Karsa Orlong Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Damn, I went into Smiths on the way home for a magazine and ended up walking out with three books instead: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - this was suddenly kind of a 'must' The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - been waiting a long time for this one. I was originally intending to get it for Kindle, but there's something about the covers of his books - they're just so tactile and sexy - and it's finally in regular paperback size, so ... The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin - been wanting to read some Rankin for a while - I think this is the second book with these characters, so I may have to get the previous one before reading this, but it's okay cos I got this half price, effectively, thanks to the deal in Smiths Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I've had Something Wicked This Way Comes on my wish list for years now and having recently read The Martian Chronicles I'm feeling very keen to get it. I've also added Farenheit 451 thanks to your review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Not my fault, honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Something Wicked This Way Comes is great as well. Rather creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Something Wicked This Way Comes is great as well. Rather creepy. How does it compare to the film Kylie? The film was a Disney one if I remember rightly and I got the feeling it was toned down for juniors, even though I haven't read the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 (edited) Book #42: Suldrun's Garden by Jack Vance Synopsis: Lyonesse evokes the Elder Isles, a baroque land of pre-Arthurian myth now lost beneath the Atlantic, where powerful sorcerers, aloof faeries, stalwart champions, and nobles eccentric, magnanimous, and cruel pursue intrigue among their separate worlds. In this first book of the trilogy, Suldrun's Garden, Prince Aillas of Troicinet is betrayed on his first diplomatic voyage and cast into the sea. Before he redeems his birthright, he must pass the breadth of Hybras Isle as prisoner, vagabond, and slave, an acquaintance of faeries, wizards, and errant knights, and lover to a sad and beautiful girl whose fate sets his bitter rivalry with the tyrant Casmir, King of Lyonesse. Thoughts: Crikey, this is a difficult one. To the story first. King Casmir awaits the birth of his child, demanding a boy and heir. Unfortunately for him, what he gets is Princess Suldrun. Unwanted by her father and mother (Queen Sollace, who views it as her own failure that she has not pleased her king), Suldrun grows to be a bit of a rebel, uninterested in courtly ways and the teachings of her guardians. She finds peace in a garden in a rocky cove beyond the castle walls, to which she escapes when the mood takes her. Meanwhile, her warmongering father sets about his grand plan to conquer neighbouring Dahaut by manoeuvring with various other factions. He pushes the King of Troicinet too far, however, and unpleasantness ensues. I apologise in advance to VF for what I'm about to type ... This is the fourth of Vance's novels I have read and I have come to the conclusion that his writing style may not be for me. I found Suldrun's Garden a bit of a slog, sadly, especially towards the end where it seemed to drag for much too long. I even toyed with the idea of giving up on it, but every now and then something exciting, intriguing, or tragic would happen that grabbed my attention. For the most part, though, I found it strangely uninvolving, as if I was reading it from a distance instead of being sucked into the world. As with the Dying Earth books, I found the dialogue a bit wearying. Everyone seems to talk the same way, be they male, female, young or old, and I found it difficult to sympathise with any of the characters, apart from Suldrun herself, as a result. I think this also meant that I wasn't able to see past this and recognise much of the wit, which I'm sure is there. Vance also seems to love putting his characters through misery after misery - he is quite vicious in this book, in most unexpected ways, which is fantastic and an aspect of the book that I really liked. I did find he did it just a little too much, though, and a large amount of the book is taken up by misfortunes and obstacles being stacked up against the characters, one after another without respite, which is something I'm not keen on (see my review of A Dance with Dragons in last year's thread). His descriptions are marvellous, though, and the worldbuilding is great, and his 'throwaway' inventiveness is on practically every page - ideas thrown out there with vivid description that are never mentioned again. Ultimately I think my disappointment is down to my personal tastes rather than the book. I was really looking forward to it but, ultimately, found myself continually checking to see how much of it there was left. I'm unsure at the moment whether