Laura's Fantasy Corner 2015

[Signor Finzione]

Review: 'Silverthorn' by Raymond E. Feist

 

 

With the Kingdom of the Isles at peace, Prince Arutha can at last look forward to marrying the Princess Anita in the city of Krondor.

 

But the capital in the west harbours many shadows. When Jimmy the Hand, a young thief in the Guild of Mockers, upsets an assassination attempt on Arutha, a sinister plot is uncovered.

 

As the dead rise and assassins stalk the darkness, Arutha must rally the Kingdom forces swiftly if he is to save his beautiful princess felled by a poisoned arrow on her wedding day, and prevent a madman from destroying Midkemia.

 

 

Feist’s first novel, Magician, is a sweeping epic spanning two worlds, twelve years and one devastating war. Although it’s not without faults, it exemplifies much of what makes classic fantasy so awesome. I imagine everyone who reads it expects even bigger and better things from its sequel, Silverthorn, or at the very least something just as good as Magician.

 

As it is, the majority of the book feels like nothing more than a cheap D&D quest, i.e. an ever-expanding search for a magical McGuffin. I’m going to try and get this over with in one sentence, so here goes: in this case, the magical McGuffin is a rare plant called Silverthorn which the elves can distill into an antidote in order to save a princess who was poisoned at her own wedding during a failed assassination attempt by a secret Order collaborating with an ancient evil capable of making the dead rise and who also happens to be plotting the destruction of the world. 

 

Yeah. Melodramatic plot and overused tropes aside, the entire story arc feels like a half-arsed role-playing game in that it’s split into segments or mini-adventures which, once completed, reveal clues that lead the characters to their next location, and so on, and so on. There’s also a TON of travelling from place to place, and of rehashing events again and again whenever our characters arrive at a new place. Add to this a ridiculously caricatured depiction of evil in the form of a series of random antagonists – including several magically-created monsters which are not only unexplainable but which also never appear again – and you have the rather implausible (dare I say lazy?) and ridiculous story of Silverthorn.

 

Gripes aside, I always enjoy returning to the world(s) Feist has created, particularly the ‘alien’ world of Kelewan (which I’d completely forgotten happened in this book). The sense of the radically different politics and honour system comes across nicely in just a few short pages and it provides a welcome change of scenery from the forests and roads of Midkemia. Additionally, Silverthorn sees many beloved characters from Magician in starring roles once again: we have Pug, Laurie, Arutha and Martin as key players, with my personal favourite Jimmy the Hand also putting in a delightful amount of page time.  However, new characters are not nearly so fleshed out and as a result are pretty two-dimensional: some seem to exist simply to provide plot opportunities, such as Baru the Hadati Hillman, while others, such as Roald and Dominic, serve no real purpose whatsoever.

 

I realise I may have given the impression that I disliked Silverthorn; and I didn’t dislike it, I really didn’t. Silverthorn is a somewhat disappointing sequel to the epic tale that was Magician: it’s silly, it’s derivative, and it’s half the book Magician was. But hey, it’s also undemanding, enjoyable and relatively harmless, and is a pleasing, if not very strong, entry in the Riftwar Cycle.

 

3/5

[Athena]

It's a shame you didn't like this book as much as Magician. I hope to read them both some time, but I'm reluctant about starting new series and Feist has written a lot of books (I did read Magician when I was maybe 15 from the library, but I can't remember anything about it so I don't really count it). Still, one day I will read all my Feist's, Hobb's and Brook's books. I'm glad you enjoyed the book somewhat though . Also:

 

I’m going to try and get this over with in one sentence, so here goes: in this case, the magical McGuffin is a rare plant called Silverthorn which the elves can distill into an antidote in order to save a princess who was poisoned at her own wedding during a failed assassination attempt by a secret Order collaborating with an ancient evil capable of making the dead rise and who also happens to be plotting the destruction of the world.

that sounds a bit complicated!

