Book Reviews
So I've been reading a lot lately and just wanted to give a review of what I've read:
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot:
This 7 book series was definitely worth a read. The characters were well developed and it held your attention for the entire series. The magic/astrology connection was different from the traditional views of magic in a fantasy series. A fun set of books.
The Hythrun Chronicles by Jennifer Fallon:
The Demon Child Trilogy:
The characters in this series were great. There were never any "good" or "bad" guys (well there were some bad guys but the good guys weren't perfect). I didn't feel like the ending was enough. I felt like it just ended without bringing everything to a close. Maybe she'll return to this world in some other books.
The Wolfblade Trilogy:
I really like the story behind these books. And, even though they were a prequel to the Demon Child, the plot was still interesting. You weren't sure how the characters were going to end up in their rightful spots. I loved the way the book filled you in on the past of some of the characters. It really connected you back to the third book in the Demon Child. I felt like going back and reading it so I could finish making all the connections.
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb:
These were really good. When I first started reading, the 'flowery' language I thought would be a problem. But it definitely wasn't. The book is told from the point of view of an old man talking about his childhood. You really get into the book and see the language and the way it is written is really a part of the character himself. Although it took the main character a little longer than I would have liked to figure out some of the plot twists, it was a really great read.
Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson:
Awesome! These books really were great. I'm really happy that this author was picked to help finish the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan passed away. These books were so different from what you expect in a traditional fantasy series. The way "magic" is done is wonderfully creative. This is one of the only series of books I've ever read that I felt truly satisfied in the ending. And nothing turned out the way I thought it would. Every time I thought I had it all figured out...I didn't. And the author never just threw a twist in there to trick you. Everything was laid out from the beginning. I almost feel like I should have been able to figure it out. But then, what's the fun in that? :-) Amazing books. Best I've read in a long time.
BTW....just as a rule of thumb, don't read the back of the books. I stopped doing it a long time ago. I don't read the back until I finished the book. I'm not sure if it goes for all books, but definitely fantasy. They give away plot. I hate to read something on the back of a book that doesn't happen until 4 or 5 chapters in. I realize they have to tell you something on the back to get you to buy the book, but I hate that. Mistborn was really bad. It had some plot stuff that you really didn't "know" until near the end of the first book. Argh.
So those are the books I've read over the last year. The last two trilogies were so good, I read both of them in the last month. I've decided not to buy any books that the series is not complete. I hate waiting on books. You can't fault an author for taking his time and writing it to its best, but damn it can be a long wait. I'm currently waiting on Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (I know, he died...not really his fault the series isn't done) and Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. That guy is the slowest writer on the planet, but damn he's good. Maybe if the HBO series comes out for SoIaF it was tide me over for a bit. Anyway, that leaves me out of books again. I'll probably go back and read some stuff by Brandon Sanderson and Robin Hobb. I was impressed with them.
Hmmm...anything else...Holidays have been ok so far. Thanksgiving food was great, need a break from my family now though. Being single at the holidays sucks though. Makes you miss stuff. Decorating the house is going ok. I'll do some more of that this week. I've just got to get through today and I'll have 5 days off. I have to use up my vacation time, so I'm only working 10 days in December. Hopefully that will give me lots of time to work on the basement.
All and all, life is good. Work is good, house is good. Planning for the future and saving $$. Its a strange thing...in a little over a year I've gotten a pretty big promotion, bought a house, paid off my car, put probably $4k of work into the house (including a fence), and completely torn down everything that was in the basement... So why does it feel like I haven't really gotten anything accomplished? *sigh*
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot:
This 7 book series was definitely worth a read. The characters were well developed and it held your attention for the entire series. The magic/astrology connection was different from the traditional views of magic in a fantasy series. A fun set of books.
The Hythrun Chronicles by Jennifer Fallon:
The Demon Child Trilogy:
The characters in this series were great. There were never any "good" or "bad" guys (well there were some bad guys but the good guys weren't perfect). I didn't feel like the ending was enough. I felt like it just ended without bringing everything to a close. Maybe she'll return to this world in some other books.
The Wolfblade Trilogy:
I really like the story behind these books. And, even though they were a prequel to the Demon Child, the plot was still interesting. You weren't sure how the characters were going to end up in their rightful spots. I loved the way the book filled you in on the past of some of the characters. It really connected you back to the third book in the Demon Child. I felt like going back and reading it so I could finish making all the connections.
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb:
These were really good. When I first started reading, the 'flowery' language I thought would be a problem. But it definitely wasn't. The book is told from the point of view of an old man talking about his childhood. You really get into the book and see the language and the way it is written is really a part of the character himself. Although it took the main character a little longer than I would have liked to figure out some of the plot twists, it was a really great read.
Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson:
Awesome! These books really were great. I'm really happy that this author was picked to help finish the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan passed away. These books were so different from what you expect in a traditional fantasy series. The way "magic" is done is wonderfully creative. This is one of the only series of books I've ever read that I felt truly satisfied in the ending. And nothing turned out the way I thought it would. Every time I thought I had it all figured out...I didn't. And the author never just threw a twist in there to trick you. Everything was laid out from the beginning. I almost feel like I should have been able to figure it out. But then, what's the fun in that? :-) Amazing books. Best I've read in a long time.
BTW....just as a rule of thumb, don't read the back of the books. I stopped doing it a long time ago. I don't read the back until I finished the book. I'm not sure if it goes for all books, but definitely fantasy. They give away plot. I hate to read something on the back of a book that doesn't happen until 4 or 5 chapters in. I realize they have to tell you something on the back to get you to buy the book, but I hate that. Mistborn was really bad. It had some plot stuff that you really didn't "know" until near the end of the first book. Argh.
So those are the books I've read over the last year. The last two trilogies were so good, I read both of them in the last month. I've decided not to buy any books that the series is not complete. I hate waiting on books. You can't fault an author for taking his time and writing it to its best, but damn it can be a long wait. I'm currently waiting on Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (I know, he died...not really his fault the series isn't done) and Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. That guy is the slowest writer on the planet, but damn he's good. Maybe if the HBO series comes out for SoIaF it was tide me over for a bit. Anyway, that leaves me out of books again. I'll probably go back and read some stuff by Brandon Sanderson and Robin Hobb. I was impressed with them.
Hmmm...anything else...Holidays have been ok so far. Thanksgiving food was great, need a break from my family now though. Being single at the holidays sucks though. Makes you miss stuff. Decorating the house is going ok. I'll do some more of that this week. I've just got to get through today and I'll have 5 days off. I have to use up my vacation time, so I'm only working 10 days in December. Hopefully that will give me lots of time to work on the basement.
All and all, life is good. Work is good, house is good. Planning for the future and saving $$. Its a strange thing...in a little over a year I've gotten a pretty big promotion, bought a house, paid off my car, put probably $4k of work into the house (including a fence), and completely torn down everything that was in the basement... So why does it feel like I haven't really gotten anything accomplished? *sigh*