Steve's Bookshelf 2011

[Karsa Orlong]

The Final Empire - Mistborn Book 1 by Brandon Sanderson

 

Amazon blurb: "A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields. But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals."

 

I've had this book sitting on the shelf for ages and not got around to reading it. I was putting off reading any other fantasy series until I'd finished the Malazan books. Coming to this after Erikson's novels didn't feel like the step down I thought it would. Sanderson's got a nice easy writing style that flows well and, I assume, has developed further since this novel. The story itself is, despite all claims to the contrary, quite standard, and I saw the final twist coming a mile off, but still it's very enjoyable if a little overlong. Vin is a terrific character, who really comes alive on the page, and the book is at its best when she's around, whether she's spying at a nobleman's dance, or leaping through the sky using Allomancy. Unfortunately, the supporting cast are all a little thin, not really providing the gravitas that I suspect Sanderson was aiming for. I found Kelsier particularly annoying for the majority of the book. He has the reasons for doing what he does, but at no time did I actually feel he was capable of doing it, despite the fact that the predicted events were occurring. He's so deliberately enigmatic that it just gave me the impression that Sanderson didn't know how to convey the character that he had in his mind.

 

But enough gripes. The thing that really makes this novel tick is the magic system. It's original, it's innovative, and it leads to some really thrilling sequences that Sanderson pulls off to perfection. It's so good, in fact, that I almost suspect that the rest of the book was created just to frame this brilliant idea.

 

I'm really hoping that the other two books in the trilogy kick things up a level or two. I can see the potential there, and I'm really hoping that he managed to harness it. Looking forward to reading the next one.

 

8/10

[Karsa Orlong]

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

 

From the back of the book:

 

"The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan - poet, diplomat, soldier - until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.

 

Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites' most celebrated - and feared - military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.

 

In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve - for a time - the same master. Sharing their interwoven fate - and increasingly torn by her feelings - is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

 

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake - or destroy - a world."

 

This is the second of Kay's novels that I've read. The first was Tigana which, although based on medieval Italy, still qualified as 'high fantasy'. The Lions of Al-Rassan moves away from that territory. Although it is still set in a world of Kay's creation, it reads more as a historical novel than fantasy, and uses reconquista Spain as the building blocks for a sweeping adventure. There are no fantastic creatures or magic, it is very much a story about people, places, race and religion. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is the novel that Tim Willocks' The Religion should have been, rather than the crass mess that it is.

 

There are three religions involved in The Lions of Al-Rassan: the Kindath - a parallel of the Jews; the Asharites - a parallel of the Moors; and the Jaddites - a parallel of the Christians. The novel's three main characters, as detailed in the blurb above, come from each of those religions: Jehane is the Kindath, Ammar ibn Khairan the Asharite, and Rodrigo Belmonte the Jaddite (and a parallel to El-Cid). There are lots of other wonderful characters, too. Alvar, a youthful soldier who grows immensely during the course of the book, is one of my favourites, along with Husari, the Asharite merchant, and Miranda Belmonte, Rodrigo's strong-willed wife.

 

The story is very much about these characters, and how situations forced upon them make them work together, dealing with a lot of political backstabbing and religious intolerance. Naturally there is a lot of disagreement, humour, romance and heartbreak along the way. The action is handled deftly - there is not a huge amount of violence in the book, but what there is has a much greater impact for its scarcity. There are some scenes of a sexual nature, nothing too explicit, though.

 

The prologue, set fifteen years before the main story, sees Ammar sent to assassinate the last of the Khalifs at the instruction of his king. Then, at the beginning of the novel, he is betrayed by the same king on a day that sees many die in the city of Fezana. This brings Ammar into contact with Jehane, as she helps someone escape the killings, and the story spirals outward from there.

 

Many of the major events are used as a backdrop - GGK keeps everything on a personal level, and the characters are so beautifully written that I couldn't help getting caught up in their troubles. They are all given equal space to breathe, both male and female. In fact the female characters are marvellous - none of them get in peril and stand around waiting to be saved - they are all strong, determined, fully realised people, and more than a match for the men.

 

Kay has such a lyrical style that it's hard not to keep stopping and re-reading passages just to savour his use of language. It took me a few pages to get my head around it, having just come off the back of authors who are maybe not quite so eloquent, but once I was into it I was hooked. I found it had great depth, was exciting, dark and deeply moving in places. For those looking for traditional fantasy I would still say Tigana is a better starting point for Kay's work, but for anyone else I can't recommend The Lions of Al-Rassan highly enough.

