Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here the world is all the world may be

A powerful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, Kay delivers a great story about loss and honour. This story is about Shen Tai who, after spending two years in mourning over the death of his father burying the bones and being haunted by their ghosts, is sent an unexpected gift of 250 Sardian horses, otherwise known as ‘heavenly horses’. This instantly puts him in a position of power and Tai must decide what to do with this gift.

Set during a fantasised version of the Tang dynasty in eighth century China, Kay is able to create a majestic atmosphere.

I really enjoyed the role that poetry plays in the world. Poetry is really important and Tai meets, and then travels with a famous poet and they share poems amongst themselves often. I really enjoyed the romantic elements of this book, and that’s something I don’t think I’ve ever said in a book review before.

Format

Book format: Kindle ebook
Length: 567 pages
Reading difficulty: Medium
POV: Mainly follows Tai and his sister Li-Mei but it does jump to other viewpoints
Person: Third
Chronology: Linear

Writing

Kay’s writing is magnificent! He can carry emotions well and as such, the impactful elements of this story really stand out. The poems featured within were really good, for the most part.

This book is infinitely quotable; here are some of my favourite bits:

There was a new hole in the world where sorrow could enter

a red violence was approaching from the east

Vengeance could give birth to horrors not to be spoken aloud

Branching paths. The turning of days and seasons and years. Life offered you love sometimes, sorrow often. If you were very fortunate, true friendship

Bitter wind blows battle smoke
Wild geese and cranes fly.
Later, moon’s disk in the water.
Plum blossoms mirrored in the river,
Until they fall.


It is difficult to feel that your life means anything under this sky

Red song of war arrows, red sun

The demons could triumph, take any man’s soul, carry it off as a prize to their own red kingdom

Characters

The story follows Tai mostly, who is a very honourable character and very interesting. Kay was able to make me feel is struggle and care about what happens to him throughout.

To me, this book should’ve focused more on Li-Mei, Tai’s sister, and Meshag. Their ‘relationship’ was tremendously interesting and I wanted to see more of this. I thought it was very unique.

Notable issues

A few of the side characters do blend into one another at various points. There wasn’t much unique about a lot of the minor characters which led to me having to stop and check that I had the correct person in my mind.

Kay does go a bit overboard with commas, but this is more of a style point. It’s also a bit long in the tooth sometimes but it’s a well thought out story.

Final thought

If you’re looking for dragons and wild fight scenes, look elsewhere. This story, and Kay’s other works are what I like to term ‘Grown up’ historical fantasy. It’s subtle and it blends historical elements with great characters along with an emotional story.

If you are looking for a book that makes you “feel something”, I’d highly recommend this, or Tigana, which is one of my favourite books of all time.

Review - Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Review - Small Favor by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hell’s bells, this series just keeps on getting better and better!!

During a blizzard in Chicago, yellow page advertising wizard Harry Dresden is summoned by the queen of Winter, Mab, who calls in a favour she is owed. The Denarians are back and they are the main foes in this story. The book also features Gruffs (as in the brothers Gruff, referred to by Harry as “were-goats”), the Archive, Marcone and the Knights of the cross.

This book is one of the deeper books in the series. It asks some questions about right and wrong. I was welling up when Harry starts shouting at God in the church.

Format

Book format: Audiobook narrated by James Marsters
Length: 13hrs 46mins
Difficulty: Easy
POV characters: One – Harry Dresden
Person: First
Chronology: Linear

Butcher’s writing makes the book easy to digest and the fact that it’s told through Harry’s point of view makes it really easy to follow.

Characters

Butcher has created a bunch of characters that I’ve grown very fond of. They have all developed through the course of the series and I love the fact that there isn’t a reset at the end of these books. The characters and the world is always different which gives each book a sense of purpose and they all add to the larger storyline.

Dresden’s abilities are really growing and he always learns something new. In book one, his magic is still being worked on but they are almost epic here at book ten. Dresden has to be one of the coolest, and yet most human characters out there.

Writing

The writing does its job, it takes you through the action, explains the magic and the world very clearly and transports you from A to B. Its very humorous, there are tonnes of laugh out loud moments that fans of the series have come to expect.

Likeith thou jelly within thy donut?

Sanity invited shame over for tea and biscuits

You rush a miracle worker, you get lousy miracles

We’re ostriches and the whole world is sand

Final thought

I’d say this series is a great place for anyone who’s looking to start reading. It’s simply the coolest, most fun, kick ass, character driven series there is. Butcher does a great job of explaining and recapping things so you don’t really need to read it in order, but I’d recommend you pick it up from the start.

This is one of my favourite series ever and the audiobooks are just fantastic. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Blog tour - Faithless by Kjell Ola Dahl

Blog tour - Faithless by Kjell Ola Dahl
Faithless blog tour

Fans of Nordic Noir will love this.

This is book seven in the Oslo Detective series. Since the series was written in Dahl’s native Norwegian, the whole series hasn’t been translated into English as yet. Thankfully, this book also works as a standalone so there is no need to read the rest of the series before this one.

The story is centred around Oslo detectives Gunnarstranda and Frolich. To me, the plot was rather unique and put one of the main characters in a very interesting situation to the point where it tested Frolich’s morals. I also thought the relationship between the two, and the rest of the team was humorous and similar things are what I imagine actually takes place in real life.

I’m still not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but the police didn’t appear to be all that effective. If you’re looking for a team of supercops, look elsewhere. I think it’s a good commentary on the expectations of police forces everywhere who have too many cases on at once and lots of other stuff to balance.

Writing

Dahl’s writing is crisp and allows the story to move forward at pace.

In the main, Don Bartlett does a good job of translating the book into English. There are a few strange sentences here or there but it’s hard to tell if these were translation mistakes or style choices that Dahl made. I felt this worked in the book’s favour as it creates a unique reading experience. There is an overuse of popular sayings within however.

Notable issues

For me, there is a huge thing missing from this book and that’s Norway. Writers like Jo Nesbo, Val McDermid, Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin are able to transport you to a different place (albeit McDermid and Rankin usually transport me to places one or two miles away from where I live) and capture the essence of that place through the description of the surroundings or interactions with local people. They are able to make location a character in its own right. Dahl doesn’t achieve much of this here. You get the names of places which are, obviously, in Norwegian but the atmosphere of the setting didn’t come through the pages for me.

Also, there wasn’t much in the way of description in terms of what the characters looked like. A fairly minor point as it’s something I usually prefer, I hate when authors describe the looks of their characters in minute detail but I think we need something to go on.

I’ve no idea why the book is called Faithless either.

Final thought

If you like Nesbo or any Nordic / Crime Noir stories, then this series should float your boat. As I mentioned, the full series isn’t translated yet but that shouldn’t stop you from diving right in.

I thought the ending was fantastic. It has made me want to check out the next book. A very enjoyable and unique read.

Blog tour

This is my first ever blog tour and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what other bloggers on the tour thought of this. Be sure to check out @OrendaBooks and follow @annecater and the #faithless tag to see more throughout the month of April.

Review - Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi

Review - Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was much better than the first book in the series, but it still had some problems.

The story takes place on another world similar to Earth, called Higo and centres around two almighty weapons called mah-zhins (think huge iron-man type thing). One member of the royal family has been able to wake up one of the mah-zhins and has used it for a while to dominate the world. Another is doing his best to wake the other mah-zhin up to even the score, so there’s a bit of an arms race going on.

In my review for the first book, Kojiri, I mentioned that it felt a bit like power rangers, this one felt more like transformers for me with all the flying robot type things. It takes a lot of inspiration from Manga and as such, it’s a bit mad in places.

These books are loosely based on Japanese mythology, which I thought was really cool, although I’d have liked to see an explanation of this in an author’s note.

The books main theme, I thought, was about belonging and family. The story behind the royal family who take centre stage in this book is very intriguing and nicely done.

Notable issues

To me, this book had a one star beginning and a four star ending. There is a good section at the start of this book that I would have simply chopped out and just started on the world of Higo. The beginning doesn’t really add a lot to the story and the necessary elements could have been dropped in throughout the book.

