A circlet of silver
I just finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Overall, another brilliant fantasy piece. Gaiman's in his element and writes with his usual jaw-dropping ease.
The Good:
The Lilim. BAD. ASS. They make all other fairy tale villains look like sissy pansies.
Madame Semele. She is an underhanded, self-serving, greedy, conniving biddy. I can only hope to be half as cool when I'm old and crotchety.
The Lords of Stormhold. Sibling rivalry taken to a whole new level. Primus was my favorite. I would pair him with Tristran in a heartbeat.
Mrs. Hempstock's and Mrs. Thorn's negotiations about marriage over tea. Proving once again that sheep make the best dowry.
Brevis. That poor kid. Never learned not to talk to freaky women driving carts. Also, if your goat is smarter than you are, it's time to accept your role as a sacrificial character and move on.
The scene in the Barrens. So incredibly creepy and so very good.
The little hairy man. By far my favorite character in the book. I love you, little hairy man.
The candle and how it works. I want one.
The glass flowers. I want one of those, too.
Wall, the wall, and the nine year market cycle. I want to read more books set in this world something fierce.
Daisy Hempstock. Fantasy novels need more heroines like her. I would hang out with Daisy. I would also date her.
The bird skeleton in the serewood. Great example of a little thing used to convey menace in a big way.
All of the imagery. Gaiman's a really visual writer and he has this deft, direct touch. Love it.
All of the dialogue. I have yet to read any exchanges in a Gaiman novel that feel the least bit off.
The Bad:
Yvaine. I tried to appreciate her improvement in attitude. It didn't work; I couldn't get past how she acted through three-quarters of the book. She's an ungrateful, self-centered, snarky brat and Tristran deserves better.
Victoria Forester. Unlike Yvaine, she at least treated Tristran like a human being. But stringing him along and lying to him? NOT. COOL.
The faerie woman. Standard Mary Sue, right down to the violet eyes and perfect curves. She even has cat ears to prove she's extra special. That was unnecessary. Gaiman's capable of more character development than that.
Dunstan Thorn. You, sir, are an ass for doing that to Daisy. I don't care if you eventually forgot about it.
Tristran's ears. Amusing, sure, but they didn't add a thing to the story.
The deus ex skyship Perdita. That was awkward and flat. One of the few instances in which I felt Gaiman's quirky inventiveness went slightly awry.
But Gaiman did his job well (again). I got drawn into the world right away and enjoyed the ride. I really hope he revisits Wall in a future book.
Take a bow.
The Good:
The Lilim. BAD. ASS. They make all other fairy tale villains look like sissy pansies.
Madame Semele. She is an underhanded, self-serving, greedy, conniving biddy. I can only hope to be half as cool when I'm old and crotchety.
The Lords of Stormhold. Sibling rivalry taken to a whole new level. Primus was my favorite. I would pair him with Tristran in a heartbeat.
Mrs. Hempstock's and Mrs. Thorn's negotiations about marriage over tea. Proving once again that sheep make the best dowry.
Brevis. That poor kid. Never learned not to talk to freaky women driving carts. Also, if your goat is smarter than you are, it's time to accept your role as a sacrificial character and move on.
The scene in the Barrens. So incredibly creepy and so very good.
The little hairy man. By far my favorite character in the book. I love you, little hairy man.
The candle and how it works. I want one.
The glass flowers. I want one of those, too.
Wall, the wall, and the nine year market cycle. I want to read more books set in this world something fierce.
Daisy Hempstock. Fantasy novels need more heroines like her. I would hang out with Daisy. I would also date her.
The bird skeleton in the serewood. Great example of a little thing used to convey menace in a big way.
All of the imagery. Gaiman's a really visual writer and he has this deft, direct touch. Love it.
All of the dialogue. I have yet to read any exchanges in a Gaiman novel that feel the least bit off.
The Bad:
Yvaine. I tried to appreciate her improvement in attitude. It didn't work; I couldn't get past how she acted through three-quarters of the book. She's an ungrateful, self-centered, snarky brat and Tristran deserves better.
Victoria Forester. Unlike Yvaine, she at least treated Tristran like a human being. But stringing him along and lying to him? NOT. COOL.
The faerie woman. Standard Mary Sue, right down to the violet eyes and perfect curves. She even has cat ears to prove she's extra special. That was unnecessary. Gaiman's capable of more character development than that.
Dunstan Thorn. You, sir, are an ass for doing that to Daisy. I don't care if you eventually forgot about it.
Tristran's ears. Amusing, sure, but they didn't add a thing to the story.
The deus ex skyship Perdita. That was awkward and flat. One of the few instances in which I felt Gaiman's quirky inventiveness went slightly awry.
But Gaiman did his job well (again). I got drawn into the world right away and enjoyed the ride. I really hope he revisits Wall in a future book.
Take a bow.