows nothing of himself breaks out of the woods and finds himself taken in by kind people who teach him how to be human. Only he isn't, his yellow eyes give him away. Is he maybe one of the Shing, the rulers of Earth? Even though it breaks his heart to leave he must go and find who is.
This is one of those classics of Science Fiction and I can really understand way. It's point of view is entirely of the main character so we never know more than he does. We see with him, we learn with him and there's a whole world to see and learn about. It has it's romantic moments and it's tragic moments, it's adventurous ones and it's slow ones. It pretty much has all you'd ever want. This plays in the same world as "Planet of Exile". If you like classic SF, this is highly recommended.
3 1/2*
17. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff: The third in the Blood series about 450-year old vampire Henry and nearly blind, but spunky detective Vicky Nelson. This time a thousand year old Egyptian mummy is on the loose and this might be an enemy that even Henry can't deal with. The story is very different from the TV episodes that are based on it. This one is a lot more light-hearted with the simple morale that you're stronger when you have friends on your side. Except for the prison abuse scene (which was brutal for no reason at all) this flows quite nicely. 3*
18. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein: A science fiction classic that bravely combines space adventure and mind-boggling social critique. Controversial is the nicest thing that it has been called, but in my eyes it's one of the best novels out there and definitely one of my favorites. The story of 18-year old Rico who joines the mobile infantry, interspersed with chapters about the social system and it's historic foundations (i.e. our society), is a not so typical growing of age story. It's about camerady, about living another day, about meeting old friends and being proud of them. It's about loss and how to keep walking. Somehow it portrays the best of human qualities in so very few words. Characters are introduced only to die shortly after, but you still care for them and even if there is no time for mourning, there's no way they're forgotten. And somehow it manages to end on an upbeaten note.
Of course there are many faults that could be exploited: One could say that it's telling people to join the army, the society it portrays has been called fascist and there's plenty more. Truth is that you could probably read it that way if you'd be so inclined. I think that it stresses the free will too much to be any of that, but why don't you give it a try and see for yourself?
For those that have seen the movie and didn't like it, give the book a try. The movie is more like a persiflage of the book than anything else. For those that liked the movie, the book is so much more and I'm sure you'd love it. 5*
19. City of Illusions by Ursula K. LeGuin: A man, who knows nothing of himself breaks out of the woods and finds himself taken in by kind people who teach him how to be human. Only he isn't, his yellow eyes give him away. Is he maybe one of the Shing, the rulers of Earth? Even though it breaks his heart to leave he must go and find who is.
This is one of those classics of Science Fiction and I can really understand way. It's point of view is entirely of the main character so we never know more than he does. We see with him, we learn with him and there's a whole world to see and learn about. It has it's romantic moments and it's tragic moments, it's adventurous ones and it's slow ones. It pretty much has all you'd ever want. This plays in the same world as "Planet of Exile". If you like classic SF, this is highly recommended.