Magic of Thieves: Legend of Dimmingwood book 1 - C Greenwood.

 

I have been a bit remiss with my blog posts of late, once again due to the lack of time to read during my teacher training year. That said, I did get time to read a fair bit over Christmas but failed to update due to lack of anything regarding motivation. January has rolled around and so has the guilt. Here is my latest read and my thoughts on it.

The best part of this novel by far was the characters. The story follows the journey of the protagonist through her early life up until her late teenage years. The reader is told on numerous occasions that she has inherited the ability of magic, an ability that she would be hunted for and slain by the evil types who currently rule that part of the world. Her entire village was slain and she was orphaned. She end up banding with a bunch of thieves and living in the woods with them until she leaves. She is engaging and certainly has her limitation. The progression from child to moody teenager is well written and she came across as a balanced character to me.

The overall plot for the novel is generally OK, however, to me, it seemed as though it was a set-up novel. The end sees our protagonist leaving her childhood home in search of something (I'm not saying what) and to me, it seems the rest of the novel was all back story. It was well written and held my interest well enough, however I feel a lot of it could have been paraphrased and inserted into another volume to skip over some of the more tedious details.

To say this story was bad would be a lie, it has some very good actions scenes in it and it is wonderfully easy to read - perfect for a Christmas evening or two when all you want to do is relax. However, if you want a perfectly crafted masterpiece with plot twists and turns at every intersection, this is not the novel for you. Good dialogue and interesting characters are present but it just needs something more than background information. I will say, it was a freebie on the Kindle Store and did offer some enjoyment. I am unsure about reading any followup however, unless they too are free and I have nothing better to read at the time.

Teacher Training, Time and Stephen King

I have been rather busy of late. I am into my third week of teacher training and I am enjoying every minute of it. Even the planning and the work I have to bring home. I love anticipating what the children are going to get from my lessons and what their reactions will be. Consequently, I have had far less time to read but don't get me wrong, I am still reading

I also have to confess I am re-reading some of The Dark Tower as I fell in love with it the first time and sometimes you just need something that you love. I have consummed The Drawing of the Three and have nearly finished The Wastelands. Here are my thoughts on the second reading:

I still love it. I have still ploughed through and read far too late into the night. The language is still fabulous and yet easy to read and the plot as gripping as it was the first time. This time however, I have the benefit of being able to read a bit slower as I know what is going to happen. I can savour the action scenes without reading at a break-neck pace to see who lives and who dies. My goodness they are wonderful! The metaphor and similies are enough to make the English fanatic in me die a bit (in happiness) and yet, it isn't overpowering or obnoxious.

I also noticed how creepy one of the characters in The Wastelands is the one pictured above. Blaine makes the above novel look more like a horror than a fantasy novel. The mental train verges onto the point of being terrifying and the warnings written by Jake at the start of the novel should be heeded. I won't say too much but I will lament my complete imeptitude at riddles. I'm just glad I wasn't on that mono!

That said, I should get back to these lesson plans, they won't complete themselves! I hope I can keep reading when I can.

The Price of Faith (The Ties that Bind 3) Rob J Hayes

Well, it took me just over two days to read the last of the trilogy I have been so enjoying this past week and lets just say, Rob Hayes didn't take the pressure off for one moment. I couldn't read the novel fast enough, here's why.

Once again, the characters really bring the story to life. I was delighted to find out my two favourites from the first novel returned and the changes they'd gone through made them that little bit more interesting. The relationship between the two was made even more real for me when the novel starts with them apart after an argument. Hayes drip feeds the details over the first few chapters, the element kept me reading to find out how they would resolve their differences. I really wanted them to sort it out so they could move on together. I'm not going to tell you the outcome as that would spoil the novel but believe me, it comes as a surprise.

I want to talk about the fight scenes in the novel as well, I haven't mentioned them so far and I feel I should. They are brilliantly written. Not once did I find myself skimming over the words to find out what happened. I read every blood-stained chest-stabbing brutal move and believe me, there are more than a few fights throughout the series. The detail is enough to be a bit gross but not too gruesome that it becomes tedious. Each character has an individual style and this is reflected in the narrative. It is clear a lot of effort has been taken while crafting these scenes and that is something a lot of other authors could learn.

