Category: Book Review
The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough
(Cover picture courtesy of The Incurable Bluestocking.)
Throughout the Western world, great kingdoms have fallen and despots lay crushed beneath the heels of Rome’s advancing legions. But now internal rebellion threatens the stability of the mighty Republic. An aging, ailing Gaius Marius, heralded conqueror of Germany and Numidia, longs for that which was prophesied many years before: an unprecedented seventh consulship of Rome. It is a prize to be won only through treachery and with blood, pitting Marius against a new generation of assassins, power-seekers and Senate intriguers—and setting him at odds with the ambitious, tormented Lucius Cornelius Sulla, once Marius’s most trusted right-hand man, now his most dangerous rival.
It goes without saying that we get to see things from the POVs of our old favourite characters Marius and Sulla but I for one welcomed the introduction of other characters. Livia Drusa was a fantastic female character and her situation really gave me more insight into the plight of aristocratic women in Rome. And of course who can forget the precocious young Gaius Julius Caesar, who is feared by Marius because of old Martha’s prophecy that he would surpass his uncle? As with how it actually happened, Marius’s declining health and mental state led to Sulla’s meteoric rise up the ranks of the Roman hierarchy. The way Colleen McCullough chose to tell the story was very telling: Marius, whose star is fading, receives very little page time while Sulla takes the main stage.
While I can see where this new expanded set of characters might confuse some readers, if you’ve read The First Man in Rome you’ll have no trouble following the many intrigues of The Grass Crown. The Social War is sort of the main war in this book and it’s certainly not simplistic. What fascinated me the most was the different approaches the many Senators took to the war and how they proposed to stop the Italian rebellion and discourage future rebellions. Pompey Strabo Carnifex, true to his name (‘Pompey Cross-Eyed Butcher’ in English) was a truly horrible character that demonstrated the worst the patrician class had to offer. There are just so many different, complex characters that if I start on them now this review will turn into an essay.
In essence the characters drive the story, whether they’re Roman or not since we get to see things from all points of view. The plot is not fast-paced by any stretch of the imagination and yet Colleen McCullough’s writing is just too good to put down. She truly cares about historical accuracy and her writing immerses you in the cutthroat world of ancient Rome. From the halls of the Senate to the blood-soaked streets of Rome all the way to the far east of the empire, you’ll feel like you’re really there with the characters watching the events play out. And that, my friends, is a special talent very few writers possess.
With the end being such a cliffhanger I had no choice but to dive straight into the next book, Fortune’s Favorites. Truly, Colleen McCullough has an addictive writing style.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Darklight by Lesley Livingston
(Cover picture courtesy of Paranormally Romanced.)
Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.
Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.
When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.
Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.
With breathtakingly high stakes, the talented Lesley Livingston delivers soaring romance and vividly magical characters in Darklight, the second novel in the trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange.
I had reviewed the first book on The Streetlight Reader, giving it 3.5/5 stars. So why did I read it after giving the first book a ‘meh’ rating? Well I had read a chapter in the bookstore and it seemed like the writing had improved so I decided to give Lesley Livingston another chance. Was I right to do that? As it turns out, Darklight is a slight improvement over Wondrous Strange.
My main problem with the first book is that I could not connect on an emotional level with the characters. Sure, they were going through the motions of having emotions but I just couldn’t feel the emotions coming from the writing. In this second book this has improved a little bit. I actually felt Kelley’s distress at Sonny’s disappearance, her anger at her mother Mabh and her father Auberon, etc. Could I feel this passionate, sweeping romance between her and Sonny? Not really. But did I actually get emotionally involved in the story? Occasionally.
No, the lack of emotional quality in the writing is not the problem this time. This time the problem is that the plot makes absolutely no sense because very few conflicts are resolved throughout the book. Whereas Wondrous Strange was too fast-paced, this one was too slow in the beginning and desperately tried to make up for it in the last few chapters, culminating in one of the most random battle scenes I’ve ever read. Some of the plot twists (like who Sonny’s father is) were rather predictable and yet the explanations for these twists made no sense. I can’t say much more than that without giving the entire book away, but trust me when I say it comes both out of nowhere and it was predictable in a way.
I found that the world-building was still as good as ever in Darklight. I loved Lesley Livingston’s descriptions of Auberon’s palace, Titania and Mabh. They were absolutely spot-on and I never really felt bored with them because of that. Really, the writing is beautiful if you’re solely judging this book on imagery and descriptions but sometimes the situations the characters find themselves in are not adequately explained to the reader. Thus you end up amazed and confused, much like in the first book.
I may or may not read the third and final book in the Wondrous Strange trilogy but all I can say is that I really hope that if you try reading it you have a much better experience than I have.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
Deadlocked by A. R. Wise
(Cover picture courtesy of Orisi’s Blah Blah Blah.)
David was caught in the middle of the city when the zombie outbreak started. His wife and daughters were at home, stranded on the roof as zombies waited below. He would have to fight through hordes of undead, merciless other survivors, and a series of death defying stunts to get home. However, even if he makes it there, how can he be sure they’re safe?
