(no subject)
#58: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Robert O'Brien
Audiobook. I got this because I always loved the cartoon and wanted to see how similar they were. They are . . . and they aren't. There's no magic in the book. No magic amulet. It's all science. The part where the rats are in the lab is given in much more detail. Jeremy the crow doesn't come back so often in the book, but he still gets rescued from the cat and is trying to impress girls. Jennar is still the enemy rat in that he opposes giving up technology, but he doesn't actually show up in the book. The name changed--Frisby to Brisby--ostensibly because Brisby was easier to say. Overall, nifty to listen to, and interesting. Oh, the one thing that got me were all the references to modern, human things in language--"like fingernails on a chalkboard" or some such--when I couldn't figure out how the rats would know, no matter how well-read they were. There's a lot of telling too, but the book's a bit dated. STill worth the read though.
#59: Eulalia
Brian Jacques
Audiobook. Another in the Redwall series, this time about an orphaned badger who wants to wreak vengeance on his captors for slaying his grandparents. Largely the same tale as many Redwall books. The audio is entertaining, because they have a full cast of characters. Jacques narrates, and he's got about a dozen others doing voices. And there's music. Slightly cheesy, but heartfelt. Though I am getting rather annoyed that all the bad/evil critters are always vermin and always STUPID. And all the good critters are always smart and cute.
#60: Kushiel's Mercy
Jacqueline Carey
Library book. To marry the woman he loves--and the one woman in the kingdom that he's been forbidden to marry--Imriel de la Courcel agrees to a task he despises--to find his mother and bring her back for justice. But before he can, an evil befalls the kingdom that threatens all he holds dear, and his forbidden love may be the only key to the kingdom's salvation.
Dude, I liked the last book, but this one was just as good. And if you're looking for strong women characters, this one has a very, very good one, and thankfully it's not the cliched kick butt take-no-prisoners type that's been showing up in a lot of urban fantasy. Sidonie rocks. She's got brains and guts. And there's no frakking politics or gender role assumptions that get in the way, which is nice.
No complaints at all. A lovely, fantastic ending to the series. Carey is damn good at dealing with tension and making things worse, and worse, and worse again. Really good.
I still say skip #4, but #5 and #6 are must reads.
Robert O'Brien
Audiobook. I got this because I always loved the cartoon and wanted to see how similar they were. They are . . . and they aren't. There's no magic in the book. No magic amulet. It's all science. The part where the rats are in the lab is given in much more detail. Jeremy the crow doesn't come back so often in the book, but he still gets rescued from the cat and is trying to impress girls. Jennar is still the enemy rat in that he opposes giving up technology, but he doesn't actually show up in the book. The name changed--Frisby to Brisby--ostensibly because Brisby was easier to say. Overall, nifty to listen to, and interesting. Oh, the one thing that got me were all the references to modern, human things in language--"like fingernails on a chalkboard" or some such--when I couldn't figure out how the rats would know, no matter how well-read they were. There's a lot of telling too, but the book's a bit dated. STill worth the read though.
#59: Eulalia
Brian Jacques
Audiobook. Another in the Redwall series, this time about an orphaned badger who wants to wreak vengeance on his captors for slaying his grandparents. Largely the same tale as many Redwall books. The audio is entertaining, because they have a full cast of characters. Jacques narrates, and he's got about a dozen others doing voices. And there's music. Slightly cheesy, but heartfelt. Though I am getting rather annoyed that all the bad/evil critters are always vermin and always STUPID. And all the good critters are always smart and cute.
#60: Kushiel's Mercy
Jacqueline Carey
Library book. To marry the woman he loves--and the one woman in the kingdom that he's been forbidden to marry--Imriel de la Courcel agrees to a task he despises--to find his mother and bring her back for justice. But before he can, an evil befalls the kingdom that threatens all he holds dear, and his forbidden love may be the only key to the kingdom's salvation.
Dude, I liked the last book, but this one was just as good. And if you're looking for strong women characters, this one has a very, very good one, and thankfully it's not the cliched kick butt take-no-prisoners type that's been showing up in a lot of urban fantasy. Sidonie rocks. She's got brains and guts. And there's no frakking politics or gender role assumptions that get in the way, which is nice.
No complaints at all. A lovely, fantastic ending to the series. Carey is damn good at dealing with tension and making things worse, and worse, and worse again. Really good.
I still say skip #4, but #5 and #6 are must reads.