Tim's Horror, Fantasy and SF 2014

[Timstar]

 Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

 

Synopsis

 

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

 

Review

 

Being a general fan of Sanderson but let down occasionally by his adult fiction which can be described as very family friendly, I was interested to see what his young adult fiction would like and the first book of the Reckoners series seemed like a great place. It got off to a positive start when I saw it only had 400 pages, half the length of Sanderson's adult work, which is usually twice as long as it needs to be   .

 

The concept is simply and Sanderson doesn't get weighed down in the science of it all but as with all his magic systems devotes the most time to exploring the possible options. The characters are kept low in number, 6 good guys and and handful of bad ones, allowing for great developing and bonding. We are introduced to the Reckoners through David, the main protagonist and somewhat of a social recluse who really has to go through the paces to be accepted by them.

 

I was quite surprised by some of the twists and turns that Sanderson employed, I assumed it was going to be a fairly predictable book, and I did guess some of it but certainly didn't see everything coming. Mainly it is just good, lighthearted fun. The best of Sanderson's magic without the unnecessarily long exposition.

 

I don't think it is specifically aimed at guys but I think it would appeal more to teenage boys, in the same way The Hunger Games appeals more to teenage girls. Best of all though... no soppy love triangle!   

 

Overall 9/10 (for a YA book)

Edited May 26, 2014 by Timstar

[Athena]

Great review! This book is on my wishlist (waiting for a smaller paperback to come out). It sounds like you really enjoyed this one, awesome! (and yay for there not being a soppy love triangle)

[Timstar]

Great review! This book is on my wishlist (waiting for a smaller paperback to come out). It sounds like you really enjoyed this one, awesome! (and yay for there not being a soppy love triangle)

 

Cool, hope you enjoy it! I changed my score to a 9 as I thought a 10 was a bit too generous.

[Timstar]

Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay

 

Synopsis

 

For two years Shen Tai has mourned his celebrated father and lived like a hermit beyond the borders of the Kitan Empire. There, by a mountain lake, the bones of the soldiers killed in great battles between the Kitai and the Tagurans lie unburied and their wailing ghosts strike terror into the living.

 

Tai has laboured alone, laying to rest the mingled dead of both empires, until a letter arrives. It contains the promise of a poisoned chalice: Tai will be given two hundred and fifty Sardian horses by the Tagurans, legendary steeds from the far west, as a reward for his courage and piety.

 

Now, Tai must try to return alive from solitude to a glittering, dangerous court. For to give a man even one of the famed Sardians is to honour him greatly; to give him so many is a reward which would overwhelm an emperor, and could be Tai's death warrant.

 

Review

 

Another first for me, it's becoming quite a trend this year. I have heard a lot of good things from certain people about Kay, he also helped Christopher Tolkien edit the Simarillion so I was expecting a more sophisticated, high-brow type of fantasy and that's exactly what it is. I certainly wasn't surprised to find out Kay has released a book of poetry as that's exactly how this book reads, like artwork in words (not to mention the numerous poems within the text itself).

 

The story starts off brilliantly with a fantastic set up of the landscape and culture of the Tang Dynasty, and as it progresses we are introduced to an array of characters from prostitutes to emperors. All with their unique and interesting characteristics. But again the best thing about the book is how brilliant the language and descriptions are. The world is richly imagined with evocative imagery and masterfully crafted phrases for which I cannot hope to do justice in this review.

 

Kay manages to deliver a perfect blend of politics and survival that creates a great narrative and never fails to pull the reader into world. Although technically a fantasy book, it is very light on the fantasy side with just a few supernatural elements so it relies heavily on historical accuracy to achieve the world building.

 

The only negative I would say is that I thought the plot could have been better, despite the strong start it never really gets going to the degree I felt it could have done.

 

Language and narrative - 10/10

Story - 8/10

 

Overall 9/10

Edited May 27, 2014 by Timstar

[Karsa Orlong]

Agree on all counts, Tim.  Under Heaven is my least favourite of his books that I've read so far (I think I only gave it a 6, but my expectations of him were sky high by the time I read it), for exactly the reasons you've said.  If you liked this one, I think you might enjoy some of the others even more

 

His latest book, River of Stars, is a sequel-of-sorts to Under Heaven.  I haven't been able to get too excited about it so far, but it's been getting rave reviews

 

 

ETA: Yep, 6/10.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Karsa Orlong

[Athena]

Great review . I have Under Heaven on my TBR. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Timstar]

Agree on all counts, Tim.  Under Heaven is my least favourite of his books that I've read so far (I think I only gave it a 6, but my expectations of him were sky high by the time I read it), for exactly the reasons you've said.  If you liked this one, I think you might enjoy some of the others even more

 

That's good to hear, from what others are saying I was aware it wasn't his best work so I am eager to check out more.

 

I certainly agree with this from your review:

 

 

There is action in it, especially in the early chapters, and some of the characters are great, but it gets bogged down in politics and it starts to drag. I lost interest about two thirds of the way through, really. There are some intriguing supernatural elements which I felt he could have done a bit more with, too, but they kind of get left by the wayside once they have served their purpose.

