Review Extravaganza!
I'm decidedly behind on my book reviews so I'm posting up a couple today. I'm trying to stay away for as long as I possibly can tonight, so I figured, what the heck? ^_^
So here we go. *cracks knuckles*
First up:
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst.
Sadly, I was very disappointed by this book. The story was generally based on East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and I love a good fairytale retelling. Note, good retelling. All the characters, except the protagonist, were exceedingly one-dimensional, and even the main character didn't fare much better. I'd call her two-dimensional. She makes all these decisions without the author delving into her motivations, other than she just chose to go that way. There is some talk about uncomfortable feelings, but that's it. Synposis here which will have a case in point.
Cassie grows up in a polar bear research center with her father under the impression that her mother was dead. Her grandmother had always told her the story that her mother was really the daughter of the North Wind, and through convoluted circumstances she defied her 'father' in order to marry Cassie's dad, got blown off the face of the earth to where the trolls live, and in the process engaged Cassie to marry the Polar Bear King. Of course, the girl believes this all a myth until she one day finds said mystical bear and agrees to marry him if he'll find a way to free her mother. He does so and Cassie goes to live in his castle where she slowly, haltingly falls in love with him. She decides to stay though mostly because she doesn't want to face the mother she just gave everything up to save, then when she does meet her she's doesn't want to talk to her and escapes as soon as she's able. Awkwardly unbelievable much? (That's the most emotion any of the characters ever show though.)
Afterward she gets pregnant, though taking birth control, and the King changes the molecules in her body so she gets pregnant anyhow, not understanding she was trying to avoid it. (because the whole reason he wanted a wife was for heirs.) She gets upset and demands he rectify it, he refuses, and so she decides to peek at his face when he transforms at night into human form. This was the one rule she had been given (a very cupid and psyche vibe) and when she peeks he gets pulled away to the troll kingdom because that was his bargain for freeing her mom.
Then it turns into pregnancy fic. She travels while pregnant, wishing the baby away all the while, seeking help from other magical beings, but they care more about protecting her unborn child than saving her husband, so they 'imprison' her so she can't damage the baby during her pregnancy. Eventually she escapes and just when she's about to rescue the polar bear king she has the baby and has decided she loves it immensely. I wouldn't really have a problem with this but for two things: not only was I not expecting this from the fairytale, but it took up a good two-thirds of the book. Secondly, it was badly done. There was no real shift in her feelings, just that it was a burden, she kept thinking about her kid, and suddenly she loved it. No transition, but I think the author just failed on feelings/motivation all around.
So she has baby, goes inside to tell trolls she knows how to fix their problem and save her husband, agreement is made, and book ends. Slightly awkward ending, but hardly the least of my complaints.
*Sigh* I really wanted to like this book, I really did, and it's probably not quite as bad as I'm making it out to be, but it really was a great disappointment. I've been wanting to read East by Edith Pattou, hearing that it's a better rendition of the same fairytale, but I'm now a bit leery about the subject. So I'll get to that one eventually but will likely wait for a little bit still. (Either that or I'll want to read it as soon as possible to cover over the memory of this one...)
Second book:
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
This is the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's not really what I'd expect from a sequel. The characters from the first book are entirely secondary in the 'sequel' so I wouldn't quite term it as such, more as just being in the same universe. Guess it's all just semantics.
Honestly, though, I think I actually enjoyed the sequel more. It was just a lot of fun.
Basic premise is that Charmain is a bookworm who grew up very sheltered, with parents (or mother) who thought she should only do proper things, and magic was most definitely not one of them. So when she's asked to look after the house of a great-great-grand uncle (or some such) who's a wizard, she thinks it's a bit daring but mostly just wants to get away to a place where she can read all day in peace. Turns out there's a tiny magical dog, a new apprentice arrives on the doorstep unannounced, a vindictive kobold gardener, and a house that has, well, many ways. There are only two rooms, the living room and kitchen, but if you step through the door differently then you end up somewhere else entirely: some places beautiful, some dusty, some near, some far, some altering time, and some as of yet completely unexplored.
The sheer whimsy of it is enjoyable and the discovery of it all makes nearly the entire plot for me. Of course there is true plot as well, with a sick uncle, elves, scheming princes, evil lubocks and lubbochins, missing gold and coups, etc., but for me it almost pales in comparison with the world created, or at least the way in which the schemes are solved. It's the process, not the resolution, though the resolution is important because it never would be reached without the process.
Ha, I'm probably not making much sense at the moment, but then again it is 5am and I haven't slept yet.