[Karsa Orlong]

 

I think that was why I started getting a bit lost around Toll the Hounds. Some of the POV characters he puts in - like the people in that Snake thing, and the woman with the K'Chain Che'Malle, and even those Tiste Andii - all felt kind of unnecessary, and a bit hollow compared to the others. They definitely detract from the final books in the series. Although, strangely enough, I don't have a problem with all Erikson's minor characters - more often than not their names make them easy to remember (especially the soldiers), and they help flesh out the story and create a sense of lots and lots of actual people, rather than just actual numbers.  

 

 

See, I kind of think the opposite - there were too many minor characters for me, especially amongst the soldiers, jumping back and forth after just a few paragraphs on each one, and most of them weren't anywhere near as good as the original characters.  They kind of all blurred into one in the end.  So I kind of prefer Cook's approach in that regard . . .  I think   

 

 

I read about 150 pages of Silverthorn and threw it down in disgust.  Dreadful, derivative, badly written book 

[Signor Finzione]

that sounds a bit complicated!

 

Probably because I didn't use any punctuation. It's not complicated - just a bit silly.

 

I read about 150 pages of Silverthorn and threw it down in disgust.  Dreadful, derivative, badly written book 

 

I think it helps when you know that there are better books to come later in the series. Like, despite Silverthorn being somewhat lacklustre, I can't wait to read the next book, A Darkness at Sethanon, because that means the end of the Riftwar Saga and on to . . . the Empire trilogy!

[Signor Finzione]

Review: 'Mort' by Terry Pratchett

 

 

 

Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death's apprentice...

 

 

Mort is the teenage son of a vineyard owner, but has “about the same talent for horticulture that you would find in a dead starfish.” As a result, one day his despairing father takes him down to the local market to fob him off as an apprentice. Luckily, Death has an opening, and shows up on the stroke of midnight on his white horse (named Binky) to collect his new student and begin showing him the ropes. When Mort’s first solo job goes spectacularly wrong, he must find a way to set things right . . . before history itself is destroyed forever.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this Discworld outing, more so than any of the previous three books in the series. The plot feels much more focused and coherent, as though Pratchett actually planned it out from the beginning rather than just making it up as he went along. The main characters – Mort, Ysabell, Cutwell, Albert and Death – are all vivid and likeable, and the settings are nicely varied and three-dimensional. In particular we get our first proper look at Death’s abode, which contains every shade of black on the spectrum, has a scythe in the umbrella stand, and is rather heavy on the skull-and-bones motif. However, it also has a carp pond, a stable, and a kitchen, where the butler Albert deep-fries all his food into submission.

 

Mort is the first Discworld book in which Death features as a major character, and gives us our first real glimpse of this strangely sympathetic and endearing black-hooded, scythe-wielding creature. Yes, he’s a skeleton; yes, he reaps souls for a living; and yes, he has no comprehension of fairness or injustice (there is only ‘The Duty’). And yet we’re quickly made to feel a huge amount of sympathy for the creature who hasn’t had a night off in two thousand years, has never been invited to a party, and gets majorly upset about people drowning kittens. Death has his own major storyline in the book: while Mort is running around trying to correct his mistakes, Death is on a personal quest to learn what it is to be human, and the result is a delightful sort of tragic-comic series of events.

 

Pratchett is a master of the absurd, and Mort shows off how wonderfully adept he is at creating hilariously incongruous situations, mostly involving Death. The Great Leveller finds himself doing the conga at a party in an attempt to understand the concept of ‘fun’; he tries to get drunk at a bar; he goes looking for a new job (“something nice involving flowers or cats”); he tries his hand at fly-fishing (his ‘fly’ is sharp-toothed and demonic, and dives into the water to forcibly drag the fish out); and of course he takes Mort out for a hearty welcome meal (preceded by the awesome line “I don’t know about you, but I could murder a curry”). 

 

The fourth entry in the Discworld series, and my favourite so far, Mort is fast-paced, funny and satisfying. Highly recommended for Pratchett fans, and also yet another possible entry point into the series.

 

4/5

[Athena]

I quite liked Mort, Death is such a great character. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the book, great review !

[Signor Finzione]

I quite liked Mort, Death is such a great character. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the book, great review !

 

Thank you! It was much better than I remembered. Death is adorable, isn't he?