As in the previous book, the author doesn’t spend much time explaining the world, how it works and what its rules are. As a result, it feels like the writer moves the rules around to suit the story at parts.

It has a very bad case of Dean Koontz character syndrome. This is where the world is created, then the plot is thought out and drafted and then the characters are created so that they are convenient to the plot. This creates very unrealistic reactions from characters at points.

Final thought

If clearer exposition was added and more in-depth characters included it could have been something truly epic. It’s got all the ‘cool stuff’ you could ever want, it just needed more to back up the ‘cool stuff’.

Still, it was much better than first book and if you like Japanese myths and / or Manga, then this series might be for you.

Review - Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi

Review - Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What more can you ask for with a book with magic god-like figures, each with a super cool guardian in the shape of a dragon, or thunderbird? How about tell me why I should care? There is very little that is relatable in this book. We only have one 'human' in this book. The rest are all gods or dragons, or whatever.

There is not enough time spent building the world and its rules for the reader to understand. You're just thrown into the action and I still had questions about the rules of the world at the end.

One thing that irked me, was that the Kami (god like person) aren't allowed to kill a guardian because of the 'rules'. This leads to cool scenes were a dragon, or something appears where the Kami's only choice is to run.

Very clearly inspired by Anime, this just felt like an episode of Power Rangers with very little to relate to.

Also, it's jampacked full with YA cliches.
“But you are different. More different than you realize. Different doesn’t have to be bad, Keiko. Sometimes it just means ‘special’ or ‘unique’."
“But why me? I’m nobody."
As much as she wanted Yui’s friendship, she didn’t like the thought of her father sharing so much with another woman, certainly not one so young and beautiful.


There's also a part where one of the Kami stops during a war to have a freekin' bath!!
“Seirin, we can’t afford the delay–” “Nonsense. The stench of war clings to each of you, and Yui’s clothes and skin are stained with dragon blood. A hot bath is exactly what you need to recenter yourselves.” In truth, Seirin chafed at the delay too, but they needed the rest –all of them. Too many had died already; she wouldn’t lose any more to fatigue.

There were also a lot of mistakes, missing words and just downright confusing parts:
A moment earlier he’d glimpsed a small change in a section ninety degrees above his castle’s courtyard, a trace of smooth surface in the otherwise rippling fabric. 90 degrees above?

More water covered the surface, for one thing, and even if the liquid looked duller than he remembered, incredibly, most felt more flammable. Water is not flammable.

These two confusing sentences appear of the same page...

If she couldn’t summon her power, she was as good as dead. No...if her power isn't summoned, she will die. Not 'as good as'.

Final thought

I apologise, this review was a bit more ranty than I prefer, but I couldn't help it. There were good things about this book. The last 100 pages of this book were fairly decent and I liked the whole 'who is the real enemy' thing. It felt like a good commentary on today's world. For me, it just needed more human elements for me to care about what happens in this story.

Review - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Review - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say about this amazing book that hasn’t already been said? I think The Guardian said it best – “To Kill a Mockingbird will never stop being a good book, and it will never stop inspiring good people.”

The story is told from the point of view of Scout (Jean-Louise Finch), a six year old girl, through various events that happen in the town of Maycomb and in particular, the court case of Tom Robinson as her father Atticus Finch acts as Tom’s defence lawyer. Tom, a black man who has been accused of raping a young white woman, has to endure multiple racial attacks. Atticus, widely described as the “most enduring fictional image of racial heroism”, describes the events to Scout so that she sees that all people should be treated equally.

Themes

The book mainly deals with the themes of racial equality and rape but there are themes of morality, class and gender also. To Kill a Mockingbird had been deemed so important that in 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one "every adult should read before they die".

Above pointing the finger at racial and class issues, it’s a gripping story with great characters. What impacted me most when reading this was just how applicable all of the issues still are today, even though the book was published 57 years ago. We have indeed made good progress, but we still have a long way to go in my view.

Characters

Scout is such an awesome character, probably one of my favourites. Having the story told through Scout’s innocent point of view was a perfect choice, it creates a unique atmosphere.

Atticus is nothing short of a hero. Not in today’s comic book / action-hero standard, but as a moral pillar of the family who is setting a great example for his family to follow. He sticks up for what he believes in. This probably sums him up perfectly - "It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived."

Writing

The writing was a joy to read. You really get to know and care for the characters. This story is really subtle in places and it’s not a fast-paced thrill ride. Had Lee’s writing been sub-par it could have become boring very quickly. Instead, Lee draws you in through her fantastic writing, which is both charming and astonishing in places.

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

"So it took an eight-year-old child to bring 'em to their senses.... That proves something - that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children."

"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

”Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

If we followed our feelings all the time, we’d be like cats chasing their tails.

Final thought

I wholeheartedly agree that this is one of the most important books ever written, beautifully created. Don’t be put off by all the themes and the millions of critical, in-depth analysis’s. Underneath all of that, it’s simply a great read. Highly recommended, and the audiobook version with Sissy Spacek is wonderful.

I’ll leave you with yet another quote from The Guardian “Let it not be forgotten that a true piece of literature, like To Kill a Mockingbird, is meaningful in every period and that today, Atticus Finch's message should be heard in the midst of all the global conflicts that we hear of on the news every night.”

Review - Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Review - Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vengeance first, questions later.

A terrific, action packed romp with a vengeance.

This book is all about revenge. It follows Monza as she is betrayed very badly and then plots her course to get revenge on all those present at the time of the betrayal.

Set in the same world as the great First Law trilogy, the back drop is the region of Styria.

Springtime in Styria. And that means war. Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

It deals with revenge, what it means and what it feels like when you actually achieve it through a range of very human and likeable characters.

Characters

What makes Abercrombie stand out in today’s jam packed fantasy scene, is his ability to write fantastic characters. He creates such vivid, human and intriguing people in his books, he is second to none in this regard, in my opinion.

There are some familiar faces from the Blade Itself world and some new characters as well. My two favourites had to be Friendly, a math obsessed ex-con and Cosca, well known turncoat and flamboyant mercenary. The two form a bit of an unlikely bromance as well.

More important than simply creating great characters in his works, Abercrombie also has a nack for building on their individual stories throughout, making sure the characters change and learn things (or not sometimes). Each character has their own arc well though through and executed brilliantly.

Writing

Abercrombie’s writing is crisp and moves the story along nicely. There were times where I felt he went into too much detail but this doesn’t happen all that often. The action scenes really stood out for me in this. They were fantastic, suspenseful in places and had me on the edge on my seat (well, couch for the most part).

The witty banter, particularly from Cosca was hilarious.

Here’s some of my favourite bits. All in all the writing is very witty, human and jam packed full of quotable sayings:

‘One cannot grow without pain. One cannot improve without it. Suffering drives us to achieve great things.’

‘The dead can forgive. The dead can be forgiven. The rest of us have better things to do.’

‘People talk a lot when they’ve nothing to say.’

‘That’s the one. I’m an optimist.’ ‘How’s it working out for you?’ ‘Not great, but I keep hoping.’ ‘That’s optimists. You bastards never learn.’

‘You are a gentleman, sir,’ muttered Cosca. ‘I am a murderer.’ ‘I see no reason why a man cannot be both . . .’

He dipped in his wooden spoon and took a taste, and it was good. He rated it forty-one out of fifty.

death so close she could feel it tickling at her neck.

‘My name is Nicomo Cosca, famed soldier of fortune and I am here for dinner.’

To the starving man, bread is beautiful. To the homeless man, a roof is beautiful. To the drunkard, wine is beautiful. Only those who want for nothing else need find beauty in a lump of rock.

Words may hold more power than swords, as Juvens said, but I have discovered to my cost that there are times when there is no substitute for pointy metal.’

You make yourself too hard, you make yourself brittle too. Crack once, crack all to pieces.

Blades can kill men, but only words can move them.

Final thought

Anyone with an aversion to swearing, vulgarities and lots of gore should look elsewhere. For those who don’t mind a gruesome, gritty tale, you should read this. It was enjoyable being back in the same world as the First Law trilogy, one of the best series in all of fantasy. Best Served Cold wasn’t as good as First Law, but it was still a hugely enjoyable tale.

