The Victorian Hugos

UhOh

 

I wonder how many of these I could find so I could do a 12in12 category for Victorian Hugos.

12 in 12 Category Reading Challenge

I’ve begun (as of 12/12/11 to end on 12/12/12) a 12 in 12 category challenge on Library Thing.  There is no way, no how I’ll manage 12 books in each category, but I can certainly read a few in each.  Below are my categories and selected books that are possibilities for each category.

 

1. Fairytales Retold: 

                             Hogfather-Terry Pratchett  currently reading

                             Stardust – Neil Gaiman

                             Thomas the Rhymer – Ellen Kushner

                             The Looking Glass Wars – Frank Beddor

  2. Ancient Rites  - stories about lost civilizations or those that never were

                                Bridge of Birds – Barry Hughart

                                Under Heaven – Guy Gavriel Kay

                                The Thief – Megan Whalen Turner

                                Foucault’s Pendulum – Umberto Eco

3. What If?  - alternate histories

                                The Map of Time – Felix J Palma

                                Against a Tide of Years – S. M. Stirling

                                Unatural History: Pax Britannia – Jonathan Green

4. Beyond a Sea of Stars - science fiction and space opera

                                Spin – Robert Charles Wilson

                                The Black Lung Captain – Chris Wooding

                                Leviathan Wakes – James S. A. Corey

5. Clankers- (steampunk!

                                Court of the Air – Stephen Hunt

                                The Difference Engine – Sterling/Gibson

                                Perdido Street Station: China Mieville

6. Darwinists - bioengineering, genetics etc

                                 Darwin’s Radio – Greg Bear

                                 Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood

                                 The Doomsday Book – Connie Willis

                                 Old Man’s War – John Scalzi

7. Warm/Cozy/Bloody  - Murder and Mayhem

                                  Still Life – Louise Penny

                                  The Invisible Ones – Stef Penny

                                  The House of Silk – Anthony Horowitz

8. Who Dat??  - authors new to me

                                   The Fallen Blade – Jon Courtenay Grimswood

                                   The Horns of Ruin – Tim Akers

                                   Progeny – R.T. Kaelin

                                   Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs

9.  High Tea with the Queen – Victorian/ Edwardian etc

                                    The Alienist – Caleb Carr

                                    The Mysterious Lady Law – Robert Appleton

                                    Silent in the Grave – Deanna Raybourn

10. Brave New Worlds – extensive and impressive world-building

                                     Midnight Tides – Steven Erikson

                                     Eye of the World – Robert Jordan

11. Foreign Climes - worlds impressively alien to me

                                      River of Gods – Ian McDonald (Read Dec 2011)

                                      Faceless Killers – Henning Markell

                                      Iago: a Novel – David Snodin

12. Where are the Unicorns? – gritty and realistic fantasy

                                       Before They Are Hanged – Joe Abercrombie

                                       Thunderer – Felix Gilman

                                       City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

                                       The Edge of the World – Kevin J Anderson

Come Visit Us at Library Thing!

                             

Review: River of Gods–Ian McDonald

 

Best hard science fiction I've read in years. Complex, multi-layered plot, set in a futuristic world which is realistically extrapolated from the world of today. The action can be raw and grim and bloody, and entirely fits into the world McDonald has created.

Highly recommended.

Reamde again

HAHAHAHA!  A comic review of Reamde by Neal Stephenson… SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO true!

Review: Reamde by Neal Stephenson

review

What a terrific read!  I’d classify it as a techno-thriller rather than sci fi, and it wasn’t at all what I expected from this author but wow! 

It begins with a virus that infects users of a video game and takes so many twists and turns from there you won’t be able to predict where the heck it is going.

The characters are all memorable and I adored Sokolov.  The women are not your sit at home and worry types, let me tell you…  There are a ton of details that make the entire adventure so realistic you can picture yourself traipsing across the world in search of the ‘little shit’ who wrote the virus along with, well, everyone else including the Russian mob, MI6, the CIA and a few civilians who get caught up in the action.

The Kintari Chronicles

The Kintari Chronicles are progressing. I’m shooting for about 3k words a day and so far am doing pretty good at that.

I’m enjoying the story and am quite happy with my characters. It is, I admit, a bit scary that they aren’t misbehaving already, but I’m sure they’ll act up soon!

Review–Man With A Load of Mischief–Martha Grimes

This is a re-read for me, of a really well-loved cozy. I'd forgotten how much I LIKE Richard Jury. A detective with some issues, but still a nice guy. Not the most difficult mystery to solve, but a nice Christmas-y read.

And of course this is where we meet Melrose Plant another nice guy. They make a fun team and the rest of the series is just as entertaining.

