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mgerboc's reviews
278 reviews
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's extraordinarily difficult to review Malazan Book of the Fallen books due to their breadth and depth of theme, character, and plot. With that being said, The Bonehunters is my favorite Malazan books so far, for two main reasons - 1. Clarity of plot - while I believe this is the longest Malazan book I've read so far at 1201 pages, it was a real page turner. And although there are a million things going on, the flow from one plot to another was near perfect and the way in which this plot starts tying together plots from previous MBotF is extremely gratifying. The suspense and tension that Erikson is able to build here is almost unbearable at times, and I believe the siege of Y'Ghatan, a 155-page chapter focusing on action (which is arguably my least favorite part of any fantasy story), might just be the crowning achievement in this series when it comes to pacing and suspense.
Reason 2. This was the first time while reading Malazan that I felt like a competent reader. Malazan is really deep, tough reading which subverts expectations and is so unique and exists in such an enormous universe that even while enjoying the story, it's often difficult to know what the fuck is happening (at least for me) - it is this mystery that turns some people off but which has sucked me in pretty obsessively and entirely. Book 6 of 10, The Bonehunters, is where this finally starts paying off (again in my experience). I generally knew who the characters were, I caught references to previous events and even spotted some foreshadowing. This isn't to say I picked up everything - the meeting between Shadowthrone and Tayschrenn at the end for example - but for the first time in this series I felt confident that I knew what I was reading about, and it was so satisfying.
Thematically, like all Malazan books, is where The Bonehunters shines brightest - the nature of empire, Fiddler's inner monologue about how the same people suffer during wartime and peacetime and therefore the binary of the two concepts is a false one, the importance of propaganda and historical authority, the emptiness of zealotry, and so man more. But what made this different from previous Malazan books was also the character work - for the first time in the series, almost all of the characters who appear have already been introduced, so you have a sense of who they are and what motivates them, and Bonehunters also allows us to finally expand of some of the more mysterious characters like Tavore while developing more unique voices for the myriad soldiers we've been following in Seven Cities.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a million more thoughts about this, but in the meantime, I'm going to watch some of AP Canavan, Iskar Jarak, Philip Chase, and Andy Smith's EXCELLENT videos on Youtube on this series.
Reason 2. This was the first time while reading Malazan that I felt like a competent reader. Malazan is really deep, tough reading which subverts expectations and is so unique and exists in such an enormous universe that even while enjoying the story, it's often difficult to know what the fuck is happening (at least for me) - it is this mystery that turns some people off but which has sucked me in pretty obsessively and entirely. Book 6 of 10, The Bonehunters, is where this finally starts paying off (again in my experience). I generally knew who the characters were, I caught references to previous events and even spotted some foreshadowing. This isn't to say I picked up everything - the meeting between Shadowthrone and Tayschrenn at the end for example - but for the first time in this series I felt confident that I knew what I was reading about, and it was so satisfying.
Thematically, like all Malazan books, is where The Bonehunters shines brightest - the nature of empire, Fiddler's inner monologue about how the same people suffer during wartime and peacetime and therefore the binary of the two concepts is a false one, the importance of propaganda and historical authority, the emptiness of zealotry, and so man more. But what made this different from previous Malazan books was also the character work - for the first time in the series, almost all of the characters who appear have already been introduced, so you have a sense of who they are and what motivates them, and Bonehunters also allows us to finally expand of some of the more mysterious characters like Tavore while developing more unique voices for the myriad soldiers we've been following in Seven Cities.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a million more thoughts about this, but in the meantime, I'm going to watch some of AP Canavan, Iskar Jarak, Philip Chase, and Andy Smith's EXCELLENT videos on Youtube on this series.
Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my oh my. I've never read anything by Tchaikovsky but I'm about to add everything he's written to my too-long list.
Guns of the Dawn was one of the most unique, well written, addicting books I've ever read. A weird mix of Jane Austen, historical fiction, fantasy, and taut military thriller, I planned on reading this over a week but I got it done in three days - it was that much of a page turner.
