tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59352881038550642842024-03-18T20:36:21.849-07:00The Fickle Hand of FateFatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-44073639970271542372010-08-14T19:32:00.001-07:002010-08-14T20:11:26.429-07:00I'm back! Plus, Grease Monkey by Tim EldredHi guys! I disappeared for three months, and in all probability you've all forgotten that I exist! Sorry! Basically, my computer died for a while, and then I was in the throes of summer college and I just wasn't up for it. I didn't read any blog posts during the time I was gone either, so I'll be catching up for a long time. But I'm back, and I read some awesome books while I was gone!<br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZqWrHSbyG-RlRv_C6R_T7JWBtDudbFQY0256x0K6NEC59RjiKyHCaeWnjL5BftJKCY14MnBZYkqeTsIWSt0SCyDgqgvwm-vrFr668wCSvv-296CwHZjUhycgGZJYsXIs43VPObRPy7g/s1600/076531326X_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 139px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505460869323690706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZqWrHSbyG-RlRv_C6R_T7JWBtDudbFQY0256x0K6NEC59RjiKyHCaeWnjL5BftJKCY14MnBZYkqeTsIWSt0SCyDgqgvwm-vrFr668wCSvv-296CwHZjUhycgGZJYsXIs43VPObRPy7g/s200/076531326X_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div><em>Grease Monkey</em> was one of those awesome books. It's a black-and-white science fiction graphic novel about a space station in a future where an awful lot of humans have been exterminated by aliens. Benevolent aliens came along and helpfully lifted gorillas up to the level of humans, so that the world wouldn't be too underpopulated to survive. Now, the gorillas and humans who populate the space station are in constant preparation, just in case the bad aliens come back. The book follows Robin Plotnik, a new cadet, as he assists Mac Gimbensky, the gorilla on the cover who happens to be the mechanic for the best squadron of fighter pilots on the station, the all-female Barbarians.</div><div><BR><BR></div><div>That's all just the set-up, though. What you get when you read this is the experience of living on that space station, with those people. It's not a sweeping space-military war epic. It's not a "how disturbing could I possibly make these aliens?" story, or an "in the future we all have weird sex every second of every day" story. It's not a "realistic" story wherein unlikeable people make stupid mistakes and just live with it. It's about real people having normal everyday problems, and TOTALLY COMING OUT ON TOP. It's awesome!</div><div><BR><BR></div><div>Like I said, it's not a sweeping epic. It's written in vignettes, for the most part, and that's where the day-in-the-life feel comes from. It's lots of days in their lives, and their lives are way funnier and more awesome than mine. It's a rich, complete story, it tries to make you think, and it's intense sometimes, but it's not trying to shock you or impress you with how trendy it is. You can read it in tiny little sips, one vignette at a time, and enjoy it, but it's the kind of book you just WANT to read, because when you're reading it, you're <em>happy.</em></div><div><em><BR><BR></em></div><div>Since it's a graphic novel, a word on the art: Fantastic. Very clean and crisp and fun to look at, a <em>pleasure </em>to look at. There's no trouble telling which characters are which or what's going on in the panel, and a big spread will take your breath away. It really will.</div><div><BR><BR></div><div>You can read the ongoing sequel at the <a href="http://www.greasemonkeybook.com/">Grease Monkey site</a>, as well as find all kinds of art, suggestions for further reading, and other cool stuff. I say once again: Awesome.</div><div><BR><BR></div><div>I've got loads of books to post about and plenty of spare time, so I'm hopefully back on a weekly schedule now. I hope y'all will bear with me as I get back into the swing of things.</div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-45687309300552277492010-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:002010-05-19T21:39:24.779-07:00Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyRx0bIkh6q0FYyOHB8P0cFnx5beqnFimJgNwxG42pquTSawkCSkFNIWVxcTMlJZLR2YIMmMOVKzRBUArjw93AIuNkj4mPtLfez8DgN8gdfCZNUpZQlukWxH7f0Jo1LUaHBy1J8Wpot4/s1600/1401359795_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 116px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473105079338830546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyRx0bIkh6q0FYyOHB8P0cFnx5beqnFimJgNwxG42pquTSawkCSkFNIWVxcTMlJZLR2YIMmMOVKzRBUArjw93AIuNkj4mPtLfez8DgN8gdfCZNUpZQlukWxH7f0Jo1LUaHBy1J8Wpot4/s200/1401359795_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />Many and profuse thanks to <a href="http://wisdomofbookmonkey.blogspot.com/">my buddy Bookmonkey</a> for recommending this totally awesome series way back whenever he did. It was months ago. Check out his blog, there's a lot of awesomeness over there.<br /><br /><em>Night Watch</em> is kind of the Russian version of <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dresden_Files">The Dresden Files</a></em>, but better. (Please don't kill me, Dresden fans. He's awesome too.) It follows Anton Gorodetsky's life as a low-level operative of the Night Watch, the organization of good-guy magic-users devoted to foiling the plots of the Day Watch, the bad guys. They have a careful truce set up, so that for every good deed THEY do, the bad guys get to do one EVIL deed, and vice versa.<br /><br />So, they don't do all that much good. What makes them the good guys, again?<br /><br />That's what the book is about. It's totally frikkin awesome. There's some navel-staring toward the end, but for the most part it's action, magic, chase scenes, and murders! It's divided up into three separate parts with some time in between each one, so we get an overview of a slightly bigger picture, three major events happening in sequence. We see some of the consequences of actions further down the road that we (or I, at least) never saw coming. It's like life, like that.<br /><br />In a book with a theme like this, you expect to get a lot of Dark, Broody, Controversial characters (i.e. characters with no redeeming qualities whatsoever), and there is some of that, but I really <em>like</em> these characters and I like how all of them have legitimate reasons for their actions. Not just excuses or "I have to have motivation for my villains" reasons, REAL reasons. Of course, Anton is my favorite, and in no small part because he's one of the few characters who doesn't want to take part in the dance and the compromises, who doesn't just assume things are they way they should be because someone else tells him they are.<br /><br />This is a book about subtlety. And it's about plots, and intrigue, and mysteries. And also about hurling fireballs. And a note on the translation: Absolutely flawless. I never would've guessed that it was originally in Russian, there's no awkwardness at all, and the writing isn't only competent, it's amazing.<br /><br />Really, there wasn't a thing about it that I didn't love. There are three sequels, which I'll be reading as soon as possible: <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Day-Watch-Book-2/dp/1401360203/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274329446&sr=1-5">Day Watch</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Watch-Book/dp/1401360211/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274329446&sr=1-4">Twilight Watch</a></em>, and <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Watch-Book/dp/1401309275/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274329446&sr=1-3">Last Watch</a></em>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Watch-Book/dp/1401359795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274329446&sr=1-1">Buy <em>Night Watch</em></a>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-70197011229514664332010-05-06T20:31:00.000-07:002010-05-06T21:35:47.799-07:00Captivate by Carrie Jones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sXtIrFcMhnGLFEI8u_4ibuf3aoq_Xl97Ar3S357-iN2uAfLVBmjDLBGWvWpHsvCE71Nj_uov_wffauueXfZ0PadDlFJInLyO2-IEHw9b2nqrbEy3srjhHp7Za3N7e7wrUlOiDGsTDH8/s1600/1599903423_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468365792660088226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sXtIrFcMhnGLFEI8u_4ibuf3aoq_Xl97Ar3S357-iN2uAfLVBmjDLBGWvWpHsvCE71Nj_uov_wffauueXfZ0PadDlFJInLyO2-IEHw9b2nqrbEy3srjhHp7Za3N7e7wrUlOiDGsTDH8/s200/1599903423_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Last year, I reviewed <em>Need </em>by Carrie Jones. In <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/03/review-need-by-carrie-jones.html">that review</a> I said that I enjoyed the book and the basics were excellent, but it was a Twilight read-alike, the execution was shaky, and it wasn't entirely satisfying. I said I hoped she'd write a sequel, because she could make it so much better. This is that sequel. Is it as awesome as I'd hoped? Read and find out. (Sorry guys, it's a pretty long review. I didn't do it on purpose.)</div><div><BR></div><div>First, <em>Captivate</em> a lot more coherent and solid than the first book, for the most part. It starts to look at the ramifications of the first book and the consequences for the characters' actions, (mostly Zara's,) so you should definitely read the first book first for it to make sense. There's more fantasy, with the odd inclusion of Norse mythology this time around. I love Norse mythology, and it could be a really interesting choice, but I think she's getting in over her characters' heads with Ragnarok. </div><div><BR></div><div><div>A note on the pixies. That example for it not being Twilight is out the window, because these are vampires. 1) They drink blood. 2) A pixie's kiss can turn you into a pixie. 3) They can't enter a home uninvited. 4) They're arranged like vampires tend to be, in coven sorts of things under a king or lord. (Or Sheriff, or what-have-you.) 5) They glitter. Aside from the glitter, they're more like vampires than the Twilight vamps are. <em>Need</em> I go on? (Pun!)</div><div><BR></div></div><div>Speaking of pixies and Ragnarok: There are plenty of people (like, say, ME) who would be overjoyed to discover a supernatural world, even if it was realistic. (i.e. There are villains, people still die, etc.) There are also characters (less common than I'd like) who are capable of dealing with that kind of supernatural world when they find it. I can only wish that Zara was one of those characters. It's not that she's a waste of space or something, she's a fully-rounded character and I like that, but she's just not mature enough to be dealing with this kind of thing with so little guidance. She goes on and on about "most people don't know about this dark underbelly," but she really doesn't know a thing. She thinks she can take on vicious pixies by herself with a sword, but, as she promptly finds out, she has no idea how to fight (with a sword or without.) And she doesn't have the life experience she needs to make balanced decisions.