Deadlocked puts you into David’s head as he struggles to get home. Then a final confrontation occurs that will guarantee his family’s survival, but at what cost?
I picked up Deadlocked for free through the Amazon Kindle store (a wondrous place that I’m loving more and more since purchasing a Kindle for myself) and read through it in one sitting. It’s only 53 pages or so but A. R. Wise’s story sure does pack a punch. For being free I was pleasantly surprised that there were no blatant grammatical or spelling errors. In fact, it was a pretty good story overall.
David is the type of character that I love. He’s just your ordinary guy whose first instinct during a disaster is to get home and protect his family. Obviously he loves his wife and children and absolutely nothing is going to get between him and his beloved family. Not even a city full of zombies. I know this sounds pretty stereotypical but David is quite a dynamic, well-fleshed out character and it’s worth picking up Deadlocked for that alone.
The plot was very fast-paced being a novella but it also made sense. Wise covered a lot of ground within those 53 pages and I have a lot of respect for an author that can keep the pacing that fast and still tell a relatively coherent story. There were times the writing was a little choppy and confusing, but it was a fairly good read overall. The descriptions are very graphic so this is not for the faint of heart, but if you love zombies in general you’ll love this novella.
I give this novella 4/5 stars.
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
(Cover picture courtesy of Hatchette Australia.)
Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys — or as he would later be known, Merlin — leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man’s-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur — king for once and always.
I’ve read so many different takes on the Merlin legend you’d think I’d get bored after this long. But of course not, especially when I read such awesome books like Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy. It’s the perfect mix of magic and realism combined with some brilliant research that makes it seem like Merlin could have been a real historical figure.
I’ll start off with the characters because they were my favourite part of the whole thing. Merlin was pretty good. He was a precocious child that grew up to be a mature young man that is slightly cynical about the world around him because he’s seen the ugly side of life. He knows the fine line between the visions given to him on occasion and prophecy and that sometimes you need to give people what they want to hear. The thing about Merlin is that he changes so much throughout the story that you can’t help but love him. Seeing him interact with Ambrosius and Uther was fascinating. Especially considering Uther isn’t the sort of man you would think he’d be in this novel. I can’t say much without giving the plot away, but Uther is probably not how you imagined he would be.
I’ll admit that the plot is not exactly fast-paced but neither is it so slow that it drags on and on. No, Mary Stewart has great pacing in The Crystal Cave and we really get to learn about Merlin on an intimate level while enjoying the plot. Unlike so many first books in historical fiction/fantasy trilogies there are actually interesting events going on rather than the author just having the first book as a prelude to the real events.
Basically if you love the Arthurian legends you can’t afford to pass up The Crystal Cave. It’s a great addition to the Arthurian canon and even if it wasn’t it’s a worthwhile read for Mary Stewart’s great writing style alone. She has this way of describing things that’s just magical and leaves you wanting more (in a good way). She never overdid the descriptions but I could clearly picture the world of Merlin. Really, The Crystal Cave had everything I could possibly ask for.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Hidden by Sophie Jordan
(Cover picture courtesy of The Teen Bookworm.)
A dangerous journey.
Shattered bonds.
Undying passion.
Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the “prince” of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian’s sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.
The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there’s no guarantee they’ll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning….
Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan’s Firelight trilogy.
In some ways, Hidden by Sophie Jordan was much better than the second book Vanish. Yet in other ways it was much worse. How so? Well…
The problem is that Sophie Jordan raised more questions than she answered. Who are the enkros? Why do they study dragons? What is the meaning of the term ‘enkros’ and how does it apply to them? What are the motivations of all of the scientists involved in studying the draki? How can they not know about their transformations into humans? What will happen to Cassian and Jacinda’s bond as they part ways? Is Will ever going to grow up and stop with the whole possessiveness thing he had going on throughout Hidden?
I mean, despite all of these questions the plot was reasonably paced, there were some twists and some characters acquired more depth. Jacinda, however, was not one of them. I felt like all she did in the whole book was allow herself to be captured in the noble sacrifice trope and then gets rescued and sort of mopes around indecisively for the rest of the book. The person who did acquire depth is Cassian, though. You can feel his love for Jacinda growing even as she spurns him and we learn he is absolutely willing to give his life for her. His decision at the end of the novel makes sense because of his characterization, but I still hated that his storyline wasn’t as neatly wrapped up as it could be.
Sophie Jordan has great descriptions and such vivid imagery at times. I love her writing style in general, but the fact we were stuck in Jacinda’s head the whole time made Hidden not nearly as enjoyable as it should have been. The world-building in the Firelight trilogy had the potential to be ground-breaking in terms of adding to existing dragon lore, but there were just too many loose ends by the final chapter. Overall it was an okay read, but I certainly won’t be reading any other Sophie Jordan books if I can help it.
I give this book 2/5 stars.