This is the book where Melody comes into full as a character and is a great third instalment in the series. The story is smaller and more familiar thaThis is the book where Melody comes into full as a character and is a great third instalment in the series. The story is smaller and more familiar than the previous book, even though the plot is once again set in motion by global events (the year without a summer and subsequent famine) and touches upon class issues, prejudice, and political intrigue.
I was glad to see Melody be more fleshed out, since her role in the first book made her appear somewhat vain and shallow and she didn't get chances for development in Glamour in Glass, but this also made for one of the points that I liked less in the novel. (Jane is blamed for (view spoiler)[believing that her sister's headaches were faked, but to be honest, her actions in the first book gave even the reader very little reason to trust her as well. In fact, only the O'Briens, who are new acquaintances, believe her at all. Nor her parents, nor Vincent, nor her family doctor ever associated her headaches and lack of precision with an eyesight problem, so why Jane should be the only one to bear the fault of that is beyond me. (hide spoiler)]) Still, her romance throughout the book is well-crafted and believable, and a politically active Melody could be the start of several interesting plots in the future.
A half-wasted opportunity is in the appearance of Vincent's family, which provides a lot more insight into his past, but does little to move his character forward. Also, they're all so completely unlikable that it makes it hard to care about them in any fashion except as token antagonists.
Disclaimer: I listened to the author doing a test reading of the first chapters of the novel....more
Un romanzo di racconti a scatole cinesi, a metà tra le Mille e una notte e il Decamerone, in cui la vicenda del protagonista è solo il filo narratore Un romanzo di racconti a scatole cinesi, a metà tra le Mille e una notte e il Decamerone, in cui la vicenda del protagonista è solo il filo narratore tra le storie dei vari personaggi che incontra sul suo cammino, nelle quali a loro volta vengono narrate altre storie che si ricordano e si rincorrono sempre per ripetizione, tematiche e simbologia.
L'unica pecca è che Adelphi ha deciso di pubblicare la versione del 1805 che contiene solo 14 delle 66 giornate, più tre racconti di 'Avadoro, storia spagnola', ignorando il resto del corpus di cui esiste solo una traduzione polacca dalla dubbia autenticità. La scelta filologica è comprensibile, in quanto questo è il solo testo che si sa per certo essere stato curato da Potocki, ma lascia la storia bruscamente in sospeso. ...more
I'm afraid this book didn't quite rapture me the way previous stories by the same author did. The premise is wonderful, the historical and cultural seI'm afraid this book didn't quite rapture me the way previous stories by the same author did. The premise is wonderful, the historical and cultural setting is spot-on, the elements are all there, but in the end they don't quite seem to gel the right way and they often leave me wanting. Oddly enough, at times the story seems to run too fast with its gaps of months and years, at times it seems to take forever for anything to happen. The main character, Marya, is also a cypher to me, and more often than not I cannot understand her motivations or her reasoning. Four stars because it still remains a wonderful tale written in astounding prose, and a 'bad' Valente is still miles above many other books.
(March 2013: I'm reuploading this, as this review seems to have been deleted. Maybe it was a victim of the great Amazon purge? Anyway, I should re-read this and see if my opinion has changed.)...more
Time is the only magic, and it's sometimes a sad magic, because only a day passed for September but it felt like an eternity to read. I'll admit, maybTime is the only magic, and it's sometimes a sad magic, because only a day passed for September but it felt like an eternity to read. I'll admit, maybe I didn't give this book all the attention it deserved (real life got in the way, so I read it in stretches and patches), but it felt like it took half the book to get anywhere, and for all her determination September does precious little in this book. I will put a little spoiler here and say even the title is inaccurate.