</div><div><BR></div><div>(minor spoilers await)</div><div>Case in point. Around the halfway mark of the book, something happens to her boyfriend. Instead of, say, being upset that her boyfriend of some <em>three months</em> is gone now, she compromises one of her most integral principles in her despair, then resolves to become the one thing neither she nor her boyfriend wanted her to be, in the name of saving him from something he'd probably WANT in the first place, even though she has no plan for saving him and other people are volunteering who are far more capable of succeeding. She totally derails her life in the name of saving him by herself. Guys, <em>he's not that motivating. </em>He's kind of oafish and bloodthirsty, and while he does genuinely care about Zara, she's obviously not the most important thing in his life, and he never listens to a word she says. Maybe if they'd been together longer and forged more of a relationship, sure, but this kind of reaction after three months of a relationship built on making out is simply not healthy. This is what therapists are for, Zara.</div><div><BR></div><div>I do approve of the direction in which Zara has derailed her life, but I'd rather she went off and did that rather than making it all about some guy with little or no personality. And the derailing is the ENTIRE second half of the book! It doesn't end in a cliffhanger so much as she ran out of space and stopped between chapters. I might even have believed it more if it was in the heat of the moment, but it wasn't. It was almost 150 pages of Zara being too dumb to live. Does this remind y'all of something? Say, the second book in a certain famous series? (I do give props to Jones for not being afraid of drastic changes, though. I think if you're going to bring up an idea you should go all the way with it, and she does.)</div><div><BR></div><div>So yes, it is better than the first book, but not by as wide a margin as I would have hoped. It IS better than Twilight though, the plot is way more interesting and the characters have much more depth. Despite all that ranting I just did, for the most part I enjoyed it, and there are some very interesting new developments and characters. I'll still pick up the third book, and hope Zara matures a bit during it. </div><div><div><BR></div><div>The series I <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2010/04/soul-screamers-series-by-rachel-vincent.html">reviewed two weeks ago</a>, Soul Screamers, is actually really similar, but Soul Screamers succeeds in all the places where Need flags.</div></div><div><BR></div><div>I am aware that authors google themselves. To Ms. Jones, should she happen by: </div><div>Hello! I just totally dissed your book, and I feel really bad about it. Please don't think I hate your guts. I'm just the sort of person who obsesses about flaws, you know? The point is that I have read your book, and I cared enough about the characters to be this frustrated. I enjoyed the book, I think you have some great ideas, and your characters are awesome. I hope this review brings you business, and I can't wait to read your next book. -Fate</div><div><BR></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captivate-Carrie-Jones/dp/1599903423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273206748&sr=8-1">Buy Captivate</a></div><div></div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-52977341676178795432010-04-28T21:59:00.000-07:002010-04-28T22:56:23.969-07:00Shades of Green by Rhonda Parrish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVMSyw2mTrri6_svBpIG-QTv3Lzv0PMdPsA-v4dCh-4O49yvBJ5RborHdM6vZoFDfuynDpAb5IG7N0Xrc3CmtpEzqcrG393EF8-FI7zitLy6DqTGv10uXgMz-qLSUlanS2wjaRtRzq8E/s1600/Shades004aList.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465421953621644290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVMSyw2mTrri6_svBpIG-QTv3Lzv0PMdPsA-v4dCh-4O49yvBJ5RborHdM6vZoFDfuynDpAb5IG7N0Xrc3CmtpEzqcrG393EF8-FI7zitLy6DqTGv10uXgMz-qLSUlanS2wjaRtRzq8E/s200/Shades004aList.jpg" /></a><br />So, I'm a little shy today, because I got this book for review from the author, so it's a fair bet she's going to be reading the review shortly. Of course I'll be my usual honest, nitpicky self, not to worry. I was afraid I was going to have to be scathingly rude and snipey, but I'm shy because I <em>liked </em>it, so I'm a bit giggly, and I'm shy because I'm still going to be nitpicky right in her face. Am I allowed to criticize when she's published and I'm not? I'm going with a resounding "yes." This entire blog is me criticizing published authors, so I think my opinion on that should be obvious. But that's probably an essay of it's own.<br /><br />Anyway, the book. It's a novelette, which means it could be considered a very short novel, but it has the structure and scope of a short story. It's about the a girl who is the last swamp elf in the world and lives with the big lizard people (the Reptar) who hate her guts. She meets a human, falls in love with him, and has to choose between him and causing the destruction of the entire Reptar race.<br /><br />First, the sniping. There are a lot of what I consider simple mistakes in the first ten or fifteen pages: "as you know, Bob," fantasy names that sound made up, etc. There just seem to be too many words on the pages, when those sentences could be much more streamlined and get to the point a lot faster. I don't want to have to sit and decipher oddly phrased sentences when we could be getting on with the plot. I also think the Reptar are too human--just humans wearing crocodile suits, really. I would expect a reptilian culture to be noticeably different from a primate culture, just for starters. They wouldn't build things the same way. But that was less important as the story went on.<br /><br />After about twenty pages, I was far too interested to continue making notes. Rhonda's strength definitely looks to be in the area of plotting, (Twists! Reversals! A totally unexpected ending, but still a square peg in a square hole!) and worldbuilding to a slightly lesser extent. A lot of it is pretty standard fantasy fare; some of it is fascinating. The Reptars have a post-technological society centered around a magic stone that seems to be alive in some way. It kind of creeped me out, but it's supposed to be benevolent. I'm terribly curious. It reminds me of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Interstellar-Pig-William-Sleator/dp/0140375953/ref=tmm_pap_title_0">Interstellar Pig</a></em>, and oh, how I love <em>Interstellar Pig</em>...! Also, I thought the romance was done really well. It rang true.<br /><br />You can read the first chapter <a href="http://www.rhondaparrish.com/publications/shades-of-green">at Rhonda Parrish's site</a>, as well as see a bigger picture of the cover. (I'm not crazy about most of it, to be honest, but I love the Reptar in the background and you can't see his teeth in my little picture.) Keep in mind that it gets much better than the first chapter, after the plot picks up. If you like it, you can buy it <a href="http://www.genremall.com/fictionr.htm#shadesofgreen">here</a>, or go <a href="http://www.rhondaparrish.com/buy-my-schtuff">here</a> to browse her other work. (More stories set in this 'verse, surely?)FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-28610176099140277612010-04-21T18:42:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:09:28.474-07:00Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLHh4LpYfNtd8Qg0RHqnL54N47c5Ge_Jug-3QEYsf9pGTq8S-kJmQfqVF6INAnyoCt8UL0lVkpkYUT22Cug5CWUhKFtLKv7wDBd0MkOpF1NsCRc-_MZVowdxM2wlAZJJLZfh-ch4htqA/s1600/0373210035_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462771677264181282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLHh4LpYfNtd8Qg0RHqnL54N47c5Ge_Jug-3QEYsf9pGTq8S-kJmQfqVF6INAnyoCt8UL0lVkpkYUT22Cug5CWUhKFtLKv7wDBd0MkOpF1NsCRc-_MZVowdxM2wlAZJJLZfh-ch4htqA/s200/0373210035_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Kaylee screams when people are about to die. Her "panic attacks" have already landed her in the hospital once, so she doesn't want to tell anybody now, but if she really can predict deaths, what is she supposed to do about it?</div><br /><div>These really remind me of something I might have written when I was a tween. "Girl discovers she has special powers and joins the awesome secret society of other people with special powers, at least one of whom is a hot boy" kind of thing. Not terribly original, but here at least, really good. Fair warning: I'm going to swear in a paragraph or two.</div><br /><div><em>My Soul to Take, </em>the first book of the series, is mostly about introducing you to Kaylee, her friends and family including boyfriend Nash, and the world she lives in. The characters are all good (all of them are more than they let on in the beginning), especially Kaylee. She's got a great mixture of personality traits, so it's hard to sum her up in one or two keywords. She's self-conscious, but doesn't have an inferiority complex, tempestuous but not exhausting, sometimes kind of an idiot but only when she's really upset, and sometimes selfish but always trying to help. The story is half mystery and half romance (published by Harlequin Teen, here) and it just has that indefinable something that draws you in and makes you <em>care.</em><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I was worried that the second book, <em>My Soul to Save, </em>would be mostly teen wangst and <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 127px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462793234926283730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnC__1GVx14eyf5opQ7VC2nkwIm6pniuZG9OvZmgYvEx6CUQZtR6eY23Ip-Y0HWsBB3Z-RMBQRXI6fOYmicSwDhB5hl89G2tBZTY3Hr0Q7m4KOxtpkDlxMt54D-gFzm7oV9iEtQ3q7JU/s200/7f3902038ba065d593533335567434d414f4541.jpg" />relationship issues. That it wouldn't deliver on the fascinating ideas and potential the series was offering But not to worry: <em>Save </em>takes everything that was good about the first book and makes it TOTALLY AWESOME. We know who Kaylee is now, we know what she's capable of, so now we go and <em>do some shit.</em> Trips to the Netherworld! Showdowns with demons! Fame and fortune! And of course, relationship issues, but these weren't boring or wangsty. This was one of the best treatments of teen romance I've seen; passionate, but uncertain.<br /><br /></div><div>Vincent has succeeded in doing the one thing that every urban fantasy writer wants to do: She created a supernatural world and made me really believe it was there, totally alien, but right next to me. Kaylee has matured already, she's brave, she's smart, and she strong. I could totally see her as the heroine of an adult urban fantasy series (like Anita Blake or Harry Dresden) in ten or twenty years. It helps that I'm convinced Nash is evil, and that would be great backstory after the fact. (I have no evidence for this belief, he seems perfectly nice, but there's something he's not saying. Such as "I'm a serial killer" or "I'm a hellbeast in disguise" or something interesting like that.)<br /><br /></div><div>The third book (<em>My Soul to Keep</em>)<em> </em>comes out in June, and if you have a Kindle there's a prequel story called <em>My Soul to Lose </em>that you can order. Somebody please read this series and come theorize (and spaz) with me! Some similar books I'd recommend are <em>Sucks to Be Me </em>by Kimberly Pauley (review <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/05/sucks-to-be-me-by-kimberly-pauley.html">here</a>) and <em>Need </em>by Carrie Jones (review <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/03/review-need-by-carrie-jones.html">here</a>.)