Tagged: fantasy
Look What Just Arrived! (#4)
I went shopping last Saturday and not only discovered that the bookstore owner knows my first name, but also seems to know my reading tastes. This would be normal if it was in my small town, but the bookstore I shop at is in a city an hour away. Okay, obviously I buy a lot of books. So what did I buy this time? (For those of you concerned about my spending, don’t worry. These were all in the ‘Almost New’ section.)
- Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
- Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
- Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey
- The Mummy or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice
- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
- The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
Yes, I’m sticking with the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey. I love her writing style and her world-building. I am also very curious as to where the series will go right now. The Mummy is one I’ve had my sights on for years, but alas, it is mostly out of print. When I saw it in the used section I nearly caused an avalanche (the books are stacked up on the shelves so there’s more room) to get it. The last three books about the Tudors are evidence of the bookstore owner’s knowledge of my reading tastes. Of course Philippa Gregory is excellent, but after Lisa Jennings reviewed Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir, I discovered a new take on the Tudors.
So what are you reading this weekend?
Wilde’s Meadow Releases Tomorrow!
Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.
Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.
Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?
As you guys can probably tell, I’m pretty excited about the release of Wilde’s Meadow, even though I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC again. This is the last book in the Darkness Falls trilogy and if you haven’t already read the first book, Wilde’s Fire, you should. You will not be able to put it down.
At 20four12 Today
Well, by the time you’re reading this I’m on the road travelling, but for posting purposes today I’m posting at 20four12. I went outside Caleb’s usual reviewing material and chose to review Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, a great story for young girls who are struggling with their self-esteem. It’s also a great story for older girls and women who struggle with their body-image. So go on over and check it out! While you’re at it, check out what Caleb usually reviews. He has read more science fiction in one year than I will likely ever read!
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Image Courtesy Of Goodreads
Synopsis: Beyond the Village of Wall lies the enchanting and mystical land of Faerie, where all beings live and breathe magic. Tristran Thorn, a young boy from the village is hopelessly in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester and would do anything for her; including crossing the wall to fetch the fallen star she so desires. As Tristran ventures into the land of Faerie, he will encounter strange and beautiful creatures. Will he find the fallen star and bring it back to the village? Will he be able to make it out of Faerie in one piece?
Cover Gushing Worthiness: The cover of Stardust is beautiful with a doubt. The colours used in the cover of the edition I read (pictured in this review), along with the ivy like designs gives it a magical and whimsical feel.
May Contain Minor Spoilers
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
(Cover picture courtesy of Never Too Fond of Books.)
Finn cannot remember his childhood. He cannot remember his life before Incarceron—a prison that has been sealed for centuries, where inmates live in cells, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. No one has ever escaped. But then he finds a crystal key and a girl named Claudia.
Claudia’s father is the Warden of Incarceron. And Claudia is about to become a kind of prisoner herself, doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn in his escape, she will need his help in return.
But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and far more than they know…because Incarceron is alive.
There is only one word to describe Catherine Fisher’s Incarceron:
Weird.
There is no other world to describe this futuristic science fiction-fantasy hybrid but weird. Truly, even as widely read as I am, I have never read a book like this. It’s unique in a good way, with excellent world-building and interesting themes. I’m not even going to hazard a guess as to where the inspiration for the world of Incarceron came from. It probably wouldn’t make sense to most people anyway.
The fantastic and bizarre world of Incarceron sort of makes up for the characters, which were somewhat lacking. For whatever reason, I just really couldn’t connect with either Claudia or Finn. Claudia is like me in some ways, so I should have been able to connect with her, but I just couldn’t. Finn…I really didn’t like him from the start, so there was no hope there. In my eyes, Catherine Fisher just couldn’t breathe life into her characters.
The plot is fast-paced and switches points of view in all the right places to keep people reading. There are a few predictable plot points, but I certainly couldn’t predict every plot twist. So if you like fast-paced novels with great world-building but don’t mind poorly developed characters, you’ll love Incarceron.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.