 

10/10

Edited April 14, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

 

So I had been planning to re-read this marvellous book alongside the new tv show based on it (which started this week) but, after watching a preview of the show on the HBO website about two weeks ago, I decided to re-read the prologue - just for comparison purposes, you understand ...

 

Anyway, it's one of those books that once you've started it's almost impossible to stop. Martin chose to write each chapter from the point of view of a different character, and each chapter is headed by the character's name. He switches back and forth between them, and has this downright evil habit of ending chapters on cliffhangers, just to make sure you keep turning those pages.

 

The story, for those who don't know, is set in a medieval fantasy world called Westeros and the country most of this book takes place on is called The Seven Kingdoms, once divided but subsequently united by Aegon Targaryen, otherwise known as Aegon the Dragon and who himself was fleeing troubles in his homeland of Valyria. To cut a long story short, he was then ousted from the throne and replaced by Robert Baratheon, and the story begins several years after this event. The King's Hand, John Arryn, has been murdered, and Robert travels north to Winterfell to enlist the services of his old friend, Eddard Stark. Trouble is brewing between the Great Houses and, reluctantly, Ned agrees to help. Meanwhile, to the north and beyond The Wall (a 700 foot tall barrier made of ice) a supernatural threat is growing, and to the east beyond The Narrow Sea the descendants of Aegon Targaryen are plotting to take back their throne.

 

People hear the word 'fantasy' and they conjure up twee images of hobbits and elves and dwarves and wizards throwing magic around and they think it's all for kids. Well, this isn't. This is a fantasy story, yes, but it's most definitely for adults. There are no orcs or goblins. All of the characters are human, all of them are painted in shades of grey. It's dark and twisted and completely uncompromising. This is a book that redefines fantasy and sets a trend which other authors have been trying to follow ever since. Some people might not like that, which is fair enough. Speaking as someone who's read maybe too much fantasy, I thought - and still think - this was the sort of kick up the bum that the genre needed.

 

For this book Martin uses Eddard as his main protagonist. Other chapters use the viewpoints of his children - Bran, Jon, Sansa and (my favourite) Arya - and his wife, Catelyn, plus Tyrion of the House Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen. At first, some of them are more interesting than others. For much of the book Sansa's chapters I find extremely irritating. But here's the thing: once certain events kick into motion her story becomes quite heartbreaking. All the irritation was forgotten and I started to feel very sorry for her. I think the problem is that, compared to Arya, she's just not much fun. Arya and Tyrion are the real stars of the show, for me. Tyrion's chapters are written with a dark wit and cynicism, whilst Arya's give her tomboy nature a charm and heart that just sucks you into her world.

 

Martin's writing style flows really well. If I have a problem with him it's his tendency to over-describe how everyone (and I mean everyone) is dressed, or what they're eating, and he reels out names of background characters like there's no tomorrow, and inevitably they all start to sound the same. He loses points from me for this, and could maybe do with editing some of that material out (he doesn't in subsequent books - in fact, in places, it only gets worse).

 

But, ultimately, it's a minor gripe - this book, and the series as a whole, is top drawer. He's not as wildly inventive as Steven Erikson, or as eloquent as Guy Gavriel Kay, but it doesn't matter. A Game of Thrones is thrilling, moving, dark beyond belief, throws twist after twist at you in ways that make perfect sense. It's full of action, drama, suspense, sex and murder and - above all else - it is about the characters, and they are so beautifully realised that they will come alive in your imagination.

 

And it's not even the best book in the series.

 

Read it, love it.

 

9/10

Edited April 22, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

The Well of Ascension - Mistborn Book Two by Brandon Sanderson

 

I won't post the Amazon blurb as it's a bit spoilery. Suffice to say that this follows on one year after the events of The Final Empire, which I reviewed a couple of posts above. In that review I said I hoped that the next two books would kick things up a level or two. Well this one didn't. I guess it's that awkward 'second book in a trilogy' issue, where he had a beginning and an end but the middle was just an excuse to get from point A to point B.