It also had some of the most awkward, funniest sex scenes I’ve ever read, they were hilarious!

Review - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Review - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic retelling of Norse Myths. It features such characters as Odin, Thor and Loki along with a host of other lesser known gods and characters.

Gaiman does his best to stick to the source material and not stray too far from the myths themselves, writing it in his own language which really brings the stories to life. By doing this, Gaiman has written the perfect place to start if you want to learn more about Norse Mythology in my view.

What really added to my enjoyment was that I had read the Poetic Edda before this, so I had an inclination as to which myths would get the Gaiman treatment.

It’s basically a collection of short stories, with a large Ragnarok story at the end. Amongst my favourites were:
• How Thor receives Mjollnir (Treasures of the Gods)
• When Thor has to dress up as a bride to get Mjollnir back (Freya’s unusual wedding)
• The story of the cauldron the Gods want so they can get drunk a lot (Hymir and Thor’s fishing expedition)
• The mead of Poetry (Mead of poets)

My favourite though, was Thor’s journey to the land of the giants. It’s one of the longer tales in the book where Thor and his companions are put through their paces in a number of physical contests.

Gaiman stays true to how the characters are described within the ancient myths. The characters are different to what people have come to expect from Marvel films. Thor is a bit of a dumb meat head. Odin is treacherous and ultimately clever. Loki is even more conniving than the film/comic book version.

Gaiman starts the book by saying that Norse myths are his favourites, and this shows with the level of care he gives the source material whilst adding his own spin to the tales. Norsemen also play a large part in American Gods.

I listened to this on audiobook and Gaiman’s narration is great. Something really special happens when writers narrate their own works. The passion comes across when they read their own works. I’d recommend any of Gaiman’s audiobooks.

Final thought

Gaiman has definitely drank from Odin’s Gift (from the nice end!) and this is a must-read for anyone interested in Norse / Viking history. I already want to reread this, it was that good and it’s short enough to be read in a couple of days.

Why...listening to audiobooks isn't cheating

Why...listening to audiobooks isn't cheating
Audiobooks have made a huge difference to the publishing industry. You only need to look at the emphasis publishers have put on creating a memorable audio productions recently to see this. Never mind the fact that users downloaded 2 billion hours’ worth of audiobooks from audible in 2016 alone. That would take me 228,310 years to read!

And I use the word ‘read’ on purpose since a lot of readers consider audiobooks to be cheating. About 30% of the books I read are audiobooks and I recall them in the same way that I remember other books that I’ve read on paper, so I’m very much on the audiobook bandwagon. Note – this is not a sponsored article.

According to research included within a Science of Us article, as far as your brain is concerned, audiobooks are not cheating. It argues that from a cognitive psychology perspective, there is no real difference between listening to a book and reading it. It’s all about how the brain makes sense of language.

Researchers have studied the question of comprehension for decades, and “what you find is very high correlations of reading comprehension and listening comprehension.”

Of course, the experience of listening to a book rather than reading it is different, and I appreciate that audiobooks aren’t for everyone. The narrator is key. Listening to Stephen Fry read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is an amazing experience, and no doubt led to me enjoying the audiobook more than if I had read a physical copy.

When listening to an audiobook, your brain will naturally drift off, get distracted or even bored. They are great for listening to a book when doing the housework but I frequently find myself rewinding parts that I’ve missed. Fastcodesign published an interesting article which looks at how readers absorb information, and how likely they are to be distracted according to what format they are using. The graph below shows the results of the research featured within the article.


As you can see the results clearly show that audiobooks are tougher to take in, especially when there’s a lot going on around you so they’re not for everyone. To me, audiobooks allow me to absorb more books than I would be able to otherwise and some of my favourite books of all time are audiobooks. As long as you ensure that you’re paying attention to what’s being said and you’re not rushing through it just to say you’ve finished it, audiobooks are equal to other formats.

If you would like to check out some audiobooks but don’t know where to start, here are some of my recommendations:
1. Always try before you buy – You should be able to preview a book before purchasing. Which means you can avoid getting stuck with a good book, with a terrible narrator.
2. Don’t buy outright – I subscribe to audible for £14 per month which gives me two credits to use. If I run out of books for a month I’ll buy another three credits for £17. So that’s around £6 per book, about the same as you’d pay for a new book these days. The books listed on audible are frequently listed for around £25. Stick to membership credits and you’ll save a lot of money.
3. Trial – If you sign up you can do a trial and try out one audiobook for free.
4. Daily deals – A lot of my audiobook library consists of daily deals that they run where a book can cost as little as £1.99.
5. Try and pick something simple – I always check out a story to see if it’s told from multiple povs, or if it jumps from one time period to the other. If it’s a hugely complicated book, then I won’t attempt to listen to it.

Here are some of my favourites:
Locke and Key by Joe Hill narrated by a huge cast
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, narrated by Stephen Fry
Jim Butcher’s entire Harry Dresden series, narrated by James Marsters
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – Gaiman narrates this himself
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan narrated by Steven Brand
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh narrated by Tam Dean Burn
Heroes Dies by Matthew Stover narrated by Stefan Rudnicki
Redshirts by John Scalzi narrated by Wil Wheaton
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines narrated by a large cast
Daft Wee Stories by Limmy (narrated by Limmy himself)

A final plea to audiobook producers everywhere - Stop making your narrators whisper, it makes it impossible to hear!

Happy listening.

Review - Paranoia by Joseph Finder

Review - Paranoia by Joseph Finder
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic read by the master of suspense.

The story follows a coasting through life, Adam Cassidy who pulls a stunt at his work and expects to get fired for it. Instead, he gets pulled into a world of corporate espionage and is forced to become a puppet.

In all of Finder’s books that I’ve read, he always puts his characters in situations where they very nearly (or actually) get caught. The way he does this creates suspense like no one else I’ve read.

One of my favourite scenes was when Adam spends a lot of time on a PowerPoint presentation, adding all sorts of animations and impressive slides, only to get shouted at and ‘get to the point’. Anyone working in a corporate atmosphere will have chuckled as much as I did.

I also enjoyed the fact that the story ends on a question mark.

Format

I read this on audiobook. The narrator, Scott Brick, is an audiobook veteran. The story is linear and simple enough to be an ideal audiobook.

Themes

To me, this book was about family, how people deal with loss and, of course, corporate greed. It had more feelings than I thought. There was a particular scene that nearly had me in tears:

’You think you’ve got it all figured out, right? Until god sends you a little telegram saying ‘oh, forgot to mention none of that means a thing. And everyone you love on this earth, they’re really just on loan, you see. And you’d better love them while you can.’’

Notable issues

Very minor point but I’ve no idea why this book is called Paranoia. To me it should’ve been called ‘Espionage’ or something like that.

Final thought

Finder is the master of suspense. There is no one that creates an ‘edge of your seat’ reading experience quite like Finder. The other books of his that I’ve read have been the same and I’ll be reading more of his works very soon. A great page-turner, well written.

And that ending! Honestly, I did not see it coming.

Review - A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

Review - A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

God, how dark it is here, and totally silent. Nothing but me lives in this vacuum…

Philip K. Dick’s darkly atmospheric novel about drug culture and how drugs affect society is a well written, impactful story. It’s a very realistic view of how drugs affect the mind and relationships.

The story follows the character of Bob and his friends, who are both using and selling a mind-bending drug called Substance D. We also follow Fred, a cop who works for a form of drug bust squad. The hook is that Bob and Fred are the same person. Substance D alters the mind so much that Bob/Fred’s personality fractures and that’s the main narrative that we follow.

Dick was a drug user himself. Because of this, he is able to paint a hauntingly realistic picture of the life of a drug user and the constant haze they live in.

Written in 1977, it still holds up today and points must go to Dick for one of the best titles for a book, ever.

Great opening

The opening sequence had me hooked. It’s a perfect example of how to draw in an audience. It starts by showing how drugs have pretty much demolished Jerry’s mind, a great introduction to the events to come.