<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_15?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=my+soul+to+take&sprefix=my+soul+to+take">Buy the series</a></div></div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-24604255199986968892010-04-14T20:08:00.000-07:002010-04-16T10:51:55.638-07:00Gladiatrix by Russel Whitfield<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0312534884.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0312534884.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div><p>Some other reviews led me to believe I was going to hate this and deride it mercilessly for being utter crap, but I don't and won't. I kind of loved it, and I'll tell you why.<br /><br />It's not because of the historical accuracy. That obviously wasn't a concern here. The story was based on one image, and focused on what might have happened to achieve a moment like that. This is a highly stylized, highly fetishized, highly modern-opinion-ized version of Rome.<br /><br />It wasn't because the heroine was likeable, because she wasn't. There's not anything likeable about her at all, really, except maybe her perseverance. But she's interesting. I'm not asked to like her, only to understand her.<br /><br />It was because this is a really great pulp action novel. Blood, sex, violence, exotic locations, intrigue. The writing flows well and isn't too stylized or self-aware, and it's no chore to read. It's not a timeless work of literature or one of my favorite books, but it'll only take one afternoon to read. Embrace the glorious VIGOR of it, the intensity that's so serious as to be a bit silly. It's liberating. It's the perfect vacation book, whether you're on vacation or not. A bucket of popcorn wouldn't be amiss, either.</p><p>It sort of reminded me of <em>Mara, Daughter of the Nile</em>... <em>Mara</em> is a cut above, though, better history and focused on absolutely delicious intrigue.</p></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312534884?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312534884">Buy Gladiatrix</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312534884" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-53044347192753342182010-03-31T12:37:00.000-07:002010-04-14T21:33:34.283-07:00Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0767930614.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0767930614.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Andy is a zombie, in a world where zombies are well-known but not accepted. He still has all of his faculties intact, but he is dead and decaying, and zombies are second-class citizens if they're citizens at all.</div><div><BR></div><div>This is a really interesting zombie book, thoughtful, quirky, original, and gross, on every page. It's written in that modern men's Nick Hornby fiction style, which I don't always like, but in this case it makes the story very clear and accessible. It's easy to start reading, and hard to put down. (The book design has a lot to do with that too... Great cover and overall design, the physical act of reading was pleasurable.)</div><div><BR></div><div>But, lest you think it's all whining and introspection, let's not forget Andy's new friend Ray and that tasty, er, venison, he's been serving.</div><div><BR></div><div>I'm not sure I'd say I "liked" the characters, plot, etc., but it was definitely worth reading. There are two conflicting ideas coming from the text and I'm not sure which one is the intended (or even unintentional) Aesop. Are zombies just people like us, or are they total monsters that need to be killed for our own protection? </div><div><BR></div><div>I hate the ending a little bit, but it's not out of the blue, and it certainly isn't disappointing. Browne doesn't rely on his premise to carry the book, he definitely puts in the effort and <em>writes </em>the whole way through, which I think is fantastic.</div><div><BR></div><div><em>World War Z</em> (reviewed <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2010/03/world-war-z-by-max-brooks.html">last week</a>) was the book that piqued my interest in zombies, and is without compare for zombies on a global scale, like <em>Breathers</em> is for the personal scale. <em>Breathers </em>also reminded me of <em>The Reformed Vampire Support Group </em>(reviewed <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/08/reformed-vampire-support-group-by.html">last August</a>), although RVSG is firmly YA and <em>Breathers </em>is firmly adult. Browne also has an (unrelated) new book called <em><a href="http://sgbrowne.com/novels/">Fated</a> </em>coming out in November, and I'm super excited.</div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-72884571514959975842010-03-23T21:17:00.000-07:002010-03-23T23:19:46.579-07:00World War Z by Max Brooks<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0307346617.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0307346617.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I heard a lot about this one on the interwebs a while (like, months) ago, and apparently put it on my automatic holds list at the library because, lo and behold, when I wasn't thinking about it at all, there it was. I then proceeded to dawdle over it for more months, piddle around with the first chapters for three or four days, and then down the entire thing in an afternoon. </div><div> <BR></div><div><em>World War Z </em>is composed of interviews with/statements made by various survivors of the zombie apocalypse. The research that must have gone into this is mindblowing, because it really has a worldwide scope. There are interviews with soldiers from all over the world, civilians, doctors, everyone, through the whole course of the war. Max Brooks must know everything about everything by now.</div><div> <BR></div><div>There are a few recurring names, but no "main characters," and the book benefits from that immeasurably. This isn't "small group gets trapped in Sav-A-Lot with zombies outside," or "young soldier gets caught up in a zombie war," or what-have-you. It's ALL of those. It's kind of an immersive experience, terrifying in its realism. Everyone's affected, and there's nowhere to run.</div><div><BR> </div><div>I was impressed with the range of human behavior included in the book. There were brave people, cowards, good leaders, bad leaders, greedy jerks (to put it tactfully), and selfless heroes. That tends to tell me Mr. Brooks was actually writing a story, not a pamphlet for some agenda, which is always a danger in any book that deals with politics.</div><div><BR> </div><div><em>World War Z </em>is thorough, gripping, realistic, intense, and a resounding success. Not to mention the words that are rapidly becoming the highest praise I can give a book: <em>well-written. </em></div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307346617?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307346617">Buy World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307346617" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-45876972682548691662010-03-22T00:30:00.000-07:002010-03-22T00:49:40.234-07:00The Zorgamazoo Audiobook!Yeah, it's not out yet. Hasn't even been made yet. But, guess what I just heard from <a href="http://wayofthewest.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/alan-cumming-to-do-zorgamazoo-audio-book/">Robert Paul Weston's blog</a>? Alan Cumming is going to be the voice! <em><a href="http://www.alancumming.com/">Alan Cumming</a>! </em>THIS IS AWESOME AND I CANNOT WAIT!<br /><br />For the uninitiated, <em>Zorgamazoo</em> is one of my absolute favorite books. I reviewed it <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-zorgamazoo-by-robert-paul-weston.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-robert-paul-weston.html">here's</a> my interview with Mr. Weston, the author.FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-10284015240255110602010-03-14T14:21:00.000-07:002010-03-15T22:28:14.268-07:00Demonkeeper by Royce Buckingham<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbOlqotL91IJqEQwJlEApx1eNGIXgJz0rM0pO-qou0A0mVh7Ndy_fn5yG3C7TVUSapxy2hAQmcesZvqkkNsheUqn7qHaxkTCYUVeDiRZ4vqM4DTT73Rb6FO-yZkKXs-1xZ-kq5eCVT0A/s1600-h/0399246495_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448602828068950354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbOlqotL91IJqEQwJlEApx1eNGIXgJz0rM0pO-qou0A0mVh7Ndy_fn5yG3C7TVUSapxy2hAQmcesZvqkkNsheUqn7qHaxkTCYUVeDiRZ4vqM4DTT73Rb6FO-yZkKXs-1xZ-kq5eCVT0A/s200/0399246495_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>No review last week because I was sick. It was not awesome. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I know awesome, because <em>Demonkeeper</em> is awesome. Just look at the puppy eyes the blue demon on the cover is giving you. Go ahead, I'll wait while you wibble.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Nathaniel Grimlock is a 15-year-old Demonkeeper, who is left on his own in a house full of demons when the older, fully trained Demonkeeper dies. It's now his job to keep the demons contained and cared for. Luckily the demons are friendly (if a little destructive)... Except for one. Guess which one escapes?</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>This quick-paced (but fully developed) horror for tweens. Bruce Coville blurbed it, and that's fitting because Royce Buckingham is on par with him in this book. I don't say that often. I don't know how <em>Demonkeeper </em>can be so terrifying, and yet so unbelievably cute! When I say "terrifying," I mean tween-suitable "AAAAAAH!" and "eeew gross!" and when I say "cute," I mean so adorable your brain might just explode. The book was like a breath of fresh air in the midst of a pile of bigger books that, while also awesome, were emotionally draining and/or a trial of my stamina.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>The other main character, Sandra Nertz, isn't quite as adorable as Nat or his minions, but she is fun. She's a junior assistant librarian!</div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div>Obviously, I loved it. Buckingham's other book is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399250026?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399250026">Goblins!: An UnderEarth Adventure</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399250026" width="1" height="1" />, and I'm looking forward to reading that... Other books I recommend are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061231177?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061231177">Skulduggery Pleasant</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061231177" width="1" height="1" /> by Derek Landy (review <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2008/12/review-skulduggery-pleasant-by-derek.html">here</a>) and anything by <a href="http://www.brucecoville.com/books.asp">Bruce Coville</a>, especially <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671727117?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671727117">Goblins in the Castle</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671727117" width="1" height="1" />.</div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142411663?