Assassin's Apprentice has a shine to it. It is a dull kind of shine, like light passing through amber. It is a confident piece of fiction. Fantasy, noAssassin's Apprentice has a shine to it. It is a dull kind of shine, like light passing through amber. It is a confident piece of fiction. Fantasy, no less. And it was released when the stampede to write the next Lord of the Rings had abated.
I thought that this was a mighty tale. When I had read all but the last two chapters, excluding the footnote of an epilogue, I realised that the book would appear in my top 20 books read, of all time, and of all genres.
I usually recoil on myself and refuse to take part in the illusion of reading whenever the main character has too hard a life. Fitz has that. But there was something that appealed to my sense of karmic bookkeeping. My uncontrollable ache and concern for the hero was harnessed.
Robin Hobb masterfully orchestrated her story. She displayed patience and kept her narrative detached in a woody, wobbly kind of writing. Like most excellent Fantasy, magic here was hard to find. This was a Fantasy world that knew its identity. It was not a pseudo medieval and humid cosmos.
The small pockets of good and bad befalling saw to the uncaring pace of the book. I sometimes forgot myself while reading. It felt as if I was really loving which is the proper elicitation that a great book guarantees. All things considered, I liked this book to a feverish degree....more
After having visited other worlds in my previous book read, we here land in contemporary Louisiana where the term live to eat is a bon vivant's sacredAfter having visited other worlds in my previous book read, we here land in contemporary Louisiana where the term live to eat is a bon vivant's sacred motto. In this book the weddings, the restaurants, the boutiques, the houses, the B & B at Crozat, even the Sheriff's office remind us of food. And it is not fast food, but the best local and home brewed and stewed cuisine.
Peppered through all these pages are the plot and the intrigues and also the rumors. The author doses her narrative well by introducing the new characters who will be the suspects after their boss called Chanson is dead.
I found myself involved in the proceedings despite my initially skeptic mind. This cozy harks back to what was a cozy golden age for me. I used to read a book in 2 days. Each book was invariably 320 pages, and I'd read 160 pages per day. These books helped me rekindle my love for reading. Most of them would sound awful to me now, but I'm still grateful to them.
As for Cajun Kiss of Death, it is strong in its colourfulness, its traditions, its colloquialisms. It is weak in its plotting but not to the extent that it harmed my reading experience. I do not consider this a spoiler but here goes nothing; this is the last book in the series. I had been rating it 4 stars before knowing what would happen. But yes, it is the last book, and it felt special right from the start....more
I read this book quickly. Almost every chapter made me want to read more of the book. I also thought the solvency of the case in the book will be a seI read this book quickly. Almost every chapter made me want to read more of the book. I also thought the solvency of the case in the book will be a series of slightly unlikely events. I was right.
But the book's strength is the good guys' interaction among themselves. Somehow the reaction between the members of the family of the murdered felt real. I have never seen this type of realism in TV shows or in movies.
Despite the upbeat ending, the book felt sad. At least the worst had been avoided. There are a lot of people in the book who have secret ways of getting what they want. This too I appreciated. Overcoming each problem was a delight to read.
In the end I would say that the author is very able to plot. She also knows how to embellish. And she can write moving scenes. There are a lot of authors out there. Can't read them all. That said, this book is of quite high quality, and that is reflected in my rating....more
Schopenhauer is a name in philosophy that cannot be brushed under the rug. Reading this book was a task I procrastinated too much. At 96 pages, it is Schopenhauer is a name in philosophy that cannot be brushed under the rug. Reading this book was a task I procrastinated too much. At 96 pages, it is written, in the translation, with elegance of style and utilitarian in words.
The style reminded me of a writer who shall remain unnamed here. Suffice to say that the heightened prose lent a touch of prosody to the crystal clear flow of words that sparkled like fish in a koi pond.
Schopenhauer was a writer of his time. He almost succeeded in being as timeless as Homer, Virgil, Milton, or Byron have remained. His reason betrayed his judgement in a way that puts him in mostly ordinary and grounded company.
Women are the oldest group to be persecuted in society. It, of course, started when God decided to make a companion for Adam out of one of his ribs. The Bible for me, is a book that has a sequel that is a rehash (the Koran).
The Bible also has a fanfic which some say surpasses the original (Paradise Lost). Back to this book... is it so difficult to see with clarity that women are the intellectual equal of men? Only Socrates is the most modern man from the antiquity up to our times.
