Review: The Dragon Reborn

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Contains spoilers on the previous books!

The Dragon Reborn takes a slightly different approach by stepping back from Rand, only really showing his perspective at the end. Most of what we discover about him is through the eyes of other characters. This provides a distance between the naive and confused farm-boy Rand who has so far been swept along by events, and the harder one who has learned something of using the Power and manipulating people that we begin to know in the next book.

The parts of this book that I enjoyed the most are the stories of Mat and Perrin. Each of them becomes more defined, and their overall importance begins to emerge as their lives are tossed about by being ta'veren. Mat is that roguish sort that loves to gamble, gets into trouble, and ultimately has a good heart and ends up doing the right thing in spite of himself. Love Mat.

Perrin is solid, down-to-earth, dependable, and yet has that dangerous unpredictability to him as well, when he lets the wolf out. Love Perrin.

A third major focus of the book is at the White Tower with Egwene and Nynaeve. I enjoy the intricate dangers of the White Tower, with political intrigue and the Black Ajah making everyone jump at shadows. I also enjoy any scenes involving ter'angreal and the rediscovery of old magic. Some people find this part of the story slow because there's not much action, but I really do like fantasy that builds in a lot of intrigue as well as action. I even like both Elayne and Egwene - but what I don't enjoy is Nynaeve.

Nynaeve single-handedly brings my rating of this book down to a 4. She gets a little better later in the series (as far as I remember), but in this book particularly she is so bullheaded, arrogant, and self-satisfied (with no reason to be), I can hardly stand her. She is always angry, or trying to be so she can channel. She is always tugging on her braid and bristling with indignation. For someone who is supposed to be a Wisdom, she has none yet that I can tell, but she has a big enough head about being Wisdom back in a tiny village to think she's better than a whole tower of Aes Sedai. She doesn't believe she has anything real she can learn from anyone else, except for actual use of the power, and her only motivation at this point is revenge. Because everything is Moiraine's fault. Everything. She needs a good dose of humility, and I don't blame Egwene for wanting to stand up to her. Frankly, I don't understand what Lan sees in her.

So, this is a solid installment in the series - the story is still building, the web is growing more intricate, Mat and Perrin are getting more interesting, but this one only gets 4 stars because I spent a third of the book wanting to smack Nynaeve!



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Review: A Clockwork Fairytale

A Clockwork Fairytale by Helen Scott Taylor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is an interesting fairytale about a girl brought up as a boy thief, with spies and monks, and a plot to take over the throne. There's a mix of steampunkish gadgets and a sort of magic involving the spark inside of things that can be brought out and manipulated.

There is plenty here to entertain, and the romance is sweet, although it jumps up rather than building slowly. I do feel that it could have used some more polishing in some places, and I have a couple unanswered questions (maybe there will be a sequel?), but all-in-all it was a quick, fascinating read. I wouldn't mind reading a follow-up story.



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Review: The Great Hunt

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It's so hard to write a good review of this book. There's so much going on, and this is already much more complex than the first in the series. It is no longer a 'flight' narrative, and so there is not as much to compare to the Lord of the Rings anymore. It really takes off in its own direction from this point onward.

The main focus in the first book was the danger of being chased by myrddraal, trollocs, and darkfriends. Now the wider world is opening up, and there are new dangers and challenges. Enemies are introduced - the Forsaken, the Seanchan - and old dangers persist with the White Cloaks, Padan Fain, and of course more myrddraal and trollocs. We meet new Aes Sedai - the Amyrlin herself, Verin, Liandrin - and Egwene and Nynaeve begin their training in the White Tower. There is plenty of world-building, with more glimpses of what has been lost from the Age of Legends, travel in new lands and cities, and political intrigue building both in the White Tower and in Cairhien. On top of it all, ta'veren takes effect and all hell breaks loose!

It's really impossible to do this justice in a review, but I felt I had to try. I can't put into words how I love these books, and what an adventure they are. This is one of my favorites of the series, and it was just as exciting this time as the previous times I've read it. I was trying to skim so that I can get to the books I've not read yet, but it kept sucking me back in. I finally surrendered and just settled in for the long haul.


2/3/2013:

This is still one of the best books I've read. Still gripping, fantastic. Great stuff.



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Review: And Only to Deceive

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



And Only To Deceive is the first of a cozy historical mystery series set in the Victorian era. Our amateur sleuth is Lady Emily, a widow who is guilt-ridden because she didn't love her husband - or even really know him. As she sets out attempting to find a way to mourn him properly, she realizes both the freedoms and dangers of widowhood, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Along with a budding interest in Greek antiquities and art, she also discovers that her husband's death was not as simple as it appeared. Not knowing who to trust but dizzy with freedom, she stumbles headlong into danger.

This is the kind of mystery I can really get into. It's not just all about the mystery and putting together the clues. But it's not just a historical romance, either. It's about the time period, the social scene, the friendships, the romance, and the mystery all at once. There's the focus on antiquities and museums and art, and on Emily discovering that she enjoys scholarship on her own, as well as other scandalous male activities like drinking port. There's the setting, which is in Paris more than London, and a nice change from the usual. There are Emily's adventures while exploring her new-found freedom in society, finding new friends in a less restrictive atmosphere, insisting on doing things that are traditionally reserved only for men, and getting into trouble because of it.

I can't love it as much as The Lady Julia Grey series simply because there's no impetuous Brisbane with a touch of the paranormal to spice up the story. This one seems very ordinary and within the bounds of upper society to me - at least in comparison. Still, I recommend this to those who like their mysteries diluted with drama and a dab of romance.




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