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142411663">Buy Demonkeeper</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142411663" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-27869322454149360492010-03-01T22:17:00.000-08:002010-03-02T13:54:18.703-08:00The Masterplan by Scott Mills<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1891830392.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1891830392.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a> <em>The Masterplan</em> is an indie sci-fi graphic novel coming to you from <a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/">Top Shelf Productions</a>, which you might have heard of. They've also published several books by Alan Moore, the Owly series by Andy Runton (LOVE), <em>Tales from the Farm</em> by Jeff Lemire, and a bunch of other stuff that I haven't read. Just judging by the ones I <em>have</em> read, Top Shelf only publishes works of stunning genius. I could be wrong.<br /><br />Anyway, <em>The Masterplan. </em>A brilliant scientist drags his ex-wife and his brother along on a mission designed to keep the universe from expanding too far (gazillions of years in the future, when that might be a problem.)<br /><br />This isn't a traditiional graphic novel... It reminds me of a webcomic more than anything else, except not designed to be read one strip at a time. The art is in black and white and minimalist, with the characters mostly just distinguishing characteristics with a hint of background behind them. It makes the reading really smooth, and it feels sort of wistful and pure. It suits the story.<br /><br />This is a pure kind of sci-fi, very much about ideas and science and an intergalactic, universal scope. It's not science-y, it's very easy to understand and I don't know how accurate any of the theories might be, but it is about science. It's also about those three characters I mentioned, but it's not like we have to know every detail about them. We know how they feel. It's about travelling all over time and space, meeting aliens, robots, themselves, and other awesomeness, but its also touching and sad in a way that's hard to describe. Wistful.<br /><br />This is a great book and I highly recommend it. It's hard to describe, but it's an experience I really enjoyed. You'll want to have a few hours to yourself and just sit down and read it all the way through, and then sit there staring at the cover for a while before you move on. (If you ever do.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/scott-mills">Buy <em>The Masterplan</em></a>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-46992997602802607062010-02-20T20:05:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:14:41.546-08:00Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey<div><div><div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/067187750X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 139px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/067187750X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a> <strong>Intro</strong><br /></div><div><br /><div>I'm aware that my posts have been erratic for a while. We're hopefully back on a weekly, weekend post schedule now.<br /></div><br /><div>Way back in September I <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/09/fire-rose-by-mercedes-lackey.html">gushed about</a> <em>The Fire Rose</em> and how much fun it was. I mentioned that it was the first of a series. Well, I finally finished the rest of them, and instead of taking up five more reviews I'm doing them all at once. It's a little on the long side, just to warn you.<br /></div><br /><div><em>The Fire Rose</em> (awesome!) was written in 1994. Then, in 2001, Lackey started the Elemental Masters series, which is the same series, but without <em>The Fire Rose</em> listed as number one. So... I have no idea what's up with that, but at any rate, each book retells a classic fairy tale, but set in the 1800s (I think) in England, and centered around various elemental magicians. Some characters have cameos in multiple books, but each book stands alone and has a different set of protagonists and villains. </div><div> <BR></div><div>Another warning: Two of these books are awesome, including <em>The Fire Rose</em>. Two of them are enjoyable. Two of them are hideously awful and should never have been published, and I can't believe the same author wrote all six.<br /></div><br /><div><strong><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756400619.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756400619.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></strong></div><br /><div><em><strong>The Serpent's Shadow</strong><br /></em></div><br /><div>This is one of the enjoyable ones, a very loose rendition of Snow White. (It's not like Beauty and the Beast, where the recognizable elements ARE the plot. The recognizable elements aren't as significant to the story in Snow White.) It stars a half-Indian lady doctor, Maya, who is also a magician. She was a fantastic, strong woman with anything BUT a stock character profile. She had a unique perspective on things and a pragmatic attitude that I found refreshing. The plot involves a lot of Indian mythology, and that put an interesting light on things without overwhelming the story.</div><br /><div>Lackey spends a lot of time ranting about the anti-feminism of the time period, and even though she has a point, it was really frustrating because it's not like I can do anything about it. It was two hundred years ago. Stop ranting at me and tell a story, for Pete's sake! </div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756401011.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756401011.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div></div><br /><div><strong>The Gates of Sleep</strong></div><br /><div>Sleeping Beauty! Perhaps the one fairy tale in which the heroine does the absolute LEAST! Surely that'll make a great heroine-centered book, right? Well, no, not really.</div><br /><div>The first 120 pages of the book could have been cut and it wouldn't have mattered, because NOTHING happens. The whole thing is a long, boring ramble on the social conditions of the time and how terrible it would have been to be poor back then. Another situation which I am powerless to rectify, and also, not a first act of a story, which, when that annoying interlude is removed from my mind, was still horrible. The first event is a mother's baby being taken away without her even getting a chance to get used to the idea, when that kind of urgency was totally uncalled for, and the next interesting thing that happens (120 pages later) is the same child being taken away from her new parents without being given any inkling of the danger she's headed for.<br /></div><br /><div>And, when the curse finally takes effect on the girl, her guardians go into fits. What did you THINK would happen when the woman you've been hiding from this entire time got her hands on the EXACT THING she wanted? HELLO?! The stated reason why they didn't come to rescue her at the beginning was that "as long as we didn't hear anything, we assumed the witch hadn't figured out how to curse her." So, they just waited to hear something. Um, okay.<br /></div><br /><div>I didn't really hate the characters, but I didn't like them either. They were all so unremarkable that they might as well not exist at all. I enjoyed the book more than I'm letting on, and the villains were fantastic (and the book was freakishly similar to Hotel Transylvania for some reason). Read it if you're a completionist, love Sleeping Beauty, or just like this series and want to look at some of the intricacies of the magic system Lackey's created, but otherwise you won't miss much if you skip it. </div><div><br /> </div><div><strong><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756401615.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756401615.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Phoenix and Ashes</strong></div><br /><div>Awesome! And yet, I have no idea why. I keep a book journal, and my notes are basically "I love it! I'm enjoying it so much!" for half a page. Fantasy and/or romance fans, definitely read this one. </div><div></div><br /><div>It's a fairly faithful retelling of Cinderella, but there's a little bit of a role reversal here. The Prince needs saving almost as much as Cinderella does, and to me, she was the strong one in the relationship. Not that I don't like strong men, because I do, and this Prince is no weenie, but there's just something different about this romance. It's not just a marraige of equals, if you'll pardon the pun, but a place where two separate, damaged people come together and make a whole relationship. The Prince isn't the kind of romantic hero that I swoon over, but at the same time I really love and respect him and I can actually cheer on the princess even more, be more invested, because I'm not jealous of her. :)</div><br /><div>I think the two things this book has in common with The Fire Rose are 1) the special romance at the heart of it, and 2) how it stays true to the fairy tale, but isn't <em>bound </em>by that fairy tale. The rest of the books either kind of wander off to do their own things or wander WAY off and are just in the same territory. These two fantastic ones take the immortal heart of the story and go from there, rather than taking the trappings and trying to force a new story into them. </div><div><br /> </div></div><div><div><strong><em><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756403634.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 139px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756403634.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></em></strong></div><div><strong><em></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em>The Wizard of London</em></strong></div><br /><div>Skip this one, if you have the power. (I, too, have felt the urge to finish terrible books just because I started them, and to start them just because I've read the rest of the series. I feel your pain, completionists, especially where this book is concerned, and I support you in your coming time of trial.) </div><div><BR></div><div>This is one of the most mindnumbingly boring books I've ever read, and I've read <em>The Grapes of Wrath</em>. It's based on "<a href="http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/snowqueen/index.html">The Snow Queen</a>," a very odd and confusing fairy tale to be sure, but that doesn't have anything to do with how boring this book is because the book doesn't seem to have a thing to do with the fairy tale.</div><br /><div>What it does have to do with is two special kids in a boarding school and their animal companions. Two sickeningly average special kids in a boarding school and their sickeningly average animal companions. Seriously, the majority of the book is the two little girls doing... Well, not much of anything. It's SO day-in-the-life that MY life was infinitely more interesting, and it took me about three weeks of two or three chapters a day to get through this beast. </div><br /><div>I did like the new things Lackey incorporated into the magic system, how it's all very systematic but still complicated, but still a lot of elements just seemed stuck in there to take up space. I also liked how sensible the characters (mostly the kids) were, always telling someone else where they were going and when they'd be back, etc., but at the same time, they keep foiling the villains' plans and the plot never goes anywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>SPOILER:</div><div>I kid you not, the villain is defeated by two small children overwhelming him with the power of love. Um, okay. END SPOILER.