will_cherico's reviews
396 reviews

Fane Of The Black Pharaoh by Robert Bloch

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

There's some neat stuff here that explores the lore of Nyarlathotep, but ultimately this is a really disappointing story. Bloch doesn't make effective use of the setting of Egypt or Nephren-Ka's tomb at all (as a matter of fact, he barely brings it up) and the story is wholly uninteresting. There's a classic revelation at the end, but it's one that isn't built up well and isn't serviceable as a twist because it's pretty much laid out almost as soon as Carteret enters the tomb.

You could cargue Carteret's death at the hands of Nephren-Ka's cult suggests some sort of theme about a cycle of white hobby archaeologists being fools and getting killed for it, but it all comes off as more of an appeal to the Egyptomania of the time than anything

, especially with how Bloch seems to have no interest in the setting. The message is more of a hand wavey "wow, Egypt is SCARY" and an admittedly creepy question of fate and free will that I wish was explored way deeper than it was (that is, not at all. There's just the concept of a wall of hyper-accurate illustrations, and the veil covering them is lifted so that the cult can always see a day in advance). 

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore

adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

R.A. Salvatore's debut novel hits on all of the best parts of a Dungeons & Dragons story. Each of the four main characters are loveable in their own ways, and while Drizzt was the runaway hit I found myself absolutely charmed by Bruenor and Regis and really interested in Wulfgar's role as the young human we learn about Icewind Dale and the barbarian tribes through. Akar Kessell is a bit of a weak villain in terms of motive and method, but it was a neat little twist to read about the drow squaring off against someone who's more of a giggling loser than a clever wizard. This book is a LOT of action, and while that would normally bore me Salvatore is one of the best in the genre when it comes to battles. Even during the low-level skirmishes, he manages to blend the grandiosity of Tolkien with the strategy of Martin so that it all becomes super vivid in the imagination. This was wildly enjoyable to read and it's a big recommend for anyone interested in the lore of the Forgotten Realms.

The Runestaff by Michael Moorcock

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

This is the best entry in the Runestaff series by far. It's incredibly emotional and it's so lean - the plot stays super interesting and never lets up. All the major characters, good and evil, get time to shine in a super fun way. There are what I understand to be references to other works in Moorcock's multiverse that made me really interested to read his other stuff. I really like Moorcock's depiction of "balance" not as perfect order, because I agree with him - that's a bit of a fascist idea. The Runestaff as an instrument of balance between that order and "chaos," which doesn't necessarily need to be a bad thing. It's a beautiful story that doesn't shy away from the death and destruction that comes with imperialism, and it's a series like nothing I've read before.

'salem's Lot by Stephen King

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

In Bram Stoker's Dracula, Johnathan Harker travels to a country he's never been before and discovers horror in the unknown. In 'Salem's Lot, Ben Mears travels to his old home and discovers horror in the familiar. It's such a cool twist on the vampire genre and Stephen King's the perfect guy to do it. His little asides on random extras are perfect for setting the stage and making you the reader a citizen of 'Salem's Lot. When the killing starts, it becomes all the more upsetting and all the more reflective of how tragedy and secrecy worm their way into small towns and cause massive communal conflict. It's not nearly talked about as much as it should be when people talk about their favorite Stephen King books. It's some of his best character work and some of his creepiest atmosphere, and I almost wish we got a sequel to 'Salem's Lot instead of The Shining (not trying to start drama in the Stephen King community).

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

adventurous informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. It's one of the perfect adventure stories, an amazing blend of scientific discovery and exploration that's fascinated me since I was a kid. Pierre Aronnax was a protagonist unlike many I had read before, physically unremarkable but with a mind and sense of wonder that drives him throughout the story. His friendship with Conseil and Ned Land is such a healthy depiction of male friendship (and perhaps romantic love? Who's to say) that authors still struggle to replicate today. The episodic format of the story means that Jules Verne was able to jump from one part of the ocean to another, embracing each part of the ocean he finds himself interested in. From the South Pole to the lost city of Atlantis to just looking at a remarkable school of cuttlefish, each discovery feels just as grand and breathtaking as the last. 
And how can I talk about 20,000 Leagues without talking about Captain Nemo? He's one of my favorite archetypes in literature: the vengeful, hyper-intelligent, misanthrope with just enough hints at his tragic past to make him sympathetic and captivating. His directionless wrath against the imperialist nations that have caused him such grief is such a core emotional part of the story, and while he doesn't seem like much at first Jules Verne knows how to drip-feed us just the right amount of Nemo to keep us loving and intimidated by him.
This book is incredible. Mobilis in mobili.

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin

reflective slow-paced

4.75

This is an extremely important essay on art and aesthetics that I recommend everyone read. It mainly focuses on how reproducing art diminishes its value because it doesn't share the aura the original work has, which is super interesting to read in an age where artificial intelligence is capable of not just recreating but producing "art" that totally lacks the aura that Benjamin describes that comes with natural wear, the chain of ownership, where the artist was in their life when they made the art, etc. The essay also touches on the aesthetics of fascism in a really intelligent way. You hear in a lot of modern day discourse that there isn't a lot of good far-right art, and Benjamin's theory explains that - while communism works to bring politics to the masses as a form of art, fascism focuses on aesthetics, giving the proletariat an opportunity to indulge in beauty without ceding rights to them. Benjamin's thoughts are clear, concise, and ridiculously smart.

The Crawling Chaos by H.P. Lovecraft

dark medium-paced

2.75

This is beautifully written, but it boils down to a plotless "I hit opium too hard and now I know how the world ends." There's not much here beyond a nice ambient connection to the Dreamlands cycle. 

Good Lady Ducayne by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A pretty funny story that takes Karl Marx's comparisons of the bourgeoise in Das Kapital and runs with it. It's not particularly scary and it ends very abruptly, but there's still some funny and (sadly) still relevant satire on wage slavery and the weaponization of doctors against women. 

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Carmilla immediately struck me as super interesting because of the way she treats her victims with a level of emotional and sexual empathy that Dracula could never have. It's a surprisingly feminist work, too: the patriarchs are depicted as what they really are, that being just as possessive and manipulative as Carmilla. Laura's lesbianism is handled in such a sympathetic way that makes the horror of Laura's being pulled in two different directions so much more upsetting.

The Sword of the Dawn by Michael Moorcock

adventurous dark medium-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

3.5

This is the best worldbuilding yet in the History of the Runestaff, and since the setting is what keeps me coming back that makes this my favorite book in the saga so far. I love the increasing characterization of the Dark Empire of Granbretan as almost gentlemanly in addition to their evil; It reflects the real-world sinister attitude held by the imperialist forces of the British Empire, and their constantly increasing reach adds this sense of urgency even when they aren't the main focus of the story. I kind of like the episodic nature of these stories but I'm also hoping the final book is more linear, and I would like to get more from the Warrior in Jet and Gold beyond just showing up to help Hawkmoon out of a jam at the very end. Stoked to see D'Averc get so much page time, he's a great example of the witty scoundrel archetype.