Characters - Emily Marshwic is one of the most nuanced and best developed characters I've ever read. Her evolution from minor nobility lady of leisure to drafted low-level soldier sent to the terrifying front of a war nobody actually understands was perfectly done. Some of the characters, especially in the military, are sort of archetypical, but the surrounding is so different and they are developed enough that it works REALLY well. The relationships between these characters are a highlight of the book. How Emily gets to know and grow along with Tubal, Mallen, Brocky, and Scavian was credible and realistic as well as delightful. Even the annoying leadership aren't pure evil, and their flaws are mostly human and often have serious and deadly consequences. One of the best characters in the book is Mr. Northway, one of the most honestly cynical but ultimately relatable characters I've read. And what's particularly interesting about him is that you really learn about half of his characters from letters he writes to Emily while she's away at war.
The atmosphere, especially the wartime setting, was perfect. The description of jungle/swamp warfare, where everything is foggy and slippery and confusing, and wins and losses don't actually mean much, reminded me descriptions of GIs in Vietnam, and the terror that those soldiers lived with every day. I could feel the heat and the bugs and claustrophobia and fear along with the characters, but it never once felt exploitative or over the top. Additionally, and something that sets this apart from a lot of fantasy and something I really love - this takes place at the birth of an industrial revolution, so there are guns and gunpowder, but there are also real-life inventions that happen along the way which turn the tides of the war on different occasions. Very cool touch.
Lastly, and this gets a bit spoiler-y so stop reading now if you don't want anything given away....
I LOVED that Lascanne loses the war, and that the protagonist ends up on the losing side. You root for her, you cheer her bravery, her heroics in the insane battlefields of the swamp, you feel for her losses, her fear, but Tchaikovsky does an AMAZING job of hinting at the fact that the enemy's motives may be different than what the propaganda states. And when you find out what actually happened (or what probably happened, because that's one of the themes - in war, you never really know), from the enemy no less (in the character of Dr. Lam - one of the best "enemies" I've ever read), it's like you've known it all along. But what are you supposed to do? Stop fighting? After all the death and carnage? I love the compassion and desperation of Dr. Lam when he implores Emily to surrender when he knows he's going to win. I love that Emily agrees to surrender and doesn't make the cliche last stand, going down in a blaze of glory. I love that there is another hundred pages after the end of the war to explore what occupation looks like, the effects of wartime depopulation and food/supply shortages that go on for generations after a large scale armed conflict. And I love Emily's final act (I won't write that because it's BIG TIME spoilers). The book stuck the landing better than anything I could have predicted.
Guns of the Dawn was one of the most unique, well written, addicting books I've ever read. A weird mix of Jane Austen, historical fiction, fantasy, and taut military thriller, I planned on reading this over a week but I got it done in three days - it was that much of a page turner.
Characters - Emily Marshwic is one of the most nuanced and best developed characters I've ever read. Her evolution from minor nobility lady of leisure to drafted low-level soldier sent to the terrifying front of a war nobody actually understands was perfectly done. Some of the characters, especially in the military, are sort of archetypical, but the surrounding is so different and they are developed enough that it works REALLY well. The relationships between these characters are a highlight of the book. How Emily gets to know and grow along with Tubal, Mallen, Brocky, and Scavian was credible and realistic as well as delightful. Even the annoying leadership aren't pure evil, and their flaws are mostly human and often have serious and deadly consequences. One of the best characters in the book is Mr. Northway, one of the most honestly cynical but ultimately relatable characters I've read. And what's particularly interesting about him is that you really learn about half of his characters from letters he writes to Emily while she's away at war.