Review–Ghosts of Manhattan–George Mann

An unpretentious thriller with a steampunk vibe. It’s reminiscent of pulp thrillers and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. A fun read, but no deep thinking is required.

Thoughts on Steven Erikson’s House of Chains

Finally completed [House of Chains] by Steven Erikson, the fourth (or fifth) of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

I haven't written my review yet, I need to let it gel a bit first. And I'm horrible at writing reviews. But I do have a few thoughts on this and the rest of the series I'd like to put down.

First, Erikson juggles people and plots and simultaneous actions in disparate locations. Thinking about how he does it compared to say, George RR Martin, I was struck by how different the approaches are, yet how well both methods work. While GRRM uses chapters with different POVs throughout his Ice and Fire series, Erikson sticks with the 3rd person subjective, not quite godlike viewpoint. Erikson will switch focus multiple times in a chapter, whereas GRRM for instance, sticks with one setting and one viewpoint per chapter. The difference becomes huge as Erikson begins to weave the different threads together finally revealing to us how all of it fits together. For me, to get a full understanding of the breadth and inter-connectedness of the action, I think Erikson's works better. GRRM's, however, is wonderful at presenting actions and events in a manner skewed to the person who's POV is paramount. We see from multiple people, the same event, and understand how it is interpreted, misunderstood, lost in translation, as it were.

As for [House of Chains] itself, wow. Many threads which I knew were all related (because I trust the author, not because I was able to guess how all things fit) into a totally unexpected whole. And better yet, Erikson's characters grow and change. The main character whom I hated in the first 1/3 of the book, grows incredibly and changes as his experiences expand. It's quite wonderful (and as I'm comparing this with GRRM, think of Jaimie Lannister's growth and change).

The final scenes were not at all what I expected, not at all what seemed to be coming together. Like GRRM, you really don't know what the heck is going to happen, and for both authors individual characters have a way of 'misbehaving' and not doing at all what one (even the gods) expect.

And I adore Cotillion, much to my astonishment.

As usual, bittersweet endings, but some wonderful revelations, which will, naturally, keep me reading the series eagerly.

Review: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton

 

Official LibraryThing review

Additionally. I loved his way of painting the picture of this world. I found the writing a bit quirky at first, but got drawn into the story and it wasn’t quite so noticeable then.

I love how the characters evolve as the story goes on, how the city evolves, and the grim portrayal of what life is like for the commoners in a medieval setting where the power of the elite is nearly unbreakable.

Interesting and intriguing aliens,  a nicely imaginative view of magic and 'alien’ technology that isn’t at all understood.

Review–Blood Follows by Steven Erikson

A short novel of the necromancers in all their weirdness. Here Emancipur Reese finds employment with the necromancers Bauchelain and Broach. Suitably weird, grim and decidedly strange.

Review: The Magician–Michael Scott

The second book of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

I confess to having some major issues with this book. Firstly, this guy is supposed to be brilliant. Uhm, right. He heads off to Paris with the bad guys on his tail, and he HAS NO PLAN.  He wanders around Paris, not knowing or recognizing anything (he’s not been back for years) and didn’t even have an idea who he’d contact for help. Excuse me?

And don’t even get me started on the incompetence of the bad guys. Sheesh. What a bunch of clowns.

And my biggest beef?  The author turns the genius of Niccolo Machiavelli into farce. Seriously???

Granted, it’s a children’s book, but still…  I doubt I’ll read the rest of the series.

Review–Ghost Story–Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden Book 13

Here is my Library Thing Review. Not really a lot I can say beyond that, since the entirety of book 13 is a spoiler for book 12 Changes. But good job Jim!  And I like where it’s going!

 

 

Review: The Black Prism –Brent Weeks

 

 

Kip is running for his life. His entire village is being razed to the ground and his friends are dying around him. He's backed into a corner when he suddenly discovers he can draft green.   He wins free and runs for it.

Meanwhile we meet the Prism. The most powerful drafter of color magic (all the colors) in the world, and leader of the Chromeria, the college for drafters. He's got his problems too.  The fellow razing Kip's town has declared himself King and is beginning a rebellion, not only of the people, but of the magic drafters from that land as well.

The Black Prism is a beautifully crafted novel.  The characters are all complex and deeply drawn, each with flaws and failures, each conflicted and insecure deep down. Even the bad guys are complex and interesting.

The magic is imaginative and creative, wtih magical workers 'drafting' colors of magic each with its own properties and limitations.

I cared deeply about the characters, laughed and worried and cheered. Highly recommended!  Can't wait for the next book!

Review–Heartless by Gail Carriger

What a great fun read. Gail is back on form, with lots of witty dialogue, twisty plots, and Alexia being her usual bowl everyone over self.

I also really liked the way the consequences of her actions are causing important changes round and to her.