Chauvinistic as the chapter on honor was, it was not that the topic was distasteful, it was that the topic was boring, and reasoned in a lazy manner. I admit to skimming, but the last chapter, about fame made up for it....more
In my life I've read the book 2 times. And there have been 2 more times when I had to refrain from completely reading it due to not being prepared forIn my life I've read the book 2 times. And there have been 2 more times when I had to refrain from completely reading it due to not being prepared for it. Although I give the book 4 stars, it remains one of the best books I've ever read.
Consider two albums by Radiohead. The Bends and say, Hail to the Thief. The Bends has fewer radio friendly songs, but when the songs hit a high note, boy do they hit it. Conversely, Hail to the Thief was nice, not great. The band is more consistent, but they never threaten to achieve the level of superlative form as in The Bends. Martin Chuzzlewit is like the Bends. Phew.
When Dickens plots, he plots like nobody else. He excels at creating characters that move on the board as set pieces. Some characters bide their time. Others burn bright then sober up. It's a vast canvas here and I retained a powerful extolment during the American episode. But Dickens never knows the term writing block.
Dickens turns on the faucet of words at will and can go on, sometimes being unfunny, other times being even less funny. His sense of humor has aged like a Chaplin film. But he can write at will, like I said. Martin Chuzzlewit's villains and victims were memorable, and their tragedies and rewards were what I take away from this latest read....more
Examining Drown Her Sorrows after reading (and thoroughly enjoying) it feels like an autopsy within an autopsy. This is a book that draws inspiration Examining Drown Her Sorrows after reading (and thoroughly enjoying) it feels like an autopsy within an autopsy. This is a book that draws inspiration more from shows than other books. It has a movie like quality to it. I went along with the plot despite what I felt about its plausibility.
The author must have done something ingenious to neutralise my complaints, so now I do admit it, I got none. The pernicious events that result from the murder are not far reaching. The small world created by Melinda Leigh will never be original, sprawling, imaginative, or modernist. Instead it is full of people who want to do their best at what they are good at. Solving crimes for some, and committing them for others. This cat and mouse game breathed life in the proceedings.
I tend to think of my taste in books as 'true' in some ways. That is pure hokum, but the illusion of being right is so pleasant. At the very least, I dislike certain books because they annoy me in subjective ways. But the reason I like Drown Her Sorrows is a pure one. It is very fun to read. Writing a fun book is very laborious but the inspiration of doing it correctly is more like luck. Just as a sense of humor that is not strong hatches a good joke now and then... well that seems more like luck. I think I'm going to reread this book soon....more
Find me made me enamoured with the author. Not only because she is freaking good at writing, but because she is also not that good. I'll explain laterFind me made me enamoured with the author. Not only because she is freaking good at writing, but because she is also not that good. I'll explain later. This book was very minimalist yet so bold and beautiful.
I wouldn't have known that I was journeying into the part of the thriller genre that says: enough about lone wolf killers. Enough about tattooed, gender defying, solitary, crazy killers. This book is a rejuvenation of the genre. The spooky thing about this is that the person who recommended this book to me is now gone from the internet.
Find me has a lot of stamina. The twists are the meat and drink of the genre, but keeping them coming in such clinical doses is a neat feat. The author has the audience's measure. She knows about your BMI and cooks up a book that can weird anyone out, but reading is not the same as living, of course.
So, Anne Frasier packs a lot of pure venomous force in her books, but only those that begin a series. That's how she operates, don't ask me why. She is frankly average at sequels. If I find that she is planning a new series, that will be manna from heaven. So now you know. Couldn't be clearer....more
I thought I wouldn't be surprised by this thin volume. I was wrong. This book is just what I like about stories that keep reeling you in, while you enI thought I wouldn't be surprised by this thin volume. I was wrong. This book is just what I like about stories that keep reeling you in, while you enjoy every scent, every sight, every sound that it has to offer.
I think the half happy, half sad ending was entirely out of the blue. I would have preferred a happier ending. But the end is not yet come. I wish I could meet the author and ask her how she devised this thing that I read in hours. How cascading, and how illuminating this experience reached her imagination.
The book is a fairy tale. It is that. It is much more. Look, part of me was aloof when beginning reading. I knew there will be manipulative twists to this story. I was a willing participant in this read. But the best twists are those that you forget are manipulative.
Even now, I don't know what hit me. Perhaps others won't be impressed. There is a certain love story here, but that too is a surprise. I hope when reading this book you'll understand this review. I want to read the sequels, the more manipulative the better....more
I have been keeping firmly away from every type and shade of reviews that would give me spoilers for this book, Jade City. I know there are one star rI have been keeping firmly away from every type and shade of reviews that would give me spoilers for this book, Jade City. I know there are one star reviews of this book. I don't understand the reason people give for it. The most misunderstanding complaint is that the book is boring.