In fact it's also the first book to end in a "To be continued..." of sorts, making all that happened before seem more like a first act rather than a complete play. Granted, this is still a book by Cat Valente, so any criticism is of the "it's just a little short of perfect" kind, but it does suffer a bit from the curse of the middle story in a series....more
An historical fantasy set in Victorian London about a young tosher (a sewer scavenger) that saves a young girl and thus becomes mixed up in an internaAn historical fantasy set in Victorian London about a young tosher (a sewer scavenger) that saves a young girl and thus becomes mixed up in an international intrigue. It's a strange book. On one side it looks like a 'grown-up' novel because of the faux-victorian language and narration style, as well as the inclusion of several historical and pseudo-historical characters, from Dickens and Bazalgette to Sweeney Todd. There are a lot of cultural and linguistic references that are hard to miss for someone who doesn't have an excellent grasp of the English language and history or, at least, Wikipedia underhand. On the other side, Dodger's character arc and the archetype quality of the rest of the cast make this look a lot more like a middle-grade novel. The already linear plot, too, is incredibly facilitated by the aforementioned historical characters who, either by influence or power, are able to project Dodger far above and outside his usual realm. This all adds up to a bit of a patina that makes even the terrible living conditions of the people in Seven Dials look more romantic and Dickensian than Pratchett himself probably intended. It's not a bad story by all means but far from Pratchett's best and, at times, it looks more like a Discworld novel set in London rather than a historical stand-alone the way Nation was....more
This is the first Chrestomanci book I read and I feel it's a great introduction to the series. Set in a boarding house in a world similar but not quitThis is the first Chrestomanci book I read and I feel it's a great introduction to the series. Set in a boarding house in a world similar but not quite like our own, where witches are real but illegal and burned to the stake, the story starts with a bang when an anonymous note accuses someone in the class of being a witch. But if there only is the one witch, how is it that magic seems to be happening everywhere in the school? Is there something else going wrong with the world?
What I love in Diana Wynne Jones's writing is that her children and teenagers are not just small adults but actually behave like their age and show the proper emotional complexity. It's not all white and black but all is painted by a turmoil of emotions, and a 'good' character can become 'bad' not out of evil but just stubbornness or pent-up resentment....more
This a wonderful book that, in a way, could be called a fantasy of manners. The story is about a small city bordering with Fairyland, something which This a wonderful book that, in a way, could be called a fantasy of manners. The story is about a small city bordering with Fairyland, something which the citizens pretend doesn't exist since the merchants too control of the country. The tranquillity of the town gets turned upside down when some people are found partaking of fairy fruit, and odd happenings start popping up all around Lud. It will take a very peculiar sort of hero - the old, plump and very respectable mayor of Lud-in-the-mist - to settle things right again. Not only Mirrlees' writing is a delight to read, but the story moves in a quirky and unexpected way, not yet tied down by the fantasy tropes that we'll come to know. Hidden beyond the novel is also a burning satire on the contempt that proper society held for fairy tales, and fiction in general, and tells us how instead fantasy is a vital part of life that just cannot be shut off - themes that will be touched again by Tolkien decades later in On fairy stories and Smith of Wootton Major. Like many here I discovered this book via Neil Gaiman's recommendation on Twitter, and in retrospect it shows the influence this book had on his works, especially Stardust....more
Glamour in Glass follows the turbulent honeymoon of Jane and David as they travel to a small town in Belgium right during Napoleon's return from exileGlamour in Glass follows the turbulent honeymoon of Jane and David as they travel to a small town in Belgium right during Napoleon's return from exile. This is a good book and I enjoyed reading it but I think it's not as compelling as the first in the series. First of all, Shades of milk and honey was a straight-up Austen with magic, while Glamour in Glass is more of a classic historical novel with a dash of adventure, and the difference is noticeable. Second, because of plot reasons, Jane doesn't get to do much glamour at all, which is somewhat frustrating since, as she says herself, that is her biggest strength and it's so early in her partnership with her husband. While reading I felt a lot of Jane's frustration - at her situation, at her husband's secrecy, at her confined life - and that reflected somewhat on the feeling I feel toward the book, which I guess is a compliment to Kowal's ability in making us feel for her protagonist, but it also makes for difficult reading. I did appreciate a lot though that Jane confronted her husband with her doubts instead of falling into the "why don't they just talk" pitfall of many a romance story. ...more
A short book containing two stories inspired by fairy tales. The first, A delicate Architecture by Catherynne Valente, is a prequel of sorts while theA short book containing two stories inspired by fairy tales. The first, A delicate Architecture by Catherynne Valente, is a prequel of sorts while the second, Oracle's Tower by Faith Mudge, is a darker retelling. Though neither is particularly hard to guess, I won't say which fairy tale is the inspiration for either, as the discovery is part of the pleasure of reading.
The Valente story is just exquisite. Not only it turns the original story into a tragedy, it could also be a completely new fairy tale in itself. The Mudge has a nice idea but for some reason the execution feels flawed. Maybe it's the way the narrator talks, maybe it's that it follows the original story almost step by step, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much. Both stories are illustrated by Kathleen Jennings's simple but incisive artwork.