The atmosphere, especially the wartime setting, was perfect. The description of jungle/swamp warfare, where everything is foggy and slippery and confusing, and wins and losses don't actually mean much, reminded me descriptions of GIs in Vietnam, and the terror that those soldiers lived with every day. I could feel the heat and the bugs and claustrophobia and fear along with the characters, but it never once felt exploitative or over the top. Additionally, and something that sets this apart from a lot of fantasy and something I really love - this takes place at the birth of an industrial revolution, so there are guns and gunpowder, but there are also real-life inventions that happen along the way which turn the tides of the war on different occasions. Very cool touch.
Lastly, and this gets a bit spoiler-y so stop reading now if you don't want anything given away....
Rabbits by Terry Miles
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was one of the most fun books I've read in a while, and if there are any other books like it, please send me those recommendations. I love the idea of a secretive game where the every day, real world is where the game plays out. There aren't any real rules, and nobody knows for sure who runs it, but if you're aware of it, you start seeing the discrepancies and following the clues. I literally couldn't put this down and ended up finishing it much more quickly than I was expecting.
The tone was eerie throughout, which just added to the unsettling nature of the game and the clues you follow to continue on, and there are real consequences - characters are injured and even die.
The biggest downside was, in my opinion, inevitable - once you set up something so mysterious and potentially grand in scope, when the explanations start coming, there's almost no way they're going to live up to what's hinted at or what you've already come up with in your imagination. The climax seemed distracted and the ending was kinda meh. Additionally, you never really know the characters on a deep level. They don't really have their own voice.
All that being said, I would read this book again in a heartbeat. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I kept wanting to learn more.
As a side note, this book is a follow up to a podcast/radio drama taking place in the same universe, and as much as I don't like podcasts, I may end up listening to this one because that curiosity is still there.
The tone was eerie throughout, which just added to the unsettling nature of the game and the clues you follow to continue on, and there are real consequences - characters are injured and even die.
The biggest downside was, in my opinion, inevitable - once you set up something so mysterious and potentially grand in scope, when the explanations start coming, there's almost no way they're going to live up to what's hinted at or what you've already come up with in your imagination. The climax seemed distracted and the ending was kinda meh. Additionally, you never really know the characters on a deep level. They don't really have their own voice.
All that being said, I would read this book again in a heartbeat. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I kept wanting to learn more.
As a side note, this book is a follow up to a podcast/radio drama taking place in the same universe, and as much as I don't like podcasts, I may end up listening to this one because that curiosity is still there.
Mort by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Very entertaining story, well crafted and as imaginative as anything Terry Pratchett wrote. The characters are lovable, the writing is hilarious, and serious themes (immortality, the afterlife, religion, justice) are contextualized in the wit and human warmth that Pratchett is known for.
My only complaint is that the writing can be a bit clunky sometimes, but this is a very early Discworld book, so I wasn't expecting it to be as top notch as a Guards! Guards! or other City Watch books.
Some quotes:
“So let’s just say that Ankh-Morpork is as full of life as an old cheese on a hot day, as loud as a curse in a cathedral, as bright as an oil slick, as colorful as a bruise and as full of activity, industry, bustle and sheer exuberant busyness as a dead dog on a termite mound.”
- Terry Pratchett, Mort
“When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.”
- Terry Pratchett, Mort
My only complaint is that the writing can be a bit clunky sometimes, but this is a very early Discworld book, so I wasn't expecting it to be as top notch as a Guards! Guards! or other City Watch books.
Some quotes:
“So let’s just say that Ankh-Morpork is as full of life as an old cheese on a hot day, as loud as a curse in a cathedral, as bright as an oil slick, as colorful as a bruise and as full of activity, industry, bustle and sheer exuberant busyness as a dead dog on a termite mound.”
- Terry Pratchett, Mort
“When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.”
- Terry Pratchett, Mort
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Yikes. I think the romance genre just might not be for me, because by all accounts this is the book I've seen recommended the most as an entry point into this section of reading, and I really didn't enjoy it.
