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Ross (3284 KP) rated Season of Storms in Books
Apr 23, 2018 (Updated Apr 25, 2018)
2-d characters (2 more)
fantasy-by-numbers
Frequent incongruent Latin/French phrases
More a set of short stories than a novel in its own right
* I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Formatting issues (many) have not been factored into the review *
To my knowledge, the books of The Witcher are split into the short story collection prequels (one of which I have read) and the full books (which I have not read). This book is somewhere in between being neither strictly a collection of short stories nor a focussed standalone novel in its own right. Chronologically, this book falls in between the stories contained in The Last Wish) though it is impossible to say quite where it falls (as mention of the stryga is made near the end, which begins the Last Wish I have to assume it comes after the flashback stories from that tome but before the overarching story linking them all).
It may be because I haven't read the full novels, but I find the Witcher to be a thoroughly bland and unexciting character and I have no connection with him. He has next to no personality and contributes nothing to the dialogue of the book. Similarly, all other characters are very disposable - they are either supposedly strong-willed sorceresses (who smell of flowers and throw themselves at the Witcher and are bedded instantly) or they are otherwise instantly forgettable.
I think Sapkwoski was trying to give the sorcerers a sense of academic snobbery but they frequently use Latin phrases, which just gets irritating very quickly. Similarly French words and phrases are thrown in willy-nilly without translation which gets annoying as well. This seems even more unusual when you realise the story was written in Polish and translated into English, with some parts kept in French or Latin. And then further when it is meant to be in a different world where French wouldn't be a thing.
The story essentially follows Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) who loses his swords and goes on a quest to get them back, and just happens along the way to meet people who need his skills (like on Neighbours where one character leaves and another comes in through the door at exactly the same moment). This aspect makes me think this was meant to be a series of short stories stitched together. But unfortunately here those short stories are not finished up within themselves and you have a number of unsatisfying loose ends in the back of your head throughout.
As with The Last Wish, I found the ending very confusing and had no idea what had happened. It may be that other works fill in the gap and I will have that filled in time, but if so that makes this not a satisfying read in its own right.
Overall, I don't mind Sapkowski's writing in general, other than a few irritating bad habits and I like the overriding idea of the stories but find the execution, character development and overall world-building somewhat clumsy and throw-away. But as I say, this may be because (I think) I have read these in chronological order, rather than published order. I will fill in the gaps and work out if that is the case.
To my knowledge, the books of The Witcher are split into the short story collection prequels (one of which I have read) and the full books (which I have not read). This book is somewhere in between being neither strictly a collection of short stories nor a focussed standalone novel in its own right. Chronologically, this book falls in between the stories contained in The Last Wish) though it is impossible to say quite where it falls (as mention of the stryga is made near the end, which begins the Last Wish I have to assume it comes after the flashback stories from that tome but before the overarching story linking them all).
It may be because I haven't read the full novels, but I find the Witcher to be a thoroughly bland and unexciting character and I have no connection with him. He has next to no personality and contributes nothing to the dialogue of the book. Similarly, all other characters are very disposable - they are either supposedly strong-willed sorceresses (who smell of flowers and throw themselves at the Witcher and are bedded instantly) or they are otherwise instantly forgettable.
I think Sapkwoski was trying to give the sorcerers a sense of academic snobbery but they frequently use Latin phrases, which just gets irritating very quickly. Similarly French words and phrases are thrown in willy-nilly without translation which gets annoying as well. This seems even more unusual when you realise the story was written in Polish and translated into English, with some parts kept in French or Latin. And then further when it is meant to be in a different world where French wouldn't be a thing.
The story essentially follows Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) who loses his swords and goes on a quest to get them back, and just happens along the way to meet people who need his skills (like on Neighbours where one character leaves and another comes in through the door at exactly the same moment). This aspect makes me think this was meant to be a series of short stories stitched together. But unfortunately here those short stories are not finished up within themselves and you have a number of unsatisfying loose ends in the back of your head throughout.
As with The Last Wish, I found the ending very confusing and had no idea what had happened. It may be that other works fill in the gap and I will have that filled in time, but if so that makes this not a satisfying read in its own right.
