The Dresden Files are one of the best selling fantasy series on the market today, and as of a week ago I had avoided them at all costs. I did this because I was confident that I had already covered this niche in the genre. As a Glen Cook fan, I had read four of his Garrett PI series and that was more than enough for me. I figured that if I got bored of the way Cook covered detective in magical world, then Butcher didn't have a chance. Then my brother told me to give it a chance, so I did.
Title: Storm Front
Author: Jim Butcher
Format: Audio
Fun fact. I always assumed the name Butcher was pronounced with the French pronunciation, but it turns out that it's not. The benefits of audio.
Second fun fact. This is nothing like the Garrett PI series. The Garrett PI is a noir style detective who just happens to live in a magical fairyland. Storm Front, on other hand, takes places in our own world, albeit with magic and mystical creatures.
Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire. He even has an advertisement in the phonebook (the story is from 2000). The only problem is that this is the real world, where science can explain everything. Not only do few people have need of a magician, even fewer believe in magic. With his rent on the line, Harry is hired to find a shy woman's missing husband, and simultaneously contracted by the police to explain how two people's hearts exploded as though they were small bombs. Added to the mix is a street drug that can reveal the magic, some fairies, a vampress madam, and an air spirit trapped in a skull, and there are enough characters to keep everyone excited.
There are two main strengths to this story. The first of these is the world that Butcher creates. It is apparent from the first few pages that Butcher is not making things up as he goes along. He has a concrete plan of exactly who all his players are, many of which I'm sure we d not meet in this first book, and what their intentions are. This displays a mastery over the source material and Butcher's world that is rarely seen in writing. His world is different than ours, but in a well defined way, allowing the reader to suspend their disbelief and fall into the story.
The second and most important asset for the story is Harry Dresden. The story is told in first person, and so it is essential that we understand and empathize with our guide to the story. Butcher creates a wonderful balance of a character with great power, but also an inferiority complex. Dresden understands where he is on the magical food chain and that there are many things can end him. But as the book continues and we are able to watch our narrator instead of just listening to him, we see that an angry wizard is not a creature to be taken lightly. This allows Butcher to avoid cliches such as the overpowered superman while still allowing his readers to revel in badassery.
My main critique of the book would be that the world is actually too developed. There are many throw away references to other creatures or events that exist, but then nothing ever comes of it. We hear all about all sorts of creatures and the white council and "never never," but none of those are explored or developed (yet). It is a good tactic that leaves the readers wanting more and excited to continue the series, but it also leaves things a little unsatisfying.
Another problem: for such a complicated world, the plot itself was rather simple. I won't say too much, but it comes down to: there is a bad guy, he is very bad, and Harry is the only one able (for various reasons) to stop him. That summary is not quite doing the book credit, but the surprisingly banal story arc is excusable because the actions and characters are all fantastic.
The final problem: all the women are attractive. Very attractive. It's a little much.
I got nitpicky because I enjoyed the book. It was quick, only an eight hour audiobook, which is maybe 250 pages. Urban Fantasy fans should enjoy this, but wizard does not mean the same thing here as Harry Potter.
7/10
Showing posts with label seven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seven. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
A Mordbid Taste for Bones
I read this book back in January. I had just finished a book on the Plantagenet Kings, and wanted something as a buffer before I started reading about the War of the Roses, which I haven't read yet because it's only out in hardcover prices. Someone mentioned this series to me, and as a fan of both mystery and historical fiction I gave it a try.
Title: A Morbid Taste for Bones
Author: Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter)
Format: Kindle
Time to Finish: 13 days
The premise of the book is that the Benedictine monk Brother Cadfael and some of his fellow clergy set off on a quest to retrieve the bones of a neglected Saint in Wales. Despite having the blessing of the archbishop and the prince of Wales, things don't go smoothly, and our monks soon find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery.