I'll read the other two books. I find it really frustrating, because there are parts in Suldrun's Garden that I thought were fantastic and gripping, just not enough to sustain me. I think that I would have enjoyed it much more had I read it a few years ago, but my fantasy tastes now seem to gravitate towards the more recent, grittier approach. One curiosity to note: I bought a second hand copy of the paperback, primarily for the map, but the text was so small in it that I ended up going back to my Kindle edition. The Kindle edition, I found, was brilliant. There's a lot of artwork in there, and there also seems to be a bit of extra text and some rearranging of the order of chapters. I'm guessing this is down to it being taken from the Vance Integral Edition. I got all three books for £2.99 each from the SF Gateway. Well worth a look. 6/10 Edited June 16, 2012 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 How does it compare to the film Kylie? The film was a Disney one if I remember rightly and I got the feeling it was toned down for juniors, even though I haven't read the book. I haven't seen the movie, but given it's a Disney flick, I wouldn't be surprised to find they've toned it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Nah, I was thinking more of Kahlan (foreground) Now I see why every bloke I speak to who has seen the TV series thinks it's the best thing ever! I enjoyed Wizard's First Rule fine although I didn't think it was fantastic, but it has left me interested enough to think I will probably buy the second book at some point. I have been a bit fed-up reading-wise as I have somehow managed to mislay both the books I was meant to be reading next (The Lions of Al-Rassan and I Capture the Castle). So I haven't been reading as much as usual, and when I have it has been some nice, enjoyable Jo Nesbo. Fahrenheit 451 is on my list to read this year, so thanks for the review of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I did prefer the look of Dying Earth to Lyonesse, would you say it is better as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 Now I see why every bloke I speak to who has seen the TV series thinks it's the best thing ever! Well I wouldn't go that far, but it definitely has its plus points I have somehow managed to mislay [...] The Lions of Al-Rassan :o I did prefer the look of Dying Earth to Lyonesse, would you say it is better as well? I don't think I'm the best person to answer that I did like the first Dying Earth book better, as it was a set of interconnected short stories. I felt about the same about the second book (Eyes of the Overworld) as I do about Suldrun's Garden, though. I didn't get far with Cugel's Saga and have yet to read Rhialto the Marvellous at all. I'm just deciding what to read next. Something completely different, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 (edited) I apologise in advance to VF for what I'm about to type ... Hi Steve, no apology necessary, at least you gave it a good go and your review was honest, and you were able to dissect and pinpoint what you did not like. However, you did give an accurate account of Vance's trademark style, which is his astonishing inventiveness, his worldbuilding , his ideas and descriptions. That dialogue style runs through all his books so I guess if that annoyed you, and the other things weren't enough to hook you, then as you say Jack is not for you. I still enjoyed reading your review though. We shall talk more of Lyonesse over a few beers in London! Edited June 16, 2012 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Indeed! I decided to go with the next of Rory Clements's 'John Shakespeare' books, Prince. It was a pretty easy choice after reading the first page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I decided to go with the next of Rory Clements's 'John Shakespeare' books, Prince. It was a pretty easy choice after reading the first page I already got really excited by the name Rory and thought you were going to take part in the Rory Gilmore challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 I already got really excited by the name Rory and thought you were going to take part in the Rory Gilmore challenge The only challenge I need at the moment is the 'must reduce my TBR pile' one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Found this blog site that has reviews of some of the SF/Fantasy Masterworks series. Doesn't look like it's been updated for about a year, but still a lot of interesting reviews on there. Some of them may be spoilery (I noticed this particularly with the one for Suldrun's Garden), so beware. Possibly best read only if you've already read the books in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) Book #43: Prince by Rory Clements Synopsis: Spring 1593. England is a powder keg of rumour and fear. Plague rages, famine is rife, the ageing Queen's courtiers scheme: Elizabeth's Golden Age is truly tarnished. Meanwhile Spain watches and waits - and plots. Into