This is a solidly academic investigation of the topic, and I am about twenty years out of practice at reading academically! Nevertheless, I enjoyed exThis is a solidly academic investigation of the topic, and I am about twenty years out of practice at reading academically! Nevertheless, I enjoyed exploring a range of topics close to my fantasying-reading (and -writing) heart, in looking at maps, borders, cities and realm-linked rulers in fantasy more broadly. (Honestly, I expected this to be more about maps, but given that the broader setting-exploration chapters were full of chewy and fascinating things, I was not at all disappointed!)
As always with nonfic, I didn't speed through the last quarter; there are 70-odd pages of methodology appendices, notes, and index at the back!...more
What a world, thickly delivered through experience and movement and rarely through direct explanation, and what characters sprung ineluctably from thaWhat a world, thickly delivered through experience and movement and rarely through direct explanation, and what characters sprung ineluctably from that world, and wrestling with the conundrums of that world. It's full of strange and wondrous and monstrous and mysterious. It is richly and so deftly explored. There was so much here that kept me hooked and thrilled.
The only niggle for me is that this is so very ships. It's basically a tall-ship nautical adventure, tight in on the maritime matters and all the details (in the vein of Patrick O'Brian or CS Forester) except that everything has been twisted around to fantasy version. And it's so impressive, definitely part of the rich tapestry of the world of this series, but I find that level of technical and logistical detail a little wearying, and the resulting Big Damn Action Setpieces (Naval Engagement Version) somewhat make my eyes glaze over.
But that is a me problem, and for those without my delicate reader constitution in such matters, this is a stonkingly creative fantasy adventure....more
I really like the way this book goes about its business--Gaddis dips into and across his material so easily, juxtaposing concepts to really display thI really like the way this book goes about its business--Gaddis dips into and across his material so easily, juxtaposing concepts to really display their core elements, that he gets deceptively deep without it being quite so obvious--but I'm perplexed about the things he doesn't include (the actual Cold War, for instance) especially without talking about why he's not talking about them. And I wonder if he touches too lightly on some of his conclusions and inferences--I wrote a thesis on political strategy (and specifically Clausewitzian interpretation) so I'm hardly coming at this cold. Then again, strategy is a concept of multitudes and juggling, just as he shows it to be, so presenting a whole myriad of things to consider and then running away is probably the best approach......more
A fun little addition, widening the canon and giving a different point of view on the whole world of magic in this series. Sometimes a little bit too A fun little addition, widening the canon and giving a different point of view on the whole world of magic in this series. Sometimes a little bit too similar to the Peter Grant voice, but mostly Tobi stood nicely on his own as a narrator. Very curious about how this widened scope will feed into the next arc of the main novels....more
Setting aside around page 140 because I just don't think this is for me. Though definitely a fantasy, with intriguing magic systems and an interestingSetting aside around page 140 because I just don't think this is for me. Though definitely a fantasy, with intriguing magic systems and an interesting world setup, it's very much structured as a romance, with alternating close-focus POVs following an intertwined and very personal story. It gives a very limited lens on the world and the conflicts therein, which I found frustrating from an epic-fantasy-reader slant. The limited view meant that the mysteries seemed fairly obvious and yet the goals were sometimes opaque or indeed entirely lacking while we skipped over the bit between one conclusion and the next uptick.
All of these things are, I think, just about me reading this as a fantasy reader, not a romance reader. So someone who loves romance and is quite fond of fantasy (as opposed to the other way around) might find this much more their thing. It's nicely written, the characters are interesting, and there are some great and topical themes going on....more
Setting this one aside about 130-odd pages in. I really like the main character, she's heaps of fun, and the plot is just whiz-bang, but... the rest oSetting this one aside about 130-odd pages in. I really like the main character, she's heaps of fun, and the plot is just whiz-bang, but... the rest of it isn't giving me enough right now. I want deeper and richer all around, to sink into a world, but this is just racing along the top. And for another reader, that may be a highlight! But it's just not quite enough to sustain me....more
Setting this aside at page 109 (at chapter 4, about a quarter of the way through). It's so beautiful, just delightfully written, every sentence is a jSetting this aside at page 109 (at chapter 4, about a quarter of the way through). It's so beautiful, just delightfully written, every sentence is a joy to read... but I have no curiosity about what the next sentence might be. The story has not hooked me at all. And the line by line joy isn't enough to make me persist.