It was an entertaining and quick read, not even 200 pages. And I enjoyed it, but there were a few things that were less enjoyable. There seemed to be no set pacing or speed of the story. Scenes were arbitrarily short or long with no real logic. It made it hard to determine what was important and what was authorial self indulgence. Additionally, there was probably a little too much time spent on the churchly aspects for my taste. It's interesting to hear how different prayers dictated and divided the day, but it might not need to be mentioned every single day over the course of the study.
Finally, too much time was spent on praising the intelligence and attractiveness of the two female characters. It seemed a little over the top because it recurred with every appearance of the two characters. Establishing their merits early on was more than enough for reader, but apparently not for the author.
So now that I've said lots of terrible things about the story, it might be time to say some nice things. I did enjoy reading the story. For example, it was actually quite educational in terms of teaching me a bit more about medieval society (which, as a fantasy nerd, I care about) and some of different realities of the time. Additionally, despite the grievances listed above, the story is rather good and I was excited throughout. The characters are well constructed and one can never be sure of everyone's motives. While some people seem trustworthy, the truth is always a surprise.
The story is well crafted and has good characters, so there is little more that one can ask. Of course I did anyway. I liked the book and the story enough that I will probably read the next in the series at some point, but I doubt that I'll be able to make it through all 21
7/10
Title: A Morbid Taste for Bones
Author: Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter)
Format: Kindle
Time to Finish: 13 days
The premise of the book is that the Benedictine monk Brother Cadfael and some of his fellow clergy set off on a quest to retrieve the bones of a neglected Saint in Wales. Despite having the blessing of the archbishop and the prince of Wales, things don't go smoothly, and our monks soon find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery.
It was an entertaining and quick read, not even 200 pages. And I enjoyed it, but there were a few things that were less enjoyable. There seemed to be no set pacing or speed of the story. Scenes were arbitrarily short or long with no real logic. It made it hard to determine what was important and what was authorial self indulgence. Additionally, there was probably a little too much time spent on the churchly aspects for my taste. It's interesting to hear how different prayers dictated and divided the day, but it might not need to be mentioned every single day over the course of the study.
Finally, too much time was spent on praising the intelligence and attractiveness of the two female characters. It seemed a little over the top because it recurred with every appearance of the two characters. Establishing their merits early on was more than enough for reader, but apparently not for the author.
So now that I've said lots of terrible things about the story, it might be time to say some nice things. I did enjoy reading the story. For example, it was actually quite educational in terms of teaching me a bit more about medieval society (which, as a fantasy nerd, I care about) and some of different realities of the time. Additionally, despite the grievances listed above, the story is rather good and I was excited throughout. The characters are well constructed and one can never be sure of everyone's motives. While some people seem trustworthy, the truth is always a surprise.
The story is well crafted and has good characters, so there is little more that one can ask. Of course I did anyway. I liked the book and the story enough that I will probably read the next in the series at some point, but I doubt that I'll be able to make it through all 21
7/10
Monday, March 2, 2015
The Cold Dish
I'm a fan of Audible.com and have used it for years. They had a two for the price of one deal, so I took advantage of that and got a few books that jumped out at me. The first of these was a mystery that has now inspired a TV show
Title: The Cold Dish
Author: Craig Johnson
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
The book takes place in Absaroka County, a (fictitious) rural part of Wyoming near Little Big Horn. Walt Longmire is the aging sheriff, nearing his retirement. As winter approaches his department receives a call from some hunters claiming they found a body. The skeptic sheriff and his deputy humor the hunters and soon find the body of Cody Pritchard, a young man convicted of gang raping a Cheyenne girl two years earlier. Pritchard got off with what all but himself consider too light a sentence. While coincidental, there seems to be no connection between Pritchard's death and his previous crimes. The case is ruled a hunting accident. But another body a few days later causes the sheriff to reconsider.
