nincrony1's reviews
54 reviews

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

I thought this was an excellent follow up to The Final Empire and a far stronger book overall, with better pacing and prose. I know this one is a bit divisive in the Sanderson fandom, which I sort of understand as it is more deliberately slow-spaced than the first book. But I think as an expansion of this world and themes, I thought The Well of Ascension did a great job.  What does happen after the all-powerful Dark Lord, who has ruled a nation for a 1000 years, is defeated? How can a group of ragtag mis-matches try to rebuild the kingdom in the face of insurmountable odds and in

the absence of their charismatic leader

? 

The plot was more focused, setting up a clear situation the characters are stuck in and how they overcome it. I really enjoyed the expansion of Elend’s character and the struggles he faced to create a fair and just kingdom whilst also trying to balance his love life. Nearly every character gets a great expansion or arc, especially Sazed. Ironically I thought Vin’s arc was probably the least satisfying but it still sets things up nicely for the final book. Which I’m very much looking forward to!

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I found the first half of The Final Empire a little clunky; this is an early (but beloved) novel from Sanderson and he clearly had a lot of ideas to cram in there. So in between setting up the world, the characters, the magic system and the dual storylines (high-octane Mistborn action and high society infiltration), there’s a lot to keep up with along with some early Sanderson prose issues (I defend Sanderson’s prose for the most part but you can tell this is an early book). All that said, it does slowly start to gel together and I found myself getting caught up in the story, especially with the Sanderlanche kicks in for the final third.

I remember finding Kelsier a little insufferable when I first tried to read this about a decade ago - mostly for his blunt black-and-white worldview - but that’s precisely the point. He’s a complex character; a lot to admire and to condemn about him. It’s ultimately Vin, who grows into a combination of things that Kelsier could never become, who is ultimately able to defeat the Final Empire. It’s a great arc and she’s a definite favourite of the Cosmere for me. Though I can see overlap with Shallan from Stormlight and I personally think his honed craft to explore the duality of different characters in one person is handled more deftly there.

Still I’m glad to have finally read The Final Empire and I’m doing something I don’t do too often and that’s go right to the next book in a series without having a palette cleanser in between. 

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

4.0

Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Predator’s Gold is a wonderful expansion of Mortal Engines, adding some of my favourite elements to series. Pennyroyal! Stalker Fang! The Lost Boys and Uncle! I don’t normally care for love-triangles but I think Reeve does a great job at making us understand the POV and motives of all involved. The action-packed second half is where I really noticed the writing having taken a step up, where Reece balances the various plotlines really well. This one acts as the fulcrum to the rest of the series and it does a fantastic job of setting up the second half of the series. 

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

Lots and lots of thoughts on The Secret Commonwealth. Spoilers ahead as well - I recommend going in blind.

Phillip Pullman’s return to Lyra, first introduced in the classic Dark Materials trilogy, see her on an adventure fraught with darkness and difficult themes. This is most definitely a novel for those who grew up with the original books and have grown up. Lyra is now a 20-year old student, precocious as ever but in an intellectual way that is rubbing her daemon Pan the wrong way. And things kind of develop from there - I can only really bullet point my thoughts as I have a lot. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to see how it ends; for it does end on quite the cliffhanger. 

• The choice to have this novel explore the implications of Lyra and Pan separating following The Amber Spyglass is a stroke of genius. If there was going to be a late sequel to the series, I think picking up on this aspect makes sense and opens the world up even further. All the stuff involving the expansion of the daemons is fascinating, expertly handled and quite heart breaking 
• I loved its evocation of Europe, stretching from England to Turkey. The interconnected rail, the variety of cultures, it’s a peon to the place and perhaps in a way, a reminder of the disaster Brexit has robbed from us Brits
• That said, the book doesn’t shy away from the refugee crisis modern Europe faces. This aspect is worked quite naturally into the story and serves as a backdrop to Lyra’s adventure as the Magisterium becomes even more totalitarian and expanding into aggressive capitalism
• I liked La Belle Savage ok but I thought this one was much better. That said, the book does a good catching one up on the previous Book of Dust novel and I found myself enjoying the returning characters and locations, especially the pub that Pullman so thoroughly established in the last book. 
• That said, I wasn’t crazy about an aspect to Malcolm’s character. I’m curious as to how it will pay off but it’s just little creepy
• This is a dark novel but it’s mature in its darkness. Some very bad stuff happens in the book but it’s never there for the sake of it. The book is about Lyra as an adult and part of that is being an out-spoken strong woman in a world dominated by men and how that can grind one down. 
• The depiction of Lyra has been controversial, some thinking Pullman used her as a mouthpiece for his thoughts on the state of the world. I think this is bad faith criticism. The plot is partly about Lyra seeing that the world is so much larger and complex than what Jordan has to offer. It makes sense that as a precocious questioning sort, and like anyone at that age in academia, would subscribe to challenging new schools of thought and how this might put a wedge in relationships. I suspect the character arc is Lyra reaching true maturity but we will have to wait and see
• I think there might be one too many subplots but for the most part I enjoyed the espionage and secret societies of the plot. 
• Excellent prose as always. Pullman just has this ability to beautifully craft scenes and suck me in. I’ve been reading this fairly addictively