This is 100% a me-problem. I don't really like portal fantasy - the whole concept is not one that interests me. (This is part of why I left this book for so long, despite the glowing reviews and awards and everything.) I am also a hard sell on nested narratives - I find them frustrating and distracting in ways that others clearly do not. All of these: me-problems. This book, alas, is not for me.
Which is a shame, because the writing really is so very beautiful....more
Linked up and filled in blanks on so much of my other reading about Mongols / Silk Road / Eurasian transfer of various kinds. It's an older book now, Linked up and filled in blanks on so much of my other reading about Mongols / Silk Road / Eurasian transfer of various kinds. It's an older book now, but it therefore pieced together some starting information that I'd otherwise missed the details of in later reading. Very readable, and sometimes over-generous to the Mongols, though honest in its desire to counter-balance and show the flaws in "traditional" acceptance of Mongols as ruthless destructive barbarians. Mostly, I found the approach extremely balanced, with a lot of really interesting ideas and detail, but also a digestible overall view....more
Absolutely delightful once again, a thoughtful exploration of mental health and self-respect bundled up with whip-crack narrative snark and cutting coAbsolutely delightful once again, a thoughtful exploration of mental health and self-respect bundled up with whip-crack narrative snark and cutting commentary on the nature of capitalism. All the more poignant right now for the thinking point of compassion as learned or innate behaviour....more
An epic interrogation of capitalist society, via kinky gay sex. The complexity in here was intense, and impressive - there are very few heroes, and evAn epic interrogation of capitalist society, via kinky gay sex. The complexity in here was intense, and impressive - there are very few heroes, and everyone's humanity is flawed - and the journeys undergone were nuanced and strongly realised. I was particularly impressed with the alternating first-person narration, and how it subtly but starkly highlighted misperceptions, and shifting perceptions. I also appreciate the complexity explored in untangling the situation.
I hope that literally every character gets lots of therapy.
I think the book is tremendously strong at what it's doing. I am less certain about the things it chose to leave out. Specifically, while I don't know that it's fair to say "you can't have a book about servitude and slavery in America and not talk about black people", it's certainly true that any book looking at the devastating extensions of class and capitalism in America cannot escape the fact that those things would impact non-white Americans in greater percentages. The absence of that intersectionality in this book left a gap. On the other hand, I note that the author appears to be white, and perhaps that is not his story to tell, and would only have diluted the other complexities in the story. Perhaps the wide world is too much to fit in a novel. Perhaps you always have to take a slice. Or perhaps not. But still, that niggles....more
This is, for want of a better term, a curious little book. Three annotated stories from three authors, each of whom come at writing from a different aThis is, for want of a better term, a curious little book. Three annotated stories from three authors, each of whom come at writing from a different angle (character, worldbuilding, idea) combined with lots of more general advice about writing. It manages to be both high-level and very nitty gritty. Not so much for those who want a how-to, or even practical actionable tips, but it's full of little gems of "try thinking about things through this lens", and developing and trusting your instincts.