The writing was full of saccharine hyperbole, and despite the main characters being in their 30's, the relationship just seemed so juvenile. The dialogue was way too cutesy and ironic, and there is almost zero character development whatsoever. Chloe is a web designer/generic computer geek, but what does that even mean in this story? She never gets to say what she actually likes doing, you never hear about a client or a project she's proud of. The entirety of her character is wrapped up in this dumbass relationship. At first she hates him for no explainable reason, then realizes that he's hot and not an enormous asshole, so he becomes the love of her life. Red's character is just as bad - he's an artist. That's it. He gives a throw away line about being impressed by art as a kid but seriously that's it. No description of the art, no explanation of his emotional attachment to any artwork or projects. And he also doesn't like Chloe at the beginning because he thinks she's a snob, but then he finds out she's chronically ill and she makes one or two questionably funny sarcastic jokes and now he's in love with her.
The only characters who were somewhat interesting were Chloe's family and Annie, and they get a total of about 5 minutes of play here.
The wild and almost instantaneous swings between "I would die for you" love and self-destructive insecurity, paired with the fact that the bulk of this story takes place over the course of a week or two, would make sense in a teenage love story, but not between thinking adults. But these are certainly adults, as we are reminded by multiple explicit sex scenes (which I don't mind but I know some people do) - it just felt unsettling reading this super immature behavior juxtaposed with some fun raunchy sex. If it weren't such an easy read (got it done in two sitting, which is very fast for me), I probably would've quit at some point.
Anyway, I'm not giving up on this genre, but as far as a rom com that hooks me, this ain't it.
The writing was full of saccharine hyperbole, and despite the main characters being in their 30's, the relationship just seemed so juvenile. The dialogue was way too cutesy and ironic, and there is almost zero character development whatsoever. Chloe is a web designer/generic computer geek, but what does that even mean in this story? She never gets to say what she actually likes doing, you never hear about a client or a project she's proud of. The entirety of her character is wrapped up in this dumbass relationship. At first she hates him for no explainable reason, then realizes that he's hot and not an enormous asshole, so he becomes the love of her life. Red's character is just as bad - he's an artist. That's it. He gives a throw away line about being impressed by art as a kid but seriously that's it. No description of the art, no explanation of his emotional attachment to any artwork or projects. And he also doesn't like Chloe at the beginning because he thinks she's a snob, but then he finds out she's chronically ill and she makes one or two questionably funny sarcastic jokes and now he's in love with her.
The only characters who were somewhat interesting were Chloe's family and Annie, and they get a total of about 5 minutes of play here.
The wild and almost instantaneous swings between "I would die for you" love and self-destructive insecurity, paired with the fact that the bulk of this story takes place over the course of a week or two, would make sense in a teenage love story, but not between thinking adults. But these are certainly adults, as we are reminded by multiple explicit sex scenes (which I don't mind but I know some people do) - it just felt unsettling reading this super immature behavior juxtaposed with some fun raunchy sex. If it weren't such an easy read (got it done in two sitting, which is very fast for me), I probably would've quit at some point.
Anyway, I'm not giving up on this genre, but as far as a rom com that hooks me, this ain't it.
Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Mayo Clinic
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Really helpful overview. Makes no judgment about parents' decisions, just lays out some norms without being alarmist at all. Knowing literally nothing about babies and three weeks from our due date, I took a lot of notes (about a dozen pages) from this book and feel much more confident.
Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
It's a bold move to have your fifth book in a series be set a few years before the primary storyline of the first four books, on a different continent and with completely (with the exception of one) different characters, but at this point, I trust Erikson and his ability to play a long game in tying the threads together.