Believe me, it is not. Nor will it not be for countless other readers. In trying to know why a minority hated it, I recall the books that ranked high to which I gave 1 star. Hamnet, A Prisoner of Birth, The Three Musketeers, many more. Some books that I rated 1 star were classics that would only please the initiated.
What I know is that I get Jade City. I love its earthy prose. I admire its openly vague acts of vagueness, i.e. little to no display of research, except perhaps for the accounting of the Jade in the book. Jade City is not extremely popular. But it is extremely well plotted. The pacing is perfect. It will be remembered by its fans and will not be completely forgotten.
Jade City is a stepping stone for me. I have made my peace with romance books. But though I'll never complete a romance book that mention genitals galore in its second chapter, I've made progress in the right direction.
Why am I telling you all this? I would have dropped Jade City in the not so distant past. I have evolved for the better. And this diversity is what I need to prevent me from becoming a YA book lover, or a scholar of Dickens. I will not specialise. Specialisation is for insects. You have only one life here. Take a sip from most books that you fancy....more
For the last couple of decades, many emerging authors have managed to make of me their follower. Capable authors in even the most niche genres gettingFor the last couple of decades, many emerging authors have managed to make of me their follower. Capable authors in even the most niche genres getting or recycling ideas above their station or experience. Natasha Pulley is such an author.
Pulley is a writer who has a command of language and form. She is a full fledged narrator. The Kingdoms is a work that I feel, is one of the rare ones released this year that will be a classic. This is a historical mystery that has time travel in it. That's not a spoiler.
This book showcases the Napoleonic wars. Who said the French are bad at warfare? Not this book! You'll know when you read it. The characters though, are wonderfully shown. You get to realise more about them as the pages flip by. It feels like these are people of blood and bones. It feels that way to me. I like this book. Hope you read it....more
I read the C.S. Lewis books when I was a child. I read one of the books in French, never knowing where to reach for its lost to me siblings.
Now that II read the C.S. Lewis books when I was a child. I read one of the books in French, never knowing where to reach for its lost to me siblings.
Now that I've reread this book, I feel that reading was worth the weeds for flowers like this. It's often funny how the expensive e-books are the ones that prove costly and the classics, true to their reputation.
Beyond the Christian mythos in this particular book, I loved most when the boy, the girl, and the flying horse spoke the same words together. Read at your own leisure and to your own satisfaction....more
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. As does Triteness. I've given a very divisive book a perfect score. It took me two days to read this book.
I rBeauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. As does Triteness. I've given a very divisive book a perfect score. It took me two days to read this book.
I read a few of the 2 star ratings on Goodreads and marvelled at subjectivity. The traditional mystery is couched in a small vista, and as a result, I fell, mesmerized by the machinery of the genre.
Death of a Prankster is a book that rekindled my love for the series. It's a very solid book with the main character being not the handsome policeman, but the insecure Goth girl. You'll understand if you read the book. Five stars....more
This was a well constructed tale about an invasion by aliens that is so silent, it escapes the nets of what people used to call Uncle Sam. The USA is This was a well constructed tale about an invasion by aliens that is so silent, it escapes the nets of what people used to call Uncle Sam. The USA is alive and kicking in this book, so ardents of Panem won't be satiated.
Well, the book itself is very much grounded, walking the line between Sci Fi and the simple novel. There are only the baddies and the telepath to make this quite enthralling story a futuristic horror one.
The upbeat ending does not mesh with the chaos in the battle between alien and man. But we go along with the ride. I gave Three to Conquer a perfect score because of its battleground and its casualties, and its prophecy veering towards a caveat for mankind....more
This series of gem like stories, each crafted, seemingly, with loving care, but was probably written for a magazine with a deadline, is the best that This series of gem like stories, each crafted, seemingly, with loving care, but was probably written for a magazine with a deadline, is the best that American SCI FI literature can offer us.
I do consider Nightfall the best short story collection I've ever read. The second is The Complete Short Stories of Hercule Poirot and the 3rd is the Jungle Books by Kipling.
Isaac Asimov never bettered this collection of short stories. Most of his books are unreadable. He was prolific but his work ethic and his upbringing in a nascent Cold War with Russia blunted his longevity in most cases. But not here. This is science fiction at its finest....more
My review is bound to be boring. Have I lost you already? Anyway, if I had read the book recently for the first time, then I'd have set the rating at My review is bound to be boring. Have I lost you already? Anyway, if I had read the book recently for the first time, then I'd have set the rating at 5 stars. But who's counting?
