Hello. As you have discovered, I am a singular person. I am also a person with a lot of time on my hands, much of which I devote to reading and writing. Sadly, though, what I've found of reading material lately all seem to fall into the same pattern. You go into Barnes&Noble to spend that last ten dollars on that gift card left over from Christmas, and everything's the same:
girl (with uncontrolled superpowers) <3 boy + 2 of them must go out to end the apocalypse/solve high school drama fiasco/help fill in the blank deal with *insert tragedy here*
Or, some variation of that. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that with the commercialization of the Young Adult novel--especially the genre of dystopian, from what I've observed) has come the decline of the sophisticated (or, at least interesting) plot.
This is a pretty petty problem, I am well aware. I could be using my time to do something helpful to society, but I'm not. Excuse me, society, but all I want to do is read a good book. But, I can hardly find them. Do you know how much junk I have to read to find at least one good book to post on? Or, how many book summaries that are practically exactly the same, even though they're from different authors, to find a goodly amount of books to take home from the library?
Because of this, I am striving to weed out the books that still retain the plot and integrity that so many others have given up to be part of the mainstream. I don't know how many people will actually read this, and out of those people who will actually care, but if anyone has any good books that they've read that they think are unique could you tell me about them? I would love to read them.
Thank you. :]
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Munstrumologist
mun-strum-ol-o-gy, n.
1. The study of life forms generally
malevolent to humans and not recognized
by science as actual organisms, specifically
those considered products of myth or folklore.
2.The act of hunting such creatures.
"The Munstrumologist" by Rick Yancey is probably the most gruesome book I have ever read. I do not exaggerate when I say that it is fantastic.
Anthropophagi: Headless beats with mouths in the center of their abdomen, eyes on each of their shoulder blades and a nearly insatiable thirst for human flesh. Doctor Warthrop: One of the foremost experts on Munstrumology and the habits of such ferocious beasts, a man with an ego bigger than most planets. The Situation?: An infestation of man-eating beasts in a small New England town in the late 1800s. Jack Kearns: The man that's brought in to kill them. Will Henry: The twelve year-old boy that's forced to bear witness to it all. Someone has created a river of blood and a path of destruction, bringing dangerous beasts into this town. Blinded by pride, it's impossible to see. And that can have deadly consequences.
Warning: If you are squeamish, do not read this book. If you have an aversion to graphic descriptions, mostly involving decapitations or bugs eating people alive, do not read this book. If you do not like the possibility that there might be monsters underneath your bed at night, do not read this book. But, if you relish those things, then, by all means. Please, I beg you. Read away.
The book is told from Will Henry's point of view, looking back on past events. At least, that's what it's supposed to be, but it reads like your average first-person past-tense novel. But, because he's telling you, though, and you're not supposed to be submerged within the situation to the extent that you're supposed to be in other first-person scenarios, when something is hidden from you it doesn't feel like a glaring omission. Will Henry, though, is portrayed as a twelve-year-old boy very well. You never get the illusion that he's older than his said age, nor do you get the illusion that he's younger, which is a very difficult balance to come by, especially when an adult is writing.
The doctor is an enigmatic figure. Will Henry feels a very strong loyalty to him, though you can't really understand why because the doctor is not the sort of fellow that you'd want to live with. The author tries to make it clear that Will Henry has a very strong bond with the doctor by telling you repeatedly, but you only really begin to see the connection near the end of the book.
Jack Kearns is also a conceited character. He's the stereotypical 'rouge' character, riding up on his metaphorical white horse, concerned about his appearance, expecting people to bow down to him as he proceeds to save the day, and making witticisms that are amusing to the reader but annoying to the people he's interacting This character, though, has fewer morals than the Grim Reaper himself (or herself). There is also a very strange connection from this character to another historical 'legend' that appears at the end of the book. I don't get it, and I hope that it the author follows up on it in one of the sequels.
The plot of this book is fairly straightforward. There aren't very many twists and turns that you can't see coming, but that's okay. Not every book has to be a work of a crazy physiologist (thought, don't we wish that was the case). In this case, the less elaborate plot--don't get me wrong, it's plenty complicated, but it isn't "Ender's Game" thought-provoking--is preferable, leaving us to focus on what really matters. Namely, the blood and the guts.
The language can be a bit troublesome at times. There are hardly any curse words in it, as far as I can remember, it's just the vocabulary. It's written in period-vernacular, not exactly old English, but it doesn't dumb anything down. Which is nice, but sometimes things can get lost among all the pretty words. Yet another reason not to make the plot so complicated. And, if you miss something, you can usually pick it up a bit on, because everything has to be reiterated (no one wants to accept things the first time around).
This book has a fantastic last line, though. "Yes, my dear child, monsters are real. I happen to have one hanging in my basement." I love that line. It's so weird and creepy and gives you such a good picture of what the rest of the book is like. Should I stop gushing right now?
I couldn't find the second book, "The Curse of the Wendigo" in the library when I looked for it, but I will be looking for that. The third book, "Isle of Blood" I believe, was at the library, but there's no point in reading the third book when you haven't read the second. Oh, and, today, (because I know you care so much) I found a tree leaking a strange orange substance in my backyard and I went up and touched it. So, now I'm terrified that little white worms, no bigger than a hair, will eat me alive. And I leave you now with that pleasant thought.
http://www.rickyancey.com/monstrumologist/index.php For some weird reason, this site does not have anything on "Isle of Blood," which results in the fact that I don't really know what the book's called, I'm just hazarding a guess based off of what's in the authors bio.
1. The study of life forms generally
malevolent to humans and not recognized
by science as actual organisms, specifically
those considered products of myth or folklore.