Highly recommended

 

Questionnaire Bookish

Favorite childhood book?  I loved the Trixie Belden series and The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.

What are you reading right now?  Magyk by Angie Sage

Bad book habit?  I buy too many?

Do you have an e-book reader?  Yes. I’ve owned several (and passed them on to grandkids).  Currently I have a Kobo Touch.  Reading A Dance with Dragons made an e-reader a necessity. I have arthritis in my hands, no way I’d have been able to hold that tome and not be in pain.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?  I’m very much a one book at a time kinda gal.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog thread? Not much

Least favorite book you read this year (so far)?  The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin. Found it utterly boring.

Favorite book you’ve read this year?  A Dance with Dragons – George R.R. Martin

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?  Since I read for pleasure I’d say rarely. I read what interests me.  I hate Romance.

What is your reading comfort zone? At the moment Fantasy and Sci Fi. In the past for quite a few years it was Mystery.  I’m now attempting catching up on all the fabulous books I missed.

Can you read on the bus?  I get motion sickness, so I rarely can read whilst travelling other than on a plane.

Favorite place to read? In my comfy, cozy reading chair.

What is your policy on book lending?  Trying to get rid of most of my dead-tree editions so I’m giving them away.

Do you ever dog-ear books?  Absolutely. And sometimes write notes.

Do you ever write in the margins of your books?  Hah. See above.

What is your favorite language to read in? English is the only option.

What makes you love a book?  The characters. I have to care about them. If I don’t I’ll abandon the book.

What will inspire you to recommend a book?  If I find something moves me I might mention it. Otherwise I just respond to requests for input.

Favorite genre?  At the moment, Fantasy

Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? none

Favorite biography? can’t think of one. I did at one point in time read a lot of them

Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, alas. Mostly they are a total waste of time, unless tech related.

Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?  The Black Company by Glenn Cook. Trial under fire and personal honor.

Favorite reading snack? Diet Coke in summer, hot tea in winter, and possibly a cookie or two.

How often do you agree with critics about a book? I rarely read critics.  Particularly since they denigrate Fantasy and Sci Fi so often

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I call ‘em as I see ‘em.  Sometimes there is a book I really WANT to like, and am disappointed about but I try to be honest and explain why the review is negative.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?  French

Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? none

Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? none.

Favorite poet? Ogden Nash

Favorite fictional character? Julian, from the Gore Vidal book of the same name.

Favorite fictional villain? Marc Remillard from Julian May’s Pliocene Exile Saga. BEST VILLAIN EVER (he might be my favorite character of all)

Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?  Whatever I’m into at the moment. I don’t have a separate list.

The longest I’ve gone without reading. A week or so.

Name a book that you could/would not finish.  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon HATED IT – ROMANCE.  Woman becomes complete dingbat at the sight of hunk.

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?  I think about the story and start imagining stuff, or wondering about what’s coming next or look something up (like maps)

Favorite film adaptation of a novel? HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Most disappointing film adaptation? Oh so many.

The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? No idea. I sometimes do Yule shopping in a book store so it could be fairly high.

Do you like to keep your books organized? Yes. Especially difficult with ebooks. I wish I knew of a better ebook software. Calibre is okay but not that great.

Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?  I prefer to get rid of dead-tree editions but I know very few readers locally.

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? Romance and any damn book by Stephen King. Hate how he writes.

Name a book that made you angry.  One of Heinlein’s tomes showing how women are empty headed and men are terrific. Haven’t read anything by him since.

A book you didn’t expect to like but did?  Not really.

A book that you expected to like but didn’t?  American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Found it dull and didn’t like the characters.

Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?  I don’t do guilt wrt reading

Review–A Dance With Dragons–George R R Martin

My Review on Library Thing

Additionally, I pretty much hated Dany in this book. I so wanted to smack her.  As usual, the ones who work the hardest to do the right thing, the smart thing, the honorable thing, are punished for it.  Betrayals and stupid stupid cowardice abound.  As does cruelty, terror, misery and magic. 

Best book of the series so far, IMO.

Review: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

Great fun read!  Very Firefly-ish in vibe. A world torn apart after consecutive wars, with lots of competing loyalties making life for a worn-down pilot hard.

Frey, captain of the Ketty Jay, thinks he’s finally hit the big time when an offer too good to refuse comes his way. Guess what?  Yeah, it turns out to be anything but.

The world of the novel is complex and interesting. And if it isn’t detailed all that much in this book, I understand why. It’s told mostly from Frey’s POV and he hasn’t really been paying attention to much of anything. His tunnel vision, in fact, is what sets him up for subsequent events.

I also enjoyed mightily the way Frey and the other members of his crew grew through the story. Adversity, and necessity, making each and every one of them step up and stop being a bunch of losers and becoming a functioning crew.

