Radiance by Catherynne M Valente is a book uses science fiction settings of telling a fantasy story. I think this book could be categorized in Sci Fi Radiance by Catherynne M Valente is a book uses science fiction settings of telling a fantasy story. I think this book could be categorized in Sci Fi genres, even though it reads like a fantasy book. I am keen on Valente’s books, since I have read The Orphan’s Tales, I was immediately entranced in her writing and the story; the rich descriptions of the bizarre world, its cultures, customs and the religions, magic beings like fairies, magic animals etc. Those characters in the book seem eccentric but aren’t anomaly in the world where they live. I think Valente has the magic of crafting the outlandish world with unexplainable plots and characters to which are particularly apt to the world.
Radiance is a story about a crew of filmmakers, they had been making films on several planets. Their last The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew was making while the girl Severin whose dad is the director of the film, was disappeared. The story is about her disappearing and reappearing on many planets. A detective took the job to look after her, other crew members told the story about her but they don’t know what happened to her and why she just disappeared.
There is also the main focus on the myths of callowhale and its milk. It seems that Callowhale’s milk is for the space travelers to travel though space. And the callowhale’s existence is strongly connected to the planet and the people who live on there.
There is one thing I do not quite understand, in some chapters, the phenomena static happens on some characters but It has no explanation of why it happened. The static seems is contagious to people aren’t from the original planet. One of the crew members showed the symptoms of static. But the static event had ended in the fire of the cinema.
This book has multitudes of layers on how you interpret the plots and the world. The structure of the story may be the most ambitious I have seen on Valente’s books so far. The chapters within chapters read like a script, radio record; the forms of the story are various and variable. The POVs jump to one another quite frequently, not too difficult to follow up the story but with some efforts to follow. There have a city on the ship, aliens and galactic space travels. It is not easy to comprehend the metaphors behind the stories like Valentine’s other books which there always have metaphors are hidden within the stories. Fortunately, Radiance proffers the Chronology which refers to the story lines. It gives readers the clues to follow up the story, and it would be difficult if you don’t pay attention on the dates and locations in the story.
Rating: 9 out of 10. It is perfect in some way to tell a story which is like Radiance. However, I think even the writing enable the descriptions to enhance world building; there still has some issues about the writing, and the structure of the story somehow is really difficult to catch up to what the story wants to show to readers....more
Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber is one of the models of urban fantasies. It has some horror elements in the book so that it could be considered as a hor Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber is one of the models of urban fantasies. It has some horror elements in the book so that it could be considered as a horror book. It is a book about witch societies, witchcrafts, the underworld of women which control the surface world of the patriarchy. Something about the intuition of women is different which compares to men’s is interesting. The using of magic is not only the practices also the innate talent that males rarely have except male sorcerers. The first half of the book is all about the theories of superstitions, magic is to be consider as supernatural phenomenon and not a scientific way of explaining the fundament laws of cosmos. About how ceremonies of witchcrafts are defined as a blinding- believe to superstitions.
The story is quite simple, the professor, Norman whose wife was being a witch after they moved to the town. After Norman found out his wife had been using witchcrafts to protect Norman from jeopardies. As Norman is a believer of Sciences rather than magics, and thus he required his wife incinerate all the charms she had. However, things happened after her wife stopped using witchcrafts. Furthermore, her wife’s soul was hijacked by a powerful witch. Norman found out he must abandon the rational logics of sciences, start believing the art of witchcrafts. The ending has the plot twist to the story. I think nowadays many horror movies or book are using the plot twist.
It has some interesting themes, but the first half of the story is explaining the themes and slowly building out the secret withes societies. The motifs in the story is quite noticeable to predict the developments of the story.
The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg is a book hardly to be categorized in genres. The way you perceive of the book, the book would be defined. It The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg is a book hardly to be categorized in genres. The way you perceive of the book, the book would be defined. It is hard to be put down when I was reading It. The atmosphere which Silverberg creates in the story totally suit for the themes of immortality. Would you believe in the manuscript of the book of the Skulls if you are a scientific person? Do you believe there is still the probabilities of achieving an immortal life? Prolonging the longevity of life may be possible, then would you face the consequences of obtaining immortality is other person’s life. Silverberg deftly spins the themes, mixes the unknowable region of sciences and religion. The book reads like a horror book with familiar science fiction structures but telling an enigmatic, subtle story about immortality and humanity. In the end, you readers would define what is the book is about. And it is not an easy assignment to do so.