The only down-side to this novel is that it has now ended. As well as the odd spelling error but we'll brush that under the carpet again as the rest of it is so wonderful. I do hope that there are more books forthcoming from Hayes as I am a definite fan and shall add him to the 'to watch' list, along with the likes of Scott Lynch and Douglas Hurlick. My suggestion is to find a copy of these novels and give them a read, they are well worth it.

I also dread the hangover this series is going to give me so I am going to go and read something that is good and of a similar taste to this; Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy, here I come!

The Iron Man - Ted Hughes

 

It hasn't taken me that long to finish my latest read, partly because it is a children's story that I am looking at next term and partly because it is such an enjoyable tale.

It is a well known story and it has been around for a long time, first published in 1968, it has been read by many children at school. Even I can remember doing this story when I was in primary school and I hope to be able to recreate some of the fond memories with the children I will be working with.

This is a wonderful story. The plot is simplistic and easy to follow yet loses no enjoyability in this account. It has been hailed by some as a modern day fairy story and I agree with this description. The tale follows the formula for this genre. I don't want to divulge too many plot details as I want readers to go out and try this book but I will say that the growing friendship between a boy and a giant metal man is touching.

Another thing I really loved about this book was the rich description I found. It was beautiful to read and Hughes had a truly unique voice. The book will appeal to both the boys and girls in my group as it is aimed at children and every word Hughes has written shows this. The scenes are vivid without the language being to weighty. The pacing is spot on too, no point is over or underwritten, no word is dead weight in the novel, which makes a welcome change from some books I have read in the past!

The characters in the novel are also well thought out, simple yet balanced. They young boy who befriends the Iron Man will be easy for children to relate to and even the Iron Man himself comes across as a misunderstand giant who is just after something to eat!

I don't really have any criticisms of this novel as its one I grew up loving and one I was too happy to re-read as an adult. I hope the kids I work with will enjoy it as much as I did and still do and that they will attach good memories to it as well. I can only try my best to help them get the most out of it too. If you have never read this story, I would suggest you do so, it is a wonderful book!

Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian

I have been wanting to read this book for some time and I have finally managed to sit down and do so, between the craziness that is preparing for World Book Day (7th March) and the other tasks that have been assigned to me. Here are my thoughts:

If I could have sat down and read this book from cover to cover without interruption from the real world, I would have. I instantly liked the hero - Jack Aubrey. Many of you will know him as played by Russell Crowe in the 2003 film. He seems to have two states of emotion to begin with, super happy or super angry. Fortunately he gravitates to happy and its so easy to get caught up with his fervor and passion for all things, from his love of music to the enthusiasm for his newest command. He is a simple enough character and easily likeable. I was quick to sympathize with his confusion part way through the novel when one of his lieutenants was forced to make a tough decision without his knowledge and then took his frustration out on Jack. The hero was much like a wounded puppy for a long while and it certainly earned my sympathy. In fact, it became rather hard to remember at points that this kind-hearted character had bite, but he does and wasn't afraid to use it either. His simplicity was delightful, especially after reading some novels with characters that are tough to like or get to know, Roland Deschain for example!

As a complete foil for Jack, is the ships doctor Stephen Maturin. He is a rich character but taken to dark moods and thoughtful contemplation rather than action. The two become fast friends and they work so well together. He is not always serious and there is an air of mischief about Maturin at times which I found delightful, like him putting in foul tasting additions with his medicine to make sure the crew know they are being physicked and when he falls overboard and the rest of the crew jump in to save him. The dynamic is a credit to O'Brian's skills as a writer and one of the reasons I was so hooked on the novel as a whole. The rest of the supporting cast are all individuals and you know who is speaking without it being tagged with a name - perfectly written and well balanced.
 

The story itself is relatively easy to follow for the most part. The sea battles are well written and kept me glued to my kindle. If not for work constraints I would have been reading well into the early hours. The battles were exciting and concise, I had no trouble following the action, nor the thoughts and feelings of the crew involved. I was routing for the crew and the Sophie all throughout their trials. Even the 'duller' aspects of sea life were interesting and well written. However, it was not always easy to tell where the crew were and there were some parts that jumped around. I found from one scene to the next drastic changes had happened. They may be aboard ship one moment and roaming around on shore the next with not much clue as to when that change occurred. This made parts of the novel hard to follow.