 

Most of this story takes place in a city under siege - and yet it doesn't really feel like a city under siege at all, mainly because he chooses to concentrate on the neverending angst of his two lead characters. And it's not angst about the siege, either, but angst about their relationship and how they fit into the grand scheme (which really isn't as grand or as epic as Sanderson thinks it is). So basically, you get a long drawn out Mistborn fight scene, then a lot of soul-searching, then another long drawn out Mistborn fight scene, then some more soul-searching etc. This goes on for four or five hundred pages of the novel's excessive 760-page length. Things do improve towards the end, with a neat little twist cropping up, but the book is waaaaay too long for its own good. And this is coming from a Steven Erikson fan

 

I think my biggest problem was with the characters, though. I found it hard to care about any of them, and when Sanderson started killing them off my reaction was more 'ho hum' than 'oh no', which is a shame. I think a lot of it is down to the repetetive nature of his storytelling - if a character has doubts he feels the need to describe them at every opportunity, and it felt like I was reading the same thing over and over.

 

The strange thing is, though, that the ending did leave me wanting to find out what happens next, so I guess this rambling, almost plotless bridging story between point A and point B served its purpose in the end. I have got the final part of the trilogy on the shelf, and I will read it. Just not straight away.

 

6/10

 

 

Now it's time for something completely different

Edited April 30, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor

 

This is the second of Saylor's 'Roma sub Rosa' books, about Gordianus the Finder, the Ancient Roman detective. Written in 1992, this one tells of a murder at a villa to the south of Rome, on the Cup of Italy, for which two slaves have been blamed. As a background to this, the story takes place at the time of Spartacus and the slave revolt. Really, to reveal more than that would spoil this cracking novel. Once again, Saylor works real-life characters into his story quite seamlessly, and all of his characters are fully realised people. There are plenty of suspects on show, and Saylor has this wonderful ability to educate and entertain at the same time. He works historical background into the dialogue in such a way that it never feels dry or boring, it just feels natural to the characters and the situation.

 

Gordianus is a brilliant character (as is his mute adopted son Eco). He is flawed and far from fearless, yet once his spider sense starts twitching he sinks his teeth in and won't let go. And he is motivated by money, which is the only reason he gets dragged into this story in the first place. It's kind of refreshing.

 

The pace is also fantastic. There's no 'down time' in it at all, it just gets on with it. It's only 300 pages long, but I felt like not a single word had been wasted. The similarities between this series and C J Sansom's Shardlake novels is amazing. The quality of writing is obvious, the atmosphere and sense of time and place is equally well done, and the characters themselves have lots in common. If you like one I'm sure you'll like the other.

 

9/10

[Karsa Orlong]

Zero Option by Chris Ryan

 

The prequel to this, called Stand By, Stand By, was one of the first books I read on my Kindle. I got it cheap and thought it was passable for the price. But it ended on a cliffhanger, so I kind of had to get this follow on to find out what happened.

 

I really wish I hadn't Without looking back at my review of the first one, I think I probably said that Ryan's ability to bring his technical knowledge from his time in the SAS to the table was good, but that his grasp of characterisation and especially dialogue was poor, and that I hoped he stepped it up in subsequent books. Well, he didn't. In fact, the dialogue in this book is even worse than the first. It's atrocious. I nearly gave up on it several times, but fortunately it's quite short and only took me a couple of sessions to read.

 

Coupled with that, he once again throws in laughably unbelievable events. I won't go into detail, but if the Prime Minister ever got to hear of a particular plan in this book I would be astounded - I doubt it would even get past a person like Geordie Sharp's lips, let alone be proposed, accepted by his superiors and then passed up the chain right to the very top. And then agreed to by the PM. Good grief.

 

Anyway, not the worst book I've ever read, but about a kazillion miles away from the best. I'll give it four just because there was one scene that was quite tense, and the ending was surprisingly downbeat and miserable

 

4/10

[Karsa Orlong]

A couple more:

 

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

 

The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy. A bit better, after the dull-as-dishwater second book. I thought Sanderson handled the end very nicely, and he explained and tied together lots of different plot threads and unanswered questions in a very efficient manner. The characters still spend a bit too long moping around dealing with their insecurities for my liking, and that side of it got a bit repetetive I found, but all in all it wasn't too bad.