Highly recommended. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!

Review: The Black Company– Glen Cook

 

The tale is told through the eyes of the company’s physician and Annalist.  He’s fairly new to the company, and has limited knowledge of some of his more ancient colleagues.  He reads and analyzes the history of the Company and attempts to order, in his mind, and in the annals, the story of his own service with the last free mercenary company as they struggle through a war-torn landscape where defeat is far more common than any sort of victory.

Croaker is an astute observer of both his friends and his enemies and struggles, as he writes,to understand motivations and philosophies for those he comes to know. But his colleagues are not men who willingly share their inner thoughts and fears, he has only their actions to use as a measure of these men.

We join the mercenaries as they are involved in supporting ‘The Lady’ against ‘The Rebel’ and are in a long and soul-deadening retreat, as her forces are being assaulted by a far larger and more motivated force attempting to drive her from power.  The Black Company is the only group involved who are mercenaries, and are not sworn to fight for one side or the other.

Much of the book involves Croaker trying to make sense of what morality and loyalty involve in light of their situation, and as he sees it, it is mostly to his fellow soldiers and few friends, as well as living up to your word and your contract, no matter what horrors you find yourself facing, even when you realize you are fighting for Evil, or are you?  Not knowing who is in the right, who is just, who is the lesser Evil, Croaker swallows his doubts and fears and just does what he’s told, to the best of his ability.

The characters in the piece are complex and interesting, and you never do really get their entire story, particularly not the two newest members of the mercenaries, Raven and a girl he saves from murder and mayhem, Darling.

But through Raven, somehow, Croaker ends up singled out by ‘the Lady’ who is a sorcerer and who is frightening even to battle-hardened men. He tries to understand why and how she chooses him and finds himself far more afraid of her, than he is of a terrifying battlefield.

This is not the sort of book that will appeal to a lot of readers. It is grim and gritty and there are no heroes and no clear winners. But the book held my interest and got me thinking of warfare and its effects on not only the landscape and the civilians but also on the soldiers themselves and their own efforts to justify actions that oftentimes seem inhumane and senseless.

4 out of 5 stars.

Embassytown–China Mieville Review

 

See here for my review on LibraryThing.

Beyond that I will say a grounding in Linguistics would be wonderfully helpful here. Even so, one does clearly understand what happens.

I should also say that for a bit of the book I was afraid this would turn out to be a zombie are after us book. Thankfully, not so!  I have zero interest in enemies who are mindless. The Hosts are, even at their worst, definitely not mindless, despite Humans thinking they might be.

Very good alien vs human outlook story.

Four stars.

Red Seas Under Red Skies - Review

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

 

here

First part was difficult to read, as noted in review, but afterwards, well, what can I say but PIRATES!  Arrrrrr!

Review–Game of Thrones Ep 1 (part 2)

Con’t:

Pentos: there we see Viserys admitting he is selling his sister Dany for an army. Khal Drogo rides up supposedly to approve of Dany (or not).  The Khal does not speak the common tongue so he says nothing.

Here is where I’ll say something about the women in A Song of Ice and Fire.  Yes, it is true, women are treated horribly as a class, as they were in the Middle Ages.  Here, women of the upper classes are used to cement bonds between differing houses, to ensure pacts and otherwise ordered to marry whom their father instructs them. For Dany, it’s worse. Her father is long since dead, and she and Viserys have been in exile. All she knows is that she was raised by Viserys and she only knows what he’s told her. She has no concept that what he’s telling her might not be true or common or whatever. Also, the Targayren family wed brother to sister to keep the blood lines true (just as European upper classes tended to wed within the family – altho not generally brother to sister).  When Viserys threatens her when she shows reluctance he says, “Do you want to wake the dragon?” This is a direct threat that he will punish her physically and she knows it. That is why she is so meek. Viserys is brutal and has a short temper. She’s reacting as any woman in an abusive relationship must. Let him have his way or pay the price. That Dany stands up to Viserys at all to say she doesn’t want to be Khal Drogo’s queen is rather remarkable considering her wretched abusive brother.

As to the other women who at first seem meek and open to manipulation, I say only WAIT!  This is where they begin their journeys. Nearly every one of them, will grow and discover the need for  independence of action and thought and they will accept the challenges.

Illyrio Mopatis, the magister who sets up the sale of Dany to Khal Drogo so Viserys can win his throne back, is, of course, lying through his teeth. Yes, there are a few factions in Westeros who might back a return of the Targaryens, but the common people are trampled on by everyone and really could care less which family is in power. All they want is peace and to be left alone. Illyrio, btw, is rather mysterious. Keep an eye on him.