 The other aspect of the novel which was difficult to grasp was the terminology. I've studied 19th century sailing ships a little for a book I am working on so know a little bit about the parts of a ship, however I struggled with some of the names. If you don't know your forecastle from your mizzen and your foretopgallant from your mainroyalstay, you're going to have an issue. I'd advise you to keep a dictionary - or smartphone - close by while you give the book a read just to keep which sail is which clear in your head.

Don't let that put you off reading about two of the best characters I have met so far this year. There are 20 books dedicated to them and I'm going to go download the next one onto my kindle now. It's just too much fun not to.

Across A Moonlit Sea - Marsha Canham

The title of this one sounds rather sappy and I've only just realised that. It was a free read through Kindle Store and seeing how I am currently writing about pirates, it seemed to fit well.

It was an ace read. I thoroughly enjoyed every word in this novel and despite the sappy title, the story was anything but. Yes, there was a romantic element to it, it is after all a romance novel, however there was plenty of other plot to keep that side of me entertained as well.

The two lead characters didn't always get along through the novel, even after they'd decided they liked each other and this was a pleasant surprise. It made it more true to life, unlike some other romance books I have read in the past - as soon as two characters discover they 'like' each other, they agree on everything. It takes the tension from the novel and frankly, makes it rather a dull read. Not in this case. The characters continue to fight with each other throughout, how positively human of them! The support cast as well were interesting enough to care about as well, there are some very curious people in this novel and that's what they feel like; people, not just a cardboard cut out.

The detail of the world is spot on too. Canham makes good use of naval language throughout and her description of sixteenth century ships is wonderful, she really transports you back on board one of these vessels. The way Canham writes actions scenes as well is superb. These scenes were exciting to read, I couldn't wait to find out what happened, who got killed, which ship survived and so forth.

It was a real page turner and a pleasant surprise, especially as it was free! I'll be keeping an eye open for any more of her work that's for sure

Forever Neverland - Heather Killough-Walden

I was a bit apprehensive about this novel as I found the other book by Heather Killough-Walden a disappointment. It was one of my first reviews and it can be found here http://rushbysrantsandreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/avengers-angel-lost-angels-book-one.html
I slated it! I was unsure whether to bother with this read and I am so glad I did. I read it in a couple of days and couldn't put it down. I was back to reading in the staffroom and at every available point! Here's why.
I have a long standing obsession with pirates. I believe Captain Hook was one of my first fangirly infatuations at the tender age of... well, lets just say I was young OK! The story of Peter Pan is a complicated one I won't get into now and the idea of a sequel has always left me feeling uncertain. This one is a very different take on it, and it worked for me, we find Wendy Darling being bounced between therapists, John has grown into a disbelieving nerd and Michael a troubled child. Peter has become a nightmare of a teenager who has turned to motor cycles and drink, not a bad thing usually but in this case...

Killough-Walden does all the characters justice, keeping them in check with the originals and adding her own spin on it. The hate between Hook and Pan is explored in detail and the reader learns some abhorrent things about the young hero of Neverland. He comes across as a sulky obnoxious spoilt young man who hasn't learnt a thing since leaving Neverland. He has grown up a bit, in body, but certainly not in mind.

The language in the novel is half decent as well and the action scenes are so well written I could not stop reading, I ignored most things going on around me while I was churning through the pages. The only thing that bothered me was the repeated use of the phrase 'off of' (as in get off of my ship) I find this phrase awkward and it could easily be avoided with a bit of a re-write (Get your ass off my ship)

Apart from this, the novel was a splendid read. The romantic aspect of it was cute and the detail which she writes in is fab. If you're a fan of Peter Pan and fancy a bit of a guilty pleasure, this is the book for you!

The Diamond Girls - Jaqueline Wilson

I read this book as it's the one we are going to be looking at as a part of our theme next term in school. No harm in getting a head start and certainly no harm in reviewing it either. It's a bit different to my usual read but that's a good thing!
It is a beautifully written book, perfect for the age group I work with (9-10) the language is very easy yet there are some challenging aspects to the words that will get the kids brains working; good thing, it is school after all!