 

7/10

 

 

Heartstone by C J Sansom

 

Sansom's latest Shardlake novel has the following tag line on the cover: "Shardlake goes to war". I won't spoil it by saying whether it's true or not. The novel, however, is set against the backdrop of the imminent invasion of England as Henry VIII wages his foolhardy campaign against the French. Shardlake gets drawn south to Portsmouth for various reasons, where the armies and fleet are gathering for the defence. Once again Sansom neatly weaves several storylines together, one completely new to this book, and a couple of others that have either been carried over from the previous book, Revelation (Ellen in The Bedlam), or back over the course of the series (Shardlake's continuing problems with Richard Rich). As always, once the pieces of the puzzle(s) begin to slot into place I have to marvel at Sansom's ability to juggle these threads and have them all make sense and, also once again, Shardlake's flaws are what make him such a good character. A few truths about himself come home to roost as this book progresses and it's handled really well. And, without giving anything away, the final hundred pages are thrilling and horrifying in equal measure. Fantastic stuff.

 

9/10

[Karsa Orlong]

A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin

 

The second in Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire series and sequel to A Game of Thrones, this is a mammoth book. It may only have 700-odd pages, but the text is small and it feels much longer. I don't want to go into details of the plot in case it spoils it for anyone. Suffice to say, the title is very accurate. Picking up where the first book left off, the Seven Kingdoms are once again divided, with multiple lords laying claim to the Iron Throne. We are finally introduced to Robert Baratheon's other brother, Stannis, who has succumbed to the persuasions of the Lord of Light, and Melisandre - the Red Woman - is using dark magic to turn events his way. There is much politicking, power-struggling, intrigue, murder, sex, violence and emotion. As is the style of these books, Martin continues to tell the story from multiple points-of-view, with each chapter devoted to a character, leaving them on mini-cliffhangers before returning to them several chapters later. Some of the characters return from the first novel, some are new. Some stories are resolved, others left hanging for the next book.

 

In some ways, I don't feel this one was as successful as A Game of Thrones or as awesome as the third book, A Storm of Swords. I can't quite put my finger on why - perhaps it is just that bit too long, too sprawling, too epic for its own good. Perhaps there are just too many paragraphs full of inconsequential character names, or pages describing the food at a banquet (at times it reads like a flippin' menu).

 

Anyway, it's still a great read, and the twists and turns are many. It's most definitely for grown-ups. The characterisation is fantastic, the action brutal and - if you're anything like me - you'll feel like cheering every time certain characters names appear at the start of a chapter. I just prefer the books that came before and after.

 

8/10

[Karsa Orlong]

Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks

 

Amazon blurb:

 

"The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action. The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought. The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past."

 

Bit of a mixed bag for me, this one. I've read several of Banks's sf novels and have enjoyed them a lot, so was expecting to enjoy this one too. The problem was, around about half way through I realised I didn't actually care about the characters. I suspect that this was his intention, but it didn't quite work for me. He bravely plays around with the narrative structure, with alternate chapters jumping between current events and filling in Zakalwe's back story. When it works it works brilliantly, but at other times (and possibly because I was quite bored in the middle third of the novel) it gives the impression of being rather disjointed, and the changes in time and setting can be quite jarring.

 

Having said all that, it really comes together in quite spectacular fashion in the final third, and the ending is brilliant. It's the sort of ending that left me thinking I should go back and re-read it, just to seek out all the clues that led to the finale. And for that alone I think it was noteworthy.

 

So, not my favourite Banks novel (that honour still belongs to the genius that is Feersum Endjinn) but it ended up being far better than I thought it was going to be.

 

7/10

[Karsa Orlong]

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

 

I don't like the Pirates of the Caribbean films but, had I known that the 4th film used this book as its basis, it wouldn't have stopped me reading the novel. Why? Because it was written by Tim Powers, whose 1983 novel The Anubis Gates is possibly the finest stand-alone fantasy novel I've read, matched only by Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana. The Anubis Gates is a riotous explosion of action and inventiveness, and I hoped for more of the same from On Stranger Tides.

 

This novel was written in 1987, long before Disney decided to make a movie out of a theme park ride. It's about a character called John Chandagnac who is sailing to the Caribbean to confront an uncle who has stolen away his deceased father's fortune but, when his ship is attacked by pirates, he gets drawn far off course into a tale of voodoo, the Fountain of Youth, and the clutches of Blackbeard and his henchmen.

 

It's not as good as The Anubis Gates (few books are!), but it moves with incredible pace and verve, it's exciting, and the characters are well written. Powers, I think, has a real gift for storytelling, and for not allowing interest to drop. His books seem to be as long as they need to be, rather than padded with boring characters and sub-plots. There are many twists and turns along the way, too, and he brings with it a wonderful sense of time and place which is added to immeasurably by his grasp of all things nautical.