Winterfell:

Here we see Sansa delighted to discover she’s to be wed to the future king, Joffrey who she thinks handsome. She’s the sort of girl who believes in fantasy princes and suddenly discovers her life is headed EXACTLY where she wants it to go.  Alas, she’ll find out soon enough things are not always what they seem.

Jon greets Benjen Stark, Ned’s younger brother who is the First Ranger at the Wall. Jon pleads to go with him. He realizes that if Ned leaves, he will not be welcome to stay at Winterfell, as Catelyn despises him.  He has to choose something, go somewhere where even a bastard might be accepted.

Jon then speaks with Tyrion who offers Jon words of wisdom in a most, uhm, unsettling way. Typical of Tryion.

“Have you bled yet.”  The question Cersei asks. She asks it because it is when a girl first bleeds she is then considered a woman. Quite normal in a Medieval society. Amazingly some who watched found the question  shocking and red more into it than I think was intended. For this society it is a perfectly understandable question.

A raven arrives then, with a message from Cat’s sister Lyssa Aryn who was married to the Hand who is seen dead at the beginning of the main storyline. Lyssa believes the Lannisters poisoned her husband and has fled to the stronghold of her husband’s family with her only son and heir to the Aryn lands and powers.

Cat believes it immediately, Ned is skeptical.  But it is another reason for Ned to accept the position of King’s Hand, as he wants to know for certain who, if anyone, killed his childhood friend.

Pentos:

Dothraki wedding. Dany is clearly terrified. This society is nothing at all like she’s used to. For one thing, everything is done in the open with no privacy and no sense of shame. Everything of consequence is done under the stars.  As for the wedding itself, Illyrio says it all. A wedding without three deaths at least is considered a very dull affair.

Here Jorah Mormont is introduced. He’s fled Westeros and is in an exile for his own reasons, which he will admit to in a future episode.  We’ll also meet his father quite soon, who is in another sort of exile.

Here is the first hint of magic, too. Dany, as a wedding gift, is given three dragons eggs.  This is significant because the sigil of the Targaryen House is a three headed dragon. And there are stories and prophecies which point to ‘the three heads of the dragon’ as returning to Westeros.

At this point, dragons are believed to have been extinct for three or four centuries. The last ones were used by the Targaryens to overcome a rebellion against the Iron Throne.

Khal Drogo gives Dany a white horse as a wedding gift. She’ll refer to it as her Silver.

The scene of Drogo and Dany’s wedding night is stunning and upsetting. She’s been told he’s a barbarian and believes it and she sees the events in that light. And since he cannot speak to her not having the common tongue, he can’t claim otherwise.

Winterfell:

We meet ‘the Hound’ the scarred fellow talking with Tyrion. He’s Joff’s bodyguard and will do whatever Joff tells him. Watch out for him.

Most of the males in the visiting party ride off from Winterfell to do some hunting for wild boar. Bran, despite having promised his mother to stop climbing, heads up to do his favorite thing. He spies two people having sex and is caught. What happens next is horrifying if not surprising. Their lives are at risk so they protect themselves.  Their secrets MUST be protected as there is no question as to what Robert would do. Bran must pay the price.

::end of episode::

Let me add that the VAST majority of this first episode is entirely true to the book, to the law if not always true to the letter of it. Naturally some things have been left out. It’s a HUGE book, after all. But I am delighted to see this as it sets up subsequent events perfectly.

As far as I’m concerned, the series is faithful, well done, and stunning in its understanding and use of the source material. I like all the casting choices so far. I adore Arya and Jon is suitably angsty and conflicted here. Jaime is perfect IMHO.

This is by far the slowest part of the book, so I’m not surprised some folks find this episode a bit dragging. But there is a LOT to introduce and so much is built up on the events here. Please just hang in there and know it is uphill from here all the way.