[Janet]

I tried a Terry Pratchett many, many years ago but didn't get on with it (it probably wasn't the right choice - I possibly thought it was a standalone book when it was part of a series?  I don't recall now).  My reading has changed considerably so maybe I should give him a go again some time?   I like the idea of the character of Death.  I liked the personification of him in The Book Thief. 

[Athena]

Thank you! It was much better than I remembered. Death is adorable, isn't he?

Yes !

 

Janet, I think you would like Death in the Discworld books, if you liked the personification of him in The Book Thief .

[chesilbeach]

I tried a Terry Pratchett many, many years ago but didn't get on with it (it probably wasn't the right choice - I possibly thought it was a standalone book when it was part of a series?  I don't recall now).  My reading has changed considerably so maybe I should give him a go again some time?   I like the idea of the character of Death.  I liked the personification of him in The Book Thief. 

 

One of the books discussed on A Good Read on Radio 4 this week was The Colour of Magic and all three contributors enjoyed it, and despite the fact I've never been even remotely interested in reading any Pratchett, they made it sound really interesting!  You never know, I might even try it at some point.

[Signor Finzione]

I tried a Terry Pratchett many, many years ago but didn't get on with it (it probably wasn't the right choice - I possibly thought it was a standalone book when it was part of a series?  I don't recall now).  My reading has changed considerably so maybe I should give him a go again some time?   I like the idea of the character of Death.  I liked the personification of him in The Book Thief. 

 

I've read quite a few books from various points in the series, and do tend to find they can be very hit or miss. The first Pratchett book I ever read was Thief of Time (#26), and I didn't wholly enjoy it, but then read another and loved it. I think lots of the books can be read as standalones, but others might leave you feeling a bit disjointed if you don't have much prior knowledge of the series (I certainly did!).

 

The two Discworld books I've read so far that focus on Death are Mort and Hogfather, and I'd say both would be good ones to try if you're interested.

 

Yes !

 

Janet, I think you would like Death in the Discworld books, if you liked the personification of him in The Book Thief .

 

Definitely!

 

 

One of the books discussed on A Good Read on Radio 4 this week was The Colour of Magic and all three contributors enjoyed it, and despite the fact I've never been even remotely interested in reading any Pratchett, they made it sound really interesting!  You never know, I might even try it at some point.

 

He's definitely unlike any author I've read before or since, I'll tell you that! Although, The Colour of Magic is actually one of my least favourites, and there are many other books which can also serve as an entry point to the series if ever you're interested.

[Signor Finzione]

Review: 'Half the World' by Joe Abercrombie

 

 

 

Sometimes a girl is touched by Mother War.

Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named a murderer by the very man who trained her to kill.

Sometimes a woman becomes a warrior.

She finds herself caught up in the schemes of Father Yarvi, Gettland’s deeply cunning minister. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit.

Sometimes a warrior becomes a weapon.

Beside her on the journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill, a failure in his eyes and hers, but with one chance at redemption.

And weapons are made for one purpose.

Will Thorn forever be a pawn in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path? Is there a place beyond legend for a woman with a blade?

 

 

 

Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea trilogy is his first foray into the YA market. The first book in the series, Half a King, was a coming-of-age tale that focused on one character, crippled king-turned-slave Yarvi, as he strove to gain his freedom and revenge. Half the World is more a follow-up than a direct sequel: although it does contain some characters from the first book, including Yarvi, they all take a backseat to two new protagonists. Thorn and Brand are both young, both strong, and both aspire to be warriors; however, that’s where their similarities end, and there are plenty of personality clashes as they’re both dragged across half the world in the name of war and peace. 

 

Half the World didn’t blow me away, maybe because, just as with the first book, I never really felt a strong connection to either of the main characters right from the beginning. Thorn starts off being incredibly unsympathetic, while Brand just seems bland. However, both of them grew on me (like mould on bread), and although I never came to feel anything more than lukewarm affection for either of them I think the author does a commendable job of creating two solid and distinctive story arcs. Abercrombie also does an excellent job of twisting stereotypes, seen here in the woman who lives to fight and the man who discovers he’d actually prefer not to, leading both to be scorned by their patriarchal society. The underlying lesson that “sometimes a girl is touched by Mother War, while a boy can just as easily walk the path of Father Peace” is a simplistic yet fine one to push, particularly in a YA novel, and Abercrombie does an admirable job of pushing it.