Thematically, Midnight Tides was particularly good for someone like me. The Letherii society as a stand-in for expansionist capitalist society and the critiques therein were SPOT. ON. Apart from themes of imperialism and capitalism, we get a better understanding of the history of the Tiste Edur (and Tiste Andii), which had only been hinted at in earlier books. Trull Sengar is such a thoughtful, deep character - and since you're presumably read the first four books, you'll know what ends up happening to him - that I immediately felt an attachment to him and his constant questioning of the increasing zealotry and insanity around him (all while still wanting to remain loyal to his people and his brothers). The idea of destiny is also woven throughout, with the pretty blatant critique that belief in destiny is basically a way to whitewash and justify past mistakes and atrocities, and justify future immorality.
I also really liked the mirroring of the relationships between the four Tiste Andii brothers (Fear, Trull, Binadas, and Rhulad) and the three brothers in Letheras (Hull, Tehol, and Brys), and how those relationships are often fraught but are still based in trust.
Lastly, I was happy to see more of the Crippled God, this sort of mysterious malevolent force lurking in the background up to now.
As always, there are times when I was frustratingly confused - the stuff about the sea, Mael, the Errant, the Jheck and their god - but again, I truly believe Erikson has earned my trust as an author so I'm fine rolling with it.
Some quotes I like and thought pertinent:
“I advised you to not look for hope from your leaders, for they shall feed you naught but lies. Yet hope exists. Seek for it, Brys Beddict, in the one who stands at your side, from the stranger upon the other side of the street. Be brave enough to endeavor to cross that street. Look neither skyward nor upon the ground. Hope persists, and its voice is compassion, and honest doubt.”
“Destiny is a lie. Destiny is justification for atrocity.”
- Seren Pedac
“You take your natural vices and call them virtues. Of which greed is the most despicable. That and betrayal of commonality. After all, whoever decided that competition is always and without exception a healthy attribute? Why that particular path to self-esteem? Your heel on the hand of the one below. This is worth something? Let me tell you, it’s worth nothing. Nothing lasting. Every monument that exists beyond the moment - no matter which king, emperor or warrior lays claim to it - is actually a testament to the common, to co-operation, to the plural rather than the singular.”
- Bugg
Thematically, Midnight Tides was particularly good for someone like me. The Letherii society as a stand-in for expansionist capitalist society and the critiques therein were SPOT. ON. Apart from themes of imperialism and capitalism, we get a better understanding of the history of the Tiste Edur (and Tiste Andii), which had only been hinted at in earlier books. Trull Sengar is such a thoughtful, deep character - and since you're presumably read the first four books, you'll know what ends up happening to him - that I immediately felt an attachment to him and his constant questioning of the increasing zealotry and insanity around him (all while still wanting to remain loyal to his people and his brothers). The idea of destiny is also woven throughout, with the pretty blatant critique that belief in destiny is basically a way to whitewash and justify past mistakes and atrocities, and justify future immorality.
I also really liked the mirroring of the relationships between the four Tiste Andii brothers (Fear, Trull, Binadas, and Rhulad) and the three brothers in Letheras (Hull, Tehol, and Brys), and how those relationships are often fraught but are still based in trust.
Lastly, I was happy to see more of the Crippled God, this sort of mysterious malevolent force lurking in the background up to now.
As always, there are times when I was frustratingly confused - the stuff about the sea, Mael, the Errant, the Jheck and their god - but again, I truly believe Erikson has earned my trust as an author so I'm fine rolling with it.
Some quotes I like and thought pertinent:
“I advised you to not look for hope from your leaders, for they shall feed you naught but lies. Yet hope exists. Seek for it, Brys Beddict, in the one who stands at your side, from the stranger upon the other side of the street. Be brave enough to endeavor to cross that street. Look neither skyward nor upon the ground. Hope persists, and its voice is compassion, and honest doubt.”
“Destiny is a lie. Destiny is justification for atrocity.”
- Seren Pedac
“You take your natural vices and call them virtues. Of which greed is the most despicable. That and betrayal of commonality. After all, whoever decided that competition is always and without exception a healthy attribute? Why that particular path to self-esteem? Your heel on the hand of the one below. This is worth something? Let me tell you, it’s worth nothing. Nothing lasting. Every monument that exists beyond the moment - no matter which king, emperor or warrior lays claim to it - is actually a testament to the common, to co-operation, to the plural rather than the singular.”