Overall, I don't mind Sapkowski's writing in general, other than a few irritating bad habits and I like the overriding idea of the stories but find the execution, character development and overall world-building somewhat clumsy and throw-away. But as I say, this may be because (I think) I have read these in chronological order, rather than published order. I will fill in the gaps and work out if that is the case.
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Books
Feb 5, 2019
Imaginative (2 more)
Magical
Short chapters
Captivating
This book is a very easy read, obviously aimed at pre teen and younger. That being said, at the age of 25 I can't even count the amount of times I have reread this, it never gets old. I'm very glad that they kept the film very close to the book and really brang it too life. I love how the book holds a lot more parts that the film missed out aswell, the whole first chapter is almost completely ignored in the film. Makes it more exciting!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (Origami Yoda, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Dwight is the weird kid in sixth grade until he creates an origami Yoda and starts giving out advice. The funny thing is, the advice seems to be good. Is it magic or just luck? The book is really a collection of short stories with a quick climax near the end. Many of them were heartwarming, but I wanted it to be building toward something long before it did.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-strange-case-of-origami.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-strange-case-of-origami.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Yoshi (40 KP) rated Zombies Vs. Unicorns in Books
Oct 29, 2018
This is the first book to actually crack me up in years. Even if you don't like all the stories, everyone is bound to find at least a few they enjoy (even if you just read the zombie stories). The zombie stories range from creepy to romantic to just plain hilarious, and because they're short they're a great pick-me-up at the end of the day. Due to the mature nature of some of the stories I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who has not yet entered high school.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Once Upon a New Year's Eve in Books
Nov 14, 2018
A nice, quick and enjoyable read. I should say that I shouldn't really class this short story as a 'romance' as it is more of a dose of 'smut'...but good smut I might add.
It outlines the bully/victim relationship with a splash of attraction and lust leaving the reader wanting more. In my personal opinion I can not stand bullies and people who abuse others so it makes me cringe a bit when these people are so easily forgiven. Even so I would definitely consider reading the possible sequel.
It outlines the bully/victim relationship with a splash of attraction and lust leaving the reader wanting more. In my personal opinion I can not stand bullies and people who abuse others so it makes me cringe a bit when these people are so easily forgiven. Even so I would definitely consider reading the possible sequel.
David McK (3576 KP) rated The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme, #1) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
I remember when I was at university, I had an English tutor who stated that he though crime fiction was the best kind of fiction there is. At the time I didn't agree with him. I still don't.
Indeed, I think that if he had read this book he would have changed his own tune: this is needlessly graphic, uncomfortable and plodding, with crime scene forensics being the main 'draw' (if I can even use such a word about this) to any potential reader.
In short: one to avoid.
Indeed, I think that if he had read this book he would have changed his own tune: this is needlessly graphic, uncomfortable and plodding, with crime scene forensics being the main 'draw' (if I can even use such a word about this) to any potential reader.
In short: one to avoid.
David McK (3576 KP) rated Star Wars: Death Star (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
An OK addition to (the books I've read in) the Star Wars canon, the main focus of this one is obviously about the eponymous Doomsday device built by the Empire: the dreaded Death Star.
The vast majority of the book is actually about the construction of the same, told from the viewpoint of several different characters involved in and living on it, with the culmination of the novel the events that take place during "A New Hope".
In short, there's better 'expanded universe' Star Wars books out there.
The vast majority of the book is actually about the construction of the same, told from the viewpoint of several different characters involved in and living on it, with the culmination of the novel the events that take place during "A New Hope".
In short, there's better 'expanded universe' Star Wars books out there.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Airported to Knowhere in Books
Nov 8, 2019
A short story-ette of 1700 words relating the strange encounters of Agent 33 when trying to check in at an airport.
Feeling like something of a fever dream, this stream-of-conciousness story is told well with a fast pace and new ideas fizzing off the page.
However, it just didn't gel for me. Perhaps I need to read more of the author's work to give it context, or perhaps I just didn't 'get' it, but the sum of its parts didn't quite make a satisfying whole.
Feeling like something of a fever dream, this stream-of-conciousness story is told well with a fast pace and new ideas fizzing off the page.
However, it just didn't gel for me. Perhaps I need to read more of the author's work to give it context, or perhaps I just didn't 'get' it, but the sum of its parts didn't quite make a satisfying whole.
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