That's all for now. I'm almost finished reading another series, and I love it so I'm tempted to review the first books now, but I'll be a good girl and wait until I'm finished.
Until next time.
So here we go. *cracks knuckles*
First up:
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst.
Sadly, I was very disappointed by this book. The story was generally based on East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and I love a good fairytale retelling. Note, good retelling. All the characters, except the protagonist, were exceedingly one-dimensional, and even the main character didn't fare much better. I'd call her two-dimensional. She makes all these decisions without the author delving into her motivations, other than she just chose to go that way. There is some talk about uncomfortable feelings, but that's it. Synposis here which will have a case in point.
Cassie grows up in a polar bear research center with her father under the impression that her mother was dead. Her grandmother had always told her the story that her mother was really the daughter of the North Wind, and through convoluted circumstances she defied her 'father' in order to marry Cassie's dad, got blown off the face of the earth to where the trolls live, and in the process engaged Cassie to marry the Polar Bear King. Of course, the girl believes this all a myth until she one day finds said mystical bear and agrees to marry him if he'll find a way to free her mother. He does so and Cassie goes to live in his castle where she slowly, haltingly falls in love with him. She decides to stay though mostly because she doesn't want to face the mother she just gave everything up to save, then when she does meet her she's doesn't want to talk to her and escapes as soon as she's able. Awkwardly unbelievable much? (That's the most emotion any of the characters ever show though.)
Afterward she gets pregnant, though taking birth control, and the King changes the molecules in her body so she gets pregnant anyhow, not understanding she was trying to avoid it. (because the whole reason he wanted a wife was for heirs.) She gets upset and demands he rectify it, he refuses, and so she decides to peek at his face when he transforms at night into human form. This was the one rule she had been given (a very cupid and psyche vibe) and when she peeks he gets pulled away to the troll kingdom because that was his bargain for freeing her mom.
Then it turns into pregnancy fic. She travels while pregnant, wishing the baby away all the while, seeking help from other magical beings, but they care more about protecting her unborn child than saving her husband, so they 'imprison' her so she can't damage the baby during her pregnancy. Eventually she escapes and just when she's about to rescue the polar bear king she has the baby and has decided she loves it immensely. I wouldn't really have a problem with this but for two things: not only was I not expecting this from the fairytale, but it took up a good two-thirds of the book. Secondly, it was badly done. There was no real shift in her feelings, just that it was a burden, she kept thinking about her kid, and suddenly she loved it. No transition, but I think the author just failed on feelings/motivation all around.
So she has baby, goes inside to tell trolls she knows how to fix their problem and save her husband, agreement is made, and book ends. Slightly awkward ending, but hardly the least of my complaints.
*Sigh* I really wanted to like this book, I really did, and it's probably not quite as bad as I'm making it out to be, but it really was a great disappointment. I've been wanting to read East by Edith Pattou, hearing that it's a better rendition of the same fairytale, but I'm now a bit leery about the subject. So I'll get to that one eventually but will likely wait for a little bit still. (Either that or I'll want to read it as soon as possible to cover over the memory of this one...)
Second book:
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
This is the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's not really what I'd expect from a sequel. The characters from the first book are entirely secondary in the 'sequel' so I wouldn't quite term it as such, more as just being in the same universe. Guess it's all just semantics.
Honestly, though, I think I actually enjoyed the sequel more. It was just a lot of fun.
Basic premise is that Charmain is a bookworm who grew up very sheltered, with parents (or mother) who thought she should only do proper things, and magic was most definitely not one of them. So when she's asked to look after the house of a great-great-grand uncle (or some such) who's a wizard, she thinks it's a bit daring but mostly just wants to get away to a place where she can read all day in peace. Turns out there's a tiny magical dog, a new apprentice arrives on the doorstep unannounced, a vindictive kobold gardener, and a house that has, well, many ways. There are only two rooms, the living room and kitchen, but if you step through the door differently then you end up somewhere else entirely: some places beautiful, some dusty, some near, some far, some altering time, and some as of yet completely unexplored.
The sheer whimsy of it is enjoyable and the discovery of it all makes nearly the entire plot for me. Of course there is true plot as well, with a sick uncle, elves, scheming princes, evil lubocks and lubbochins, missing gold and coups, etc., but for me it almost pales in comparison with the world created, or at least the way in which the schemes are solved. It's the process, not the resolution, though the resolution is important because it never would be reached without the process.
Ha, I'm probably not making much sense at the moment, but then again it is 5am and I haven't slept yet.
That's all for now. I'm almost finished reading another series, and I love it so I'm tempted to review the first books now, but I'll be a good girl and wait until I'm finished.
Until next time.