The story is set on a council estate and follows the Diamond's as they move from one estate to another, detailing he challenges they face from both inside their family and the outside world. The five main characters are very well thought out and indeed thought provoking. I don't think there will be any shortage of questions we can ask the children.Some of the characters you fall in love with in a moment and others you want to slap some sense into. It's great that the characters are so well written you get this reaction from them. It's a credit to Jacqueline's writing skills!

I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope the kids enjoy it next term too I haven't read a book for children for a long time and this one was not a disappointment, I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading books about relationships, it's well worth it!

The Wind Through the Keyhole - Stephen King

I got the latest Gunslinger book for my birthday, which made me a very happy person I can tell you. I've been meaning to get my grubby little paws on it for a while and it was well worth the wait.

It was delightful to open a book and find Roland and Co in it. Something that has been disappointing me when I have opened other books lately. King seems to have ruined a lot of things for me by having awesome characters I want to read about. Not a bad thing, this new book was ace. King uses the story within a story frame set for this novel and does so masterfully. The flow of the stories are perfect and fit together seamlessly proving once again that he is a master author.

I was a bit concerned that this novel would turn out to be a cash in on a complete series, that the tone of this book wouldn't fit in with what I've come to know and love. I couldn't have been more wrong, all the flavours from the original novels are in the book and yet we still manage to learn new things about the characters. The themes that permeate theother books are present, although its more subtle as the majority of the novel is set in Roland's past.

The use of language is such a high standard in the novel that I don't even know where to begin, it is easy to see why King has built himself an empire! The same can be said for the world building More detail is added to Mid-World that we didn't know about and although the place is dying, you can really see the place with deep colour.

I could praise this book all day and then go some more but really, it speaks for itself, go and read it. You don't need to have read the other Gunslinger novels to follow the story which makes it a wonderful introduction to the series. However, it has also made an old fan like me very happy once more.

Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence

I've had a few misses lately with my choice of books, so when my kindle recommended this one I was a bit dubious. What a surprise this book turned out to be, from the first page the dark tone was set and carried throughout the rest of the novel.

The world building in the novel is subtle and puts me in mind of Paul Hoffman's The Left Hand of God, without being so obvious, Lawrence doesn't name any places after pies for instance but draws heavily on the religion of 'Roma' and the dead languages of this world. At least those are the two things that stuck out the most to me. He did it in a tasteful way and it doesn't detract the reader from the story, which is brilliant.

Technically, this book is a real change from my usual reads as well, it is written from a first person point of view. Everything you read about it seen through the eyes of the 'protagonist' and I use that word loosely in this case. There are no long winded descriptions as most things he comes across he has seen before, a brief sentence here and there is all that's needed and it works well. The reader is left to fill in the blanks, making this book a work of your imagination as well as the author's. I don't like to be spoon-fed details so this was a real treat to read.

The characters in the novel are dark, the whole outlook of the book is bleak, and the people populating it are no exception. It was hard to find a sympathetic ground with them to start with but as the story progresses and you learn the reasons why, it becomes easier. I was not altogether at ease with the 'means to an end' justification for the protagonist's actions but you can't love them all right?

All in all, this book was a superb read, I chewed through it in a few hours and I'd recommend you go and do the same. The language is easy to follow and the story well worth the attention!

Wolf Dawn - Susan Cartwright

It's always tough knowing what to read after you've had your mind blown by a previous book. You know nothing is going to be as good and the sense of loss can be hard to over come. What I read after The Dark Tower series had a tough act to follow but I will do my best to be honest.

This book was a half-way decent read. The writing was reasonably well crafted which made the flaws in the novel that little bit easier to swallow. Cartwright used some interesting metaphors throughout the novel, some of which I may remember for my own writing. The world building was a reasonably well done and there were only a few minor errors that could be overlooked.

Fitting the characters into this world is where the trouble begins. Cartwright has written a system of mental communication into her world called 'icom', which is installed into those people who can afford it. Which seems to be everyone except those living on the fringes of society, so when the hero is thrust into a boar pit and escapes slavery by those fringe dwellers, they manage to call the police via icom, which they can't afford, it seemed a bit jarring.