I feel the book's main weakness is in the fact that there isn't enough contrast between the pieces; a third or fourth story in the same vein would've given more substance and vision to the book. As it is, it makes for nice reading but feels more like an appetizer rather than a whole meal. ...more
It's not a bad book. Unfortunately it's not a very good book either. Let me elaborate on that (slight spoilers):
The confusion starts from the beginningIt's not a bad book. Unfortunately it's not a very good book either. Let me elaborate on that (slight spoilers):
The confusion starts from the beginning, where in the first 50 pages we get a prelude, a prologue and a first chapter all from different points of view and set in different points of the past. The first chapter is actually there only to introduce the main character, Kaladin, while everyone else is killed.
The switch in POV goes on for the rest of the book, and we rarely get two chapters in a row seen by the same person. They're not actually in rotation though, so one of the main characters might disappear for hundreds of pages at a time, while another hogs half the book. Some chapters, called interludes, are dedicated to characters and locations which do not appear again and are simply hooks for the sequels, making this already long book even longer. The world building is detailed as usual and the magic systems are interesting (though Sanderson is going a bit overkill in this one) but the book is very long winded and takes forever to get anywhere.
Kaladin's story is the largest and unfortunately also the least interesting. It's the classic emo (sorry, anti-hero) story where a good soldier down on his luck (he's been made a slave and put into the worst job ever) thinks that he's been cursed because he survives when everyone dies, and the universe keeps throwing stuff at him just for the hell of it, and we also get a healthy dose of flashbacks of his emo youth just to pile on it (no, really, he actually has a Saint Seiya moment where he has a chapter-long flashback while in the middle of battle). It's the kind of character that you can't dislike even when you hate him, because it would be like kicking a wet puppy. Guess what? He's actually (view spoiler)[a great leader with amazing superpowers like the Knights of old (hide spoiler)]. This wouldn't be bad if not for the fact that we realize this about 500 pages before him.
The second longest story is about brightlord Dalinar Kholin, brother of the king who died at the beginning, and who is plagued by visions every time the Storms hit. Combined with his following of ancient codes of combat, as a last request from his brother, this means everyone starts to think of him as crazy or a coward, while he's actually the only one who has any real interest in winning the war and the good of his nation as a whole. This is the best part of the book: all the characters are well developed or at least well sketched, we discover things along with a protagonist we care about, it's the bit with the most world building, and the plot doesn't drag along but is actually well paced.
The third story is about a girl named Shallan, who seeks place as the ward of Jasnah, a famous scholar and historian, in order to steal a powerful artefact. This part has enormous potential, as Shallan is a sheltered girl with a lot of growing up to do who is thrust into something much bigger than she anticipated, and Jasnah is a very strong and complex character that makes for her polar opposite. Unfortunately Shallan's bit is cut short, as she only appears in a handful of chapters. It seems she is going to feature more in Book 2, but I would've liked to have a lot less Kaladin and a lot more of her in this one.
All this would've normally got a 3 or 4 stars from me, but the last few chapters make it clear that all of this was nothing more than an enormous prologue for what seems to be a series of at least 10 similarly-sized books. Yes, there is a bit of closure, but not enough to make the book stand completely on his own (like, say, Fairyland or Wizard's First Rule do). Sanderson might be a gifted author but 1000 pages just to put the pieces down on the board is really too much....more
A quick and easy read in the style of Jane Austen, set in a world where magic exists in the shape of glamour, complicated sensory illusions, and is coA quick and easy read in the style of Jane Austen, set in a world where magic exists in the shape of glamour, complicated sensory illusions, and is considered one of the arts a proper girl must know in order to fetch a good marriage. The story follows Jane Ellsworth, a gifted glamourist but unlucky in love, as she accidentally stumbles into a series of secrets that threaten the honour of her family and her friends.
The plot is not very complicated, as the pleasure resides more in the comedy of manners that ensues than in the twists. There are a couple slips here and there and the ending seems a bit rushed even for a period novel, but I very much look forward to the sequel, if only to see if the author will explore more of the implications of magic into the world, which are only hinted at in this novel.
update 2014:
I re-read this book in the updated UK paperback, which includes a couple extra scenes and removes some anachronisms.
