Category: Book Review
Emperor: The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Whitcoulls Ebooks.)
The year is 53 B.C. Julius Ceasar approaches his final destiny—a destiny that will be decided not by legions but by his friend Brutus and a bewitching Egyptian queen named Cleopatra.
Fresh from victory in Gaul, Julius Caesar leads his battle-hardened legions across the Rubicon. The armies of Rome will face each other at last in civil war, led by the two greatest generals ever to walk the seven hills.
From the spectacles of the arena to the whispered lies of conspirators, Conn Iggulden brings to life a world marked by fierce loyalty and bitter betrayal, with dark events shrouded in noble ideas.
Emperor: The Gods of War was my introduction to both Conn Iggulden and the world of Gaius Julius Caesar, despite the fact that this book is the fourth (and last) book in the Emperor series. My mother had bought it for me for my birthday one year and she is notoriously bad at finding the first book in a series. Nevertheless, I read it and it left quite the impression on me.
The Gods of War is the most exciting book in the series and is an example of Conn Iggulden at his finest. Love, lust, friendship, loyalty and betrayal are all prominent themes and they are what make reading this book a cinematic experience. I vote for the Emperor series to be the next series adapted into movies because the screenwriters would not even have to alter the story very much. The characters are larger than life and there’s hardly ever a dull scene.
Conn Iggulden really brings his characters to life, thus making history a bit more accessible to the average modern reader. He generally sticks to the facts of historical events, but what sets his books apart is the fact that he assigns realistic motivations to the people behind these events, particularly Caesar. When he writes, it feels like he was really at these events and knew the people that caused them. One scene in particular stands out in my mind, when Brutus complains to his mother, Servilia, that Julius overshadows him:
“I am the best of my generation, Mother. I could have ruled. But I had the misfortune to be born to a Rome with Julius in it. I have suffered it for years. I have pledged my life to him and he cannot see it.”
She pulled back from him at last and shook her head. “You’re too proud, Brutus. Even for a son of mine you are too proud.”
I think Iggulden hit the nail on the head with that scene, which of course leads up to the infamous Ides of March.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
(Cover picture courtesy of Better World Books.)
Working as a secret agent for Britain’s most exclusive agency, Alex Rider thinks he’s seen it all. He’s been shot at by international terrorists, stood face-to-face with pure evil, and saved the world—twice. All before his fifteenth birthday. But Alex is about to face something more dangerous than he can imagine: a man who’s lost everything he cared for—his country, his son—a man who has a nuclear weapon, and will stop at nothing to get his world back. Unless Alex can stop him first…
I’ll just come out and admit right now that Skeleton Key is my favourite Alex Rider book. It’s not that the plot was more exciting or anything like that—it was the villain. I absolutely love my villains and when there is a good villain in a story, it just improves my overall enjoyment of the book. General Alexei Sarov is one of the great villains that I didn’t have room to include in my list, despite the fact he comes in a very close 6th.
As usual, the plot of Anthony Horowitz’s book moves along at a fast pace that will keep readers turning pages at a furious speed. I can also vouch for Horowitz’s accuracy in his research, particularly in Alex’s scuba diving scene. As a scuba diver, I can say with confidence that this is one of the only completely accurate diving scenes in mainstream fiction. Just like in all of his novels, the effort Horowitz puts into research really shines through in his writing.
Truly, the only place where his writing falls flat is his characterization. It is by no means terrible, but it does not hold up to his fast pacing or his great research. General Sarov is a great villain, however Alex falls flat for me. He seems a little too perfect, especially since he’s saving the world at the age of only fourteen. Despite this little flaw, Skeleton Key is an excellent book.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
The Hippopotamus Marsh by Pauline Gedge
(Cover picture courtesy of Tower.)
Hundreds of years under the oppressive foreign rule of the Setiu have stripped Egypt of its majesty. Seqenenra Tao, Prince of Weset, the true heir of the double crown, is pained to see his estate deteriorate and longs to restore the royal bloodline to its former glory. King Apepa’s merciless taunting and humiliating requests are a poor disguise for his contempt of the prideful Tao family and their independence. Cornered, the Prince of Weset must choose between complete submission to a foreign king or a daring uprising that is doomed to fail. Seqenenra Tao’s shocking decision puts in motion a series of events that will either destroy his cherished home or resurrect a dynasty and an entire way of life for all of Egypt.
Thus begins the riveting first volume of Pauline Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, in which the history of one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest families comes alive in a remarkably vivid and wonderfully crafted epic.
