(no subject)
Am reading: 《琅琊榜》 aka Langyabang by 海宴 Hai Yan. I've heard that there's more than one version of the novel around, but this version I'm reading is rather entertaining.
Have read Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho and it is marvellous. I'd read only a couple of her short stories before and while I liked them, I was a bit doubtful about a whole novel. But Kinokuniya had a discount, haha, so I bought it and it's one of the more enjoyable novels I've read in a while. Takes more than a bit of decent writing to get me off fanfics, frankly. But I really liked this, far more than I expected to.
The beginning was a little lumbering, or maybe that was my own trepidation speaking - where Zacharias was dealing with his own troubles, and even when Prunella entered the scene, the plot development didn't feel like it was happening fast enough. Bit too much angst with Prunella's dramatics? But the action unfolded quite explosively at the end, and which was even better, it drew all the bits that felt finicky together so I could see how the narrative was working together as a whole. I still feel like a few edges are sticking out, but that's a feature and not necessarily a weakness. And Prunella is awesome.
I've always been a bit iffy about magics that derive from fairyland (and its ilk) in fantasy books, because there's a tendency for lazy writing, similar to aliens in Roswell. By the way, there's another realm that's magical and you are a lost fairy princess, tralala now you are magic. Like that. Gah. I was equally iffy about the magic here, but it's much more fun to see how the characters deal with it, especially Prunella, whom I thought I'd dislike but I thoroughly enjoy. Probably because of the bits of Heyer-ish traits but also how alive she is as a character. She fairly pops off the page. It stands to reason that she would be just as ruthless as a Heyer heroine, as a sorceress. I approve heartily.
All the bare references to colonialism were delicious in a "Yeah, the British/French/whatever leftover Europeans were bastards" way to anyone who knows a bit of local history. Also bonus: talking caterpillars. So I'm totally gasping for the sequel. There's supposed to be a sequel, right?
Fics:
The Case of the Engineer's Petard, Sherlock, casefic, by AJHall
The shadows feel like home, part of the series National Service, Susan Pevensie, Narnia, Dr Who, Good Omens, and next in the series, Too used to being listened to, Edmund Pevensie, Narnia, Good Omens, by burntcopper.
This entry was originally posted at http://issenllo.dreamwidth.org/61445.html. Comment either here or there.
Have read Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho and it is marvellous. I'd read only a couple of her short stories before and while I liked them, I was a bit doubtful about a whole novel. But Kinokuniya had a discount, haha, so I bought it and it's one of the more enjoyable novels I've read in a while. Takes more than a bit of decent writing to get me off fanfics, frankly. But I really liked this, far more than I expected to.
The beginning was a little lumbering, or maybe that was my own trepidation speaking - where Zacharias was dealing with his own troubles, and even when Prunella entered the scene, the plot development didn't feel like it was happening fast enough. Bit too much angst with Prunella's dramatics? But the action unfolded quite explosively at the end, and which was even better, it drew all the bits that felt finicky together so I could see how the narrative was working together as a whole. I still feel like a few edges are sticking out, but that's a feature and not necessarily a weakness. And Prunella is awesome.
I've always been a bit iffy about magics that derive from fairyland (and its ilk) in fantasy books, because there's a tendency for lazy writing, similar to aliens in Roswell. By the way, there's another realm that's magical and you are a lost fairy princess, tralala now you are magic. Like that. Gah. I was equally iffy about the magic here, but it's much more fun to see how the characters deal with it, especially Prunella, whom I thought I'd dislike but I thoroughly enjoy. Probably because of the bits of Heyer-ish traits but also how alive she is as a character. She fairly pops off the page. It stands to reason that she would be just as ruthless as a Heyer heroine, as a sorceress. I approve heartily.
All the bare references to colonialism were delicious in a "Yeah, the British/French/whatever leftover Europeans were bastards" way to anyone who knows a bit of local history. Also bonus: talking caterpillars. So I'm totally gasping for the sequel. There's supposed to be a sequel, right?
Fics:
The Case of the Engineer's Petard, Sherlock, casefic, by AJHall
The shadows feel like home, part of the series National Service, Susan Pevensie, Narnia, Dr Who, Good Omens, and next in the series, Too used to being listened to, Edmund Pevensie, Narnia, Good Omens, by burntcopper.
This entry was originally posted at http://issenllo.dreamwidth.org/61445.html. Comment either here or there.