The story begins with the four college students took the chance of the Easter holidays, going to the Arizona desert; according to the manuscript of the book of the skulls, the secrets of immortality is hidden in the house of Arizona. The rules of obtaining immortality is that there must be. four candidates to participate in the process, the end of the process there would be two candidates live, other Two die. On the way to the Arizona, the four POVs by Ned, Elis, Timothy, Oliver their doubts of the thing they were going to partake. What they believe, they have been through would be the crucial changing to the end of the story.
The book of the Skull is a masterpiece in Science fictions. This is a well constructed, sophisticatedly written book. Very stunning a single premise of the story would be developed to an exhilarating roller Coaster ride- reading experience. I think for some characters, like Olive and Elis their stories have religious symbols. Olive’s childhood story kept me thinking of Garden of Eden. He was shy of the nakedness to the girl seems to be related to The original sin? Reading this book keep me thinking of the metaphors and symbols in the book.
I think I am fond of both Downward to the Earth and The Book of the Skulls. However, I like Downward to the Earth a bit more than the Book of the Skulls. Both books are profoundly excellent to me.
The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers is a historical fantasy book, weaved with King Author’s mysteries and the battle with Turks. Magics3.5 stars.
The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers is a historical fantasy book, weaved with King Author’s mysteries and the battle with Turks. Magics and gargoyles like creatures that make the story enigmatic to read. Zimmerman Inn’s brewery in Vienna is the place where the enemy wanted to take over owing to its dark secrets of the imbued essence of the ghost Fin Mac Cool. This pseudo-historical fantasy is full of mysteries and its seemingly parallel historical elements in the story that makes the story intricate. This is the part of the book I like the most, for me its battlefields and duel scenes aren’t as compelling as the make up details of mythologies in the story. The plots in the second part somehow aren’t as interesting as the first half part of the story; it becomes more predictable and concludes the story not as good as the premise of the story. It’s interesting to see the history events are mixed up in 1529. I like the ideas of the story that concocts multiple elements such as Vikings and its mythology, King author’s myths, Turkey empire versus the Vienna the western countries. However, like Viking and Merlin parts which they aren’t developed well, I am able to see the conveniency in plots. It is a shame not to develop them further after introducing Duffy the reluctant hero who was actually the reincarnated of King Author, the parts of the story became less interesting.
Aurelianus who was Duffy’s employer but he was actually Merlin, his part might be the most disappointing to me. His battle with the Turkish wizard and finding the secrets of Duffy and the enemy that doesn’t bring a climax to the end of the story or foreshadow the story in a good way.
In a nut shell, it is still a book worth to read but definitely not for everyone; Its historical details and pseudo histories mix mythologies would confuse readers at some points....more
The House on the Borderland is a cosmic horror fantasy book which was publish in 1908; It was published about 100 years ago, so that the writing isn’tThe House on the Borderland is a cosmic horror fantasy book which was publish in 1908; It was published about 100 years ago, so that the writing isn’t as archaic as I thought that I felt stunned at the time of reading it. William Hope Hodgkin is good at creating visual images of horrors, his writing deliberately conveys the unknown horrors of universe, after humans witnessed the unexplained phenomenon and its horrendous animosity from the cosmos, the ineradicable absurdity of craziness would drive a person into madness. Doesn’t it sound like H.P Lovecraft’s horrors? I think you can find Lovecraft’s review of The House on the Borderland on internet. It seems the book had some influences on Lovecraft. Both the writers intentionally deliver the horrifying side of the unknown universes.
The story is about a pair of travelers visit a rural village, they found the villagers were unfriendly attitudes toward them. A few days later, they found the ancient tower，initially they thought it was a relic until they found the journey in the deserted building. The story is narrated by an old man whose experience of encountering swine creatures and his soul had left his body several times while he drifted off. The things he have seen about the alien planets and the two suns, swine creatures etc that he wasn’t certain which his memory was reliable or not. Pepper the dog, and the remains of his body seemed was the only evidence that his house was breached by the swine creatures.