 

Great fun.

 

8/10

[Karsa Orlong]

Some catching up to do ...

 

A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin

 

A Storm of Swords is another huge book. In fact, it's so big that publishers in the UK decided to split it in two (which had nothing whatsoever to do with being able to charge twice for one novel, of course ). Picking up directly after events in the previous book (A Clash of Kings), Westeros is in the grip of war over the Iron Throne, whilst events beyond The Wall and across The Narrow Sea are gathering pace. It follows the same format as the previous books, with each chapter focusing on a particular character and their part in the larger scale of things. A lot of the old favourites are here, and also some new.

 

To cut a long story short, the second 'part' of this novel is stunning. Seriously, if you were shocked by events in the Game of Thrones tv series, you ain't seen nothing yet. There is one particular event in this book that is so shocking I still can't quite believe he did it, and, even after all that is out of the way, there are still major revelations to come in the final pages. It's an awesome, awesome book.

 

Part 1 - 9/10

Part 2 - 10/10

 

 

A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin

 

I don't think this one could ever live up to the expectations set by A Storm of Swords. For many reasons, Martin decided that the next book was becoming too long and unwieldy, so he decided to deal with one particular aspect of the story (mainly events in King's Landing) and shift the rest into A Dance With Dragons. The result is a book where some of his greatest characters are missing entirely, and where - to be honest - there are few of the truly major, jaw-dropping moments that highlighted the previous books. This doesn't mean it's a bad book (some of my favourite characters are still here, after all) it just feels a little ... incomplete. It's like the sandwich is there but the filling is missing. It's still well written, and what is there is very good, don't get me wrong, it's just not as good as the previous entries in the series.

 

7/10

 

 

A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay

 

Reading one of GGK's books is always a special event for me. I have to put everything else aside, sit down and lose myself in his world. His wonderfully lyrical writing style always takes me a few pages to get my head around, because it is so different and - imo - so superior to other writers in the genre. Another thing I like about GGK is that, although he writes in the fantasy genre, most of his books are stand-alone novels that require no prior knowledge to be enjoyed, even though many of them are set in the same world (but on different continents).

 

A Song for Arbonne is another jewel in GGK's crown, I think. It is his version of Medieval France, starting 23 years before the main text as the heir to the country's throne rides out to meet with her lover, and then jumps ahead to tell of the feud between her husband and lover, interweaving this with religious intolerance and political struggles between the Arbonnais and the neighbouring Gorhautians. As always, GGK keeps the action on focused on his characters (who are - again - wonderful) and builds layer upon layer of complexity into their relationships which always has some emotional pay-off in the end.

 

I think, if it wasn't for the genius of Steven Erikson, Kay would be on his way to becoming my favourite author, and this is just another wonderful novel.

 

10/10

[Karsa Orlong]

A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin

 

The long, long, long, long (did I mention long?) awaiting fifth instalment in Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire series, I found this to be a disappointment. It's a huge book in which it takes forever for virtually nothing to happen. I think this is largely down to the fact that, in order to get the previous book (A Feast for Crows) out in reasonable time, Martin extracted certain plot lines from that book and put them in this one, the theory being that roughly the first half of ADWD runs in parallel to AFFC. The problem is that he then has to fill up a lot of space, and some of the story arcs seem to tread a lot of water as a result. One character spends most of the book travelling from point a to point b. He could have got to point b a lot earlier but, because his story has to fit in with the others, Martin chucks obstacle after obstacle in front of him, rather than just absent him for hundreds of pages. Another character - probably the most powerful character in the story - is trapped in a city under siege and their story goes nowhere until a particular event at about the 700 page mark - and then they disappear almost completely! Even the books big 'shock' is telegraphed hundreds of pages before it happens.

 

I did like it, I just wanted more. It's written with Martin's usual flowing style, and the characters themselves are rich and engaging. But this feels like 1,000+ pages of moving pieces into position, rather than actually progressing the story in any noticeable way. It's nowhere near as good as the first three books in the series. And now, with Martin hinting that the series may run to eight books, the next book is really going to have to be something special. And therein lies the question: how long will it be before we see it? Another six years? I look at those other authors writing long series: Steven Erikson wrote an entire ten book series in eleven years, and the quality is, imo, higher than Martin's work. Brandon Sanderson has written his Mistborn trilogy, finished Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and started on another epic ten book series of his own. At this rate, they'll both have written ten more books before A Song of Ice & Fire is completed.