Writing

Dick’s writing creates such a dark atmosphere. For me, it’s the best thing about this book. It sucks you in and you can imagine what it’s like in the situation the characters find themselves in. Dick also writes the tragic elements of the story very well.

Here are some of my favourite examples of what the writing is like in this book:

Happiness, he thought, is knowing you got some pills.

What did any man, doing any kind of work, know about his actual motives?

To see that warm living person burn out from the inside, burn from the heart outward. Until it clicked and clacked like an insect, repeating one sentence again and again. A recording. A closed loop of tape.

I resemble that worm which crawls through dust, lives in the dust, easts dust until a passerby’s foot crushes it.

Notable issues

The writing does ramble on in places. To me, I would have chopped some chunks out of this book to make it even shorter. His use of German irritated me whilst reading it also as Dick doesn’t always translate it into English. I know it doesn’t make a huge impact to the story and in fact it’s there to some something about the psyche of our main character but it irritated me all the same.

Final thought

A great book with a dark, ominous atmosphere which rolls off the page and into your head. The story is fascinating and echoes parts of the real world so closely that it’s scary! Highly recommended.

Review - Ruin by John Gwynne

Review - Ruin by John Gwynne
Ruin by John Gwynne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I just read the best fantasy book I’ve ever read.

This series has it all, great characters, immersive world, action scenes to die for (literally sometimes) and some amazing twists and turns in terms of plot.

You know a series does well when you want to go back and reread the rest of the series. It feels a bit like, dare I say, A Song of Ice and Fire in that regard. There are also many “Nooooooooooo!!!!!” moments just like George R.R. Martin’s masterpiece.

Characters

There are a large amount of characters to follow and sometimes I did get a bit confused. What really helped me was the list of characters at the start of this book, all of which had a mini-recap of where they are in the story. Super helpful and something I wish every epic fantasy series did.

My favourite character has to be Veradis. I love how Gwynne has created a cast of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters but they don’t know which side they find themselves on. We have ‘bad’ guys who think they are the good guys and vice versa. The motivations for both sides come across as relatable as a result.

I loved how the Giants aren’t just scary big monsters out to kill anything they stumble across. There are many clans and characters, all with their own motivations and back story. It makes them more relatable and has to be the best use of giants I’ve seen in fantasy.

Great human and giant characters not enough for you? How about huge wolves, honourable horses and draigs? Also, an angel and demon war for ownership of the seven starstone treasures (one of them is the spear on the front cover)?

Writing

I managed to fly through this book quicker than a book this size would normally take. It took me three days (with one day off in between). Gwynne’s writing is the reason why. It’s sharp, concise and keeps it simple enough. Gwynne doesn’t waste a sentence. As a result, soooo much happens in this book.

Gwynne creates depth of character and imagery. Here are just some of my favourite examples:

His voice sounded like gravel sliding over stone

’They call Corban the Seven Disgraces, or something like that…’

The lake was a forest of masts and black sails, a Vin Thalun fleet settled on it like crows upon a field of corpses.

The wise man lives a long life, the fool dies a thousand deaths

I have grown up, learned many lessons. The main lesson I learned is that I think I have many more lessons yet to come.

The chapters get shorter and shorter closer to the end which creates a real sense of pace.

Final thought

I’ve no idea why this isn’t up there with the best-selling fantasy books of recent times. It clearly missed the hype train although it deserves all the hype in the world, ever. The one thing I’ve seen said about the series which might have detracted a little is that this is ‘old-fashioned fantasy’. It’s not. I can’t say anything else without spoiling it. Simply put, if you’re a fantasy fan, you must read this series. I cannot recommend it highly enough and Wrath will be getting devoured post-haste!

Just don’t ask me about that ending, I’m not ready to talk about it yet…

TRUTH AND COURAGE!

Review - Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines

Review - Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines
Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A comic book-esque slobberknocker!

The story picks up two years on from the events of the previous book, as the US army arrives at the superheroes base, the Mount. The story centres on the mysterious Project Krypton, which I can’t really talk about in any way for fear of spoiling the story.

The previous book, Ex-Heroes was a little too zombie-riffic in my view. This book still features zombies, but does so in a much better and original way.

To me, this is the closest you can get to a great novel about comic book characters.

The audiobook production for this series is phenomenal and one of my favourites.

Final thought

These books are great fun and great if you’re looking for something light after reading something heavy or serious. Will I give any of the next books in the series five stars? I’m doubtful, but I will enjoy them.

You know what did get five stars, though? Cline’s 14 and The Fold, both of which are absolutely fantastic!

I still don’t know if it’s worth living in a world with no more donuts.


Review - Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

Review - Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A terrific read, bursting full with feelings

A Grief is the Thing with Feathers is the moving story of a widowed father and his sons after they lose their mother. It deals mostly with the huge amounts of grief that would follow such a situation but also has room for plenty of comic relief as well.

The family is visited by Crow, who takes on the role of caretaker and stays with them until the family are ready to ‘move on’, although the book does make the point of saying that ‘moving on’ doesn’t really happen in such a scenario.

Very much influenced by Ted Hughes book, Crow, the book is fairly short at 118 pages and falls somewhere between poetry and novelette. Ted Hughes is referenced throughout. As such I wish I had read that first before reading this. It’s one of the more unique books I’ve ever read.

Writing

The writing is unique and takes on different forms throughout. Here are some of my favourite parts:

You don’t know your origin tales, your biological truth (accident), your deaths (mosquito bites, mostly), your lives (denial, cheerfully).

I lie about how you died, I whispered to Mum. I would do the same, she whispered back.

Eugh, said Crow, you sound like a fridge magnet.

The terrible years of my life were stained crow.

The pain that is thrust upon us let no man slow or speed or fix.

A howling sorry which is yes which is thank you which is onwards.

Final thought

This was a great wee book jam packed with feelings and character, definitely worth checking out even if you’re not into poetry.

Review - The House by Simon Lelic

Review - The House by Simon Lelic
The House by Simon Lelic
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

But that was a mistake. Because someone has just been murdered. Right outside their back door

Utterly riveting, cunningly written and bursting full of character.

The book follows Jack and Syd as they buy their first house, which is a strange deal and include all of the previous owners stuff. The story follows Jack and Syd as something terrible happens and a body is found just outside their house.

Above all, this story was about family. It made me realise that I'm extremely lucky with the caring family I have and made me think that not everyone is quite so lucky. It tells of Syd’s story of her abusive parent and the scars that her childhood has left on her as an adult.

Characters

Both Jack and Syd are written with such depth that you can't help but care for them. There are so many parts where I actually laughed out loud, especially during that electric banana incident.

Lelic does a fantastic job of drawing you into the characters and above all, they seem like pretty normal people, with realistic flaws.

Plot device

The format was unique. The book is basically a diary written by Jack and Syd, who take it in turns to recall the events that have played out. These make up the different chapters. This allows the story to be told in a very human voice, it felt like Syd and Jack were sitting on the couch opposite me telling me their story.

It also allowed for Lelic to write in a very different voice for both characters, which added a lot to the story.

Writing

The device used to tell the story makes the writing style very unique. I really enjoyed it. I think Lelic done a marvellous job painting a very real couple, going through extraordinary events, Here are some of my favourite lines from the book.

the paintwork about as attractive as a skin complaint. Great way to create an image of the house.

She stops me gazing at my feet so much; I stop her floating off into the sky. Great way to introduce the characters. Basically everything you need to know about both of them in one sentence.

If this really were a Stephen King novel there’d be cats turning into zombies by chapter three. Great nod to the King himself.

…what I’m not sure he’s ever understood – is how desperate I was to feel something other than what I felt. For a way out. Any way out. When you’re caught inside a dungeon, even the faintest flicker in the dark is like a promise of daylight. And if it turns out not to be, if it turns out instead to be a burning staircase . . . Well, you take your chances anyway. This…just…wow. This is Syd talking about turning to drugs after her childhood.

like just because you know your boyfriend takes a shit every morning, doesn’t mean you want to see him on the toilet. Oh my God. Where did that come from?? I think this illustrates my point about the writing device best.