 

At first I was worried Half the World would simply be a repetition of Half a King, with the characters again spending a lot of time on a boat pulling an oar. Happily, this is more of a nod to the first book rather than an attempt to imitate it, and most of the events take place on solid ground in a wide variety of locations. The plot flows quickly, following the same ‘epic journey’ format as the first book: once again this works really well, with the physical journey serving as a neat metaphor for the heroes’ mental and moral growth. And once again, Abercrombie pulls the rug out from underneath us just as we think the story has reached its inevitable conclusion. True to form, the supporting characters are solid and the dialogue is, of course, fantastic and full of life . . . even if the author does doggedly cram the words ‘half the world’ into conversation as many times as he can, which sometimes feels awkward and becomes a bit annoying. Speaking of shoe-horning, the romance sub-plot also feels kind of clumsy and unwelcome most of the time; though of course much of the awkwardness is deliberate, and in a way it’s nice to see Abercrombie’s trademark irreverent approach to romance make its first real appearance in the series.

 

Both instalments of The Shattered Sea feel almost like Abercrombie’s attempting to try and reverse the trend of ‘grimdark’ fantasy that he himself helped popularise. Half the World still has plenty of the characteristic grit and grimness – death, swearing, blood, tears, not to mention other bodily fluids – and yet there’s also humour and hope. Not gallows humour, such as characterises his adult fiction, but genuine humour at all the right moments; and not false hope, but real hope held by characters who are actually good people, and who remain so throughout the story. Abercrombie’s grimdark First Law trilogy grabbed the concept of the ‘happily ever after’ in fantasy, set fire to it and then flushed its ashes down the toilet; his Shattered Sea trilogy is beginning to restore the notion of satisfying outcomes and justice in fantasy fiction, and it’s starting to make for some mightily enjoyable reading.

 

4/5

[Athena]

You're reading a lot lately! Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed this book . I plan to read some Abercrombie at some point, though it'll probably be The First Law trilogy seeing as I own that. What's next for you?

[Signor Finzione]

You're reading a lot lately! Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed this book . I plan to read some Abercrombie at some point, though it'll probably be The First Law trilogy seeing as I own that. What's next for you?

 

Funnily enough I had the urge to go back to the First Law trilogy and have started reading Before They Are Hanged (#2). After that it will probably be another Feist book, then maybe another Erikson. I've also been getting the urge to re-visit LotR since Tim mentioned it in his thread.

 

I'm actually surprised by how much I've been reading lately! I'm really enjoying all these re-reads I've been doing - I think I must have been reading them faster to try and get to the good bits I remember.

[Athena]

Funnily enough I had the urge to go back to the First Law trilogy and have started reading Before They Are Hanged (#2). After that it will probably be another Feist book, then maybe another Erikson. I've also been getting the urge to re-visit LotR since Tim mentioned it in his thread.

 

I'm actually surprised by how much I've been reading lately! I'm really enjoying all these re-reads I've been doing - I think I must have been reading them faster to try and get to the good bits I remember.

I hope you enjoy all those books ! And maybe that's true .

[Timstar]

Funnily enough I had the urge to go back to the First Law trilogy and have started reading Before They Are Hanged (#2). After that it will probably be another Feist book, then maybe another Erikson. I've also been getting the urge to re-visit LotR since Tim mentioned it in his thread.

 

I'm actually surprised by how much I've been reading lately! I'm really enjoying all these re-reads I've been doing - I think I must have been reading them faster to try and get to the good bits I remember.

 

I've been surprised by my reading as well, I have already read half as much as I did for the whole of last year Just started a re-read of The Lies of Locke Lamora

 

LotR is always worth re-visiting!

[Karsa Orlong]

I'm sure your review of Half a World is great, Laura, but I'm not going to read it until after I've read the book.  If I read the book  I did glance at the score, though, and thought 'Yep, saw that one coming' 

[Signor Finzione]

I hope you enjoy all those books ! 