 

6/10

Edited August 22, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. I'm not sure I can post a review of it at the moment because I'm not sure I entirely understood the ending. It was a very good read, and I got the themes about realities and fictions within fiction, and that the characters were reading a book that was closer to reality than the fiction they were living, but if there's anyone here who's read it and can explain it to/confirm it for me I'd be very grateful!

[Karsa Orlong]

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin

 

This is a story about a man - George Orr - whose dreams can change reality, and the psychiatrist who sets out to cure him but, having realised he can control George's dreams through hypnosis, then decides to change the world using his ideas of how things should be. It's a great idea - although George's ability is never really explained, as a starting point it's brilliant. At the start, George is a mess. Le Guin's idea of a future world (the book was written in 1971) that is overpopulated, over-industrialised and polluted is all too real. George has realised that his nightmares are making the world worse, and has been taking drugs to try and prevent sleep. When it's discovered that he has been obtaining the medication illegally he is forced to see a psychiatrist. In steps Dr Haber, who quickly becomes obsessed with the possibilities and the power George's ability provides him with. As the story progresses, Haber uses George to change the world. At first the changes are small, and only noticeable to the two of them. But, as Haber's lust for power begins to take over ... well, that would be spoiling it.

 

I didn't know much about this book before reading it, but the idea obviously came from the philosophies of the Far East, given the quotes from the likes of Tao Te Ching at the beginnings of chapters. I really liked the way Le Guin wove the changes into the narrative in such a natural way. From the start, she throws in little details about the existing world then - without whacking you around the head with a big sign saying "THIS HAS CHANGED!" - you find you're reading about the same people and places, but they are different. I also liked that, once George's dreams altered things, they also changed history, so people around him remembered events going back years that had formed the new world as they saw it now.

 

A very interesting and enjoyable read, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

 

8/10

[lopeanha]

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin

 

This is a story about a man - George Orr - whose dreams can change reality, and the psychiatrist who sets out to cure him but, having realised he can control George's dreams through hypnosis, then decides to change the world using his ideas of how things should be. It's a great idea - although George's ability is never really explained, as a starting point it's brilliant. At the start, George is a mess. Le Guin's idea of a future world (the book was written in 1971) that is overpopulated, over-industrialised and polluted is all too real. George has realised that his nightmares are making the world worse, and has been taking drugs to try and prevent sleep. When it's discovered that he has been obtaining the medication illegally he is forced to see a psychiatrist. In steps Dr Haber, who quickly becomes obsessed with the possibilities and the power George's ability provides him with. As the story progresses, Haber uses George to change the world. At first the changes are small, and only noticeable to the two of them. But, as Haber's lust for power begins to take over ... well, that would be spoiling it.

 

I didn't know much about this book before reading it, but the idea obviously came from the philosophies of the Far East, given the quotes from the likes of Tao Te Ching at the beginnings of chapters. I really liked the way Le Guin wove the changes into the narrative in such a natural way. From the start, she throws in little details about the existing world then - without whacking you around the head with a big sign saying "THIS HAS CHANGED!" - you find you're reading about the same people and places, but they are different. I also liked that, once George's dreams altered things, they also changed history, so people around him remembered events going back years that had formed the new world as they saw it now.

 

A very interesting and enjoyable read, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

 

8/10

This one sounds interesting, I will put it on my want-to-read-list.

[Kylie]

Excellent review Steve! I recently bought this and will have to bump it up the pile, I think.

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks, Kylie. Hope you both enjoy it

[Karsa Orlong]

Storm Front (Dresden Files 1) by Jim Butcher

 

So, I came to this book, finally, having known about the tv series and having seen the books on the shelves whenever I was perusing, but not really taking an interest until I recently read people on the Malazan forums raving about the later novels in the series. With Pickle's recommendation (thanks Pickle!) I bought this, the first in the series, and raced (well, for me it was racing, anyway!) through it in a couple of days.