The pacing of the novel is a little off as well and there is no real conclusion at the end either. During the first half, our hero escapes doom on his home world and is pursued by a sadistic space captain. This is an interesting arc with a random police officer thrown in for good measure. I was looking forward to learning more about this after the hero is marooned away from home however the author abandons this arc until the last few pages in which we learn nothing new. She also spends half of an entire chapter discussing the pros and cons of sex in a temple lecture. It slowed the pace right down and was frankly rather dull.

The other concept I found difficult to grasp was on referred to as Dark Sankomin. This is explained as a darkness that affects all living beings, if a mind dwells on past events it becomes bogged down and the beings go mad and die. It seemed to me that everything has negative emotions at some stages in existence and although this affects people in different ways (I don't want to make light of mental illness here) it isn't severe for everyone. I found it hard to see the Dark Sankomin as a threat and it made a large part of the book hard to comprehend. Maybe I'm too positive to see this darkness as something destructive.

Most of the characters are believable, except the female lead, who was as flat and predictable as mud and you do care what happens to them. My only other issue is the genre of the book itself, it's listed as: 'Adventure Sci-fi/Heroic Fantasy Romance.' It is all of these things granted, but it is none of them well. The romance isn't well written enough to satisfy romance fans, the fantasy isn't good enough for fantasy fans. It just tried to fill too many boots at once and found that none of them fit very well.

So to finish off, I did enjoy this book - even though Roland wasn't in it - but I doubt I will be picking up the sequel any time soon.

The Dark Tower - Stephen King

It's been one hell of a ride but today I came to the end of Roland's journey. I finally finished Stephen King's epic fantasy tale and what can I say? I loved it.

The writing has been fantastic throughout and the story has kept me guessing too. It twists and turns in directions that you don't expect, as it has done all through the long series. The characters develop through the story, never staying the same but learning from their journey.

I will touch on the ending of the book. I was warned by my partner that it was infuriating and it made him fall out with the series. I thought the exact opposite of this; the ending is subtly explained through the book if one knows where to look. Let's be honest, if you've come this far, you know that King puts subtle hints about the coming plot in his writing. It's just a case of being awake enough to spot them. I'd rave about it endlessly but I don't want to give it away so I'll stop there!

My only regret about this series is reading it in one massive session, I would advise future readers to have a break around book four, not because the next books are rubbish (far from it) but spending that much time with the same characters will drive you a bit bonkers. Just like spending an extended amount of time with the same people will drive you mad.

Either way, go and read these books, you won't be disappointed.

Wolves of the Calla - Stephen King

Now, where to start with this one?

Not so good as the other four but still better than some of the dross I have read this year. The problem here, I think, is the pacing. The last four books have raced ahead at break neck speed and this is what I have come to expect from King's fantasy series. This book is a definate change of pace, this book was rather less brisk. It was not welcome. I found that parts of the novel dragged out. It seemed like a big sidestep from the Ka-tet's actual mission.

I understand that Roland and his gunslingers need to go to the aid of anyone who asks for it, as this is essencially what they are - like knight errants from Malory - but I don't yet see how this side tracking helps ith thier overall quest. I hope I learn this in the next book as six hundred plus pages is a lot to invest for a sidestep.

Maybe I am being unfair on this book. You do learn a lot more about our four heroes, specifically one of them - who I won't name as I don't want to spoil any of the plot for you. There are some very heartwarming parts of the story too, I laughed out loud at the part where Roland dances and I will admit the tune I fit the words into stuck in my head for a good many days as well, which is a real credit to King's writing skills.

Although to me this book seems like a side step in the series, I won't even go into how I feel about King's role in the book (it infuriates me), it is still well worth a read. I'm not giving up on our Heroes just yet and nor should you!

Wizard and Glass - Stephen King

Again, another outstanding read from Mr King.

In this novel we learn about the early experiences of our delicious 'hero'. Essentially, this is a book of back story that usually would turn me off totally to a series. I like my back story drip fed and intertwined in the main body of story but after having hints and whispers throughout the last three books, I couldn't wait to hear what Roland had to say about it.