 

 

Great review . I have Under Heaven on my TBR. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

 

It's funny how often you say "[book name] is on my TBR."

[Athena]

It's funny how often you say "[book name] is on my TBR."

Yeah , it's a bit embarrassing . I'm interested in a lot of different books. If it was just fantasy (for example), the TBR wouldn't be quite as big. The fantasy TBR, which is the biggest out of all genres TBR, is currently "only" 567 , I own more fantasy books than of any other genre (700ish). The science-fiction TBR is 180, the horror TBR less than 40.

[Timstar]

Yeah , it's a bit embarrassing . I'm interested in a lot of different books. If it was just fantasy (for example), the TBR wouldn't be quite as big. The fantasy TBR, which is the biggest out of all genres TBR, is currently "only" 567 , I own more fantasy books than of any other genre (700ish). The science-fiction TBR is 180, the horror TBR less than 40.

 

Ah, only 567... that's not too bad then

[Timstar]

Night Shift - Stephen King

 

 

Synopsis

 

Stephen King's first collection of short stories

 

Review

 

This was a real mixed bag, I know that will always be the case with short stories, some appeal, some don't. But it seemed even more so with this collection compared to his others. A lot of people say this is his best collection and contains all the 'classic' King's but I think he was still finding his style at this time.

 

There are certainly some crackers in there: Graveyard Shift, The Mangler, Trucks, to name a few but there were also some instantly forgettable ones. There weren't any real stinkers but there were a few that were just 'meh'. Luckily they were short.

 

Some great, some good, some mediocre but a nice variety of stories and styles that are great to dip into between novels.

 

Overall 7/10

[Athena]

I haven't heard of this one before, shame it was a mixed bag for you (strange expression when you think about it). I own some of his other short story collections.

[Timstar]

I own some of his other short story collections.

 

I'm shocked..

[Timstar]

Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson (Audio book read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading)

 

Synopsis

Return to a planet swept by apocalyptic storms, a world tipping into war as aristocratic families move to control the shard blades and shard plates, ancient artifacts from a past civilisation that can win wars.

As the world tips into a war for control of the mythical artifacts of power made from Shard, characters are swept up into new dangers which will threaten their integrity and their lives.

 

Review

 

After a few years wait (a long time by Sanderson's standards) here is the second book of, his answer to the Wheel of Time, the Stormlight Archives. Picking up where the previous book left off, it continues in much the same format, this time with the majority of the chapters focusing on Shallan as oppose to Kaladin like the first. There are also interludes between parts which follow other characters and serve as accompanying novellas to the main plot.

 

Sanderson wrote in the introduction of The Way of Kings that the first book would have to be the longest and after that they will become more succinct... fools we were to believe that as WoR manages to be even longer and is stated by Tor as being the maximum size they can physically fit into one binding!

 

But I've never been one to say that the length of a book will affect it's enjoyment, so does it have enough thrilling content and gripping prose to justify it's length? ...no, not really.

 

Even as an audio book, which I tend to find makes books of epic length fly by, it dragged. The book stands at over 48 hours long and the narration doesn't help it at all. It is read too slowly and they drone far too much, putting little emphasis or emotion into anything. Kramer and Reading are best known for narrating the WoT books as well which I now know cannot help them fly by!

 

There is just too many long periods where nothing happens and I find that the world and characters Sanderson has created here just aren't interesting enough to hold my attention during these periods unlike A Dance with Dragons for instance.

 

The action, when it eventually happens, is actually pretty good and there are a number of scenes that are particularly outstanding and will linger in my imagination for some time. So I just feel that if the book had been edited down to 600-700 pages it would have been a lot better.

 

Another positive I found is that the overall story is starting to emerge which certainly makes it more interesting and puts a few events in perspective. So will I keep reading this series? Probably... if they get shorter

 

 

Narration 5/10 (any worse and I wouldn't be able to listen to it all the way through)

Story 6/10

 

Overall 6/10

Edited May 29, 2014 by Timstar

[Anna Begins]

I'll be checking out the Steelheart Kindle Sample today- thanks for the review!  Hey- if it wasn't for you, I'd have never read Starship Troopers, one of my favs of the year so far!

Edited: Finished the sample- loving it!  Bought it and enjoying it now.  Seems like it will be a quick read.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Anna Begins

[Timstar]

I'll be checking out the Steelheart Kindle Sample today- thanks for the review!  Hey- if it wasn't for you, I'd have never read Starship Troopers, one of my favs of the year so far!

Edited: Finished the sample- loving it!  Bought it and enjoying it now.  Seems like it will be a quick read.

 

Glad to hear it! Starship Troopers is brilliant, I love the film as well.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of Steelheart

[Athena]

I'm shocked..

 

 

Great review of Words of Radiance, though it's a shame you didn't enjoy it so much. I hope your next read (or next listen?) will be more enjoyable.

[Timstar]

Thanks, certainly better so far.

 

I'm reading The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris and listening to Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis.