- Bugg
The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This might be the best book I've read so far this year. I've never really been too interested in memoirs, but this was recommended by a friend whose taste I trust so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did.
There's a lot to digest in The World of Yesterday. First, I'd never really thought about the generation born in Zweig's time (1881), but as he detailed in the very beginning, this was a group of people in Europe who, particularly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were born into the stablest of regimes - the Habsburgs had ruled this part of the world for over 700 years. Stability and security were assumed, and for generations you could generally plot out your life from an early age. But that peace and stability also allowed the young generation to see with some clarity the hypocrisy and contradiction in their society. Religion, sexuality, art - all previously established norms were being questioned and challenged, and it was an invigorating time to be any young person, but especially someone, like Zweig, involved in the arts.
The myriad turns of events starting in the 1910's happen almost too quickly to keep up with. The rise in nationalism, the cynicism and egoism paving the way for the absolute insanity of WWI, the way regular people coped with the humiliation of the Central Powers in the 1920s, Revolution in Russia, and the inexorable march towards the destruction of culture through the rise of the Nazis in Germany. I never thought of how this generation grew up not knowing what a car was, and in a short while was bearing witness to the carpet bombing of much of Europe.
The reflections by Zweig are the real reason to read this book - it a warning to anyone believing in unlimited human progress and civilization overcoming human barbarity. But, despite Zweig's suicide almost immediately after submitting this book's manuscript, there's a very humane optimism at his core. The analysis isn't one of despair but of disappointment, and the book is filled with examples of great people who, despite the horrors of the world around them, strove for human liberty and international fraternity. The World of Yesterday is realist, but not cynical or pessimistic, as it so easily could have been.
And to add to all of this, Zweig apparently met all of the coolest people in Europe living during this epoch - Valéry, Gorky, Strauss, Rolland, Rilke, just to name a VERY few.
If you like basically any subject - history, art, literature, music, memoir, psychology, travel, politics, economics, drama, technology, etc. - there's something you'll find interesting in this book. And above all, Zweig's writing is so personal and honest and beautiful without being the least bit cloying or overly romantic. This was a beautiful read and should be read by more people living through out own turbulent times.
There's a lot to digest in The World of Yesterday. First, I'd never really thought about the generation born in Zweig's time (1881), but as he detailed in the very beginning, this was a group of people in Europe who, particularly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were born into the stablest of regimes - the Habsburgs had ruled this part of the world for over 700 years. Stability and security were assumed, and for generations you could generally plot out your life from an early age. But that peace and stability also allowed the young generation to see with some clarity the hypocrisy and contradiction in their society. Religion, sexuality, art - all previously established norms were being questioned and challenged, and it was an invigorating time to be any young person, but especially someone, like Zweig, involved in the arts.
The myriad turns of events starting in the 1910's happen almost too quickly to keep up with. The rise in nationalism, the cynicism and egoism paving the way for the absolute insanity of WWI, the way regular people coped with the humiliation of the Central Powers in the 1920s, Revolution in Russia, and the inexorable march towards the destruction of culture through the rise of the Nazis in Germany. I never thought of how this generation grew up not knowing what a car was, and in a short while was bearing witness to the carpet bombing of much of Europe.
The reflections by Zweig are the real reason to read this book - it a warning to anyone believing in unlimited human progress and civilization overcoming human barbarity. But, despite Zweig's suicide almost immediately after submitting this book's manuscript, there's a very humane optimism at his core. The analysis isn't one of despair but of disappointment, and the book is filled with examples of great people who, despite the horrors of the world around them, strove for human liberty and international fraternity. The World of Yesterday is realist, but not cynical or pessimistic, as it so easily could have been.