this turmoil a small cart clatters through the streets of London, carrying a deadly load. It is the first in a wave of horrific bombing attacks on the Dutch immigrant community that will change John Shakespeare's life for ever. Driven on by cold rage, Shakespeare's investigations will take him from magnificent royal horseraces to the opulent chambers of Black Luce's brothel, from the theatrical underworld of Marlowe and Kyd to the pain-wracked torture cells of priest-hunter Richard Topcliffe, and from the elegant offices of master tactician Robert Cecil to the splintering timbers of an explosive encounter at sea. As Shakespeare delves ever deeper, he uncovers intricate layers of mystery and deception that threaten the heart not only of the realm, but of all that he holds dear. Thoughts: This book had me from the very first page, starting - as it does - with the assassination of Christopher Marlowe. It grabs your attention and, from that moment onwards, moves at such a cracking pace it is almost impossible to put down. Also, at just over 400 pages, it is just about the perfect length. Prince is the third of Clements' series about 16th century intelligencer John Shakespeare. Much like Martyr and Revenger before it, it is a first rate thriller, easy to read but packed with historical detail, lots of intrigue and tension, plenty of edge-of-seat moments, and some genuine surprises. Like Revenger, this book was nominated for the Crime Writers Association's Ellis Peters Award. Unlike Revenger, this one didn't win it - which makes me all the more intrigued to read the book that did win, because if it beat this one it must be a bit special! What I love about this series is the way the characters and the period come alive. He's got a very distinct writing style, so much so that you can almost see the sights, hear the sounds and smell the stench of Elizabethan London. And it seems like it wasn't all that different from now: the people live in fear of terrorist attacks, immigrants are viewed with suspicion, the queen's called Elizabeth, and you still can't find a taxi when you really need one. Into this cauldron comes John Shakespeare, sent to investigate by Sir Robert Cecil. Shakespeare's brother (guess who!) hints that Marlowe's murder may be something far more sinister, then runs off to Stratford - as you would - leaving John with a rather tangled mess to unravel. Within hours there is a bombing at a Dutch church, and the plot thickens still further. Clements' style is so vivid it was easy for me to do my usual thing and have actors playing the characters in my head. Cecil was Sir Alec Guiness, Boltfoot was Ray Winstone, the ever evil Sir Richard Topcliffe was an ageing and white-haired Philip Glenister. The characters really leap off the page. In true series fashion, Clements ties up all but a couple of tantalising ongoing storylines. The ending is quite thrilling and satisfying. You can't ask for more, really. 9/10 Revenger review Martyr review Edited June 20, 2012 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Book #44: A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman Blurb: When a redundant church is bought by a young pagan couple, the local fundamentalist minister reacts with fury. In an isolated community on the Welsh border, a modern witch hunt begins. Diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins is expected to keep the lid on the cauldron... but what she finds out will seriously test her beliefs. Also, there's the problem of the country solicitor who won't be parted from his dead wife. The mystery of five ancient churches all dedicated to St Michael, slayer of dragons. And a killer with an old tradition to guard... Thoughts: This is the third of Rickman's 'Merrily Watkins' novels and it's another very entertaining read. The village of Ledwardine, setting for the first two books, features very little in this one, as the story moves to a place called Old Hindwell on the Welsh border, where a couple have bought a farm beside a ruined church. As soon as they move in they see a shadowy figure outside the house and, upon investigation, discover a wooden box left on the doorstep. Inside the box is a piece of paper upon which is written an anti-Wiccan incantation, and so their paganism comes to light, and their plans to reconsecrate the church into the 'old ways'. Merrily, meanwhile, is asked by the Bishop of Hereford to appear on a late night tv show in which the church is pitted against paganism, and quickly gets drawn into the midst of a very complicated situation. Rickman has a way of writing that is at once slightly confusing but also quite riveting. He has a habit of telling you the aftermath of a particular event - hence the confusion - and then gradually going back and telling you what happened. He does this frequently, and it almost demands that you read it quickly. The characters are, once again, really well drawn. My favourite this time around was probably Gomer, who gets a lot more to do this time around. He and