It’s like that bit in Friends, where Joey is so terrified of The Shining he keeps the book in the freezer? No explanation needed.

She’s like a butterfly caught in some malformed web and though I keep hoping she’ll find the strength to break free, whenever I check on her she appears more ensnared than she did before.

Final thought

Highly recommended and up there with one of the best from the genre I’ve ever read. I'll certainly be looking into more of Lelic’s work.


Read more of my blogs at http://constantreaderpauloneill.blogspot.co.uk


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Review - Distant Echo by Val McDermid

Review - Distant Echo by Val McDermid
The Distant Echo by Val McDermid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first Val McDermid book and it certainly won't be my last!

McDermid delivers a fantastic crime / mystery story set in my homeland of Fife, Scotland and she does a great job for presenting the different areas of Fife exactly how they are like in real life.

The story begins when four lads drunkenly stumble upon our victim, Rosie, after a night out who has been left for dead. The book then tells the tale of the murder investigation as the public pin the murder on the four lads. The story then picks up again years later when the case is reopened as a cold case.

Characters

This book is very much about the effects of false blame and how a close group of friends manage to survive during this. Our main characters are all very lovable and real. McDermid does a great job shows the progression from young lads to fully grown men. You can't help but feel for them all throughout their struggles.

Structure

I love how McDermid weaves the story from the past into the present day. You get the full story instead of mere flashbacks.

Writing

The writing was crisp, sharp and concise. You can't ask for much more. All I want when reading thrillers/crime/mysteries is writing that moves the story along quickly using simple language. McDermid certainly achieves this. I enjoyed the odd Scots attitude or saying. It was very well done.

Final thought

To me, this book was a look at how police procedure can hinder where it should help. It told the story from the police and from the other characters point of view. I think this adds a lot more flavour than just having it be about the cops, it made it feel very real.

Overall, a very strong book and I'll be reading more McDermid very shortly.

Review - Luna Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald

Review - Luna Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald
Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seize your enemy’s fallen weapon and turn it against them.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic read. The first book, Luna New Moon, was great and this is even better.

As I mentioned in my review for New Moon, this series has been dubbed ‘Game of Domes’ and it feels every bit as epic as George R.R. Martin’s masterpiece.

We follow the fallout from the epic events that concluded New Moon. I can’t much about the plot without spoiling the previous book but McDonald puts on a masterclass in writing and character building.

At its core, this book is about honour, ambition and family.

Characters

What McDonald does best is create very real characters. Whether it’s Lucasinho and his cakes, Lucas and his music or Robson and his climbing, McDonald makes you like each character and their flaws. I’d even go as far to say that McDonald is up there with the likes of King and Abercrombie at building full, real characters.

Writing

In my review of New Moon, I had to knock off a star purely because of the amount of mistakes that were made throughout the book. Such mistakes don’t make an appearance here and as a result, the book is nearly flawless.

McDonald puts on a masterclass with his language. What really stuck out for me were his descriptions. All too often I see writers recycling clichés when trying to paint a picture. The writing is also unique and had me on the edge of my seat or laughing out loud. Here are some of my favourites:

A leather purse of a man at the heart of a pulsing tangle of pipes and lines.

The pod lands soft and solid on its wheels.

…he sleeps because waiting is a dull sick ache, like a tinnitus of the soul.

When words are not enough, stuff suffices.

…an embrace as great as the sky.

…the tendrils of blue Curacao dispersing into the gin like guilt.

The tension that McDonald is able to build from start to finish keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pace doesn’t let up through the whole book, it’s quite an accomplishment.

Final thought

Does anyone know if there will be a third book in this series? It feels like there will be with that ending but I can’t find details anywhere! I thoroughly recommend this series. It might be a good place to start for those who are interested in Sci-Fi but are too intimated by the more hardcore Sci-Fi books out there.

We are such self-absorbed creatures. We think ourselves the measure of everything. Time will take away everything we are, everything we have, everything we will ever build.


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Review - Luna New Moon by Ian McDonald

Review - Luna New Moon by Ian McDonald
Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The moon has a cold heart.

For me, this was a frustratingly great read which should have received a full five stars. However, due to the many, many mistakes I had to lower my rating.

Hailed the “Game of Domes”, the story follows one of the five dynasties, or ‘Dragons’, who control the moon. We follow all members of the Corta family, and some others, through their various political, financial and romantic challenges.

McDonald cites the Godfather as a key influence and you can see that throughout. The interfamily struggles and the battles with the other Dragons are all handled superbly and remain intriguing all the way from start to finish.

McDonald won a Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2016 for this book, which was well deserved. In the world he has created, discrimination against sexuality doesn’t exist and people can marry whoever they want. Reading this gave me hope for what could become a reality, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Another great thing about this story is McDonald’s description of the difference between poor and rich. Anyone who has ever been in financial difficulty will be able to relate to this.

Poverty stretches time. And poverty is an avalanche. One tiny slippage knocks on another, knocks loose yet others and everything is sliding, rushing away.

The might and magic of money is not what it allows you to own; it is what it allows you to be. Money is freedom.

Characters

The characters are sculpted really well, probably one of the crowning achievements of the book is how McDonald is able to write so many good characters, storylines, trials and tribulations within 400 pages. A lesser author might have had to write 800 pages but McDonald is able to write concisely, which moves the story along.

Notable issues

The writing is altogether beautiful, jarring and erroneous. Most frustrating of all is the sheer amount of errors. I’m not sure who is at fault but another pass by the editor should have fixed this.

Forgetting to include full stops at the end of sentences, or place commas anywhere in sentences that clearly need them are huge mistakes in my view. And this happens often.

There is a whole interaction in chapter four where speech marks are totally forgotten about.

There are just some obvious spelling mistakes. blood oh-two = O2. Plashing = Splashing.

There is an absolute doosey near the end where something is happening between the Cortas and the MacKenzies. In the Corta dock, Rafa, Lucas, Wagner and Ariel Mackenzie. It isn’t the Mackenzies, it’s the Cortas.

Some of the writer’s style choices annoyed me, namely his need to say things three times. Every time this happened it jarred me out of the story. To me it was a bit much.

…out of boredom and familiarity and monotony. Flat flat flat. Monotony monotony monotony.

Is it a minimalist refuge from the endless voices and colours and noise and rush of people, people, people?

…all wrong, and real real real.

I just saw faces faces faces, all around me…

...question after question, questions, three hours of questions. Details. Memories. Tell me again again again.

I might just be nit-picking, but all of the above, and the multiple other mistakes throughout the book tear you out of the world in your head and stop the flow of the story. Above all, they could’ve been easily fixed.

Final thought

You shouldn’t let my minor rant about the mistakes above stop you from reading the book. It was a great story and I will be reading the next book very shortly (release date 23 March). This should have been a five star book as it got everything right, it was just too many errors that knocked down my rating.



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Review - The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

Review - The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All hail the king of horror. No one makes me squeamish quite like Ketchum.

To my horror, half way through the book I realised that it’s loosely based on the true story of the tragic Sylvia Likens. The story is about two teenage girls who are left in the care of their aunt after a horrible accident. It tells the story of the escalating abuse both of them suffer at the hands of their aunt and her children.

The story is told through the view of David, who finds the abuse compelling as well as horrific and tells the story of his struggle with it as he comes to terms with what is really happening.

Writing

The book is short and the writing is crisp. It does its job, moving the story along nicely.

I thought the use of older David looking back at the events, commenting on them whilst flashing back to the past was very effective. The events clearly play a huge part in his later life and as he reflects as older David, it only adds to the emotional side of the story. So here’s my check, overdue and overdrawn. Cash it in hell…

Ketchum does an excellent job of making you hate Ruth, the evil aunt. I can’t remember a character I’ve hated so much.

Final thoughts

I don’t agree with this being categorised as a ‘crime thriller’. To me, it’s very much a horror.

I can’t really say too much more without giving anything away. Ketchum is a must read for all horror fans. This, and Off Season, are fantastic and horrifying. You know you’re doing well when Stephen King answered the question “Who’s the scariest guy in North America?” by saying “Probably Jack Ketchum.”.