 

Thanks Gaia! If I actually manage to stick to the plan, that is.

 

I've been surprised by my reading as well, I have already read half as much as I did for the whole of last year Just started a re-read of The Lies of Locke Lamora

 

LotR is always worth re-visiting!

 

I know! I haven't read it since I was about 15. The only thing that's stopping me is knowing that it'll probably take me much longer to finish than most other books, and I don't want to drag it out and end my fast-reading streak. Not long until the Easter holidays, though . . . I might save it for then, then I can watch the film afterwards.

 

I re-read the Gentlemen B@stard books last year in preparation for RoT, and enjoyed them immensely. I think Red Seas is my favourite. Hope you enjoy re-reading them as much as I did!

 

I'm sure your review of Half a World is great, Laura, but I'm not going to read it until after I've read the book.  If I read the book  I did glance at the score, though, and thought 'Yep, saw that one coming'  

 

But I'm getting so much better at writing non-spoilery(ish) reviews! And yeah, 2015 is turning out to be a year of 4s, isn't it?

[Athena]

But I'm getting so much better at writing non-spoilery(ish) reviews!

This is very true !

[Karsa Orlong]

But I'm getting so much better at writing non-spoilery(ish) reviews!

 

So you say

 

And yeah, 2015 is turning out to be a year of 4s, isn't it?

 

So a bit like 2014 then? 

[Signor Finzione]

This is very true !

 

See, Steve?

 

So a bit like 2014 then? 

 

. . . and 2013 . . . 

[Karsa Orlong]

See, Steve?

 

Nope, not at all   

[Janet]

The two Discworld books I've read so far that focus on Death are Mort and Hogfather, and I'd say both would be good ones to try if you're interested.

Thanks - if I decide to give him another go I'll try one of these. 

[Signor Finzione]

Review: 'Before They Are Hanged' by Joe Abercrombie

 

 

 

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It’s enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn’t hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.

 

 

There’s a pattern emerging here. Last year I read Half a King, the first book in Joe’s YA Shattered Sea trilogy, and it prompted me to re-read The Blade Itself, which was the first book in his First Law grimdark fantasy trilogy. I recently read the second Shattered Sea novel, Half the World, and once again there immediately followed an urge to return to the First Law trilogy. 

 

Before They Are Hanged follows the events of The Blade Itself and continues storylines carefully set up in the first novel. All of the major characters from The Blade Itself return here, and leap off the page just as much as they did in the first book. Cynical Inquisitor Glokta and optimistic Logen Ninefingers in particular continue to stand out, with their beloved idioms and now-familiar catchphrases making the book feel like a reunion with old friends. It’s Joe’s ability to create vivid and unique voices for each of his characters that really makes his First Law books stand out, not only in the characters’ internal monologues but also in the flowing and fantastic dialogue. In fact, it’s almost shocking when you realise how much of the novel is comprised of just dialogue . . . and yet it never gets boring. I said in my review of The Blade Itself that it was easy to overlook the fact that there isn’t all that much actually happening, because the character-focused narrative and gripping internal monologues keep the pace flowing smoothly; and the same is also true of Before They Are Hanged.

 

In this second instalment of the First Law trilogy, our characters are spread far and wide across the known world. Glokta is investigating the disappearance of an Inquisition representative in the besieged city of Dagoska in the South; West is on campaign against the wild men of the North; and Bayaz, Jezal, Logen and Ferro have set out on a mysterious quest to the edge of the World to find a long-lost relic of enormous power. This means, of course, that the events here are on a larger scale than those of the first book; and yet the consistent focus on a small handful of characters gives the book a curiously intimate feel. The characters themselves develop much more noticeably here, and it’s fascinating to see them change in often unexpected ways, in keeping with the darkly cynical tone of the series. Joe is a master at pulling the rug from beneath the reader in terms of our expectations of both characters and events, and Before They Are Hanged is no exception.

 

4/5 (shush, Steve)

[Athena]

I'm glad you enjoyed re-reading this book . I plan to read the trilogy at some point, they are still nicely in the plastic wrapping now . Great review!