The brain behind this series is long dead. If only the life span of us humans was 200 or 300 years. Imagine Agatha Christie now in her prime, trying to write (and easily succeeding) stories that enchant the mind and ensnare the senses.
This is the second best collection of short stories I've ever read. What's the first? Stay tuned....more
I did not like the ending. This is what happens when theology messes with a good story. But regardless, the only reason I didn't give this short but aI did not like the ending. This is what happens when theology messes with a good story. But regardless, the only reason I didn't give this short but amazing book a perfect score is because of the dated and rampant misogyny in the proceedings.
The author was so obscure. She wrote a sterling book, never broke out of anonymity, and her work has been neglected cruelly.
I was happy, having read a book that carried a low expectation. Lately, my ratings have leaned towards negativism, but I hope to discover more gems like this one....more
I began reading this book in January the 10th 0f 2021 and finished reading it on the 13th of April of the same year. This means that I blitzed my way I began reading this book in January the 10th 0f 2021 and finished reading it on the 13th of April of the same year. This means that I blitzed my way through this book. For you see, this book was enormous, both in its physicality and its scope.
There is only one book above 1000 pages of my knowledge that has FUN stamped all over it in each page, and that book, is not LoTR. LoTR doesn't count because it is not a genuinely single work.
Back to The Age of Faith. The words in it are meant to be absorbed over a longer time than it took me. I hurried my way through it, but if it worked for The Way of Kings, it ought to be good enough for any chunky book. By the way The Way of Kings is that book that is perfect in each of its page. Until a reread dethrones it that is. Been having awful rereads recently.
I was most interested in England, France, Ireland, Italy and the Middle East mainly. I kind of got my answer to the age old question as to why the Italians are so refined in their culture but also are so Mesozoic in some of their ways. By the way, I've followed a few recipes from top chefs based in Italy and I came away with the feeling that I was being punked. Italian cooking is marginally inferior to English cooking. Just my opinion.
What I take from the Age of Faith is that history is different from popular culture. I was always bummed by the adage of calling our worldview theory... postmodernism. In fact we're proud of this word. This book made me realise how myopic so many current theologians, tech gurus, sociologists, historians and journalists are. News Flash people! we are never going to be postmodernists. That will happen when and only when people are enlightened enough when they expect a G7 summit gathering dress up their leaders in what I wear around the house. Boxer shorts and wife beater....more
I don't know what to say about Pride and Prejudice, because I've read so many reviews by readers who adore it. I can't match them in any way.
I can onlI don't know what to say about Pride and Prejudice, because I've read so many reviews by readers who adore it. I can't match them in any way.
I can only contribute that the book is deceptively complex, the themes of pride, prejudice, class, family, and marriage playing a big role in shaping this story.
Please excuse my lack of ideas. This novel is the work of a person with such a strong mental fortitude that my words of praise ring hollow to me. Jane Austen humbled me with her perception. She is such a fantastic writer.
This is what happens when you write not to please everybody. Disney take note, you bastard. My first 5 star book of the year....more
A breathtaking innovation on the cosy mystery genre, And Then There Were Crumbs repudiates one or two staples of the genre and espouses a couple of thA breathtaking innovation on the cosy mystery genre, And Then There Were Crumbs repudiates one or two staples of the genre and espouses a couple of them.
Without giving away spoilers, the ending and the way the murderer has his just desserts meted to him are very innovative and I applaud the daringness of the author. If this book were to comprise 330-ish pages, it would have got 5 stars from me. It does get 5 stars on a reread!!!
Let's say that this book is a flawed masterpiece. The next book in the series is titled Sugar and Vice. Let's hope this offering too will be a departure from the usual tropes of cosies.
It's a tradition of the cozy writer to dillydally, but this art has not been perfectly honed by the author. Otherwise, it's a perfect story....more
I don't think I'll read a better book for the rest of the year. This book...I read it in real book form, and I had sworn never to go back to treeware.I don't think I'll read a better book for the rest of the year. This book...I read it in real book form, and I had sworn never to go back to treeware.
But this book about children, magic and sometimes the elderly, is a fantastic book. I absolutely do think that it's better than any Percy Jackson story. Maybe it's better than even that precursor to many subgenres; Tom Sawyer.
I'm feeling reckless enough to compare Mahy to Twain. Go read this. It blows Isabelle Allende's magic realism out of the water.
I do know that Mahy is only human. I tried reading one of her other books. It was garbage. But THIS. Is a masterpiece....more
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