 

Storm Front introduces Harry Dresden, wizard. As his advert in the Yellow Pages says "Lost Items Found - Paranormal Investigations - Consulting - Advice - Reasonable Rates - No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment." In typical film noir fashion, Dresden is a down-at-heel private investigator-type, who is a consultant to the Chicago police department's Special Investigations unit - but, seeing as they don't pay very regularly and Harry has bills to pay - he also takes on private cases. Storm Front starts with a double murder that the police want his input on, and then he takes on a missing persons case to pay the rent he's far behind on.

 

It all sounds very familiar, and it is. But it's told from a laconic first-person viewpoint, with a winning, self-deprecating sense of humour, and it's easy to read and fast-paced with it, with some well-realised action sequences and a couple of scenes with genuine suspense. It does contradict itself at times (for instance, Dresden tells us that normal people don't know about wizards or magic, but then everyone knows to avoid eye-contact with him - perhaps this is just the rough edges of an author's first novel), and it's not ground-breaking, controversial, or in any way thought-provoking. But it's Fun, with a capital F. I finished it with a smile on my face, and downloaded the second book to my Kindle straight away. After all, I'm told it gets better and betters as the series goes along.

 

And I know I'm onto a winner when the first chapter contains a line like: "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face."

 

8/10

[chesilbeach]

That sounds like an entertaining read, and I'm going to have a look at it for future consideration (in other words, it's now on my wishlist )

[Karsa Orlong]

Catalina's Riddle by Steven Saylor

 

This is the third in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, the mystery/crime novels set in ancient Rome, featuring Gordianus the Finder. This one is set some nine years after the previous book, and Gordianus has moved to a farm north of Rome that was bequeathed to him by an old friend. Unfortunately, that old friend's family are not too happy that an outsider has been given the property, or that that outsider enlisted the help of Cicero to fight his legal battles. Into this mix, Cicero then asks Gordianus to spy on his enemy, Catalina, by allowing the man to stay at the farm during his frequent travels to the north, where he is allegedly conspiring to overthrow the senate and bring Rome to its knees. When Gordianus seems reluctant to participate in Cicero's plan, he finds he headless body on his property.

 

I thought this was another great read from Saylor. It's not as deep or exciting a mystery as the previous two books, but Saylor weaves real history throughout the novel with a lot of skill. It's maybe not as subtle as in the previous books. Several of Cicero's speeches are repeated here, and one particular event needs a huge pinch of salt to swallow, but the writing and characters are so good that it's easy to forgive. Saylor says that his main mission with this book was to provide a fictional account of Catalina where he was neither villified nor deified, and I think he's succeeded. Catalina comes across as a magnetic presence, but flawed in many ways, and the way in which Gordianus is drawn to him and yet dislikes him is really well handled.

 

Many of the events in this book were also in Robert Harris's Lustrum, which I read last year. That book used Cicero as its protagonist, so it was interesting to see it all presented in a subtly different light here. I can highly recommend both books.

 

8/10

[Karsa Orlong]

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

 

From Amazon:

 

Hyperion is the first of a much-heralded two-part work -- including the The Fall of Hyperion--about the last days of a vibrant yet self-destructive galactic civilization of humans called the Hegemony. The Hegemony is doomed because in exchange for the knowledge needed to conquer the stars, the human species sold its soul to a hive of machine-based intelligence known as Technocore. Six people embark on a pilgrimage to Hyperion, their only hope for redemption, to seek the help of the Shrike, a half- mechanical, half-organic creature that inspires both terror and devotion in its subjects. The book won the 1990 Hugo Award for Science Fiction.

 

SF's answer to The Canterbury Tales, with frequent references to John Keats and an actual clone of him appearing within its pages. That's probably the worst description I could ever have come up with, but it's true! In fact, Keats seems to have such a hold over Simmons that the book's title - and its sequel's - is taken from Keats' final poem, about the Greek Titans and the Younger Gods. From what I can gather, Keats died before finishing the poem, to the point where it stopped mid-line, and although Simmons doesn't go to that length, there are similarities ...

 

Anyway, this tale of seven pilgrims journeying to a doom-laden encounter that will see most, if not all, of them fail to return, is just a wonderful exercise in storytelling, beautifully written, jaw-droppingly inventive and imaginative, populated by characters who are gradually fleshed out as they tell their own stories of how they have come to this point in time. This central conceit allows Simmons to change voice, to switch between first and third person, and throw in all manner of literary tricks which, to my mind, all worked brilliantly. The characters' stories vary from horror to love, even to a pseudo-film noir-ish detective story, and another that I found completely heartbreaking.

