Review: A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have to admit to skimming much of the book to get to the actual meat of the story - the parts that get close enough to the characters for me to care what's happening. They are there, they're just buried under a gluttony of description and scene setting, even more than usual for Dickens. I just wanted him to get to the point and stop reveling in words for the sake of them.

I find myself unable to be in raptures over this, the bloodthirstiest Dickens I've ever read (if you can skim well enough to realize when something exciting is actually happening). Yes, it has social upheaval, danger, revenge, and portrays very vividly the tumultuous time of the French Revolution. Yes, you feel for the characters on both sides, and feel the full horror of what is happening, once you actually get there. But there are maybe about 80 pages that actually matter. The setup gives you such a general, omniscient view that it takes too long to reach the point of knowing the characters enough to care. Or knowing which characters to care about! This is in contrast to other great novels that I love (David Copperfield, Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend) that build understanding and love of the characters while getting close to them, alongside them, instead of from far above. And although Dickens is always descriptive and wordy, in those it does not overwhelm, while in this one it chokes. As a result, the characters read more like vignettes.

I will admit that it is quite moving at the end, once everything comes together. It's also very sensational, with the immediacy of the mobs and daily guillotine executions. Again, once you get there. My guess is that this is what appeals to a lot of people compared to the pace of other Dickens' novels that slowly build sympathy and feeling but don't actually involve much action. 3 stars for the last 50 pages!




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Review: Black Spring

Black Spring by Alison Croggon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Knowing this was a tribute to Wuthering Heights going in, I knew it was going to be dark, depressing, and tragic. And it was. It's not the type of book I usually enjoy, but I love Croggon's writing so I picked it up even knowing it was going to be nothing like her Pellinor series. And it wasn't.

Croggon succeeded at writing a beautifully dark tale of a young couple trapped in a harsh society with no place for either them, doomed by their passionate and rebellious natures. The setting is a historical fantasy version of the Northern Moors, where magicians enforce vendettas for generations, witches are killed on sight, and curses are an immediate danger. Lives are lived and lost with a sense of the completely unchangeable nature of this world, embedded in the land itself. It's haunting and tragic.

One negative - I was confused at first because the story starts out with a bored, rich man from the South deciding to get away from society by visiting the North, but it turns out that the story is not about him at all. His is just a wrapper for the real tale that he hears while he is there. I felt like the 'story within a story' aspect was not really needed, except for setting the mood.

I can't say I loved it or even really liked it, since I usually don't enjoy books that are so depressing and hopeless all the way through. However, I do feel that I can give it 3 stars because I did enjoy the atmospheric writing and can recognize a good Gothic tale when I read one, and because it is refreshing to read outside of my comfort zone sometimes.

**Received free arc for review.

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Review: Heir of Novron

Heir of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Heir of Novron is a satisfying conclusion to the Riyria Revelations. It's an epic ending to a series that started out with a lighter, sword and sorcery tone. I loved the progression into more serious fantasy throughout the series, and loved that it never got too dark or gritty (or long-winded!). I found the dark well-balanced by humor and friendship - this was pure fun, but not frivolous at all.

The first book of the omnibus, Wintertide, takes place in the city of Aquesta during preparations for the Wintertide festival. Momentous events are planned for Wintertide, so although the plot takes place entirely in one city, the race against time intensifies the focus on politics and imprisonment, betrayal, loss and revenge.

The larger book of the omnibus, Percepliquis, is more of a travel-quest style fantasy with the fate of the human world riding on the outcome. Sullivan once again surprised me with the twists and the way his characters got into and out of impossible situations. His stories are like puzzles that suddenly click into place and then I wonder why I didn't see the obvious before. The ending did not disappoint!

I don't want to say anymore about the plot, but I enjoyed every minute of it, and am looking forward to picking up the prequels that are coming out later this year.