</div><div><br /></div><div>The one character I liked never stuck around longer than a few pages. (And it's not the woodland spirit you might be thinking of if you've already read it. It's the husband.) The depths that were available were never plumbed. I kept reading hoping it would get better, but it never did. Skip it.</div><div> <BR></div><div> </div></div><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47L5O5hPnR5YQHvZ2hIjZyJyStpMtZM9YGj7msfAzNXqvuhgPSBte7Wxjaq2QHKpNqf-bbp-TipfJOdDB1HE74bR8R9Tm4cxaFja3CZ0lVje8UFCXqnbZ_NO-Q_3VDjnsdVt2QHiApag/s1600-h/0756403626_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440941272733535586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47L5O5hPnR5YQHvZ2hIjZyJyStpMtZM9YGj7msfAzNXqvuhgPSBte7Wxjaq2QHKpNqf-bbp-TipfJOdDB1HE74bR8R9Tm4cxaFja3CZ0lVje8UFCXqnbZ_NO-Q_3VDjnsdVt2QHiApag/s200/0756403626_01__SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a></strong><strong><em><BR>Reserved For the Cat</em></strong></div><div><BR><div><strong></strong></div><div> </div><div>It's based on "Puss in Boots." You guessed it--talking cats! Woohoo!</div><div></div><div> <BR></div><div>I love talking cats!</div><div> <BR></div><div></div><div>Anyway, the basic story is that a Russian ballerina comes to England and pretends to be a famous Russian ballerina, at the behest of the talking cat.</div><div><BR></div><div> </div><div>This book was fun. It wasn't mindblowing and the writing wasn't magnificent, but I did enjoy it. I had a good time trying to figure out who the prince was going to be (it could have been one of three or four people at one point,) and there were machinations! I also love machinations.</div><div></div><div><BR> </div><div>It's pretty standard stuff, so don't let it preempt something awesome on Mt. TBR, but if you love ballerinas, talking cats, and/or machinations...</div><div></div><BR><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Conclusion</strong></div><BR><div><strong></strong></div><div> </div><div>Surely, if Ms. Lackey can write glowing tomes of happiness, she shouldn't also write (or at least publish) horrible piles of drivel. Or even enjoyably average novels. I just don't get it. But I'll keep reading all her stuff, because I'm pathetically addicted to her glowing tomes of happiness...</div></div></div></div></div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-44986711969412059872010-01-29T18:02:00.000-08:002010-03-22T00:54:04.955-07:00Fate's Favorite Superman Books<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/140121102X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/140121102X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>I've devoted a not inconsiderable amount of thought to reviewing graphic novels in recent months. I LOVE graphic novels and I read at least one of those to every "normal" book I read, and of course I have plenty of thoughts about them, but I couldn't figure out how best to do reviews. There's not much point in telling you how much I liked Elongated Man #783 (fake example) if you don't know who Elongated Man is and haven't read the preceding 782 issues.<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 205px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1401218377.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /><br />For the moment, I'm going to try to do graphic novels that stand alone and tell a complete story, and I'll probably continue to do more than one at a time when I do them. So, without further ado: Superman!<br /><br />My three favorite titles, through mild coincidence, have nothing to do with each other but do tell an overall story. <em>All Star Superman</em> by Grant Morrison, <em>Superman: For Tomorrow</em> by Brian Azzarello, and <em>Kingdom Come</em> by Mark Waid.<br /><br /><em><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1401203523.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1401203523.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>All Star Superman</em> is the only Grant Morrison title that I have any kind of enjoyment for, but it is AMAZING. We already know the basic story, about how Superman was sent as a baby from the planet Krypton, raised by a good farming couple in Kansas, etc. The Superman story has been told at least a thousand times, and Superman, on average, kind of bores me. All the stories are the same sometimes. But Morrison gets rid of the transitional material, the "story glue," and just shows us the panels that are important to the story. He shows us the heart of Superman, the reasons why we loved the story the first time we heard it. He shows us a naive, innocent man who is able to wield amazing power, and what's more, wield it well. The art is hard to explain, but I really like it. The whole story is contained in two volumes.<br /><br /><em>Superman: For Tomorrow</em> is another two volume book, set a year after The Vanishing, a moment in which a substantial portion of Earth's <a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1845761871.01._SY190_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 122px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1845761871.01._SY190_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>population simply disappeared. It's a darker and edgier story, sparely written, and deeply moving. You have to fill in a lot of the story yourself, so it'll bear multiple re-readings. I was really surprised by how well the whole book was done... Azzarello shows us what happens when Superman loses his naivete and finds out the world is more complicated than he thought it was. It breaks his heart a little bit, but it doesn't break HIM. He doesn't lose his idealism. The art captures that story beautifully too... It looks like Superman in all his iconic awesomeness, but it incorporates shadows and uncertainty.<br /><br /><a href="http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/31/a2/31a20e417c9e76359772b455451434d414f4541.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/31/a2/31a20e417c9e76359772b455451434d414f4541.jpg" /></a>Now, if you've been following me for a while, you know <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/03/review-kingdom-come-by-mark-waid.html">how much I love</a> <em>Kingdom Come</em>. It's one of my favorite graphic novels EVER, but it's also becoming one of my favorite Superman graphic novels. The Kingdom Superman is full of sorrow, and even bitterness, and he isn't perfect, but that doesn't make him any less Superman. He's still trying to do the right thing, and trying to save people. He still knows how to throw a punch and how to fill out spandex. I think <em>Kingdom Come </em>can be thought of almost as the future of <em>For Tomorrow </em>in a way.<br /><br />I see these three graphic novels as partly a timeline, showing an almost childlike Superman growing up, but also as three <em>kinds </em>of Superman/Superman story. The simple kind, the kind that looks at the darkness, and the kind that goes all the way. Whole, breaking, broken. And the best thing is that all three kinds are about idealism. I love all of them. I love Superman. I love to turn a page and see a big, full-page drawing of Superman flying above all of us who are on the ground, because he's <em>better than us</em>, and he inspires us to be better too. Even when he's not perfect, he's inspiring.<br /><br />There have been a few other ones I liked (<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superman-All-Seasons-Jeph-Loeb/dp/1563895293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264835639&sr=8-1">Superman for All Seasons</a></em> by Jeph Loeb was great, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=superman+man+of+steel">Superman: Man of Steel</a> series that started in the eighties is my favorite longterm series) but these are my absolute favorites so far. For those of you who have never read Superman, I envy you the joy of discovering him for the first time, and I recommend <em>Superman for All Seasons</em> and then <em>All Star Superman</em> as a great place to start.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fsb%255Fss%255Fi%255F0%255F12%26field-keywords%3Dall%2520star%2520superman%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26sprefix%3Dall%2520star%2520sup&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Buy All Star Superman</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" /> (Volume 2 should be out in paperback at some point.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fsb%255Fss%255Fi%255F0%255F16%26field-keywords%3Dsuperman%2520for%2520tomorrow%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26sprefix%3Dsuperman%2520for%2520tom&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Buy Superman: For Tomorrow</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401220347?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401220347">Buy Kingdom Come</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401220347" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-75357289962699246502010-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:002010-01-20T12:33:04.710-08:00Reasons by Tracy Fabre<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1600761259.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 223px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1600761259.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Thanks to <a href="http://www.stimulating-conversation.com/">Stimulating Conversation</a> and <a href="http://www.stonegarden.net/">StoneGarden.net</a> for this one!</div><div><BR></div><div>Delphi Brent was seriously injured in a hit-and-run when she was a teenager in Colorado. Ten years later she plans to return to spend the summer with the Laughlins, old friends of her family, only to have her parents reveal that it was the Laughlin boys who were in the car that hit her. She goes anyway, and finds herself falling in love with one of the brothers.</div><div><BR></div><div>The premise held a strange fascination for me, for no apparent reason, but even being interested in the outcome I found myself skimming a lot of the book. The characters all seemed very similar, and hardly did anything but talk to each other about whatever character happened to be absent. The characters and conversations were very realistic, to the point where their conversations weren't any more interesting than the conversations I could be having in the real world.</div><div><BR></div><div>I think Tracy Fabre does a little bit more telling (as opposed to showing) than she should. We're told about the characters, but they don't really do very much, and we never get much of an insight into their thoughts or emotions. Kind of like a real conversation, only without even visual cues to give us a hint. The story just kind of meanders slowly to the end, with a few little surprises but no big ones.