Episode 1 - Winter is Coming:
Intro:
Firstly there are changes made between the book and the Tv show, which is only to be expected. Some, no doubt, I've missed, and I'm not trying to list all of them, merely detailing what I thought made a big difference - for better or worse.
We begin with a shot of three rangers preparing to go ranging beyond the wall.  We see the gate raised and them riding through the passage at the bottom of the wall. Deep, dark, long, emphasizing the massiveness of the wall itself. At the other end the gate rises and the three emerge beyond the wall, into a landscape covered in snow, with the wall in all its wonderful majesty rising beyond them.
Atmospheric music and eerie sound effects begin as the three enter the forest beyond.  I loved the creepiness of the sound effects and the light touch with the music.
Will is wonderful at showing the horror of what he finds, and Ser Waymar Royce is suitably unimpressed and unaware of how Will and Gared are reacting. Well, not that he's unaware, but that he doesn't care and dismisses them as cravens.
The action is considerably different from the action in the book here. I really had no issue with the changes and thought they worked well. Quick and sudden horror and bafflement and pure terror as Gared and Will, and then Will alone, flee.
Title Sequence:
Wow! It is impressive and oh so neat, and I really can't even begin to describe it other than to say it has elements of steampunk in it, which was wonderful!  The music is suitably impressive and intriguing with notes in lower registers.
The Red Keep:
We see Jon Arryn laid out in the throne room rather than at the Sept. The Silent Sisters attend his body as Cersei looks on, joined after a moment by Jaime in a scene not in the books. They speak of a secret and its dangers.
Winterfell:
Love love love the boys in the yard helping Bran with his archery, and loved even more Arya's intrusion into it (as she slips away from her hated needlework).
Also enjoyed seeing Catelyn and Ned being parents and friends. 
The look Cat aims at Jon though.. Wow. It reveals all the hatred and distrust she feels for him, all in that momentary look they share. Jon's in return, is bland and unsurprised.
Justice:
The beheading scene is considerably changed, in that it is not the same character as in the books. But the rest of the scene is pretty much on target, with Bran being brave and Jon praising him for it, and Ned explaining 'our ways are the old ways' and 'the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.'
The dead elk is found and shortly thereafter the dead direwolf whose pups surround her. The sequence is close to the books, with Jon convincing "Lord Stark" to not kill the pups because they represent the family sigil and are a sign in their numbers. They are ready to leave with the pups when Jon hears Ghost wimpering.  Theon laughs at the 'runt' which suitably, according to him, goes to Jon. You can easily see that relationship - Jon and Theon - is very different from Jon's with his half-brothers and half-sister Arya.
The Godswood:
Wow, the tree was massive and impressive but you couldn't see the face. Cat explains the letter that came by raven of Jon Arryn's death and that the King and complete entourage were heading to Winterfell. Both knew what that meant.
Nice back and forth regarding Cat's discomfort in the godswood even after all these years, as Ned laughs and replies that it is her gods who have all the rules.
The King's Arrival:
Pretty much spot on, and I loved the discomfort evident between Cersei and Robert, her irritation at Robert for insisting he go into the tombs the moment his foot hits the dirt of Winterfell. Also the discomfort both Ned and Catelyn can't hide when they have to greet Cersei as queen.
Jaime, on first sight, looks utterly magnificent.
The Hound's helm is impressive, and he is suitably ugly and scarred.
Great job doing the relationship between Ned and Robert. Uncomfortable at first as they test their friendship, then swinging back into what must be familiar to them from their childhood and from the war.
Robert lays a feather into the stone hand of Lyssa as he mourns her and curses Rhaegar.
The Brothel:
New scene written in when Cersei asks Jaime to find their errant brother. Jaime no doubt headed straight for the nearest brothel where he finds Tyrion already receiving proper attention. It is a scene that made me smile and grin to see that the brothers respect and admire one another even if Cersei despises Tyrion.
tbc

Part 2

Game of Thrones

 

Tonight, winter arrives! I've been waiting what seems forever for the HBO series of Game of Thrones to start. The series is based on George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire multi book series.  The plan is for each year to do one book.

I await tonight with quite a bit of trepidation. Can it possibly live up to the hype?  Will the haters read that crappy NYTimes review and tune out?  Can fantasy be accorded respect? I mean, what the hell is fantasy anyway?  I'd call the Sopranos and Deadwood fantasy, myself. They certainly are 'takes' on reality, but not reality.

So, why do I love ASOIAF or Game of Thrones? Let me count the ways.

 

1. Arya Stark. - If there ever was a little engine that could, it is Arya Stark, whose only good Needlework is with a sword. She's a tomboy and feisty as crap, and you want to cheer aloud for her.  Her life turns to crap, but she never ever gives up.

2. Bastards! - Of several kinds.

- Tyrion Lannister: A dwarf son who is hated and reviled by his father.

- Jon Snow: A bastard son brought up in comfort by his father, but reviled by his father's wife. He has no choice but to set off on his own if he's ever to make something of himself.  

- Bronn - A sellsword with a tongue and an attitude.

3. No one is safe. Literally. Anyone can die. Actions have consequences, even a mere roll in the hay (see above bastard Jon Snow as an example).  

4. Alliances and allegiances are ever changing and you can't trust anyone - well nearly everyone.  As Jamie Lannister puts it, paraphrased:  So many promises, so many conflicting oaths, which one can I keep?

5. The threat of magic reappearing in a world where no one believes it even exists.

6. So many bloody (heh) surprises! You just can never guess how something will play out. Really!  Promise!

Please watch it if you can. I hope it will be great. I believe it will be, and have fingers crossed for the entire book series to be seen in splendor on HBO.

I'll do episode reviews too.