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Review: Eona

Eona by Alison Goodman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the Eon Duology, and found Eona to be a satisfying conclusion, taking the story in a completely new direction, adding depth and higher stakes. I've delayed reviewing it for a while because my feelings are kind of mixed about it still, and I can't really explain why it's not a 5-star read for me even though I was totally riveted. I think it has to do with the romance that finds its way into the second book and turns into a love triangle, but is based mainly on physical attraction. That always bothers me a little, so it interfered with my acceptance of the scenario a little bit. It's a minor complaint, but enough to drop my rating down by half a star.

Other than that, I found it an engrossing high fantasy and had a really hard time putting it down. The outcome of the love triangle was not clear from the start, Eona's struggles to grasp a situation she was not prepared for makes finding truth and trust complex, and the ending is climactic, keeping the final direction uncertain right until the end.

It was riveting, but I didn't always like it, if that makes sense. Eona's uncertainty about what to believe made me question everything as well, and I actually ended up wanting it to go a different direction. It's one of those books that doesn't necessarily give you everything you want as a reader, so I have mixed feelings about it. I love it when a book can make me feel conflicted like that! All-in-all, highly recommended for YA fantasy readers who want something a little different (more of a Chinese/Japanese-based culture) and like a bit of romance mixed in.




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Review: Changeless

Changeless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I love the banter between Alexia and Lord Maccon in this series. It kept Changeless entertaining even though the plot didn't really pick up right away - I felt the mystery was a bit blasé with all the 'where we are now' stage-setting. Once the action began to move towards Scotland, the plot itself got way more interesting.

The steampunk elements are more obvious in this book than in the first, with dirigibles, gadgets, machinery that runs on the aether, and the coolest parasol ever. We are introduced to a new character, a female inventor from France who dresses like a man (shocking!).

Like I said, the mystery gets better once the story moves to Scotland, and we also get the added benefit of learning more about Conall's past and his original pack, as well as more about the scientific workings of various paranormal species.

The ending is a bit of a shock, and a cliffhanger. I had to start the third book right away.



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Review: Enchanted Ever After

Enchanted Ever After by Robin D. Owens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Enchanted Ever After is the third in the Mystic Circle series, a Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy centered in Denver. The first book in the series was heavier on the Fantasy with romance on the side (a mix I prefer), but the second book disappointed me with the narrow focus on Paranormal Romance. I was happy to find this book returning to the larger concerns of the Urban Fantasy world that I enjoyed so much in the first book.

I really love the blend of magic and modern worlds in this series. There are the Lightfolk, who are magical beings with power based on the elements (earth, fire, air, water), politics involving the powerful Eight Lightfolk royals, Jenni Weavers as a significant supporting character, and continued danger from the Darkfolk (a situation that was only referenced in the background during book two). This magical world is blended with modern technology and gaming, career concerns, and suburban cul-de-sac living with coffee shops and block parties. It's an interesting meld.

The downside was the romance. Disappointingly, it was insta-love based on a mysterious physical attraction. I usually prefer to see how a couple falls in love or else I just don't believe it or feel it. Luckily for me, the romance was not the main focus in this one.

It seems to me that there's plenty of room left for more stories in this world. Nothing was tied up as far as the larger conflicts are concerned, but I can't tell whether Owens is planning another book or not. I would definitely enjoy more of this magical world, and hope there will be more in the Urban Fantasy focus rather than the PR focus.

**Received free arc for review.

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Review: A Cast of Stones

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A Cast of Stones is a Medieval-style fantasy with a Church, priests and monks as a major power in the kingdom. But other than the similarities to the religious background of Medieval Europe, the history and the magic of casting divine lots is unique enough that I felt like it took place in an unknown fantasy world. Although much was standard high fantasy fare (e.g. unknown peasant protagonist), this was still different enough to feel fresh to me.

The main character is a 'boy' of 18 who has been an alcoholic for several years. I found Errol hard to like at the beginning because he was always drowning himself in ale and didn't care too much about anything. But as the story progressed, he grew and changed, and I really began to enjoy his tale.

About half way through - once Errol came out of his alcohol-daze and began to understand what was going on around him - I had a hard time putting the book down. All-in-all, a quick, enjoyable fantasy, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

**Received free arc for review.

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