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I’ll get this out of the way and say that Mortal Engines is one of my favourite series from that YA boom in the early 00s. If all you know about the series is via the uncooked and poor film adaptation, I beg readers to check out the original books; they are underrated, quite odd, surprisingly dark, emotionally involved, and wittily written. The world building is also excellent. With its succinct opening novel, Reeves manages to tell an adventurous story whilst also really exploring with some nuance and intelligence this daffy concept. Highly recommended and the rest of the series (with the exception of the third one) just improves upon the previous one. 

Doctor Who: Human Nature by Paul Cornell

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My first Doctor Who novel in nearly 20 years (…) and also the first of the (in)famous VNA series I’ve read. Most know this was adapted into a rather good two-parter for 10 and the source novel is also equally good (though I might prefer the TV adaptation, sure me). That said, Human Nature stars 7, who is easily one of my favourite takes on the character and Paul Cornell completely nails the voice of the character, even with the majority of the novel spent with the John Smith persona. I’m aware of Bernice Summerfield but this is my first encounter with her. I liked the character ok enough and I’m curious about how she fits into the wider series. I also knew to expect darker, more graphic content (the VNAs appealed to a more adult audience during the Wilderness Years) and it more or less works here. In particular, I liked its portrayal of Britain sleep-walking into WWI. The concept of The Doctor as Human is explored very well and his relationship with Joan is sweet and heartbreaking. I can completely understand why they wanted to adapt this for the modern series, which the more personable romantic take on the Doctor. The plot at times got a little muddled for me though and (whilst not the fault of the book), the new Cornell introduction does warn new readers not to understand all the references to the wider VNAs series. Still, this was an enjoyable breezy read even if I felt liked I’d stepped in mid-season (again, not the book’s fault).

Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Very interesting going back to the book that started it all; in the sense of 1) the Dune franchise, that has found new life with the recent film adaptations and 2) its massive influence on science-fiction. I most certainly respect Dune a hell of a lot; and how it’s the ur text of the science-fantasy genre that would (intentional or not) influence Star Wars the next decade. However, there is a stoicism to the narrative and character writing that I’ve always found tricky to engage with. People think The Lord of the Rings is quite an austere novel but there is a warmth to the writing and the world. Dune is much closer to this pre-conception. I’m also not a fan of the inner-monologues; I think it’s meant to give a Shakespearean quality to it (ie soliloquies) but it creates a book with lots of thoughtful characters but limited interactions. I think the changes made to the second half of the novel in the new film version do improve things. Still, there are moments which I enjoyed in the book and the world-building itself is phenomenal, no argument there. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.25

Whilst reading Legends & Lattes, I turned to my wife (who recommended the book to me) and exclaimed “this is just so cozy”. I know the reputation of this book as a light fun read with a neat concept (former adventurer opens a coffee shop) however I didn’t expect it to carry the torch of Pratchett’s Discworld in its lighthearted take on the fantasy genre. After reading an epic like Oathbreaker I needed a book like Legends & Lattes. Loved all the characters and the narrative simmered along nicely. I enjoyed the building of the menu over the course of the book as almost like an achievement list of what the characters have accomplished. 

I’ve not been too well recently and this was exactly the kind of light reading I’ve needed.

Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

Girl in a Band has sat on my shelf for a few years now and a recent re-listen of Sonic Youth’s discography has forced me to finally read it. Over a 24 hour period, the extremely readable memoirs of Kim Gordon have proven to be very enjoyable indeed. I particularly liked the stretches where she picked a song or two from each album and discussed the lyrics and context surrounding them. 

I think where it somewhat falls down is that it all plays stronger if you’re a fan of the music. I’m not sure what one could glean if you’re not already aware of Sonic Youth. She is frankly honest in her assessment of how New York has changed however it’s less boomer complaining, more a consideration of how you can’t return to a place or time when you leave. But there is also a lot of name-dropping which might be lost if you don’t know the context. 

Like her songwriting, she has this clear direct nature to her prose that don’t mince words. In particular, learning more about the sadness and trials of her own family life (as a child and as an adult) does make for a relatable narrative despite ostensibly being about a bass player/singer in a successful band. She’s very much a vulnerable human that just makes Kim Gordon even cooler in my eyes.