What happened next, was the basement…


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Physical reaction to books

Physical reaction to books

Have you ever been that scared of a book that you’ve dropped your kindle in fright, on the train, in front of lots of people? I’ve been there. I was so wrapped up in the story that I forgot my surroundings and what more can you ask for from a book?

Thankfully for my fellow rail users, I don’t throw my kindle around that often. This did get me thinking about when I have physically reacted to books and I found I had enough for a list. I’m not sure what that says about me as a reader but let me know if you have similar reactions.

Jorg eats out – Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence

The broken empire series is by far one of the best fantasy series to hit shelves in a long time. This is saying a lot considering the quality of fantasy books out there at the moment. There is one scene where Jorg, our main character, rips out a human organ and eats it. The writing was so vivid that I cringed so hard that I dropped my book. I also couldn’t eat my dinner that night (you owe me a steak Mr Lawrence!).

Taking the p**s – A child called IT by Dave Pelzer

This is so much worse as it’s a true story. I don’t want to reveal too much but Dave, as a child, is forced to eat a dirty nappy… just, yuck! I shivered whilst reading it and I’m shivering now. A great book, Pelzer is a brave man for writing this and I commend him for it.

My kindle sure is durable… - Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

This is the one I refer to in my opening. I was on the train, thoroughly engrossed in Mr King’s brilliant vampire novel when something scary happened causing me to jump in my seat, sending my kindle flying and thudding on the floor. Suddenly aware of my surroundings, I looked up and there were at least ten other rail passengers sniggering at me. The best vampire novel I’ve ever read and surprisingly my kindle still works.

Why can’t I see my book? Oh, I appear to be crying – Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon

Men are allowed to cry at books, right? This is the first of two books to make me cry and is in my top three books of all time. It’s a wonderfully written work of art that I recommend to anyone who’ll listen to me. At the end I was blubbering so much I had to go upstairs and hide in case my wife came home and thought something serious had happened to me!

Why am I crying? This book is supposed to be a comedy! – 600 hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster

This it the other book I cried to. This time I bawled to Lancaster’s awesome book which starts off funny and then hits you with all the feels. A great book, highly recommended.

“Something funny Paul?!” – Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

The late Sir Pratchett’s writing is marvellous. This is the first of his books I’ve laughed out loud at, almost continuously. It got that bad that my wife had to ask me just what the hell I was reading and what I found so funny.

I can’t tell you why I’m laughing because I’m too embarrassed – A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh

Better known for his Trainspotting books, which are also hilarious, Welsh’s spin off series for cab driver Terry ‘Juice’ Lawson are even better in my view. I was chuckling to this so much that someone asked me what was funny but there was no way I was going to repeat the words I’d just heard, I’d be far too embarrassed!

Please be quiet… - Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Storm of Swords was so engrossing during the final chapters that I had to ask my wife to be quiet and stop asking me questions because I just couldn’t believe what I was reading! This was the whole red wedding thing. Luckily for me I read it before the tv show was made and I was utterly dumbfounded by how good it was. I should really buy my wife some flowers…

What? Who? What? Wow! – Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

I would class this book as ‘grown up’ fantasy; it’s fantastic, beautiful and well thought out. It’s also a standalone fantasy novel which is a rare bonus. The last couple of sentences just blow your mind as you try to understand their meaning. I can’t say any more but I was literally talking out loud to my book trying to figure it out.

WWHHHHAAAATTT?? - Defending Jacob by William Landay

Similar to Tigana with the unbelievable ending, Defending Jacob had me shouting in my car at the audiobook like I had road rage.

Ewww..wtf Stephen? - IT by Stephen King

I don’t want to ruin anything, but there’s a scene right at the end of IT which almost ruins the whole book. It’s just disgusting and involved Bev (those who’ve read it will know what I mean). I nearly ruined my paperback as I was curling the pages in disgust at this point. Thankfully the rest of the novel is masterful enough that it doesn’t matter.

My poor kindle – Story of the eye by Georges Bataille

I picked this book up blind after it appeared on a ‘cult favourites’ list and boy do I regret it. It’s the vilest, crappiest and downright nastiest thing I’ve ever read. It wasn’t cheap too! This all led to me throwing my kindle across the room in disgust. I’m offended that this book still appears on my cloud, it sickens me that much.

Review - The Falls by Ian Rankin

Review - The Falls by Ian Rankin

The Falls by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A terrific cop thriller full of Scottish heart

The only other Rebus book I’ve read is the first in the series, Knots and Crosses. I gave it a three star rating at the time and said that I wouldn’t be reading further into the series. That was unfair of me because a) the first book in these types of series are most always the worst and b) The Falls was awesome.

Story

The story focuses one a ‘missing pers’ (person) and a cryptic online game, run by the ‘quizmaster’. It is nicely done from beginning to end and the clues the quizmaster presents are clever and require the team to work together to solve them.

Characters

The story focuses on Rebus (obviously) and Siobhan. Rebus is a very realistic character and Rankin shows his humour and emotional side alongside the copper within him. Rankin presents Rebus as a character with flaws which makes him all the more lovable.

The other characters are all very believable and add a lot to the story.

Writing

Jumping from the first book in the series to the twelfth, I was able to see the huge improvements that Rankin has made in his writing and the pacing of the novel. It has much more character.

Similar to Welsh, Rankin paints a very realistic picture of Edinburgh.

Notable issues

James MacPherson, the audiobook narrator isn’t the best. I think they could find someone who delivers with more impact. He is perfect for the dialogue and humorous moments, but you want someone who can carry the action scenes.

Final thought

I’ll be reading more of the series!

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Review - The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

Review - The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A rip-roaring story with a huge dilemma at its center. Scalzi delivers yet again!

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi is part of a new sequence (I can’t find details on how many books it will comprise of but I hope it’s lots!), which is due for release on 23 March. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Background

Set in a universe where planets in the ‘Interdependency’ are all connected via the Flow. Space travel hasn’t evolved to the level used in most sci-fi stories so the Flow is the only method to get between systems, and for the first time in centuries, the Flow is about to change.

As far as dilemmas go, this is one of the biggest in scope that I’ve encountered. It immediately draws you in. Scalzi explains things clearly and sets it up nicely, allowing him to really focus on character instead of all the science-type stuff.

Writing

Scalzi’s writing is a joy to behold. It’s not the prettiest prose but it is clear, concise and has its own character. There are a lot of swear words, so if that offends you, be warned. Above all, Scalzi’s books have a unique feeling to them because of his tone. I’ve picked out a couple of my favourites lines below:

“Prepare for what?” “The collapsing empire,” Jamies said. “And the darkness that follows.” - How great a set up is that?

”…an officious cockwomble.” - Best insult ever!

”Stop whining like a f*cking child.” - Kiva
“You could have just said, ‘I need your help.’ ” - Marce
“All right. I need your help. Stop whining like a f*cking child.” - Kiva
“That’s not better.” - Marce
- Great example of the awesomeness that is Kiva.

…suppressed an itchy feeling. - This is a great adjective which made me really understand what the character was feeling. Itchy might not be what you would call a fancy word, but it certainly does the trick and shows Scalzi’s strength as a writer.

Scalzi’s dialogue, in here and in all his books, is what shines for me. It’s wholly believable and never forced. Most impressive is Scalzi’s ability to deliver a lot of action, background, exposition and character through dialogue. This cuts down on word count and makes it so much easier to fly through.

I loved the way that Scalzi built up the different conflicts. The first, the potential collapse of the empire due to issues with the Flow is a huge issue and is what we focus on right off the bat. What Scalzi builds over the course of the story is the very human conflict between the different families, or guilds.

Characters

Every book should focus on the characters within it. Some writers forget this, particularly in sci-fi books. Scalzi has created a bunch of characters that are easy to understand, unique, funny and frankly, awesome.

Kiva is one of my favourite female characters ever. She’s badass and takes no crap from anyone and was the highlight of the book for me.