I discovered Pauline Gedge’s writing on a bitterly cold Christmas Day a few years ago, but the first book I read was her latest work at the time, The Twice Born. Now that I’ve read almost all of her work, I definitely prefer her earlier works. They’re much faster paced and the characters are far more interesting. Her earlier works definitely have less of a literary novel feel and more of an epic historical fiction feel.
The Hippopotamus Marsh is the first book in the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy and it follows the patriarch of the Tao family, Seqenenra. Seqenenra is a very proud character, yet there is despair lurking beneath the surface because half of his beloved Egypt is under the yoke of the Setiu king Apepa. But when Apepa takes his ridiculous demands too far, he finally snaps and the rebellion that gave him the epithet ‘the Brave’ began. If any of you history buffs want to look up Seqenenra (he was, of course, a real historical figure), I recommend that you search with caution—his mummy is not one of the prettier ones.
In addition to fascinating characters like the regal Tetisherti, the brave Seqenenra and the tragically flawed Si-Amun, the plot moves along at a nice pace. It’s not nearly as fast as that of most mainstream fiction, but it is much faster than Pauline Gedge’s later books. The Hippopotamus Marsh is a must-read for anyone who loves the mysterious civilization that was ancient Egypt.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
(Cover picture courtesy of this site I cannot translate.)
Lestat. The vampire hero of Anne Rice’s enthralling novel is a creature of the darkest and richest imagination. Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now a rock star in the demonic, shimmering 1980s, he rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his eternal, terrifying existence. His is a mesmerizing story—passionate, complex, and thrilling.
If you don’t like slow plots or are in any way sensitive to gore or explicit sex scenes, this book is not for you. But if you can appreciate a slow but compelling narrative filled with fascinating characters, you will appreciate The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is the second book in the Vampire Chronicles, but you don’t have to read Interview with the Vampire to understand it. Anne Rice lets her book stand on its own, but it is interesting to see first Louis’, then Lestat’s different perspectives. Whereas Louis found his vampirism to be a curse, Lestat chose to embrace it, delighting in his newfound power.
I think a big part of why the Vampire Chronicles are so popular is the fact that Anne Rice has created truly memorable characters. If I’m honest with myself, Lestat remains in my mind along with other great characters like Thu, Harry Potter, Katsa and Hamnet. What keeps people coming back for more is her characters, not her slow moving plot or her sensual descriptions, as some reviewers claim. Lestat is not always sympathetic, but he is appealing enough to command your attention.
I can honestly say that once you start reading The Vampire Lestat, you won’t be able to put it down. When I first read it, I stayed up until four in the morning to finish it—although that was partly because the alternative was going to sleep on a concrete floor with nothing but a thin sleeping bag. Still, it is a great book and you’ll have to forgive me for being cliché and describing it as “hypnotic”, because there is no other word for it.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Son of the Mob 2: Hollywood Hustle by Gordon Korman
(Cover picture courtesy of Scholastic Canada.)
When Vince heads out to sunny L.A. to go to film school, he’s sure he’s left his family and their criminal dealings behind him.
But then Vince finds out the hard way that you can take the kid out of the mob, but you can’t take the mob out of the kid. Soon, his brother Tommy is shacking up in his dorm room, and a steady stream of “uncles” are showing up with his mother’s homemade rigatoni, and a whole lot of trouble, in hand.
Fans of Son of the Mob will enjoy reading more about Vince as he navigates his way through another hilarious adventure, while trying to keep his integrity—not to mention his life—intact.
Most sequels to originally stand alone novels are horrible, but Son of the Mob 2: Hollywood Hustle is definitely a great sequel to Son of the Mob. Gordon Korman fills every page with his usual over-the-top sense of humour that will literally make you laugh out loud in parts. But it does tackle some serious issues and not every part of the book is hilarious, which is partly why I love it. Gordon Korman is one of the few authors I know of that can tackle serious issues with a good sense of humour.
Vince Luca is a great protagonist and is very three dimensional. He is a good guy at heart, but he is definitely not perfect. With his newfound freedom, Vince gives in to the temptation to be lazy, but what college student doesn’t? Despite his faults, readers will cheer him on the whole way through the novel, especially during the climax.
Of course the plot of Hollywood Hustle zips right along in the usual Gordon Korman fashion. It goes along quite quickly, but the pace fits the story without being ridiculous. For young adults who are sick of all the doom and gloom that seems to be the trend in YA literature, this is the perfect book.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
*For some reason, Barnes and Noble does not have this book. The link will take you to their home page, so maybe you can find it and prove I’m blind.