The end of the story reveals that the derelict tower which the two travelers found out was the journeyer’s house, but the questions of the house seem to have many unsolved answers to them and to readers. Are swine creatures real? Why are the two Suns have malice faces, are the journeyed was sent to far millions years later future ?
The house on the borderland is an atmospheric read to cosmic horror lovers and to the readers who want to try one of influence books on horror and fantasy genres....more
A disappoint read. The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia is her third novel; this book is about a girl automaton, mechanics, chemists and gargoyle A disappoint read. The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia is her third novel; this book is about a girl automaton, mechanics, chemists and gargoyles. Sound interesting to me when I was looking up of robots and artificial intelligence in science fiction sub genres. After read it, I think it is more a fantasy book instead the protagonist is a robot. I didn’t know about Ekaterina Sedia before, but this book has some beautiful descriptions about the world where people, machines and magic creatures coexist together; about the souls which were absorbed by the soul-smoker. The subterranean world where rebels were hiding from the mechanics. I think the author has potential of building an immersive secondary world. However, even though I really like the protagonist Mattie when she was exploring the unknown territories in the city Ayona, I still found the plots are too convenient to explain the circumstances and how Mattie and other characters solve the problems. This book truly is an atmospheric read to me but the explanations of the plots and the development of the plots, how the magic works are not convincing. The themes in the book could be more entranced with the plot developments, but it didn’t, a shame.
The writing is sublime, it enhances the ambiance of the histories from the past of the city Ayona; were told from the gargoyles’s POV. It is intriguing to read Mattie’s thoughts on souls, as she is a robot, her experiences of life and perspectives aren’t the same as humans. I think the writing adds some gothic vibe to the steampunk/ gas lamp world.
The story is about Mattie as an automaton, she has been living as an alchemist. She has been serving her master Loharri since she was created by him. As the conflicts between easterners and mechanics. She was struggling with her duty to her master and her friendship with her friends. Loharri has been holding her key to control Mattie. She desperately wanted to be emancipated from her master’s ownership. When she was planing to get the key, meanwhile the gargoyles was looking for her help. Eventually the war between Mechanics and easterners inevitably leaded to the fate of the city.
I think some thing like Sebastian as the new member of mechanics also is Mattie’s lover. This part is like the plot design for helping the lower race in the city, it doesn’t have any romantic elements to the story, and it isn’t developed well at all. gargoyles’s POVs are interesting but, it is too obtrusive to see they always provide clues to the plot developments. If you don’t focus on the plots instead of the world. You may find it is much more pleasant to read. Mattie is a tragic figure in the story, almost all people treat her just like a machine, even she show her high intelligence. As she isn’t a citizen at all just a forever servant of the city. Maybe this is a new type of racism but isn’t toward to human but to automatons.
Personal Rating: I would potentially give at least 8 out of 10, but I finally gave 7.25 out of 10. ...more
Lilith by George MacDonald is a fantasy book about Christine, self-awareness and about the self existential in universe. I think this is a book requirLilith by George MacDonald is a fantasy book about Christine, self-awareness and about the self existential in universe. I think this is a book requires doing homework before reading it: it published in 1895 so that the writing style is more archaic than some masterpiece like LoTR, Conan, it even published before Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland's Daughter! And the story is full of metaphors and religious contents, hence readers might not understand what the story is about. Usually I read fantasy between 1900s-2000s+ so I found this is quite a unique reading experience to me that to read a book was published in late nineteenth century. Before reading Lilith by George MacDonald, I also read Phantastes, which is his earlier published book. It is more difficult to read than Lilith. The proses are not very clear of its meanings The protagonist’s experience is dreamlike, not the kind of fervent dream instead the dreams you would feel pleasant before awake. Both his two books Lilith and Phantastes are highly imaginative. Especially Phantastes has some extraordinary and outlandish descriptions about fairies and fictional creatures. MacDonald’s writing perfectly depicts a surreal dream landscapes where enchanted forest and rivers are parts of nature. If you just want to have a unique reading experience in fantasies without diving too deep into the meanings then MacDonald’s fantasy books have those kind of fantasies to readers that you can just immerse yourself in these vividly colorful world.
