More Book Reviews
While I was sick awhile ago, I did a bit of reading. Here are a few of my “reviews”, for lack of a better word. It’s more of a chronology of things I’ve read, with vague descriptions and my useless, barely literate opinions attached. Lucky you!
Tuck Everlasting is about a young girl in the 1800′s that stumbles upon an immortal family. Here’s the thing about this book; it’s for little kids. I didn’t like it, but I’m not necessarily supposed to. It’s simplistic, and pointless. There are some kids’ books I do enjoy though, so maybe this book is actually boring? On the Clever Chick Scale it gets a “I am giving it away as soon as this post is published”.
This book is an easy read, a little bit sci-fi, and a little bit smutty. It’s about a family of telepathic individuals who are in an on-going war with another such family. A random girl with similar abilities that she knows nothing about gets mixed up in the hoopla. It’s fast-paced, and great for if your brain needs a vacation. If you enjoy the True Blood books, you’ll probably love this. On the Clever Chick Scale it gets a “Giving it away immediately”.
This is another of the Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey, which I LOVE. If you have read any others in this series, you will recognize the character Lord Alderscroft. This book is about two young girls who have telepathic powers, who are being targeted by an unknown magic assailant. Lackey’s great writing style and story telling hold true, so if you’re a fan of hers, grab this one too. On the Clever Chick Scale it gets a “Has earned a place in the collection on my sacred shelves”.
This book is basically about one year in the life of the main character. Very little happens to her during that year, but it’s a slow-paced, restful book. The writing is good, and it’s slightly funny, but uneventful. On the Clever Chick Scale this gets a “Crap! I forgot to give it to Mi Madre when she was visiting!”
This puts me at 44 books so far for the year, which averages to one book every 8.3 days. Not bad! Maybe next year I can get it to one a week!
Book Reviews: Mercedes Lackey
No, there was no blog post Saturday. Yes, I’m a terrible blogger. I’m sure after the Great Bathtub Debacle you understand a bit of why I’m so scatterbrained lately, and will excuse one missed post. Also, Hubby has been a COMPLETE computer hog lately so I can’t upload any photos of all the cool stuff I’ve been up to, but it’s for a good reason, so all my complaining is on hold. And you know I love to complain.
While Hubby’s been focusing on work stuff, and my house is being torn apart, I’ve been chillaxin’ with some books from one of my favorite authors. These books are the equivalent of comfort food to me. I know I’ll love them, and they are always relaxing, but compelling.
The first one I read is called “Fortune’s Fool”. Most of the Mercedes Lackey books I’ve read occur in the world of Valdemar. This, however, is from a series called The Five Hundred Kingdoms. I find this universe to be ingenious, because it is set in a place where the Tradition, a sort of magic force, guides the fate of the land. It wants people to live out certain lives and pathways based on fairy tales. This leads to all sorts of interesting problems and storylines. This particular book is based more in Eastern fairy tales, like Russian and Japanese.
The main characters are the seventh daughter of the Sea King, who can live on land or in water, and the seventh son of a monarch. His job is to be the Fool, the character archetype that recurs in several fairy tales. He is inexplicably lucky, and he channels that luck to aid his kingdom. When an evil sorcerer from another kingdom moves into an abandoned castle, the sea princess and the prince have to figure out how to defeat him. It was a great story, and it had several twists and turns in the plot that I didn’t expect.
The next two I read are called “Owlflight” and “Owlsight”, and they are part 1 and 2 of a 3 book series. I have owned Owlsight for years, and I believe I read all 3 books, but I must have gotten the other 2 out of the library or something. When I found Owlflight on clearance, I snatched it up and skipped all the way home (or actually, to the car). These are set in the Valdemar universe. I own almost all the books set in that universe, and I can’t wait to complete the collection.
This set of books centers around Darian. He is a young boy, living on the edge of Valdemar in a small town called Errold’s Grove. His parents vanish, probably killed in the forrest, that has been warped by loose magic. He is then unwillingly apprenticed to the local healer and mage, Justyn. When barbarians attack the town, Darian hides in the woods, and is rescued by the mysterious Hawkbrothers, the guardians of the forrest. It is up to Darian and the small band of scouts to rescue the townsfolk from the barbarians and the mage that guides them.
In the second book, Darian has grown up some, and has been studying magic among the Hawkbrothers. The town of Errold’s Grove is thriving again, but when a new band of barbarians is spotted headed toward the town, the Hawkbrothers band together with the military to prepare. When it is discovered that the barbarian tribe are seeking help for a mysterious illness, the allies have to decide how to handle the situation.
If you have read anything by Mercedes Lackey, all three of these are definitely consistent with her writing style and creativity. On her website, it says that she has written over a hundred books. I have no idea how this lady can be so prolific, and yet so consistently good. On the Clever Chick Scale, these all get a “Has earned a place on my shelf, and will only be loaned out grundgingly, to trust-worthy people, who will be hounded mercilessly until its return”.
This puts me at 25 (or 24.5) books read for the year. I only read half of that terrible Shopaholic book, but I think it rounds up. So an average of one a week? I’m currently bogged down in a couple I started awhile ago, so we’ll see how my average does.
Book Review: Reserved for the Cat
I think at this point you people can probably tell what type of books I like. Sci-fi fantasy chick lit? Sign me up! Reserved for the Cat is another in the Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey, and she totally brings it in this one. If you like this author or Anne McCaffrey, Kate Elliot and their ilk, you will love this one.
The plot follows a young girl who is basically destitute, and is working hard as a ballerina to try and make ends meet, as well as find a wealthy benefactor. Her mother passes away, and poor Ninette struggles even more. Once she ticks off the prima ballerina, however, she is toast. Comtemplating becoming a “lady of the evening” to put food on the table, she discovers there is magic in the world, and sets off on her adventure.
Now I know I am terrible at book and movie reviews. I desperately hate spoilers, and I try to avoid them at all costs. I try to give you guys a small sample of what occurs, and let you know whether or not I liked it so that you (hopefully) have an idea of whether or not you will. If that’s not helpful, sorry. Really by now you should all just trust my opinion on everything and just follow my advice. What the hell else are minions good for??
To sum up: this gets a Clever Chick rating of “Earns a place on my shelf, and will only be loaned out grudgingly, and with constant badgering until it is returned”. This puts me at a total of twelve books completed so far this year. Not too bad, but I’ve gotten bogged down recently in a couple different books, so we’ll see how it goes.
Book Review: The Fire Rose
I’m am a huge fan and uber nerd for Mercedes Lackey. She writes tons of fantasy books, and I’ve read most of them. That’s why I was super excited when I came across a new one at my local Half Price Books: The Fire Rose. This is basically a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, within Lackey’s Elemental Masters series. I loved it, and I wanted to do nothing but sit down and read it cover to cover.
You can read excerpts if you click the link above, and it has a description of the plot. Basically, a young girl is left at loose ends with no means to support herself once her father passes away. She receives a job offer that sounds too good to be true, and requires her to move across the country to San Francisco. She begins work as a translater for a mysterious employer she never sees, due to his disformity caused by an unknown accident.
This one is really well written, with fully fleshed-out, and likeable characters, and a plot that keeps moving, without feeling rushed or sluggish at any point. On the Clever Chick scale it rates as “Earned a home on my shelf, will be reread, and will only be loaned to friends grudgingly, followed by constant pestering until I get it back”.