</div><div><BR></div><div>Basically, the book was very realistic, so I was bored, which is more of a reflection on me than the book. I do recommend it though, if this is the kind of book you like.. It's got a very calming, Midwest small town atmosphere, and the romance is gentle and not overblown. This would be a nice book to take out to a small town and read out in a field somewhere... Mm...</div><div><BR></div><div>See <a href="http://www.tracyfabre.com/">Tracy's website</a> for information about her upcoming new release, Sending Rupert Home.</div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600761259?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1600761259">Buy Reasons</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1600761259" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-16973484044806428852010-01-12T16:44:00.000-08:002010-01-12T17:38:40.442-08:00I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly & Jim Ken Niimura<a href="http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/fe/1d/fe1d4f156b3f07c593039775577434d414f4541.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/fe/1d/fe1d4f156b3f07c593039775577434d414f4541.jpg" /></a> I spent forever trying to work up a review for this book but I'm finally facing facts: This book has to be read to be appreciated, and I cannot do it justice, so this is more of a "short blather" than a review.<br /><br />Before I read it I had somehow gotten it into my head that it was about a post-apocalyptic little girl with an ax... In case someone else got that impression, it's completely wrong and has nothing to do with this book. This story is about a present-time girl named Barbara, about 12ish I think, who has an ancient Norse hammer in her bag, with which to kill the giants of the title.<br /><br />This is a sad book. Barbara basically stole my personality from when I was younger, and I think anybody could find a similar element to identify with. It's also a funny book in some places, and an exciting book especially toward the end, and an intense book all the way through. The art is fantastic, nightmarish, disturbing and cute as scenes demand. The design of the book as a whole is fantastic too, I love just holding it.<br /><br />The story is complete in one book (unfortunately.) I suggest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1929998600?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1929998600">Courtney Crumrin</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1929998600" width="1" height="1" />(review <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/06/courtney-crumrin-and-night-things-by.html">here</a>) as something also amazing and of similar content and style, but not the same.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607060922?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1607060922">Buy I Kill Giants</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1607060922" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-18387970135280305362010-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:002010-01-09T00:03:58.447-08:00The Deep by Claire Nouvian<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0226595668.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0226595668.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />I was going to talk about Avatar this week, but I think plenty of people are doing that. Suffice it to say that I didn't love it unconditionally, but I did love it. Among (many) other things, the alien planet really looked alien, and it had a variety of cool animals and creatures populating it.<br /><br />Which brings me around to <em>The Deep. </em>I'm absolutely terrified by creatures that live in the ocean--not in rivers or fishbowls, just in the ocean--but I'm also fascinated by them. They're so beautiful, and different, and complex, and simple, and <em>alien. </em>That's what this book is about.<br /><br />This is an oversize book, one that you'll want to read at a table, and there's hardly any text. The whole book is huge, full-color pictures of deep-sea animals on black, like the cover, and it is truly amazing. The vast majority of them were animals I had never seen before, despite my ocean-dweller fixations, and they're animals I couldn't have made up if I tried. Each one has a small, inconspicuous paragraph with it's significant informtion, and every so often there are short essays to give you an impression of the big picture (ha, pun) but they support the pictures, not the other way around.<br /><br />After I read this I immediately went out to look for more, but there's not much out there for laymen. This is the best of its kind, with current information and pictures you can stare at for hours. I knew there was some strange life on Earth, from pachyderms with prehensile noses to my weird grandmother, but I never knew there were things like this.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226595668?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226595668">Buy The Deep</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0226595668" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-83656535323918108932009-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:002009-12-25T09:43:48.766-08:00Merry Christmas!<a href="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/funny-pictures-kittens-sing-carol.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 411px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 441px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/funny-pictures-kittens-sing-carol.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-8284779039040792542009-12-19T20:44:00.000-08:002010-01-30T13:38:11.100-08:00Enemies and Allies by Kevin J. Anderson<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0061662550.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0061662550.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>I've heard Kevin J. Anderson get a lot of flack on the interwebs... To hear some people tell it, he's the most horrible writer in the entire world and is singlehandedly responsible for ruining a gazillion franchises. Dune? Star Wars? <a href="http://www.librarything.com/">LibraryThing</a> only seems to show that he wrote one Dune novel, but a lot of Star Wars. Well, I won't speak for those, because I haven't read them, but I liked this Superman/Batman story.<br /><br />This is a novel about the first meeting of Superman and Batman in the 1950s. The classic story is that Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne were on the same cruise ship and hijinx ensued; this is different, the two of them conducting parallel investigations into Lex Luthor and his business.<br /><br />The writing isn't mindblowing, but it doesn't get in the way when you're reading and it's not hard to pay attention to, so it's a fast read. There were a few annoying things, like Luthor gets called "the bald industrialist" WAY too many times in narrative, and Lois Lane got sidelined into hero-bait as usual. There some to be a lot of story elements lifted from other things, James Bond stories and Watchmen and a few other things I recognized, but those seem to be homages rather than theft. They aren't major story things, just elements.<br /><br />There isn't any wildly new material here as Superman and Batman go, but prose always touches on ideas that graphic novels don't. The psychology of the three main characters was what really fascinated me. Batman is done well... He seems a little bit out of focus for some reason, but he's the Batman of the Christian Bale movies and that's my favorite attitude for him. Clark has this arrogance and almost simple-mindedness about him that's a very interesting and legitimate interpretation, and his intrinsic sweetness kept me invested in him as a hero. Luthor, though, was perfect. Frightening and fascinating, supremely arrogant but with the intelligence to back it up, a real predator.<br /><br />So, not brilliant, but satisfying to me as a fan. It works as an action story, but underneath that there's an engaging discussion of two of America's most well-known superheroes. The book doesn't take itself too seriously, but it takes a campy subject and writes a legitimate story.<br /><br />So far my absolute favorite novel based on "real" superheroes is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446613924?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446613924">Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446613924" width="1" height="1" />by Devin Grayson and Flint Dille, which I reviewed <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/10/batman-rise-of-sin-tzu-by-devin-grayson.html">here</a>, and my favorite new superhero novel is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423101960?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423101960">Hero</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1423101960" width="1" height="1" />by Perry Moore, reviewed <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/07/hero-by-perry-moore.html">here</a>.<br /><br />In other news, I went to see Avatar on Friday and there's a review forthcoming this week. Woo!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061662550?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061662550">Buy Enemies & Allies</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061662550" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-75086295481593849422009-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:002010-01-09T00:02:47.280-08:00bookdrum.comWhen I read, I like to make it a multisensory experience. If the characters are listening to music, I like to listen to the same thing. If somebody looks at a painting, I look up the painting and take a look myself. On top of that, I look up words and allusions I don't recognize. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not, and there are a lot of benefits to doing it that way... I remember what I've read better and I understand it on a deeper level. Plus, a lot of the stuff I learn is <em>really interesting.</em> Otherwise the author probably wouldn't have put it in the book.<br /><br />So, basically, <a href="http://www.bookdrum.com/">Bookdrum</a> is an awesome project. When it's all up and running I won't have to do all that myself, I can just go there and it's all done for me! Each book in the database will have a summary, review, glossary, notes about the author and setting, and a comprehensive page of all those songs and paintings and allusions, right there on the page for me to look at. Kind of like <a href="http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/">Cliffsnotes</a>, only helpful and interesting. I just think it's awesome personally, but it'll also be a great resource for studying and I can easily see how the interactive approach might help kids appreciate difficult books more.<br /><br />The site isn't running yet, but there's a Tournament going on where you put together a profile of your book of choice and submit it. The best profiles win monetary prizes (and no small beans, either), and they're also going to be looking for staff writers among the applicants. I've already started mine, (I'm doing <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-sandman-vol-1-by-neil-gaiman.html">Sandman</a>!) and it's a lot of fun. You have until the end of February, go check it out!FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-65531896998413731892009-12-13T11:22:00.000-08:002009-12-13T11:57:44.565-08:00Andromeda Stories by Keiko Takemiya<div><div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234845.