There were many aspects of the book that spoke to me. One such feature was the location and the implications that came with it. Being in rural Wyoming puts the white characters near to Indian Reservations and inevitably there is interactions between the two nations. This was not only fun to read about, but a new experience for me. As a fantasy fan, I have little experience with Native American characters, and it was enjoyable seeing them portrayed here. Henry Standing Bear is arguably the most important Native American character. He's Walt's best friend, and while he holds to some beliefs and practices that are different from the white characters, he is not portrayed as some alien other that cannot be understood. He is a man, like any other, albeit one who doesn't use contractions. This juxtaposition of the two cultures added another dimension to the story that is not often found. Characters on both sides despicable or heroic or both, showing the humanity and equally despite the racial divide. In general, Walt is accepted by the Native population, and so are we as the readers.
Another dimension of the story is Walt getting his life together. When he first meet him, he lives in a ramshackle cabin with exposed wiring and a shower that's a faucet sticking out of the wall. With Henry's help he starts exercising, hires contractors, and even starts talking to women. This is fun because we are able to feel closer to our protagonist and learn more about his personality and history. As a bonus we are exposed to his hilarious interactions with Henry and Vonnie (the love interest).
All in all, Johnson is able to weave all these elements together into a compelling and interesting story. It weren't for a tiresome epilogue I would have nothing to complain about.
Mystery fans, have at it.
7/10
Note: as mentioned above, there is a TV show Longmire based on the series. I started watching the it, but stopped. The book is much better. The book's story is more compelling and the characters are given more depth.
Title: The Cold Dish
Author: Craig Johnson
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
The book takes place in Absaroka County, a (fictitious) rural part of Wyoming near Little Big Horn. Walt Longmire is the aging sheriff, nearing his retirement. As winter approaches his department receives a call from some hunters claiming they found a body. The skeptic sheriff and his deputy humor the hunters and soon find the body of Cody Pritchard, a young man convicted of gang raping a Cheyenne girl two years earlier. Pritchard got off with what all but himself consider too light a sentence. While coincidental, there seems to be no connection between Pritchard's death and his previous crimes. The case is ruled a hunting accident. But another body a few days later causes the sheriff to reconsider.
There were many aspects of the book that spoke to me. One such feature was the location and the implications that came with it. Being in rural Wyoming puts the white characters near to Indian Reservations and inevitably there is interactions between the two nations. This was not only fun to read about, but a new experience for me. As a fantasy fan, I have little experience with Native American characters, and it was enjoyable seeing them portrayed here. Henry Standing Bear is arguably the most important Native American character. He's Walt's best friend, and while he holds to some beliefs and practices that are different from the white characters, he is not portrayed as some alien other that cannot be understood. He is a man, like any other, albeit one who doesn't use contractions. This juxtaposition of the two cultures added another dimension to the story that is not often found. Characters on both sides despicable or heroic or both, showing the humanity and equally despite the racial divide. In general, Walt is accepted by the Native population, and so are we as the readers.
Another dimension of the story is Walt getting his life together. When he first meet him, he lives in a ramshackle cabin with exposed wiring and a shower that's a faucet sticking out of the wall. With Henry's help he starts exercising, hires contractors, and even starts talking to women. This is fun because we are able to feel closer to our protagonist and learn more about his personality and history. As a bonus we are exposed to his hilarious interactions with Henry and Vonnie (the love interest).
All in all, Johnson is able to weave all these elements together into a compelling and interesting story. It weren't for a tiresome epilogue I would have nothing to complain about.
Mystery fans, have at it.