 

Review: The Sorcerer’s House by Gene Wolfe

 

Finished The Sorcerer's House by Gene Wolfe
Very very different, in that the story is told in epistolary fashion. Not my favorite method of storytelling, but for this book it worked quite well.
I gave it only 3 and a half stars because I thought the foreshadowing made the outcome a bit too obvious.

Official review on Library Thing:

A tale, told entirely through letters most of which were sent by the protagonist. Truths hidden, or unknown, confusion as mysteries are revealed, determination as the protagonist is determined to understand the seemly impossible facts regarding the house he was suddenly gifted, for no reason known to him.

I'm not that big a fan of epistolary novels, but I will say that this method of telling this story worked well.

It is also an interesting and dark retelling of sorcery and of the things we only see out of the corner of our eye.

Review: Among Thieves - Douglas Hulick

I received this as an ER book. Among Thieves was an engrossing and fun read. 

Hulick creates a complex and well-formed world and then concentrates on the affairs of the Kin, a guild of thieves. Drothe is a 'nose' someone who collects information and passes that information on to the various gang bosses. It's a dangerous profession, especially when you stick that nose into something you don't understand.

There's mystery and mayhem, and twists and turns galore, as Drothe tries to figure out why suddenly there seems to be a target painted on his back. Just what particular bit of intel is it that is so dangerous he has Dark Princes, Upright Men and, apparently, the Emperor's enforcers on his tail?

Well written, well paced and recommended! (  )

Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch - Review

 

A fun read in an interestingly created version of modern London. Peter Grant is a rookie London cop who happens to see a ghost shortly after a murder. Peter intercepts the ghost and interviews him. Needless to say he's reluctant to admit how he got information on the murderer, but he's also a bit of a smartass so when one fellow asks him who he was talking to he makes it sound like a joke and mouths off that he's interviewed a ghost. The fellow reacts far differently than Peter expected, and thus begins Peter's sudden apprenticeship to DCI Thomas Nightingale, a special sort of detective in a special branch of the Met, oh, and as a practitioner of magic.

Interesting characters, and the mystery has enough twists to surprise. And I loved the whole concept of 'The Rivers of London.' Too bad the US publisher didn't keep that name for the book.

I look forward to reading 'Moon Over Soho'.

(I won this book through a DelReySpectra contest) (  )

Review - Elfland by Freda Warrington

Although Elfland begins slowly, it quickly expands outward in both scope and character development. The story follows two families, both Aetherial (Fay) living on Earth. But the gates that allow the Aetherial to travel between the world of men and the world of Fay are closed. The Gatekeeper senses a threat to the existence of both worlds and refused to allow anyone through. The consequences and the roots of that decision drive the book.

I enjoyed the book tremendously, particularly the second half. Well developed characters, an inventive view of fairies, and what the world might be like of they lived among us.

The plot is convoluted enough to hold your interest and the characters are drawn well and are conflicted and confusing enough for you to want to learn their fates.

Well written, exciting, recommended! (  )

The Dispossessed - A Non-Review

I woke up this morning and decided to abandon The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.  I've read a third of it and find myself mostly avoiding it, which is not a good thing.

It isn't that I don't like it, exactly. It's more I'm indifferent to it. In all that third of the book, not a bloody thing of note has happened. The character does a lot of soul searching, and comparing of societies and that's pretty much all the action there is. Yeah, he leaves his own planet and goes to another, and for him that's a huge step, but for me it is pretty boring.

A 4 Star romp begins where Changeless left off. Alexia is preggers and her husband doesn't believe it's his.  Alexia, not one to sit around feeling bad, decides to invade Europe rather than sit around until Connell comes to his senses. He is a werewolf after all.


Everyone needs a Floote. And it wouldn't hurt to be rescued by Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings, either. And Alexia does need rescuing this time. She gets herself into quite a pickle - why, she can't even get a decent up of TEA! Oh, those damn Templars! Although she does discover pesto.

A spirited romp across Europe ends up with our heroine as prisoner in the catacombs of Florence. And where you may ask is Connell? Stuck in London, dealing with vampiric uprisings and disappearances, a brand new werewolf and Ivy Tunstell ne Hisslepenny. No wonder he's in a bad mood.  Also, he knows he's going to have to grovel; and soon.

 What's a girl to do? She's been pretending to be a boy so she could serve on the Darwinist British Airship Leviathan. And poor Daryn is scrambling to keep her secret, but things keep getting in the way!  One, most notably, being the escaped prince of Austria-Hungary who is aboard and is struggling to keep his own secrets.

Between the two of them, well, mayhem ensues. Look out Istanbul, you're in their crosshairs.

Another great read from Scott Westerfeld!  4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Quotes

'Gravity was something something you could beat: all it took was hydrogen, hot air, or even a bit of rope. But being a girl was a miserable, never-ending struggle.' - Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld

LOL.I know the feeling...