 

I have read a few of Simmons' novels before - Carrion Comfort, The Terror, Illium - and enjoyed them all, but this one surpassed the lot. For the first few pages I couldn't get my head around most of the terminology, the descriptions, the ideas the book was throwing at me, one after another in such quick succession - but it sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. I was tempted to give it less than a perfect score. It's the sort of book that left me breathless and frustrated that it was over, wanting to know what happened next and yet quite annoyed that there are sequels. Something about it just cries out to be left as it is, to leave it to the reader's imagination to figure it all out. I'm not sure I want all the answers, but I know I'll read them anyway, and I'm almost sure they'll be a let down. This book, on its own, is pretty much perfect.

 

10/10

[Karsa Orlong]

Emphyrio by Jack Vance

 

I was going to copy over the Amazon blurb for a brief description of the plot but I'm assuming it's just taken from the back of the book as the same massive spoiler is included in both. I was so annoyed when, after starting the book, I glanced at the back and the spoiler caught my eye.

 

Anyway, Emphyrio follows the story of Ghyl Tarvoke, a young lad growing up on the planet Halma with his father, Amiante, who is a master woodcarver. On Halma, mass reproduction of goods has been outlawed by the ruling lords, forcing the general populace to craft each and every item by hand. Their produce is then ranked and they receive tokens based on the quality of their output. As Ghyl grows he becomes aware that his father is less than satisfied with this arrangement, and also finds that some of his friends may or may not be operating outside the law. Emphyrio is a mythical character from Halma's legends, who saved the world from an invading force, and whose story Ghyl tries to piece together as the book progresses.

 

To start of with, I didn't think I was going to like this. The first chapter throws you in at the deep end, chucks a lot of jargon at you which makes little sense, and left me a little bewildered. But then the book goes back and tells the story of what had happened before that first chapter, and it's at that point that it really starts to flow, and I found that I couldn't put it down.

 

It's slightly old school in its use of language, especially in the dialogue (although this could be a deliberate affectation), but it was written in 1969, so it's not all that surprising. What isn't in doubt is the character development, which is very good, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you interested. With a small cast of characters, Vance manages to show you each and every aspect of the world he created without it feeling clunky or out of place, and it's a fast-paced and entertaining read with many observations about our own society to be found within.

 

8/10

[Kylie]

Great review, Steve.

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks Kylie

 

A brief word on a couple of others I've read recently:

 

The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris

 

Set in Glasgow shortly after World War II, this story gave me the impression of a Scottish answer to Lee Child's Jack Reacher. You know the story: ex-military guy comes into town, gets involved with disreputable types, falls into the arms of the nearest beautiful woman etc etc. The time and setting should probably have had more bearing on the story than they actually did, and some of the situations Brodie gets himself into are almost a 7 on the 'Reacher-scale-of-the-far-fetched'. But, the start of the story, where Brodie travels home after a cry for help from an old ex-friend who had betrayed Brodie in an earlier life is interesting enough. I did get a little fed up with everything being described as 'wee' (as in 'small', not as ... well, you know) and characters saying things like "Ah ken, ah ken". Yes, I know you're Scottish - get on with it! I think my major complaint, though, is that the bad guys are never fleshed out - they are two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs who enter the fray too late in proceedings to really have any effect.

 

6/10

 

 

Fool Moon (Dresden Files 2) by Jim Butcher

 

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work - magical or mundane.But just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses - and the first two don’t count …

 

Okay, yes, it's obviously about werewolves. But what I liked about this was the number of variations on the myth that Butcher throws at you. I had no idea there could be so many different types! And it's all handled with a clarity of thought and action that leaves you in no doubt as to which type can do what and why. Much of that is down to the straightforward simplicity of the plot, which wouldn't win any awards, but Butcher handles it with such pace, energy and wit that I couldn't help being carried along. Recurring characters from the first book are handled very well, and their developing relationships with Dresden are believable, which is good. He also wraps things up very nicely, with some tantalising hints that the plots of the first two books might be linked after all, and a wonderful throwaway line - that explains the nature of one of the characters - that made me grin from ear to ear.

 

Looking forward to book three.

 

8/10

[chesilbeach]

I wish I didn't have so many books already on my shelf waiting to read, as I really want to try the Jim Butcher Dresden Files books after both you and pickle have been talking about them and now you've gone and given us another great review of one!