The scenes at the start between Cardenia and her father, the emperox are heart-warming and tragic.

The women really stood out to me, not because they are all stereotypical ‘strong independent women’ but because they are very real. The book is told from the viewpoint of a female character around 75% of the time. Very refreshing and not forced at all.

Notable issues

Not much in the way of issues. I would have liked the book to have been a bit longer and for the characters to reflect more. It is rather action packed. I do prefer a bit of a longer book so it’s purely a personal thing.

Final thought

Scalzi is in my top two sci-fi authors list (the other is Iain M. Banks). I will be continuing with the series. For anyone looking to jump into sci-fi but don’t know where to start, here is as good a place as any!

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Reading habits tag

Reading habits tag
Reading habits
I’ve been inspired to do this tag after reading @Bill_Khaemba do it on his blog page.

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
Either on my couch or in my bed, although I’m not that particular and I will read anywhere, anytime I get the chance.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?
Bookmark. I have amassed a wee collection although I have resorted to using rail tickets in times of desperation.

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter / certain number of pages?
I can stop reading mid-sen…

Do you eat or drink whilst reading?
I try not to eat whilst reading as I end up just pigging out. I do like to have a drink with me though, preferably orange juice or irn bru.

Multi-tasking: Music or TV while reading?
No. Complete stone-cold silence for me, thanks.

One book at a time or several at once?
I never read just one book at a time. I find that the more books you read, the more time you will dedicate to reading. The magic number for me these days is four:
  • One book that I want to do a full review for (usually reserved for the books I really, really want to read).
  • One audiobook. I find that thrillers or mysteries lend themselves to audiobooks well.
  • One re-read or funny book. This is where I’ll have something that I can read through that doesn’t require as much attention. So if my serious book feels like too much after a hard day’s work, I’ll either read something I’ve read before, or something light and comical.
  • One book of poems. These usually take me a while to get through but they are great when I have five minutes or want to read something just before bedtime.
Reading at home or elsewhere?
I read everywhere I get the chance. My usual routine is:
  • Get up
  • Shower
  • Stick my audiobook on whilst getting ready for work
  • Listen to my audiobook on the drive to the train station
  • Read an ebook or paperback on the train to Edinburgh
  • Listen to my audiobook on short walk from train station to work
  • Work
  • Listen to my audiobook on short walk from work to train station
  • Read an ebook or paperback on the train to Kirkcaldy
  • Listen to my audiobook on the drive home
  • Do housework (whilst listening to audiobook)
  • Make dinner (whilst listening to audiobook)
  • Spend time with family
  • [If I have time for a cycle I’ll do that whilst listening to an audiobook]
  • Read on the couch or in bed
  • Sleep, repeat

Weekends are dedicated to reading also if I don’t have much on.

Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Silently in my head…I hope.

Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Never. It’s hard not to jump to the last sentence in the book but I’ve managed to train myself to stop doing that. If that fails, I will place my bookmark over the last paragraph to avoid temptation.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
Break it!

Do you write in your books?
Yes, although I do feel bad doing it. Although I do enjoy finding someone else’s notes within books I pick up from the charity shop.

Book Dare - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Book Dare - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James
Book dare – 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Rating = 2 stars

I’m surprised to be giving this two stars instead of the one star rating I thought I’d give. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is awful but it does have a simple enough story to be interesting. There is also good back and forth between the characters which I found funny. The relationship between a dominant and submissive makes it instantly intriguing.

I can’t believe I’m giving this the same rating as I gave the Road by Cormac McCarthy. I also can’t believe 50 Shades of Grey has sold over 125 million copies! From starting out as a Twilight fan fiction series under the pen name ‘Snowqueen’s Icedragon’, E.L. James has certainly done well for herself and this book should serve as a reminder that absolutely anyone can publish a book no matter what their background.

Whilst updating my status on Goodreads my good friend, Mrs Danvers, pointed out that when E.L. James hosted an AMA someone asked the question ‘After the success of “Grey” have you considered re-telling the story from the perspective of someone who can write?’ A good burn and definitely deserved.

Above all, the message that you should give abusive relationships a try and stick with it is disgraceful.

Structure

It’s a simple, linear story which is easy to follow when the writing doesn’t trip you up. When I looked over my wife’s shoulder whilst she read this, I was appalled to see that a good percentage of the book is made up of emails. The critic in me instantly hated this but I thought these were actually the best part of the book. The short quips via email balance out the horrendous dialogue when they are face to face.

Notable issues

Where to start? I’ve never made so many notes whilst reading a book. I can’t possible include everything. The writing is truly awful!

Instead of showing us what the main character is like the author chose to simply tell us. She spells out the fact that Ana prefers her own company, doesn’t do well in crowds and is very clumsy. Real writers do this through showing us, not telling us. Seriously, she mentions that she’s shy and clumsy at least four times in the opening chapter. ‘Here’s me, all gawky and uncoordinated, barely able to get from A to B without falling flat on my face.’

How many times do you have to exclaim ‘Holy sh*t!’, ‘Holy crap!’, etc?It loses all impact quickly as she uses it nearly every second page.

The author forgot to put Ana’s internal thoughts in italics during the first couple of chapters and then remembers to do this for the remainder of the book. She also doesn’t know how to use commas.

Ana is super annoying and dumb. Throughout the whole book she says things like ‘some of his answers were so cryptic’. No they weren’t. For the most part, Christian sat you down, talked very clearly about what he wants, what he needs from you and even has a bloomin’ contract for you to look over so that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. He couldn’t have been less cryptic.

The fact that I had to use a dictionary to look up some words shocked me. Was this an attempt to look smart or just an overuse of a thesaurus? No one uses words like foisted, autocratic, somnambulant or phlegmatically!

You know Troy McClure from the Simpsons who says things like ‘have it your way, baby?’ That’s what I think of every time Grey speaks during any sex scenes – ‘Feel it, baby.’ ‘That’s right, baby.’ Everything has ‘, baby.’ attached to the end of it.

James has the annoying habit of inserting feelings and situations that just aren’t true in an effort to push the story in the direction she needs it to go. Grey mentions his past and suddenly he’s been ‘sexually abused’. He didn’t say that at all. And his ex is all of a sudden marked an evil bitch but has done nothing to warrant it.

Kate / Katherine / Miss Kavanagh / Katherine Kavanagh and the Katherine Kavanagh Inquisition’s (seriously, can’t you just call her one thing instead of switching all the time?) hair seemed to change from blond, to reddish blond to ‘she’s almost blond – well, strawberry blond’. Why the hell does Kate’s hair colour matter so much and why does it keep changing?

“Tell me about your parents,” I ask - Not a question. And why is there a comma here?

‘Stop! Stop now! my subconscious is metaphorically screaming at me.’ – Not a metaphor. Also ‘my’ should have a capital M.

‘And it’s suddenly blindingly obvious. He’s too gloriously good-looking.’ – Adverb much?

‘The drinking – oh no, the drinking – the phone call – oh no, the phone call – the vomiting – oh no, the vomiting.’ – Worst. Sentence. Ever!

‘probably located at the base of my medulla oblongata near where my subconscious dwells.’ ¬– Really? She mentions the medulla oblongata a few times in an effort to sound smart.

‘It’s not a room – it’s a mission statement.’ – What?

‘First, I don’t make love. I fu*k…hard. Second, there’s a lot more paperwork to do.’ ¬– I was in stitches reading this, it’s so bad.

‘I think I’m in shock. My subconscious has emigrated or been struck dumb or simply keeled over and expired. I am numb. I can observe and absorb but not articulate my feelings about all this, because I’m in shock.’ – Bad, bad writing. You think you’re in shock, or are you in shock? This is a good example of how James slows the pace to a crawl at key points. A good writer would simply write ‘I was shocked.’

‘Christian Grey’s feet… wow… what is it about naked feet?’ – Yuck.

‘Two orgasms…coming apart at the seams, like the spin cycle on a washing machine, wow.’ – Wow indeed! I can’t believe I read and then typed that sentence.

‘I ignore her, but deep down I know she has a point.’ – That’s not ignoring someone!

