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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
It seems to have been a long wait since Red Country for another book from Lord Grimdark himself, Joe Abercrombie. Not only is this the first book in a new sequence, but it is also labelled as Young Adult. I have to say I had my reservations about that since I wondered how the author of the very grim and very dark First Law books would be able to make a book suitable for young adults... it would be like Quentin Tarantino making a Disney film...
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated A Court of Wings and Ruin in Books
May 15, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas doesn’t quite live up to A Court of Mist and Fury, but it’s still a surprisingly fun jaunt through war-torn Prythian. Brimming with dangerous deals and unlikely allies, I actually enjoyed reading this – for the most part. It should be made clear, once again, that though Maas’s books are found in the young adult section, they contain material not suitable for some young readers.
Like sex. Lots and lots of detailed sex. The few times it popped up in the Mist and Fury, it was alright. Wings and Ruin, on the other hand, really hones in on the sexual relationship between Feyre and Rhysand. A bit too much for my taste, anyway.
Sex aside, the plot moves along at a fairly quick pace and, for the most part, kept me hooked. (As in, I legit stayed up waaay too late one night reading.) I also love that there was a bit more focus on Feyre’s sisters this time around, rather than Feyre’s own self interests. It’s nice to see her grow as a… person, I guess you could say.
Overall, this isn’t my favorite book of the bunch, but I don’t find it (or its ending, which I feel is approached with the same logic I would have used) to be near as horrid as I was told to expect. I look forward to the next in the series, as ACOTAR is, undoubtedly, a guilty pleasure of mine.
Like sex. Lots and lots of detailed sex. The few times it popped up in the Mist and Fury, it was alright. Wings and Ruin, on the other hand, really hones in on the sexual relationship between Feyre and Rhysand. A bit too much for my taste, anyway.
Sex aside, the plot moves along at a fairly quick pace and, for the most part, kept me hooked. (As in, I legit stayed up waaay too late one night reading.) I also love that there was a bit more focus on Feyre’s sisters this time around, rather than Feyre’s own self interests. It’s nice to see her grow as a… person, I guess you could say.
Overall, this isn’t my favorite book of the bunch, but I don’t find it (or its ending, which I feel is approached with the same logic I would have used) to be near as horrid as I was told to expect. I look forward to the next in the series, as ACOTAR is, undoubtedly, a guilty pleasure of mine.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Unknown Reality in Books
Nov 28, 2019
Chloe lives with her family in what seems to be a fairly normal life. But after meeting a stranger during a trip to the theatre, she starts to realise that all might not be as it seems and her world - and her entire life- might be nothing more than a simulation. Abruptly thrown out of the only existance she has known she has to face up to a different reality. She must adapt to her new circumstances and new reality when all she wants is to return 'home'.
Following on from the young adult fantasy stories of Truth Teller and The Wrath of Siren, Chambers once again sets out to encourage an interest in fiction in young adults, in this case science fiction. Once again he produces an interesting and engaging work, choc full of characters and ideas. Just the first few chapters contain enough material for the average science fiction work but Chambers goes further, layering further nuanced plots and subplots together and managing to spin them together into a terrific ending.
Chloe is a strong protagonist, intelligent and thoughtful while always remaining an 11 year old in outlook and the reader will really root for her and want her to succeed. The world Chambers creates is very well described and imagined, relying on science fiction standards for some parts but carefully avoiding cliche and doing what science fiction does best - highlight some of the folly of the real world.
Yet another terrific book from Chambers, one of those authors who is a 'must read' for my teenage sons.
Following on from the young adult fantasy stories of Truth Teller and The Wrath of Siren, Chambers once again sets out to encourage an interest in fiction in young adults, in this case science fiction. Once again he produces an interesting and engaging work, choc full of characters and ideas. Just the first few chapters contain enough material for the average science fiction work but Chambers goes further, layering further nuanced plots and subplots together and managing to spin them together into a terrific ending.
Chloe is a strong protagonist, intelligent and thoughtful while always remaining an 11 year old in outlook and the reader will really root for her and want her to succeed. The world Chambers creates is very well described and imagined, relying on science fiction standards for some parts but carefully avoiding cliche and doing what science fiction does best - highlight some of the folly of the real world.
Yet another terrific book from Chambers, one of those authors who is a 'must read' for my teenage sons.
Catwoman: Soulstealer - DC Icons Book 3
8.3
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Sizzling with action and suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author SARAH J. MAAS delivers a...
young adult
Pigeon English
Stephen Kelman and Gbolahan Obisesan
6.0
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There was a ruckus at lunch time. It was the best one so far. Nobody knew why they were fighting...
Death YA Loss Working class Detective
Elites of Eden: A Novel
2.5
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Two girls, one destiny. Yarrow is an elite: rich, regal, destined for greatness. She's the...
young adult
White Stag (Permafrost, #1)
8.2
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The first book in a brutally stunning series where a young girl finds herself becoming more monster...
Young adult fantasy Book series Female lead
Vow of Silence
Book
A killer is hiding in Plain sight… The hunt for a serial killer leads Homicide Detective Josiah...
