Synopsis:
A literary author kills his crime fiction scribe alter ego, only to have him come to life and menace his family.
Review:
The Dark Half is classic King and a book I’ve ready maybe 4 times now. It felt thin to me this time, probably because I am so familiar with the plot. I still love the way it talks about the process of writing–I don’t think anybody really does that better than King.
Synopsis:
The classic autobiography of a TV producer recovering from a Valium addiction.
Review:
I read I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can because it was only 99 cents for Kindle. It has not aged well at all but I couldn’t put it down. It’s so dated but I found her earnestness kind of refreshing. However, the therapy she got was pretty horrifying, especially all the doctors who justified and even defended the behavior of her abusive boyfriend. I never quite understood exactly what was happening to her until the end when it was explained that she had a psychotic break. So maybe her boyfriend didn’t really abuse her? It didn’t quite make sense.
Synopsis:
In a magical version of Renaissance Italy, the daughter of a sculptor/mage finds herself embroiled in a deadly political dispute as she struggles to free her father’s soul, which a wicked lord wants to imprison in a magic ring.
Review:
Lois McMaster Bujold crafts a suspenseful tale of intrigue, sorcery, and politics that really satisfied me. The Spirit Ring is grounded in the kinds of real squabblings that mark territorial disputes, and the magic serves that story, rather than being the sole purpose of the story. It’s also a love story, and quite an unconventionally romantic one. I definitely prefer McMaster’s fantasy to her scifi, and this is now one of my favorites of hers.
Synopsis:
A princess of Atlantis flees to ancient England where her paths cross with a mage-in-training whose parentage is unknown.
Review:
I was drawn to Taliesin (which I desperately want to be an anagram of Atlantis, but it’s not) because it’s a retelling of the King Arthur legend with historically accurate place names and details, and with the Christianity an important, unoppressive element. Several major characters are converted to Christianity in episodes that are emotionally and spiritually powerful, but Lawhead doesn’t make that the happy ending. He understands that the Christian life is filled with drama and conflict, both inner and outer, and Lawhead doesn’t let his Christian characters have all the answers.
Where I disengaged from the book was with the character of Charis. Charis was proud, fierce, headstrong–all character qualities I normally love–but I think Lawhead romanticized her too much and made her inaccessible. All the men worshipped her but he didn’t give her any qualities that let me identify with her as a woman.
I really liked the character of Lile, the pagan wife to the king of Atlantis. She was a very nuanced character, set up to be the “evil stepmother” but proving to be both friend and enemy to Charis. I really appreciated that aspect. I’m hoping that her daughter Morgiane doesn’t end up being one-dimensional.
As for Taliesin, the bard/mage discovered in a river as a baby, I’m not sure how I feel about him. He’s certainly heroic, but like with Charis I experienced some distance from him. I think he was put on a pedestal by Lawhead and I couldn’t totally connect with his struggles.
I will definitely give the next book a try because these criticisms could just be first book issues. I’ve never read a memorable King Arthur telling so I’m keen to see this one through.
Synopsis:
The tale of a Russian midwife who emigrates to America during the pogroms of the early 1900s.
Review:
The Midwife was a completely satisfying reading experience, not just because the plot and characters were so engaging, but because I loved the author’s perspective on birth. It’s as if Ina May Gaskin were writing historical fiction–it’s so rare to see birth treated like a normal event, not an emergency. I am not a birth junkie but I did have both my kids at home and loved my midwives so much, and it was great to read a book that portrayed the special heroism of midwives who believe that birth can happen at home.
The story itself is gripping. Hannah is training in Moscow when restrictions against Jews begin to tighten, so she travels on a harrowing train ride back to her home in St. Petersburg, where the violence becomes personal. She and her family decide to flee, at great personal and financial cost, and settle on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. NYC at the turn of the 20th Century is one of my favorite fictional settings, and I just ate up the perspective on Jewish culture and society, from least to greatest. There’s a romance element that really worked for me because it felt grounded in emotional truth. Loved it!
Synopsis:
Aliens take over the world with nothing but benevolence and peace, but are the changes they bring ultimately good for the human race?
Review:
I listened to the audio version of Childhood’s End thanks to a sale on Audible. I was really hooked the whole time, despite Clarke’s detached style. I felt the story held up mostly well, some 60 years after publication. However, Clarke was unable to imagine how radically sexual and gender politics would change in that time, and so the personal relationships between the characters felt dated and hard to connect with. I felt he tied everything together well and I’ll be mulling on it for a while.
Synopsis:
Gifted a belt that allows him to time travel, a man reorders the universe to suit himself.
Review:
I checked out The Man Who Folded Himself because the Kindle version is only $2.99. I am really glad that I did, because I was totally riveted by this book. The book really exploits the time travel premise to a brain-busting extent, but also maintains a solid emotional core. David Gerrold holds nothing back, and the result is just fascinating.
Synopsis:
Althea Vestrit always thought she’d captain her family’s liveship, the Vivacia, newly quickened by the death of her father, but her sister’s husband’s machinations strip it from her hands, delivering the ship into a situation that threatens to break her mind, which puts her crew in mortal danger.
Review:
I loved returning to Bingtown and my beloved Althea Vestrit in this re-read (actually a listen) of Ship of Magic. Few things have captured my imagination as Hobbs liveships, sailing vessels with figureheads who can speak and who remember the way up the Rain River where treasure beyond price awaits collection.
The baby’s awake, more when I read book 2!
Synopsis:
The bastard son of a dead king goes on a quest to find his missing uncle, gone to rouse the mythical Elderlings and save the Six Duchies from the fearsome Red Ship Raiders.
Review:
Assassin’s Quest reminded me why I fell in love with Robin Hobb. Despite some of the missteps in overly broad characterizations, I was swept away by the epic storytelling. I really got tired of the narrator of the audio version, and I have to say I’m a bit relieved that the Tawny Man trilogy isn’t available in audio form. I am excited to reread those stories as well, as well as revisit the Liveship Traders, which I have begun in audio form–and again, not crazy about the narrator. So we’ll see if I make it through. I’m a bit curious to see what it’s like to listen to Liveship Traders while reading the Tawny Man, since the former series precedes the latter in time, but the latter doesn’t offer too many spoilers. And since my readings of Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven are so recent, I wonder how fresh the Liveship Traders will feel.
Synopsis:
Fitz the bastard struggles to be a King’s man and his own man, while dastardly Prince Regal threatens to usurp the throne while King in Waiting Verity is off on a quest to find the mythical Elderlings.
Review:
Royal Assassin marks a solid midpoint in an ambitious trilogy, with all the characters put at great risk from each other and themselves. Antagonist Regal remains too cardboard to feel like a true threat, but overall the characters are solid. I’m not sure the Skill magic totally works for me–at times, it seems like nothing more than Thinking.Really.Hard!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!smoke!!!!!!!!!!! But I mostly overlooked the flaws and enjoyed the ride.