So this book fixes up the unfinished parts of the last book with the usual heart pounding white knuckle pace. Once this danger has paced and our companions are sat safe(ish) and comfortable, Roland begins to talk. I really felt as though I was sat with the rest of the companions as his tale was told as too. The book is as engaging as the others have been which is to King's credit.

Roland and his companions are sent to the Mid World town of Hambry and what takes place there is a tragic tale of friendship, love and loss. The telling of the tale had me laughing to myself, once again to odd looks from those around me, and at one point, tears. It has been a long time since a book has made me cry. The words left me with the desire to hug Roland and tell him it will all be OK in the end, of course, it probably won't. The sense of foreboding for the future is never left alone for long and the events that happened in the past echo through the the events that happen at the end of this novel.

I look forward to the next novel, however, this book ended in a comfortable place so I don't feel the burning need to grab the book of the shelf right now. I am considering having a break from King's series but I suspect this won't be the case!

The Wastelands - Stephen King

I have to admit, these reviews are probably going to be a bit repetitive for the next few books. I have chewed my way through the third volume of The Dark Tower and I don't seem to be showing any signs of stopping yet. It is as good as the others and well worth the three days I spent doing nothing else but reading it. Instead of giving away copious amounts of plot details, I do hope you will go and read this book and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Not will I  spend another blog worshipping the pants off Roland (Although....). I will focus this blog post on the world building skills found within the novel.

The old saying is true: The Devil is in the Detail and King has this down to a fine art. The world in which the story is set is a post apocalyptic danger zone, no too dissimilar to our own. The points of reference and objects that are easily recognisable can be a little discomforting too. At one point our troupe of adventurers are forced  to cross a decaying suspension bridge, this is made scarier for myself as I live near one and had a perfect image of what was happening. The crossover from our world to theirs is highlighted fully when a downed Nazi plane is found and explored. This would seem a bit ludicrous in a fantasy story, had not 2 of the main characters already crossed over.

The explanation of the plane is left out, due to Roland not being aware of how it arrived there in the first place. Both him and those they encounter are fond of explaining these things with the simple adage: 'The world has moved on.' This also gives reason for why most, if not all, the technology in the world no longer works. The world has simply left these things behind, no longer finding a use for them.

The more you read, the more you come to realise that it is not just the physical things the world has moved on from. Time and distance also seem a bit slippery in Roland's world and this can leave you feeling a bit disconnected, there is no point of reference, for example, we don't really know how old Roland is, maybe he doesn't either (Or I am yet to find this out of course).

Either way, the little details like this, makes Roland's world an interesting, if not altogether pleasant, place to spend your time.

Next comes: Wizard and Glass (it's good, I am half way through it) in a few days time.

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Oh My God! Read this book, drop what you are doing right now and go find this book. You need it in your life. I don't get excited about much but this is certainly well worth the words. Reading this was like a little bit of heaven had descended into the palm of my hands... Where shall I start?

Characters! Always a good place. Likable, flawed, complicated, and that's just the support cast! I cannot begin to describe the depths the protagonist in this story has. He is very far from perfect and the struggles he goes through are tough. He has good and bad points and is interesting to read about too. There is a lot to be learnt from Roland Deschain. The start of the novel introduces him only as The Gunslinger and in an interesting technique, his name is not learnt until a good third of the way through.

Writing: The writing in this book is perfect. It conjures some interesting emotions too, I ranged from disgusted, appalled and in parts, down right sick. I think the pleasure comes from reading so much average recently on finding a book like this it is a real treat.The building of tension in the first part of the novel begins from the moment you start reading and doesn't relent until it finally bursts into a whirlwind of action. The level of detail in some places is fantastic but what King leaves to the readers mind is what makes this a truly engaging novel.

Plot: I won't destroy the secrets of this novel for those of you that have not read the book yet. (I hope you do so) What I will say is that it is perfectly executed and moves with just the right amount of pace. I could keep up with it and never felt lost along the way. I've not read anything this good since Joe Abercrombie's 'First Law' Trilogy.

 From the first page I needed to know what happened, and I still do. I'm off to read the next book as soon as I have finished this blog! I don't have the words to describe how I felt on reading this novel except that I think I had a nerd-gasm while I read it... Read this book!