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234845.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a> <em>Andromeda Stories</em> is a three-volume manga by the author of <em>To Terra</em>, which I reviewed <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/11/to-terra-by-keiko-takemiya.html">here</a>. It's basically <em>To Terra</em> only good, and 300 pages shorter.<br /><br />Where <em>To Terra </em>was a sci-fi story with fantasy workings, this is a fantasy story with sci-fi workings. The setting is the planet? star system? Andromeda, where they have dragon cavalry (awesome!) and a high-fantasy social structure, but advanced technology everywhere you might imagine magic. And where you might have an evil demon army, you have an evil army of mind-controlling machines taking over the planet. The technology parts are really what make the fantasy interesting; they make a very standard fantasy story go in cool new directions.<br /><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234853.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234853.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />The characters are fantastic, especially where manga is concerned. Each one has a believable mixture of good and bad qualities unique to them, and they just seem to have a lot more THOUGHTS than other characters. They have reasons for the things they do and they really believe in those reasons.<br /><br /></div><div>The ending was one of those <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone">Twilight Zone</a> endings... A foreseeable twist, but in a good way. Sad, faintly frightening, kind of cool, and interesting, but kind of off on a tangent where I would've put a more traditional ending.<br /></div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1934287040.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><br /></a>MINOR SPOILER. Beware brother/sister incest. It worked okay for the story and it's only toward the very end, but the part that kind of squicked me out was that they're supposed to be <a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1934287040.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1934287040.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>in their 20s but the girl at least looks about 12. Of course a lot of girls are drawn that way in manga, but still. END SPOILER.</div><br />On the whole it's a quick story with interesting ideas and pretty pictures, which sounds to me like good manga! It kind of reminded me of a cross between John Christopher's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689856725?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689856725">Tripods</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689856725" width="1" height="1" /> series (which is awesome) and Osamu Tezuka's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193223456X?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=193223456X">Buddha</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=193223456X" width="1" height="1" /> (which is good manga and written well at the least.)<br /><div></div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fss%26field-keywords%3Dandromeda%2520stories%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Buy Andromeda Stories</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" /></div></div></div>FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-16832304090642593102009-12-06T23:36:00.000-08:002009-12-07T00:35:34.928-08:00Archangel by Sharon Shinn<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0441004326.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 108px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0441004326.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />This book is crap. But it's <em>really good </em>crap. By the end of this review I'll probably be ranting about it and hating it again, but before I get to that I'll tell you to read it.<br /><br />So, the basic idea is really kind of complicated. It's a fantasy world in which angels (winged beautiful-voiced people) chaperone the spiritual lives of the humans. Gabriel, an angel, is about to become the new Archangel, but he has to find and marry a particular human woman before that happens.<br /><br />The worldbuilding and plot are the best parts of the novel, and they are <em>stunning. </em>It's not like anything else I've seen, and it's mesmerizing. There are unique fantasy elements, the barest hints of sci-fi that really throw a whole new light on everything you learn about the fantasy stuff, there are complicated social and political relationships, not to mention a host (ha, pun) of befuddling characters. The plot, aside from the romance aspect, is an edge-of-your-seat-er.<br /><br />Gabriel is an arresting character, especially since he's not your run-of-the-mill protagonist. He is <em>so arrogant</em>, but it's not annoying. He really is right. I just <em>like</em> him. With him, you know you're safe, because he'll be just, and he'll also be compassionate.<br /><br />And then we have Rachel, his intended. At least I think her name was Rachel, I started calling her "Superbitch" halfway through and never stopped. I have never read about a protagonist so annoying, unpleasant, pigheaded, vindictive, and selfish, much less all of those in one package. At first I didn't mind and kind of liked it, because she had good points and I admired her nerve, but it grate and grated and finally I snapped. I hate her. <em>I hate her!</em><br /><em></em><br />She never sees that half of her problems are caused by her own selfishness. ALL of the other characters revolve around her, and yet she never stops complaining about how terrible her life is. She's never happy, even when she gets exactly the things she wanted, and she lashes out at people just for existing. She tortures all of the other characters just to see them squirm, when all they've ever done is try to help her. She never learns, never repents, only gets worse and worse. Describing her is like describing a VILLAIN, for Pete's sake! If <em>I</em> can't stand her, I can only imagine what all the poor characters were going through sharing a book with her for months on end. And then the romance, which was interesting, was not satisfactorily finished.<br /><br />She was almost enough to make me stop reading the book on more than one occasion, and the sequel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441005195?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0441005195">Jovah's Angel</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0441005195" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, apparently takes place far in the future and she's not in it, or I definitely wouldn't be reading that one. The worldbuilding, though... That's amazing, and wanting to understand this world is what kept me reading, and it was worth it, if only marginally. As long as she's gone, and there's not another one like her, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't love the sequels.<br /><br />Be warned, there's some heady religious subject matter here. I was satisfied in terms of being interested and never outraged, but there's still a lot I'd like to know. It's sort of wavering on the line between pro-religion and atheistic, and it's really hard to tell which view actually comes out on top.<br /><br />Trust your own judgement on this one. If liking the characters is a big part of your reading pleasure, skip this one. If you like worldbuilding more, check it out. If you like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778327116?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0778327116">Poison Study</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0778327116" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/> you'll probably like this.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441004326?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0441004326">Buy Archangel</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0441004326" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-10921006183115228592009-11-29T11:33:00.000-08:002009-11-29T12:52:17.974-08:00Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0064472132.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 198px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0064472132.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />I am aware that I tend to criticize books for having "literary claptrap" endings or being "literary" in having unlikeable characters and only vaguely comprehensible plots, etc. However, I don't intend to come across as disliking "literature." I dislike a lot of it for the reasons stated, but a really brilliant literary work is, well, really brilliant. This is one of those really brilliant books.<br /><br />Shawn McDaniel is 14. He wants a girlfriend. He likes rock'n'roll. He loves his family. He remembers everything he's ever heard since the age of three, and he might be kind of a genius. He has severe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy">cerebral palsy</a> and is completely incapable of communicating his thoughts to anyone, even though he has plenty of thoughts. And he thinks his father is planning to kill him.<br /><br />I read the whole thing in one sitting, without even looking up. Usually I check the time ever chapter, get up to get coffee, put the book down to watch TV or write, even just stare at the wall for a while thinking about something else, but not this time. (Luckily the book is only 115 pages long, if it had been any longer I might've starved to death!)<br /><br />I don't say this often, but this is a perfect book. The reason it's so short is that the plot I just described is <em>the plot</em>, there's no nonsense with subplots or insignificant characters or even insignificant thoughts. The pace is perfectly balanced to convey exactly the right emotions and not distract you with anything else. And yet at the same time the ideas are so <em>rich</em> that I could probably read the book several times in succession and not get bored. Both sides of the issue (euthanasia) are rigorously explored, and then you're left to let it sink in.<br /><br />The part that fascinated me the most was Shawn's personality. He can't DO anything, he's sheerly receptive, and yet he's a fully developed character. It's an example any writer should look at, because it really shows how actions should conform to personality and not the other way around. There's a <em>thing</em>ness, a separateness, about a person that doesn't have anything to do with who they are on the outside, and it's different for every person. There wasn't a single character in the book that didn't seem like a real person, and Shawn is unique, with an arresting, memorable personality despite the fact that he can't affect his surroundings in any way.<br /><br />So to sum up: Wow. Read this. I'm going to buy it for my personal collection and I foresee I will be reading it more than twice. There's a companion novel called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064473775?