Thoroughly entertaining and full of interesting anecdotes, tidbits, correlations, themes, possibilities. It's a wide-ranging survey of salt usage acroThoroughly entertaining and full of interesting anecdotes, tidbits, correlations, themes, possibilities. It's a wide-ranging survey of salt usage across time and geography, though with a little too much focus on American context for my personal interest. (I also personally could have done without the recipes, but even without the cover blurbs from Bourdain et al, I appreciate that other folks who are more into the making of food might find the history of culinary salt use not just appropriate but fascinating.)...more
Stiefvater's prose is such a delight to read. I love moving from page to page, even when I'm not sure where anything is going. I'm also very fond of tStiefvater's prose is such a delight to read. I love moving from page to page, even when I'm not sure where anything is going. I'm also very fond of the way she doesn't shy away from the sharp edges and failure zones of her characters. And also also, I love that this amazing widening and deepening of the world is going on while Gansey and Blue are off chaining themselves to trees. Fantastic....more
Setting this one aside about 120 pages in because it's just too dense and academic for me right now. An absolute wealth of information, with many fascSetting this one aside about 120 pages in because it's just too dense and academic for me right now. An absolute wealth of information, with many fascinating tidbits crammed in all the corners, but just too close-focus and intricate analysis of sources, when I am (almost permanently these days) in the headspace for a slightly broader, more contemplating-the-themes sort of review....more
Setting aside about 50 pages in; not for me. An interesting world and setup, and my goodness it puts the heroine through the ringer, but there's just Setting aside about 50 pages in; not for me. An interesting world and setup, and my goodness it puts the heroine through the ringer, but there's just too much explaining and not enough inference/in situ for my tastes....more
I added this to my tbr list so long ago, I no longer remember whence came the suggestion, but I'm glad I finally got there - this was a charming littlI added this to my tbr list so long ago, I no longer remember whence came the suggestion, but I'm glad I finally got there - this was a charming little delight of discovery and connection and being true to yourself....more
An interesting collection of tiny introductory snippets of various places. I admit, I mostly used this as a tasting platter to find topics for furtherAn interesting collection of tiny introductory snippets of various places. I admit, I mostly used this as a tasting platter to find topics for further reading, but many of the little pieces were interesting in their own right. (I particularly found the Sydney write-up fascinating, for what was chosen and what was left out.) The paucity of authors native to the non-Euro cities being written about was a bit of a Choice....more
Setting aside about 60-odd pages in; just not for me. (Am I being picky recently? Yes possibly.) The world was a little thin (none of the details wereSetting aside about 60-odd pages in; just not for me. (Am I being picky recently? Yes possibly.) The world was a little thin (none of the details were particular evocative) and the story was a little thick (so many moving parts, and I don't think I'd even encountered all of them when I set the book aside, and that meant none of them were getting dug into as deeply as I'd like)....more
I read a double-handful of pages (up to 23, but these are large-format, dense-set pages) and that was enough for me to know that this is really intereI read a double-handful of pages (up to 23, but these are large-format, dense-set pages) and that was enough for me to know that this is really interestingly and cannily written, and a thorough and complex going-over of the Robin Hood mythos, and just way too big, dense and intricate for my mental capacity at the moment. I think this is probably a great book! I just will not be able to get into it right now and both the book and I will suffer for me trying. Perhaps another day....more
2024 book club reread I enjoyed this substantially more than the first time I read it (back in 2019), even though I really didn't remember anything bey2024 book club reread I enjoyed this substantially more than the first time I read it (back in 2019), even though I really didn't remember anything beyond a vague sense of vibes and overall story. It's possible that was enough to cover whatever I felt was lacking last time; it's possible reading for a messageboard bookclub meant I was thinking more about what it was doing and how and why; it's possible my tastes have just changed.
Anyway, I'm bumping it up to five stars. Gorgeous, lyrical, more deeply interested in the questions of war (winning, losing, fighting in the first place) that might be immediately apparent. Asks "what's the point of immortality if there's no one to share it with?" far more interestingly than most vampire literature.
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First read: I enjoyed this, and it's beautiful to read, but something niggles at me as lacking. I think the weakness is in the first third. I think perhaps the initial turning to each other is too easy--not physically, but emotionally, conceptually, and for us as readers. I think perhaps there isn't enough of what is keeping Red and Blue in their sides, and therefore the decision to come together isn't as powerful as it could have been.
This is, as I say, a niggle, just a small dissatisfaction. Overall, this was a lovely little read, full of wonder and ideas....more