The story is about a young man who found out a mirror which reflect the scene that is not real to him, then he realized that he soon would have extraordinary experiences with the raven, the dead lady, the little ones and other creatures some of which are malice, some of them aren’t. The story is Christine-oriented and thus the plots eventually lead the protagonist to the spiritually religious experience. The identity of the raven from the beginning of the story, it is like a guardian but later the protagonist found out that he was a predecessor of the library, further in the story, his identity is Adam who is the figure in Bible. Like the protagonist said to raven, the world he has encountered that doesn’t seem to make sense to him, he didn’t know the world even after the raven explained to him. The seven dimension world that many time make the protagonist lost, wandering in the unknown world with bizarre things were happening around him. Till the middle of the book, the plot have more clear explanations of what was the world the protagonist was exploring. The little ones are the small children who never grow up, they are afraid of the big giants and don’t want to be like them, but some of them eventually would grew into the big giants. It clearly has some religious meanings, the story explains that those children (like us) without the guidance of Christine that would deteriorate into the evil beings. The protagonist was being guiding by the good ones, (like the raven) so the protagonist was also a good person in the story. After he left the wood, he went to the desert, and met a figure who is familiar with the raven’s wife. And he went to the palace and knew his destiny was to defeat the evil but he was still unknown to him. Save the woman who was cold at first. He has met some undead characters that started questioning him was he dead? And eventually he met Lilith the evil one and help to defeat her, but the princess Lona was dead and he sent Lilith to The catacomb and Lilith decided to dead. In the end of the story he and Lona was going to the celestial heaven but he was awake in his library.
The story is heaven on Christian themes of good and evil and the doctrines of Christianity. The experience for the protagonist is the most peculiar in the story. Many times he was convinced he entered the world is not real to him and didn’t know the way to go back to his library. The existential question of which life is the real life to him that was bothering him at first. Until he realized that the comprehension of the good life in following the principles that is the real life for him. dream or not dream is not the understanding of real world exist, is the spiritual experience of underStanding what is the good life he wants to have even it is the dead realm to him. Some themes are about death and afterlife in the story that the experience the protagonist was having accentuate the surreal feeling to me. I think the book conveys the concept that if you behave bad, you wouldn’t have the chance to experience the good life even after you’re dead.
Overall, it is a captivating story where the world is full of myths and Christian themes. If you just want to have a peculiar reading experience, Lilith might be the one....more
4.5 stars. I Was Listening to the audiobook and reading ebook at the same time.
Who is the master of the dreams? The Dream master or someone else?
Th4.5 stars. I Was Listening to the audiobook and reading ebook at the same time.
Who is the master of the dreams? The Dream master or someone else?
The premise of the story is compelling to take a peak of the introduction of the book. After I decided to read a few chapters then I immediately was enamored with the concepts of the story. People were living in a world which has advance technologies, the protagonist, Render who is a practitioner of operating Neuroparticipant Therapy. His innovative therapy is to use the devices to enter patients’s dreams and probe the unconscious area of brain. One day he met a women and she suggested that learning the methods of the therapy due to the cause of her innate blindness. After they started cooperating the treatment, the notion of being afraid of the dark side of his treatments of dreams became stronger within the therapy. He eventually will found out that the woman Eileen was being manipulative since the treatment has started. She would take over the dominance in the dream realms.
The concepts about dreams and how the dram specialist probes the unknown territory of consciousness and subconsciousness are interesting. It is might be one of the innovative fantasy/Sci Fi book I have read so far. Talking dogs are one of the highlights in the book. Render’s son went to the museum and having the conversation with the colonel which is interesting. The writing is superb that seems not like Zelazny’s other books that I have read; Fabulous descriptions of dreams, mythos are the strong point of this book.
This novel was a novella length before it was edited to the novel length, so that is not very novel like to read, some parts of the story seems a bit jarring to read. It would be consider a new weave novel so that it feels like reading the experimental of the novel concepts of the dream therapies. If you want a modern style plots to read you wouldn’t find it here.
