Getting the third volume of Dahlquist's series was a bit of an ordeal; thank you, Public Library of St. Louis, Missouri!
And it was an ordeal to read. There's just too much -- too many arch-villains, each one stepping in to take over the dastardly plan when the previous one dies. Too many allies who help the heroes for a moment, only to disappear or be left to their fate. Too many interchangeable underlings. Too many separations and reunions of the protagonist trio. Too many action scenes that don't change the outcome, chases that don't go anywhere, and conversations that don't reveal anything significant. Above all, there is a sense of ugliness that pervades the narrative.
And it's a shame -- there are some wonderful characters in this trilogy and a lot of neat, original concepts, starting with the mysterious blue glass that can take or infuse memories, wipe out a personality or replace it with another, brutally kill the body or give it strength. Pruning this story down would have done wonders.
Showing posts with label Dahlquist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dahlquist. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Book Round-up
Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists, 
edited
by Chris Duffy: I bought this for Beadboy2 ages ago, but
couldn't resist reading it myself. It's a collection of tales from
around the world (although most are from the Grimm Brothers)
delightfully illustrated by a variety of artists, including the
wonderful Hernandez brothers. The tales have been bowdlerized for
children's sensibilities, something I feel was unnecessary, but it well
suits the happy, whimsical art. My favorite was "The Boy Who Drew Cats"
by Luke Pearson, especially because the boy in question reminds me so
much of Beadboy2.
The Knitting Diaries: since I already read novels centered around embroidery, cross stitch, quilting, and baking, why leave out knitting? I heard about the collection from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and the first two (by Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery) were meh. The third, by Christina Skye, was both more compelling and more touching (and yet had the fewest references to knitting, interestingly enough). I might check out more of her work.
The Dark Volume by Gordon Dahlquist: I've resorted to skimming these books, because they are far too long and tedious. There are too many action scenes that last quite a while, place our protagonists in certain danger before abruptly freeing them, and don't actually further the plot at all. Not until the end, with the final confrontation, did the story engage me. Still, I want to read how it all turns out.
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook: The second full novel in the Iron Seas series was a bit of a let-down; there weren't any major flaws (except for the female protagonist constantly telling us how badass she is and the fact that the resolution to the central problem was anti-climactic), but it didn't hold my attention as much as The Iron Duke. I did, however, enjoy the continuing world building. We got to see other countries and cultures, and as I predicted there were scenes that showed the Golden Horde are not a monolithic, faceless enemy.
edited
by Chris Duffy: I bought this for Beadboy2 ages ago, but
couldn't resist reading it myself. It's a collection of tales from
around the world (although most are from the Grimm Brothers)
delightfully illustrated by a variety of artists, including the
wonderful Hernandez brothers. The tales have been bowdlerized for
children's sensibilities, something I feel was unnecessary, but it well
suits the happy, whimsical art. My favorite was "The Boy Who Drew Cats"
by Luke Pearson, especially because the boy in question reminds me so
much of Beadboy2. The Knitting Diaries: since I already read novels centered around embroidery, cross stitch, quilting, and baking, why leave out knitting? I heard about the collection from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and the first two (by Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery) were meh. The third, by Christina Skye, was both more compelling and more touching (and yet had the fewest references to knitting, interestingly enough). I might check out more of her work.
The Dark Volume by Gordon Dahlquist: I've resorted to skimming these books, because they are far too long and tedious. There are too many action scenes that last quite a while, place our protagonists in certain danger before abruptly freeing them, and don't actually further the plot at all. Not until the end, with the final confrontation, did the story engage me. Still, I want to read how it all turns out.
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook: The second full novel in the Iron Seas series was a bit of a let-down; there weren't any major flaws (except for the female protagonist constantly telling us how badass she is and the fact that the resolution to the central problem was anti-climactic), but it didn't hold my attention as much as The Iron Duke. I did, however, enjoy the continuing world building. We got to see other countries and cultures, and as I predicted there were scenes that showed the Golden Horde are not a monolithic, faceless enemy.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Book Round-Up
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist: What an odd book this was. It's Victorian steampunk, which I love, but the story is more twisted and ugly than I expected. I didn't love the novel (the first of a trilogy, natch) -- way too long, with too many repetitive and unnecessary action scenes -- but Dahlquist has some intriguing ideas and a good writing style so I will keep reading for now.
Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones: What a fun, enjoyable novel this was! With very little exposition and traditional world-building, Jones nonetheless created a vivid story involving magic and technology, unconventional heroes, multiple worlds, a decaying empire, an a wacky sci-fi convention. Some elements are a little dated (the portable, magical fax machine cracked me up), but I loved this novel and I was sorry when I finished it.
The Drowning Spool by Monica Ferris: The seventeenth (!) needlecraft mystery wasn't quite as good as the others. Ferris did an admirable job detailing characters who aren't perfect or don't make great choices but nonetheless deserve justice, but I missed the regular characters, and the mystery itself was forgettable. She also appears to have dropped the potential storylines she hinted at in the last book, which is too bad.
Hip-Hop Family Tree Book 1 by Ed Piskor: The first comic book in a series that will detail the history of hip-hop. There's not much of a traditional narrative because Piskor opted to take a more fragmented, impressionistic approach, but that serves the thesis -- that hip-hop resulted from the confluence of many disparate trends, people, and circumstances -- well.
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen: Another lovely, comforting read from Allen, whose description of a hot, humid Southern summer practically caused my hair to frizz. I think the characters were too blasé about a major reveal late in the book, but I especially loved her portrayal of Selma, a character that in other novels would have been a one-dimensional villain.
Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones: What a fun, enjoyable novel this was! With very little exposition and traditional world-building, Jones nonetheless created a vivid story involving magic and technology, unconventional heroes, multiple worlds, a decaying empire, an a wacky sci-fi convention. Some elements are a little dated (the portable, magical fax machine cracked me up), but I loved this novel and I was sorry when I finished it.
The Drowning Spool by Monica Ferris: The seventeenth (!) needlecraft mystery wasn't quite as good as the others. Ferris did an admirable job detailing characters who aren't perfect or don't make great choices but nonetheless deserve justice, but I missed the regular characters, and the mystery itself was forgettable. She also appears to have dropped the potential storylines she hinted at in the last book, which is too bad.
Hip-Hop Family Tree Book 1 by Ed Piskor: The first comic book in a series that will detail the history of hip-hop. There's not much of a traditional narrative because Piskor opted to take a more fragmented, impressionistic approach, but that serves the thesis -- that hip-hop resulted from the confluence of many disparate trends, people, and circumstances -- well.
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen: Another lovely, comforting read from Allen, whose description of a hot, humid Southern summer practically caused my hair to frizz. I think the characters were too blasé about a major reveal late in the book, but I especially loved her portrayal of Selma, a character that in other novels would have been a one-dimensional villain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)