After four books in the series, it's interesting to see how many seeds of future glamour developments had already been planted here. I remembered Melody as more obnoxious than she actually is. I don't remember if it was in the original edition, but here Jane (spoiler for book 3) (view spoiler)[seems to already suspect that Melody is short-sighted, yet in Without a Summer it seems like she thought her sister's lack of precision was mainly due to laziness. Mini-retcon or just a residue of sibling rivalry? (hide spoiler)]...more
These two books could be reduced to a very slim one if we removed all the dreadfully uninteresting parts where the respective families disapprove of tThese two books could be reduced to a very slim one if we removed all the dreadfully uninteresting parts where the respective families disapprove of the wedding because of tradition. The only time this book shines is in the few chapters dedicated to the malice and Dag's ghost hand. It's a real pity because, being a Bujold, even the boring bits are still exquisitely well written....more
First of all, this is definitely a romance book with some adventure traits, so if you're in it for the swashbuckling you might be disappointed. The gooFirst of all, this is definitely a romance book with some adventure traits, so if you're in it for the swashbuckling you might be disappointed. The good is the usual Bujold's writing and world building: the backdrop is interesting, the cultures and magic are believable, the side characters painted with broad strokes but not enough to turn into caricatures.
Unfortunately this is literally a 'part one of two', as it was supposed to be one book but was split in two because of size: around one third into the book the romance blooms and the main story comes to a grinding halt, to be continued in the second book. This is not bad per se but it makes the book absolutely unable to stand on its own.
A tentative 3 stars which might go down to 2 depending on the sequel. ...more
I think all I can say about this book is that it was OK. The magic as described by Duane is interesting and definitely more complicated than the usualI think all I can say about this book is that it was OK. The magic as described by Duane is interesting and definitely more complicated than the usual D&D kind, and Fred the white hole is a delightful character. However, both the main characters and the story felt a little flat, even as they were carrying an impossibly powerful item and fighting against a Lucifer figure. At first I also thought that my ebook edition was missing a few pages because the ending was so sudden. This is a book that came out in 1982 and the YA market has changed a lot since then, so maybe the series got better in time, but as a standalone it's not very satisfactory....more
This is a difficult read, heavy in language and word accretion, an interior monologue wrapped like a Quest through a Labyrinth at times fantastical, oThis is a difficult read, heavy in language and word accretion, an interior monologue wrapped like a Quest through a Labyrinth at times fantastical, other times not unlike a journey through a deranged mind. It is Cat Valente's first novel, possibly her most poetic and lyrical, but also raw like an unpolished gem - full of whatever it could be, but not quite there yet. And as hard as it is to talk about the plot of a novel which doesn't have much of one, the (view spoiler)[perfectly circular (hide spoiler)] ending left me quite cold.
I admit it, if this had been my first Valente novel I'm not sure I would've bothered with a second one, or even to the end. It is however a very interesting read as part of an author's journey, compared to her more recent writings....more
A fantasy by numbers about a young chosen one in an alternate world setting that is supposed to resemble ours but with slightly different words (like A fantasy by numbers about a young chosen one in an alternate world setting that is supposed to resemble ours but with slightly different words (like technomagic for science or Frankish for French). There are some interesting ideas in the book, especially in the second part when Linnet goes to the land of the Fey, but the first half drags horribly slow and it seems sometimes to be rather quirky just for the sake of it. I think I would have rated it 3 stars if not for the language, that seems to make an effort to trivialize even the greatest magic and seems sometimes to have been written by, rather than for, a child.
And I know it's just a minor point in the overall book, but it's just wrong to sell kids on the idea that bullies will go away or even respect you if you stand up to them or show confidence. Not only it isn't true (most of the time it just makes them pick on you harder) but it shifts the blame from the bully to the bullied, reinforcing the idea that if you're being bullied then somehow it's your fault for not trying hard enough....more
I didn't start the second part of this tale with the best of auspices. I admit that, while I loved The Habitation of the Blessed, I foWow. I am slain.
I didn't start the second part of this tale with the best of auspices. I admit that, while I loved The Habitation of the Blessed, I found it often hard to move through, as if I too were John struggling with a new world. But this book. I don't know what his book is. The second part of a trilogy is usually the weakest, being by nature the thread between two worlds, the beginning and the end, the exposition and the resolution, and therefore not exactly a creature on its own. The folded world plays on this, presenting us over and over with the theme of two worlds colliding: Anglitora, the daughter of John and a crane, whose left arm is a wing; Sefalet, the daughter of John and Hagia, with no face but two mouths on her hands and two voices in her heart; the two Pentexore, divided by a Wall, so close and yet so distant; Pentexore and Jerusalem; the past and the future, the past and the now; and so on, and so forth. In so doing, The folded world manages to be even better than the first book, unfolding in front of us these four stories, which are really just one, giving us barely time to breathe as one chapter rushes into another and our heart gets broken over and over as it all tumbles down towards the end. ...more
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