[Athena]

The Gospel of Loki is on my wishlist, I really enjoyed Runemarks by Joanne Harris. I hope you enjoy it all the way through! (and of course, Something More Than Night too)

[Karsa Orlong]

 fools we were to believe that

 

'We' didn't believe it     

 

I'm hanging on for the paperback of Something More Than Night, so look forward to hearing what we - er, I mean you - think of it

[Timstar]

The Gospel of Loki is on my wishlist, I really enjoyed Runemarks by Joanne Harris. I hope you enjoy it all the way through! (and of course, Something More Than Night too)

 

Thanks I wasn't particularly interested in her YA work but I thought I would give GoL a go.

 

 

'We' didn't believe it     

 

I'm hanging on for the paperback of Something More Than Night, so look forward to hearing what we - er, I mean you - think of it

 

Always the Sanderson cynic

 

It was taking too long for me and there was an audible offer on so I grabbed it

[Timstar]

 Leviathan Wakes - James S.A. Corey

 

 

Synopsis

 

Humanity has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond.

Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

 

Review

 

I was looking forward to getting into a new space opera series, especially one that I knew would be on the lighter side than Peter F. Hamilton. James S.A. Corey is the pen name of Ty Frank and Daniel Abraham so I was interested to see how it would work, but I wasn't blown away by Abraham's The Dragon's Path. 

 

The novel follows two characters from their alternating points-of-view, Captain Holden and hard-boiled investigator Miller. It was not surprising to learn that each author wrote one view point then edited each others. I found I was enjoying Holden's chapters a lot more, the character seemed a lot more real and like-able.

 

The story was OK but it went far too slow for the bulk of the story, I think it needed to be 100 pages shorter, or maybe they just needed to be stricter with their editing. It started off strong but then seems to deteriorate as it goes and I found myself caring less about the characters or the plot. But it wasn't all hopeless, there were hints at something bigger and better to come as well as a few great moments that really clawed my attention back again.

 

Not sure whether I will keep reading or not, I wouldn't mind having a crack at the sequel; Caliban's War. But I will wait to see if it comes down in price at all.

 

Overall 6/10

[Athena]

It's a shame you didn't like the book as much as you'd hoped . Great review though. The book is on my wishlist but I'm not in a rush to get it.

[Timstar]

 The Gospel of Loki - Joanne M. Harris

 

Synopsis

 

The novel is a first-person narrative of the rise and fall of the Norse gods - retold from the point of view of the world's ultimate trickster, Loki. It tells the story of Loki's recruitment from the underworld of Chaos, his many exploits on behalf of his one-eyed master, Odin, through to his eventual betrayal of the gods and the fall of Asgard itself.

 

Review

 

I saw this advertised on the underground and was intrigued by the title and wonderful cover art.  Harris is known for her YA work and this is her first attempt at an 'adult' novel. I am ashamed to admit that my knowledge of Norse mythology extends little beyond the Marvel films   but apparently Harris has a life long passion for it. So I can't fairly judge it on the mythology itself, I've no idea how accurate it is to the old tales, but I certainly recognised some of the names, places and events.

 

Despite it being called an adult novel, it reads very much like a YA, and other then some random and seemingly unnecessary spatterings of sex, there is nothing in it to suggest it is an adult novel. The novel was lacking majorly in description of the world, if I hadn't seen Asgard in the Thor films then I would have had no idea what it looks like. The modern narrative was not suitable for the ancient subject, it makes their powers seem trivial and the other creatures inconsequential. 

 

Again I don't know how accurate it is but Loki was a pretty pathetic character, been caught almost straight away then begging for mercy before been let go and repeating it all over again. This just seems to keep happening and Odin just keeps letting him off for no reason, it got very annoying. The front cover describes the book as 'The epic story of the trickster god' for starters there isn't really anything 'epic' in the book, or at least it doesn't feel 'epic'. I was also expecting a lot of twists and turns as Loki does his tricks but he appears to just amble from one misdemeanor to another.

 

Very easy and light reading and blessedly short but underwhelming and forgettable.

 

Overall 4/10

[chesilbeach]

Hi Tim, just to clarify, Joanne Harris doesn't write YA, she writes general fiction.  She's famous for Chocolat, mainly because it was adapted into a film, but has written a whole bunch of other books, and I don't think she's actually written any YA that I can remember, although I'm sure I read somewhere that her Rune books were marketed as YA, but she never really felt that should have been the case.  Still, none of that will change your views on this book!

Edited May 31, 2014 by chesilbeach

[Timstar]

Hi Tim, just to clarify, Joanne Harris doesn't write YA, she writes general fiction.  She's famous for Chocolat, mainly because it was adapted into a film, but has written a whole bunch of other books, and I don't think she's actually written any YA that I can remember, although I'm sure I read somewhere that her Rune books were marketed as YA, but she never really felt that should have been the case.  Still, none of that will change your views on this book!

 

Ah ok, it says in the cover flap of the book that GoL is her first Adult fantasy novel. II must have skimmed it and read first adult novel :S It certainly read like a YA novel though.