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - N.K. Jemisin - Review

            4 1/2 of 5 stars

Yiene, whose mother abdicated her claim to the throne, is suddenly recalled to the capital by her grandfather and informed he's naming her heir. Yiene, knowing he already has two heirs designated - her cousins - is immediately suspicious. And well she should be. For from the moment she arrives she finds herself embroiled in palace intrigue.

Bad enough that the humans are plotting and jockeying for positions of power, but so are the bound gods the king and his family have control over. Yiene finds herself allying with one god, and incredibly sexually aroused by the most dangerous of them.

She's horrified at how everyone is treated, but mostly at how the gods are treated.  The gods, defeated in a War with the God of Itempas, are bound forever and enslaved,  to be used and abused by Yiene's family. But they've got a plan to end their slavery and she discovers she's at the center of that plan.

It's hard to review this book, as the plots are intricate and spoilers would result, so I'll stick with the basics rather than the plot.

Characterization is wonderful. Description is wonderful. The book gripped me from almost the first page and I found myself drawn in and swept up in Yeine's discovery of the horrors of the capital city Sky, the confusion Yiene feels as she discovers the city's secrets, the gods' secrets and the horrors her family have and still are perpetrating.

Can she survive this place?  Does she even want to?

A wonderfully exciting and memorable book.

Read for The Women of Fantasy Challenge  

Yay. Book two for the year finished. Well worth reading and I'll have to read the rest of the Quartet now.

Review:  (posted at LibraryThing)

What a fun yarn! Good storytelling, great characterizations and an interesting world.

I initially had some issues with POV changes that seemed too abrupt and happened more often than I'd like and I also found transitions from current events to stream-of-consciousness flashbacks a bit jarring at a few points, but otherwise I enjoyed it very much..

I liked the cultural reactionary themes, particularly with respect to humans altering their bodies for differing environments and lifestyles. I can sooooo see that happening.

Also,she explores the militarization of space controversy which again I can see as a major issue if we ever do decide to come up with the resources to explore beyond our planet, especially where one powerful country might try to take control of the project for its own political and militaristic agenda.

There were some interesting twists that complicated the storyline and I found myself rooting for most of the main characters.

Highly recommended for those interested in space exploration and the issues surrounding the Earth's political climate with regard to expenditure of scarce resources for such a challenge.(  )

Current Reading

I've set aside Dust - not certain why I'm not grokking it.  Mostly appears to be that I'm not actually emotionally invested in the main characters.

Therefore, at the moment I'm reading Starfarers Quartet, an Early Review Book I received through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. I'll do a review on Book One, Starfarers once I'm finished.  Not sure when I'll get to the rest of the quartet and want to do the book justice.

Ebook purchases so far this year:

My TBR list is completely out of control!

 

1. Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

2. The Looking Glass Wars - Frank Beddor

3. Best Served Cold - Joe Abercrombie

4. Whitechapel Gods - S.M. Peters

5. Islands in the Sea of time - S.M. Stirling

6. Classic Mystery Collection - which includes all of Conan Doyle's Holmes material plus a lot of other classic mysteries like those by Wilkie Collins

Points in Time and Space

I'm still working, albiet slowly, on my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel, Points in Time and Space. It's a Steampunky mystery.  

Just published Chapter 16 of it here.  

I've got quite a bit more written but am attempting to revise things and fix inconsistencies and such. NaNpWriMo is fun and all, but when you are writing like mad, man you can write yourself into corners or just simply forget something you tried to set up earlier!

Currently slogging through Dust by Elizabeth Bear. Unsure why this is such a difficult read.

The book is well written, and the setting is interesting and quite different but... Perhaps because I'm not really making any sort of connection with the characters.

I keep thinking of abandoning the book, but ... We'll see!

Anti-heroes abound in The Blade Itself . But then, when the world is a place full of violence, where the Inquisition is used to torture anyone into confessing to anything, what exactly is a 'hero' anyway?

Joe Abercrombie creates a bloody and violent world, sadly, a totally believable one. Magic is there, but understated and not well understood. The privileged use and abuse the masses, and are astonished when revolution raises its head.

The characters are all flawed, and worn down and scarred by their lives, all but one self-centered privileged fellow who, despite himself, seems about to finally open his eyes to see what is going on around him. He won't like it.

Reminiscent of George RR Martin's series, A Song of Ice and Fire, you just never know who will step up or who will fall apart. Nor, are you likely to know exactly what is going on any time soon.

Highly recommended. (  )

Happy New Year!  And a year of reading and writing commences.

Writing: Time to get back to writing and finishing my NaNoWriMo novel: Points in Time  and Space

Reading:  I've begun The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie for a TIOLI challenge on LibraryThing.com