3.5 stars. I’ve listened to the audiobook first, about 50 percents I switched to the Ebook.
The Ten Thousand Door of January is a portal fantasy book 3.5 stars. I’ve listened to the audiobook first, about 50 percents I switched to the Ebook.
The Ten Thousand Door of January is a portal fantasy book that dedicated to everyone who dream of far away realisms, continents, countries etc. This book has several messages to readers like colonialism, racism, liberalism, dreams, social standards and woman rights etc. Even In other worlds where human still have been prosecuting on or exploiting from other people. The story begins with a poetic chapter; as the story goes on, we see more unfairness on women and other underprivileged people. Alix E Harrow doesn’t shy about describing what some privileged people has been exploiting from other worlds’s people. Wars and prosecutions were exited and our protagonist, January has seen and heard those numerous senses. But she was gallant enough to pursue her dream, escaping from Locke’s mansion and found her place in the worlds.
The story is about January whose father had been working for Mr. Locke, when he scarcely visited January. As the time passed, the eagerness of visiting the outside world of Locke’s mansion became stronger every day. She wanted to travel beside his father on a ship to a foreign land and witnesses uncounted miracles that which are existed. However, she didn’t realize that the book of which she was reading, not only is about the characters’s experiences on foreign lands, also is her family stories. After she heard that her father was missing, she attempted to rescue her father but With Locke’s stern remonstrances and he confided January in her room. During the time, she fount out about the secrets of the blue doors of which Locke didn’t tell her, as she figured out the secret and set off to find his farther; soon Locke’s minions were chasing her behind each door which she had opened.
I think about Locke this character, his name already show what is the functions of this character, so that when I knew he was the founder of the community and had smashed and closed every opened doors that I wasn’t surprised at all. I think here the writer give the villain, Mr. Locke a clear motivation why he insist January that outside world is dangerous to her, because he was originally from a crueler world rather than January’s world. The story is a bit sluggish in the middle, more telling than showing what are other worlds alike. The concepts about the ten thousand doors are intriguing to me, although I can some conveniences of using those doors as plot devices; it could be utilized subtler. January is half blood African girl, what she has been through that is harsh to her. I think the author amplifies a few situations about what she has been treated totally unfair, she is the character hard not to be attached with. She desperately was trying to cling to a imaginative harbor that may exist in the place with her father, but after she realized that it was existed any more, she wasn’t afraid of making changes and learned what were the stiffnesses of social standards on women in her world. According to the author’s major that I can see why she has tried to say in the story about the equalities among others, the emerging of women right.
Overall, it’s a good story with a simple premise of the story, I reflect that about Locke’s perspectives of animosity from outside worlds that get its points. However, If we carry peace with us into other world, by words, by writings in order to eliminate the discriminations and abusing. Like January said, she believes we should have freedom to travel to other worlds, without limitations of boundaries between those doors that lead you to your dream....more
Farmer Giles of Ham is a short story about a middle country, Ham had the crisis of the dragon was approaching Ham and caused drastically turmoils to tFarmer Giles of Ham is a short story about a middle country, Ham had the crisis of the dragon was approaching Ham and caused drastically turmoils to the people who lived in Ham; our hero, Giles and his royal companion, Garm which is a dog, rescued the town and became heroes.
the Dragon, Chrysophylax as a villain in this book is more a comical plot-device than an impending threat to the hero, Giles who is a farmer not a knight, he would rather take the treasures from dragons than kill them as a gallant champion. Haggling and negotiating are better to treat a mistrusted dragon.
This is a fun book without multitudinous details as the Middle Earth books....more
Reading this book seem like I am reading Narnia “The Last Battle” and Piranesi by Susan Clark. Not like Narnia books , this is a grimmer and abhorrentReading this book seem like I am reading Narnia “The Last Battle” and Piranesi by Susan Clark. Not like Narnia books , this is a grimmer and abhorrent story; without gallant protagonists and magic battles, with more horror vibe to the story; especially the fact of the Underhill world was decrying, enervating, was deteriorating to a worth state that the living creatures like fauns and magic dogs, wood deities were facing the predicament of losing the existence of living in Underhill.