7/10
Note: as mentioned above, there is a TV show Longmire based on the series. I started watching the it, but stopped. The book is much better. The book's story is more compelling and the characters are given more depth.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
First Post
Hello to my one reader. I've decided that I'd like an easy forum in which to post all my book reviews. I'll try to post a review every time I finish a book, so hopefully every week or two. I also will post some reviews from books I've read in the past. No point ignoring those, both the bad and the good. We'll start with:
Title: The Emperor's Blade
Author: Brian Staveley
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 5 days
My brother, a fellow fantasy nerd, recommended this book to me. For some reason I decided to trust his judgement. For the most part, I was not disappointed. The story follows the three children of an Emperor in the wake of his death. This is not a spoiler, his murder is the starting part of the story. The elder son and heir Kaden is training with ascetic monks, attempting to find their equivalent of Nirvana. The younger son Valyn is training with the Kettral, the elite fighting force of the empire. The daughter Adare (eldest sibling but not in line for the throne) is the minister of finance, having been kept in the capital to learn the intricacies of the bureaucracy. Each of the three faces major trials, and their stories become entwined as they must discover who is plotting to wipe out their entire family. Throw in the possibility of a longlived race believed to be extinct returning to destroy humanity and it's becomes a page turner (or audio equivalent).
The story is pretty good. Going into it, I was worried that it would be a bit derivative of The Acacia Trilogy by David Anthony Durham (great series), but other than the premise of following the lives of the children of a deceased monarch, they are completely different. The story has good exposition, moments of brilliant dialogue, and an interesting premise. There is magic, mystical beasts, and sword fights, but not in a campy, overdone manner. Instead the style is brutal and efficient, like the characters. By having the siblings do such different things Staveley is able to write mostly independent stories that inform each other, but do not necessarily rely on the others to be understood. This quite an accomplishment and allows each sibling to develop more fully.
I only have two complaints. One, we did not get to spend much time with Adare. She is a great strong female character, but unlike many similar figures in fantasy (or cross genre) her femininity is not her defining characteristic. She is an interesting, complex, and wonderful character who also is female. I commend this choice. But she has many fewer chapters than her brothers, which seems unfair and left me wanting much more of her.
My major complaint is that Staveley created his own swear words. There's nothing wrong with that in principle, but he creates very few, and overuses them to the point where I started to roll my eyes. Any reader will know the one I'm thinking of soon after starting.
I would recommend this book to any fan of epic fantasy. It's a good start to what could be a great series
7/10
Title: The Emperor's Blade
Author: Brian Staveley
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 5 days
My brother, a fellow fantasy nerd, recommended this book to me. For some reason I decided to trust his judgement. For the most part, I was not disappointed. The story follows the three children of an Emperor in the wake of his death. This is not a spoiler, his murder is the starting part of the story. The elder son and heir Kaden is training with ascetic monks, attempting to find their equivalent of Nirvana. The younger son Valyn is training with the Kettral, the elite fighting force of the empire. The daughter Adare (eldest sibling but not in line for the throne) is the minister of finance, having been kept in the capital to learn the intricacies of the bureaucracy. Each of the three faces major trials, and their stories become entwined as they must discover who is plotting to wipe out their entire family. Throw in the possibility of a longlived race believed to be extinct returning to destroy humanity and it's becomes a page turner (or audio equivalent).
The story is pretty good. Going into it, I was worried that it would be a bit derivative of The Acacia Trilogy by David Anthony Durham (great series), but other than the premise of following the lives of the children of a deceased monarch, they are completely different. The story has good exposition, moments of brilliant dialogue, and an interesting premise. There is magic, mystical beasts, and sword fights, but not in a campy, overdone manner. Instead the style is brutal and efficient, like the characters. By having the siblings do such different things Staveley is able to write mostly independent stories that inform each other, but do not necessarily rely on the others to be understood. This quite an accomplishment and allows each sibling to develop more fully.
I only have two complaints. One, we did not get to spend much time with Adare. She is a great strong female character, but unlike many similar figures in fantasy (or cross genre) her femininity is not her defining characteristic. She is an interesting, complex, and wonderful character who also is female. I commend this choice. But she has many fewer chapters than her brothers, which seems unfair and left me wanting much more of her.
My major complaint is that Staveley created his own swear words. There's nothing wrong with that in principle, but he creates very few, and overuses them to the point where I started to roll my eyes. Any reader will know the one I'm thinking of soon after starting.
I would recommend this book to any fan of epic fantasy. It's a good start to what could be a great series
7/10
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