‘“Your new e-mail address.” – I have an e-mail address?’¬¬ - It’s 2011, why is this a big thing?

‘The plane banks and turns as the wing dips, and we spiral toward the sun. Icarus. This is it. I am flying close to the sun, but he’s with me, leading me. I gasp at the realization’.– The realisation that you’re Icarus?

A truly awful book!

Review - Emperors blades by Brian Staveley

Review - Emperors blades by Brian Staveley
A Shael-spawned good book!

Synopsis

Follow two sons and daughter (occasionally) as they lead their different kind of lives.

Overview – 4 stars

A well written fantasy tale which had me hooked from the start. Although there isn't much in here that's overly original (what is original in fantasy these days?), it still manages to pack a punch with its characters, writing and setting.

Structure

The story follows Valyn, Kaden and, sometimes, Adare. Valyn is near the end of his military training, Kaden, the heir, is nearly finished his studies as a monk and Adare is at court as a finance minister, dealing with her fathers death.

The book is split nicely into POV chapters which makes for easy reading. The writing also makes it very easy to digest. Whilst not overly beautiful, it does it job and you can't ask for much more than that.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

The world

The world is realistic and well thought out. It doesn't require you to remember a lot of locations as it simply isn't required. I like the use of religion and gods. I'm already using some of the Shael spawned curses already!

One of my biggest issues with fantasy books is the authors need to explain everything about his imagined world. The best authors don't need to overtly explain it. The world is built through the actions and experiences of the characters. This is something that Staveley accomplishes.

Also, huge birds that the military can fly in on? More please!

Notable issues

There weren't very many things wrong with this. Whilst most of the components weren't very original, how Staveley mixes them together is key, and he does this well.

The biggest issue is the use of Adare. I've seen a few reviews saying that women are generally underused, which I don't agree with. There were a few cool moments. Adare felt a bit thrown in for no reason. We could have learned what Adare learned through other means. If I was editing this, I would have said to either chop all of Adare out, or make sure she got more chapters.

Also, why didn't we have more chapters of Valyn fighting the slarn?? That sequence was awesome but over too quickly.

All in all though, a great read which I'll be continuing.

Review - The raven and other poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Review - The raven and other poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Be nothing which thou art not.

Overview 4/5 stars

I don't read much of any poetry. Apart from poems I've read for school (way back when), this is my first book of poetry I've ever read. I will be reading more poetry from now on as I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Poe is well known for the Raven, which everyone has heard at some point. Even the Simpsons recited it during a tree house of horror episode. His other works are also brilliant. There are, of course, a few misses but for the most part everything is great.

The raven

This is now my favourite poem ever. I'm currently looking on amazon to see if I can get the poem in a frame to put on a wall in my house, it's that good. If you don't check out any of the other poems, you must read the raven.

I’ve read this every night before bed since starting this collection. Very few writers can command language like Poe. Here are some of my favourite lines.

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!

I could copy the whole thing as every word is placed brilliantly.

Other favourites

Amongst my favourites were Tamerlane, Alone, Elizabeth, Lenore, The City in the Sea, The Sleeper, The Valley of Unrest and Dreamland.

Most of the poems are gothic in nature and are rather haunting, though beautiful. Here are just some of my favourite bits. First up is a beaut from Dreamland:

By the lakes that thus outspread Their lone waters, lone and dead,—Their sad waters, sad and chilly With the snows of the lolling lily,—By the mountains—near the river Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,—By the gray woods,—by the swamp Where the toad and the newt encamp,—By the dismal tarns and pools Where dwell the Ghouls,—By each spot the most unholy—In each nook most melancholy,—There the traveller meets aghast Sheeted Memories of the past—Shrouded forms that start and sigh As they pass the wanderer by—White-robed forms of friends long given, In agony, to the Earth—and Heaven.

Would to God I could awaken For I dream I know not how, And my soul is sorely shaken Lest an evil step be taken,—Lest the dead who is forsaken May not be happy now.

My love, she sleeps! Oh, may her sleep, As it is lasting, so be deep; Soft may the worms about her creep!

For no ripples curl, alas! Along that wilderness of glass—No swellings tell that winds may be Upon some far-off happier sea—No heavings hint that winds have been On seas less hideously serene.

“Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and hated her for her pride, And when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her—that she died! How shall the ritual, then, be read?—the requiem how be sung By you—by yours, the evil eye,—by yours, the slanderous tongue That did to death the innocence that died, and died so young?”

Read nothing, written less –in short’s a fool

And all I loved—I loved alone

And boyhood is a summer sun Whose waning is the dreariest one—For all we live to know is known, And all we seek to keep hath flown

Darkness there and nothing more…

Review - On Writing by Stephen King

Review - On Writing by Stephen King
The master shares his recommendations for all writers, they should pay attention

Overview – 4 stars

I found this book to be more interesting than I thought it would be. There's a lot of King’s personal thoughts about his experiences in the writing business, and what made him a writer in the first place. He covers his rough experience when he got smacked by an idiot in a van in between writing this.

(On) Writing

The majority of this book is dedicated to helping writers to work on their ‘toolbox’. He shares what works for him and is very honest about what it takes, and the business as a whole. There are tonnes of quotes used from this, some even appear as you load Goodreads. I agree with all of them (not that I'm a writer in any way but I agree with King’s theories).

Here are just a few:

you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.

The road to hell is paved with adverbs

To write is human, to edit is divine

Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that

Structure

If you've read any of King’s works you'll be familiar with the way he writes. It's no different here but the writing style is, obviously, different. It's a very easy read and the most helpful inclusion has to be the examples he includes, which he dissects and edits throughout.

King fan stuff

There was some really interesting factoids littered in this book. Stand outs for me (and I don't think this is spoiler-y since it's non-fiction):
He doesn't remember writing Cujo much, since he spent most of his time high
His idea for Misery came to him in a dream on a plane
He almost ditched the Stand, my favourite book ever
He states that he was disappointed with Insomnia


Review - Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Review - Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett takes the mick out of ancient Egyptians, hilarity follows

Overview

Pyramids gets a solid 4 star rating. I rarely have a physical reaction when I'm reading but I was chuckling on the train to this one…hopefully not too loudly! This has turned me from a fan to a Pratchett fanboy.

Structure

Pyramids uses a fairly straight forward structure. It's linear and focuses, mainly, on Teppic our main character. The paragraphs are nice and short in the main. It also includes the nice little footnotes that Pratchett uses in most of his works. All in all, a very easy book to read.

Characters

Teppic is one of the better characters I've come across in the Discworld. There are funny moments littered throughout and I did end up feeling sorry for him throughout this book. And that's the holy grail when writing characters isn't it, make me feel for them. Pratchett certainly does so here.

There isn't a huge amount of character development, Teppic’s arc is good, but considering the type of book this is there is no need to have a hugely meaningful and introspective dive into the character.

The side characters are all well formed. I loved Teppicymon when he was a ghost commenting how silly all the pyramid nonsense was.

Writing

This is where Pratchett thrives, in his writing. If you laid out any two or three sentences and asked me to identify it's owner, it would be easy to spot Pratchett’s work. It's simply beautiful. Here's a few of my favourites:

Mere animals couldn’t possibly manage to act like this. You need to be a human being to be really stupid.

Broadly, therefore, the three even now lurching across the deserted planks of the Brass Bridge were dead drunk assassins and the men behind them were bent on inserting the significant comma.

‘In layman’s terms,’ the doctor sniffed, ‘he’s as dead as a doornail.’ ‘What are the complications?’ The doctor looked shifty. ‘He’s still breathing,’ he said. <><><>‘Well, what can you do about it?’ said Arthur. ‘Nothing. He’s dead. All the medical tests prove it. So, er … bury him, keep him nice and cool, and tell him to come and see me next week. In daylight, for preference.’

He also gets brownie points for using the word inhume to describe assassination.

Complaints

I didn't spot any errors within. My only minor complaint came with the end where it got a little confused and jumped to different povs almost from paragraph to paragraph which meant I found myself having to back track just to keep up. As I said though, fairly minor.