And to add to all of this, Zweig apparently met all of the coolest people in Europe living during this epoch - Valéry, Gorky, Strauss, Rolland, Rilke, just to name a VERY few.
If you like basically any subject - history, art, literature, music, memoir, psychology, travel, politics, economics, drama, technology, etc. - there's something you'll find interesting in this book. And above all, Zweig's writing is so personal and honest and beautiful without being the least bit cloying or overly romantic. This was a beautiful read and should be read by more people living through out own turbulent times.
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I think this was the best of the Mistborn series, and really highlighted what Sanderson does best - pairing a well done fast-paced plot with a slow burn reveal of the mystery surrounding the lore driving the events of the story.
My critiques from the first two books still stand - Apart from Vin, I didn't really care about the characters all that much; the writing can be quite repetitive; and adding one more to this book - I thought the very ending was a bit cheesy. I was definitely caught off guard by the twist, which was well executed, but there's just such a weird juxtaposition between the enormous body count and brutality of the world of the Final Empire and the innocence of the heroic characters and how nicely things end.
Anyway, my overall thoughts on Mistborn are this - extremely entertaining while not hitting me on more than a superficial level. I would recommend this if you're just looking to have some fun (because it is very fun), and would DEFINITELY recommend it to younger readers looking to get into fantasy reading.
My critiques from the first two books still stand - Apart from Vin, I didn't really care about the characters all that much; the writing can be quite repetitive; and adding one more to this book - I thought the very ending was a bit cheesy. I was definitely caught off guard by the twist, which was well executed, but there's just such a weird juxtaposition between the enormous body count and brutality of the world of the Final Empire and the innocence of the heroic characters and how nicely things end.
Anyway, my overall thoughts on Mistborn are this - extremely entertaining while not hitting me on more than a superficial level. I would recommend this if you're just looking to have some fun (because it is very fun), and would DEFINITELY recommend it to younger readers looking to get into fantasy reading.
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
3.25 stars - Sanderson certainly writes a fast-paced, thrilling adventure story here. I think my complaints are similar to that of Final Empire (first book in this series) - the relationships/dialogue feel a bit immature (which feels kind of weird juxtaposed to the massive amount of violence throughout the story), the characters themselves (outside of Vin, whose ambivalence I REALLY appreciate) are never developed to a point that I care about them, and the writing style is kind of bland and on the repetitive side. Several core characters die in this book and I never really felt one way or the other about it, which I think says a lot. The last of my complaints is the amount of action, and that's just personal preference. Some people like reading fight/battle scenes. I almost start scanning at that point because I have such a hard time paying attention.
Now, the good - Sanderson has created a really cool world here, and he builds a mystery which truly has me hooked - enough that, even though I'm not loving Mistborn, I will definitely be finishing this series. I love the lore, especially explored through Sazed's character, and I wish there was more of a focus on that to be honest. The slow burn discovery about the Well of Ascension and the Hero of Ages was done really well and while I was kind of over this book for the last 50 or so pages, the epilogue redeemed A LOT of this book for me. The pacing of the plot is very good - even nearing 800 pages, I blew through this pretty quickly. I just can't help but feel like it could've been 200 pages shorter if repetitive sequences/explanations/exposition had been cut out.
Overall, a fun ride. I look forward to Hero of Ages next.
Now, the good - Sanderson has created a really cool world here, and he builds a mystery which truly has me hooked - enough that, even though I'm not loving Mistborn, I will definitely be finishing this series. I love the lore, especially explored through Sazed's character, and I wish there was more of a focus on that to be honest. The slow burn discovery about the Well of Ascension and the Hero of Ages was done really well and while I was kind of over this book for the last 50 or so pages, the epilogue redeemed A LOT of this book for me. The pacing of the plot is very good - even nearing 800 pages, I blew through this pretty quickly. I just can't help but feel like it could've been 200 pages shorter if repetitive sequences/explanations/exposition had been cut out.
Overall, a fun ride. I look forward to Hero of Ages next.