Merrily seem to chain smoke like there's not tomorrow, which makes me think they must both stink like ashtrays. Jane, Merrily's daughter, gets a little less to do, but her prior interest in pagans bears significant fruit. Rickman paints country life with an air of suspicion and foreboding hanging over it, which means that all the supporting characters are coloured in shades of grey, and nobody is quite who they appear to be at first, and he keeps you guessing right up to the end about what has actually happened, whilst juggling some potentially incendiary subject matter with a good deal of aplomb. It's spooky, mysterious and quite tense, and there's some nice humour in it, too. I've read four of Rickman's books so far and have yet to be disappointed. 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 I think I let VF down a bit yesterday, as he found a book he wanted in Waterstones' 'Buy 1 get 1 half price' deal, but none of the books I wanted were included. I picked up quite a few that I wanted - Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry), The Lost Fleet: Dauntless (Jack Campbell), The Ghost Brigades (John Scalzi), A Plague On Both Your Houses (Susanna Gregory), Tides of War (Steven Pressfield), among others, but ended up buying none of them. Really wish I'd got the new hardback SF Masterworks edition of Dune, though, but all the copies they had in Forbidden Planet were marked or dented, and I'm a bit picky about that sort of thing with special books like that, I'm afraid, especially if I'm going to pay full price for it! Naturally, they didn't have it in Waterstones or Hatchards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Hi Karsa, you didn't let me down at all, no worries. I have plenty to read at the moment. I wrote down a lot of new titles that interested me and read lots of blurbs. It was great to be able to browse a bookshop with a fellow SF enthusiast right there. I know you were very tempted by that copy of Lonesome Dove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Steve, did VF keep trying to steer you towards Jack Vance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 I think it was more the complete strangers he was grabbing and pushing towards the 'V' section that was the problem Nah, I think yesterday pretty much proved that JV books are very hard to find. Even Forbidden Planet only had the usuals: Lyonesse, Dying Earth and Emphyrio. They didn't have Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep, either, which disappointed me. Sooo, wish I hadn't got rid of my copy, now that I want to read it again Cheapest used copy on Amazon Marketplace at the moment is £10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Woohoo! Just saw that Book Depository had A Fire Upon the Deep and its sequel A Deepness In the Sky back in stock, so snapped them up <<does happy dance>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I think it was more the complete strangers he was grabbing and pushing towards the 'V' section that was the problem It's for their own good Glad you got your Vernor Vinge book Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 So how much did you talk about books, did both of you carry huge notebooks where you jotted down recommendations from the other person? How much did you fight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dex Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Now I see why every bloke I speak to who has seen the TV series thinks it's the best thing ever! I enjoyed Wizard's First Rule fine although I didn't think it was fantastic, but it has left me interested enough to think I will probably buy the second book at some point. I have been a bit fed-up reading-wise as I have somehow managed to mislay both the books I was meant to be reading next (The Lions of Al-Rassan and I Capture the Castle). So I haven't been reading as much as usual, and when I have it has been some nice, enjoyable Jo Nesbo. Fahrenheit 451 is on my list to read this year, so thanks for the review of that! zTerry goodkind deal, all books excluding pillars of earth and temple of winds, for swap against crime fiction, if possible Dex. Now I see why every bloke I speak to who has seen the TV series thinks it's the best thing ever! I enjoyed Wizard's First Rule fine although I didn't think it was fantastic, but it has left me interested enough to think I will probably buy the second book at some point. I have been a bit fed-up reading-wise as I have somehow managed to mislay both the books I was meant to be reading next (The Lions of Al-Rassan and I Capture the Castle). So I haven't been reading as much as usual, and when I have it has been some nice, enjoyable Jo Nesbo. Fahrenheit 451 is on my list to read this year, so thanks for the review of that! zTerry goodkind deal, all books excluding pillars of earth and temple of winds, for swap against crime fiction, if possible Dex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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