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064473775">Cruise Control</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064473775" width="1" height="1" />, the same story from a different POV, which I also <em>have to read or I will explode,</em> and then I'll start on Trueman's other books.<br /><em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064472132?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064472132">Buy Stuck in Neutral</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064472132" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-72191769136574749322009-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:002009-11-27T00:56:38.677-08:00The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0805060626.01._SY190_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0805060626.01._SY190_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a><br />This picture is a little small, but I love this cover. It's dynamic, interesting, and it perfectly illustrates the book's idea. It's a little 90s, but I like it. It has that "I want to be a superhero" attitude that I know so well.<br /><br />Anyway, the book is indeed about a superhero, of a sort. The titular Blue Avenger starts out as 16-year-old David Schumacher, the average (but smart) student whose hobby is drawing a superhero called the Blue Avenger. He considers himself to be Blue Avenger, and has the blue-fishing-vest and towel-turban ensemble to prove it. (I can't remember whether he based the character on himself, or if they just grew together over time, but it doesn't really matter.) On his 16th birthday, he changes his name and takes on the persona of Blue Avenger in order to right the wrongs of the world.<br /><br />I really liked it, but it's kind of odd, and not in an objective way. There was just something about it I couldn't put my finger on. It's kind of a YA story written in kids' prose... The characters say intense 16-year-old things, but in an almost simplistic 11-year-old way. Blue is a great character, very recognizable and easy to connect with but a little offbeat and quirky, teetering perfectly between adult and child, and he doesn't see the world the same way anybody else does. His friend Omaha is a little more of a stereotype, the mostly-mean tomboy with the vulnerable side that everybody likes for some reason even though she's mostly mean. (Okay, in this case I don't remember everybody liking her, mostly just Blue, and he has his own personal mental processes.)<br /><br />The main theme of the book is the major philosophical debate of free will vs. fate, much more heady stuff than I expected, which is great. In fact, I don't think it went far enough. It only really presents the predestination argument, which is a valid argument, but it's incomplete without the equally valid choice argument. No real resolution is offered either, I personally prefer a conclusion even if I don't agree with it, but for a book for kids that's not necessarily appropriate so I understand leaving it out. Also note the painfully apparent and oversimplified gun control message, which was surprising considering the complexity of the other theme.<br /><br />This is one of those wacky books I always loved as a kid, full of bizarre facts and random events. It's a quick, fun book, and I'm really glad I read it. I recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440420911?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440420911">Suck It Up</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440420911" width="1" height="1" />(<a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/08/suck-it-up-by-brian-meehl.html">review</a>), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060736917?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060736917">Grooves</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060736917" width="1" height="1"/>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VYI4US?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VYI4US">Winchell Mink</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000VYI4US" width="1" height="1"/>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064472256?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064472256">Buy The Adventures of Blue Avenger (Even though it has a horrible blob thing on the cover now. What is that?)</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064472256" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-63328721104249834162009-11-10T20:09:00.000-08:002009-11-15T22:54:29.775-08:00To Terra by Keiko Takemiya<em><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234713.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234713.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>To Terra</em> is a three-volume sci-fi manga that apparently was written several decades ago (70s?) and was just released in English. (To accompany an anime, I think.) The idea is that in a fully computer-dependent society, and by that I mean on ONE particular computer, a group of psi-powered mutants (the Mu) have been exiled from society and for some reason think that going back to Terra will solve all their problems. It kind of reminded be of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_galactica">Battlestar Galactica</a>. (The old one... can't stand the new one.)<br /><br />I liked this, but it's totally incomprehensible. I wrote in my book journal that it was "like a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=monty+python&search_type=&aq=f">Monty Python sketch</a> done at half speed by lobotomy patients," and while that might be a little excessive, that was pretty much the impression I got. All the characters are exactly the same <a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234705.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234705.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>except for the goals we're told they have, and those same informed goals are the only reason for the plot. The art, which is absolutely gorgeous on big sweeping starscapes and spaceships, is indecipherable in small panels.<br /><br />It takes forever for anything significant to happen, and when it does there seems to be no reason for it. Since none of the characters have any reasons for their beliefs, their actions just come across as juvenile and ill-informed. Every so often there's a time-out to try and explain some of the science involved, but that just makes it worse. I understand what the story is doing emotionally, but I have no idea what's ACTUALLY going on or with what characters.<br /><br />But, despite all that, I did like it. The atmosphere is absolutely mesmerizing, and if you just sort of relax and zone out while you read it becomes dreamscape-y rather than just confusing. It's an interesting look at some older sci-fi, where some common ideas are used as new and thrown together in unorthodox ways. It's sci-fi, but Takemiya tends to use fantasy in the workings of it. I certainly didn't get bored with it, as hard as I was working to follow the story.<br /><br /><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234675.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1932234675.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a>There's this sudden flurry of action and energy and awesomeness at the end that makes the whole saga worth the trouble... And then an epilogue that plunged me back into misty confusion. So, if you don't really get what happened, neither do I. I also don't understand why a central male character was persistently drawn as a girl, but that's beside the point.<br /><br />This is another one of those books that I'm not sure whether to recommend or not. If it sounds interesting then go ahead, knock yourself out, it's only three volumes. I don't have any recommendations at this point, but I'll be reviewing some similar things in the future.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932234675?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932234675">Buy To Terra... (v. 1)</a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1932234675" width="1" height="1" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5935288103855064284.post-83707011760573904002009-10-30T21:17:00.000-07:002009-12-01T19:18:05.007-08:00Superpowers by David J. Schwartz<a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0307394409.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0307394409.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" /></a> Five college kids get superpowers for no reason and decide they should be superheroes. The basic gimmick is that it's real people having a realistic experience with superpowers.<br /><br />I wanted SO hard to love this, but I didn't. Why does "realistic" have to mean boring and annoying? The second page gives us this fantastic quote: "This isn't some snooty book where people nobody likes do things nobody cares about for reasons nobody can figure out. That's what they call literature." It'd be an even better quote if it didn't exactly describe this book!<br /><br />I didn't like any of the characters. The ones I liked in the beginning got more and more boring, and the ones I disliked in the beginning got worse and worse. At first I kind of wanted things to turn out well for them, but by about halfway through I just never wanted to see them again. Plus, there are a lot of characters and they're all the same. They're written in the exact same style and their backgrounds are the same, so it's really hard to keep each of their arcs coherent.<br /><br />There are a lot of POVs and that puts way too much distance between the reader and the action, or lack thereof. MINOR SPOILERS: There's no supervillain. There's no villain at all. At this point every superhero novel is experimental and this is a good choice for what Schwartz was trying to do, but what he does instead doesn't work. The novel starts on May 19, 2001, and you can guess where it's headed... The lasy 75 pages consist of "9/11 was sad," over and over and over. That's true, but when that's all you do for 75 pages it gets old fast, and it doesn't actually constitute a climax. 9/11 WAS sad, and if you're going to use it in a book it should make me feel something besides boredom. END MINOR SPOILERS.<br /><br />Like so many literary novels, there were a million interesting places this story could have gone, but it didn't go to any of them. It got bogged down in "nobody's perfect," and even more than that, "everyone is terrible." Thanks a lot, literature.<br /><br />Superheroes are about setting an example, an ideal to reach for. They're about inspiring people to try harder and be better. They aren't supposed to be realistic.<br /><br />Skip this book and read <a href="http://fatalisfortuna.blogspot.com/2009/07/hero-by-perry-moore.html">Hero</a> instead.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307394409?ie=UTF8&tag=thfihaoffa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307394409">Buy Superpowers</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thfihaoffa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307394409" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />FatalisFortunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08916683650523777208noreply@blogger.com3