Adult Romance Suspense
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated My Life with Bob in Books
Sep 13, 2018
I need to read more books about books, because the few that I've read, I've really enjoyed! Earlier this year I read Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, and loved it. I have holds on Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books and The World Between Two Covers: Reading the Globe. (I also have a hold on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, but I'm not sure that quite counts.) And, in looking up the links for those books, I just put holds on three more books about reading, since this is a genre I apparently enjoy!
My Life with Bob is about the author's reading life. Bob is a notebook she uses to keep track of what she's read. Just title and author, and whether or not she's finished it. Very simple. But in looking back through what she's read, she recalls where she was, and what she was doing or going through at the time. So the real story is how her reading choices fit into her life, and how being a bookworm affected her life.
I enjoyed the book, with the slight irritation (in the latter part of the book) of her insistence on calling Young Adult literature, Children's Lit. Children's books are picture books and books for young readers, not The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games. Those are Young Adult, and there's a pretty big difference in my opinion. Maybe not in the professional world; she is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. But it's frustrating to hear her talk about Kid Lit and lump Harry Potter in with a 36-page autobiography of a teddy bear written for kids under 10.
I was also a little shocked to learn (in the book!) she wrote a book about how porn is destroying the American family, and testified before Congress about it, sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback. I normally don't have a problem reading Republican authors - I often don't know the exact political leanings of authors - but I'm reading about her reading choices, and suddenly they are all suspect. (She disliked Ayn Rand, at least, so that's something.) The book was published in May of last year, so after the last presidential election. Anyone who acknowledges working with the GOP at this point, and isn't embarrassed by it, immediately gets a black mark in my book.
So ultimately I'm torn on this book. I liked reading it. I dislike the author. (I will never even try to be non-political on this blog. Sorry-not-sorry.)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
My Life with Bob is about the author's reading life. Bob is a notebook she uses to keep track of what she's read. Just title and author, and whether or not she's finished it. Very simple. But in looking back through what she's read, she recalls where she was, and what she was doing or going through at the time. So the real story is how her reading choices fit into her life, and how being a bookworm affected her life.
I enjoyed the book, with the slight irritation (in the latter part of the book) of her insistence on calling Young Adult literature, Children's Lit. Children's books are picture books and books for young readers, not The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games. Those are Young Adult, and there's a pretty big difference in my opinion. Maybe not in the professional world; she is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. But it's frustrating to hear her talk about Kid Lit and lump Harry Potter in with a 36-page autobiography of a teddy bear written for kids under 10.
I was also a little shocked to learn (in the book!) she wrote a book about how porn is destroying the American family, and testified before Congress about it, sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback. I normally don't have a problem reading Republican authors - I often don't know the exact political leanings of authors - but I'm reading about her reading choices, and suddenly they are all suspect. (She disliked Ayn Rand, at least, so that's something.) The book was published in May of last year, so after the last presidential election. Anyone who acknowledges working with the GOP at this point, and isn't embarrassed by it, immediately gets a black mark in my book.
So ultimately I'm torn on this book. I liked reading it. I dislike the author. (I will never even try to be non-political on this blog. Sorry-not-sorry.)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2) in Books
Jan 21, 2020
I loved the first book in this trilogy so much so going into this one, I had expectations. I was nervous to see what happened between John Ambrose McClaren and Lara Jean, especially because I found myself being Team Peter all the way. I think that this book, actually just the series as a whole is one that is just so sweet and pure and I think it's a new take on a love story. I feel like young adult and fiction is so saturated with love stories that it's hard to find good ones, ones that feel real and make your heart stop, the kind of romance stories that would make a good movie, ya know? I really think this series is out of the box and I like the diversity that it brings not only to YA but to the entire romance genre in general.
It's clear that this book is a stepping stone between the first and the third. It's not as fast-paced as the first book and the details that end up mattering aren't always the biggest ones. It's definitely a bridge that I hope will bring the first and the third together in a way that rounds out the story and I'm excited to see what happens in the conclusion of the series.
I love Lara Jean as a character and her innocence. I know that I'm not that far out from being 16, going on 17, but it's easy to get caught up in the facets of adult life and having to take care of everything all the time and be serious and have a lot of responsibilities. What I like the most about this series is how it transports you and next thing you know, you're 16, going on 17, and you're falling in love with Peter Kavinsky alongside Lara Jean Song Covey.
It's clear that this book is a stepping stone between the first and the third. It's not as fast-paced as the first book and the details that end up mattering aren't always the biggest ones. It's definitely a bridge that I hope will bring the first and the third together in a way that rounds out the story and I'm excited to see what happens in the conclusion of the series.
I love Lara Jean as a character and her innocence. I know that I'm not that far out from being 16, going on 17, but it's easy to get caught up in the facets of adult life and having to take care of everything all the time and be serious and have a lot of responsibilities. What I like the most about this series is how it transports you and next thing you know, you're 16, going on 17, and you're falling in love with Peter Kavinsky alongside Lara Jean Song Covey.