Our protagonist, Harry is a children TV presenter, who loathe child dish things, one day he had found out a faun was in his garden and watched him, after that, he was entangled in discovering the truth of The fairy land and trying to reposition his identity as one of the Underhill heir’s predecessor.
Actually, this was a fun read for me, the themes pique my curiosity of reading this Narnia-like fantasy, the story is indicated to Narnia and occasionally mentions JRR Tolkien. It feels like I was in a parallel universe where C.S Lewis would encounter a fictitional writer Mary Boide. The ending of the story is much better than Narnia’s The Last Battle. Moreover, the concept of the energy that was maintaining and molding the structure of Underhill and a vampiric creator’s longevity is quite intrigue. Maybe one day we can find a seemingly alien creature is from other dimensions....more
AS I expected that it would be a cozy fantasy as Legends & Lattes; this prequel of Legends & Lattes could be read as a standalone book. It's ambient AS I expected that it would be a cozy fantasy as Legends & Lattes; this prequel of Legends & Lattes could be read as a standalone book. It's ambient coziness which surounding readers with fragment breads and cakes, aromatic beers and cuisines, and most important, the smell of old volumes from bunch of books! This is how Travis Baldree present us a story without a magnitudes of dramatic events or dramas, while reading it, to be immersed in a atmospheric refurbishing book shop.
The plot is not the focus in the story, characterization and characters are more prominent than plot's developments. So Some readers may consider the plots are predictable. If you concentrate on the Murk , where a remote seashore town is displayed with a slice of life and amusing people living in town, you won't care of simpleness in the story.
I think the end of the story has a good point of telling that: sometimes, people met at the wrong time; after departure, we won't meet on the crossroad again; but doesn't mean that we won't find the right person in the right time. Whatever the experience was not what we expect the result would be, however at least we had the sentimental memories even it just last transient seconds. ...more
James and the Giant Peach is as whimsical as Roald’s other children books. It’s fun, hilarious and preposterous. The plots may not be logical for adu James and the Giant Peach is as whimsical as Roald’s other children books. It’s fun, hilarious and preposterous. The plots may not be logical for adults but it is reasonable enough for children; it is delightful to real such a book with a bit eccentric characters and exhilarating riding a Giant Peach! I think this book may convey some political messages to older audiences, like American dreams, some more subtle information behind the crazy story, to take a peak upon our real world from different angles. Those characters are resemble with humanoid behavior and personality that would make you laugh loud. Furthermore, James had been riding the Giant peach through majestically wonderful landscapes, that is one of the comfort read for readers.
All need to say is, hooray! The Giant peach is coming!! ...more
The Lions of Al-Rassan is a historical fantasy book, which is influenced by Spanish history. When I was reading it,Mostly listened to the audiobook.
The Lions of Al-Rassan is a historical fantasy book, which is influenced by Spanish history. When I was reading it, I was able to see the details of real histories are hidden in the sentences. It reads like a historical fiction but set in an imaginary world. No doubt to say that GGK has done his homework about the histories that he wanted to use in this book. Whatever it is descriptive or ornate in the creative wring of the secondary world, it is still appropriate that to read a world with historical details. Although I think it might not be the time to read such a book that has numerous characters names, inventive words, and sometime I needed to check the info of the real histories. I thought Lions of Al-Rassan would be better than A song For Arbonne, but turned out, it is less enjoyable than A Song for Arbonne; I liked the second half of The book but had difficulty to get through the first thirty percents of the story. Thus it ended out a bit surprisingly good to read A Song for Arbonne.
Unfortunately, from the beginning till finished the book is not quite satisfied as reading Tigna or A Song for Arbonne. The characters and the plots seem a bit jarring to read. Some plots seem to be too descriptive to follow the story. The writing of the book is still good but other than that doesn’t reach my expectation.
I am not sure I will reread it again or not, the length of the book is too long for me to read. At least the Audiobook version still proffered me an immersive reading experience. Personal Rating: 6 out of 10 stars. ...more
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