2.The act of hunting such creatures.
"The Munstrumologist" by Rick Yancey is probably the most gruesome book I have ever read. I do not exaggerate when I say that it is fantastic.
Anthropophagi: Headless beats with mouths in the center of their abdomen, eyes on each of their shoulder blades and a nearly insatiable thirst for human flesh. Doctor Warthrop: One of the foremost experts on Munstrumology and the habits of such ferocious beasts, a man with an ego bigger than most planets. The Situation?: An infestation of man-eating beasts in a small New England town in the late 1800s. Jack Kearns: The man that's brought in to kill them. Will Henry: The twelve year-old boy that's forced to bear witness to it all. Someone has created a river of blood and a path of destruction, bringing dangerous beasts into this town. Blinded by pride, it's impossible to see. And that can have deadly consequences.
Warning: If you are squeamish, do not read this book. If you have an aversion to graphic descriptions, mostly involving decapitations or bugs eating people alive, do not read this book. If you do not like the possibility that there might be monsters underneath your bed at night, do not read this book. But, if you relish those things, then, by all means. Please, I beg you. Read away.
The book is told from Will Henry's point of view, looking back on past events. At least, that's what it's supposed to be, but it reads like your average first-person past-tense novel. But, because he's telling you, though, and you're not supposed to be submerged within the situation to the extent that you're supposed to be in other first-person scenarios, when something is hidden from you it doesn't feel like a glaring omission. Will Henry, though, is portrayed as a twelve-year-old boy very well. You never get the illusion that he's older than his said age, nor do you get the illusion that he's younger, which is a very difficult balance to come by, especially when an adult is writing.
The doctor is an enigmatic figure. Will Henry feels a very strong loyalty to him, though you can't really understand why because the doctor is not the sort of fellow that you'd want to live with. The author tries to make it clear that Will Henry has a very strong bond with the doctor by telling you repeatedly, but you only really begin to see the connection near the end of the book.
Jack Kearns is also a conceited character. He's the stereotypical 'rouge' character, riding up on his metaphorical white horse, concerned about his appearance, expecting people to bow down to him as he proceeds to save the day, and making witticisms that are amusing to the reader but annoying to the people he's interacting This character, though, has fewer morals than the Grim Reaper himself (or herself). There is also a very strange connection from this character to another historical 'legend' that appears at the end of the book. I don't get it, and I hope that it the author follows up on it in one of the sequels.
The plot of this book is fairly straightforward. There aren't very many twists and turns that you can't see coming, but that's okay. Not every book has to be a work of a crazy physiologist (thought, don't we wish that was the case). In this case, the less elaborate plot--don't get me wrong, it's plenty complicated, but it isn't "Ender's Game" thought-provoking--is preferable, leaving us to focus on what really matters. Namely, the blood and the guts.
The language can be a bit troublesome at times. There are hardly any curse words in it, as far as I can remember, it's just the vocabulary. It's written in period-vernacular, not exactly old English, but it doesn't dumb anything down. Which is nice, but sometimes things can get lost among all the pretty words. Yet another reason not to make the plot so complicated. And, if you miss something, you can usually pick it up a bit on, because everything has to be reiterated (no one wants to accept things the first time around).
This book has a fantastic last line, though. "Yes, my dear child, monsters are real. I happen to have one hanging in my basement." I love that line. It's so weird and creepy and gives you such a good picture of what the rest of the book is like. Should I stop gushing right now?
I couldn't find the second book, "The Curse of the Wendigo" in the library when I looked for it, but I will be looking for that. The third book, "Isle of Blood" I believe, was at the library, but there's no point in reading the third book when you haven't read the second. Oh, and, today, (because I know you care so much) I found a tree leaking a strange orange substance in my backyard and I went up and touched it. So, now I'm terrified that little white worms, no bigger than a hair, will eat me alive. And I leave you now with that pleasant thought.
http://www.rickyancey.com/monstrumologist/index.php For some weird reason, this site does not have anything on "Isle of Blood," which results in the fact that I don't really know what the book's called, I'm just hazarding a guess based off of what's in the authors bio.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Insignia
"Insignia," by S.J. Kincaid is "Ender's Game" with a twist.
Thomas Raines has spent most of his life traveling from casino to casino, waiting for his dad to finally make a big win. Tom has always been taught to distrust the government, so when a US general shows up and tells Tom that he would be perfect for controlling one of the unmanned drones that does the army's dirty work, fighting for mines and other territories on distant planets during World War III, Tom is apprehensive. This is a chance for greatness, though, the chance to join the few elite of the Camelot Company--a military group of children who control the robots in Outer Space--and to finally become someone important. Tom's all in until they tell him that he has to get a neural implant, a machine in his brain that would make him just like the people is father always looked down on. Thomas Raines must get his mind in order in order to make his own big win, because when gambling with your life everything that makes you you is put into question.
I know that it is unfair to compare anything to "Ender's Game" because Orson Scott Card is a genius writer, but this book can hold it's own. I mean, the premise is basically "Ender's Game" (boy gets taken for military training and plays games instead of learns lessons), but there are a few crucial differences that make the story its own. First, they are not fighting against aliens, they are fighting against other countries, albeit elsewhere in the Solar System. Second, all of the kids have computers in their brains.
The main character, Thomas Raines, is a cross between Eli Monpress and Peter Wiggen, which is fantastic, but I'll get to that in a couple of sentances. The setting, the Pentagon Spire where the cadet kids learn their lessons is a mix of Ender's Battle School and Hogwarts. These crazy combinations are the perfect mix to create something unique and wild, and the author takes full advantage of that.
For starters, Thomas Raines is a unique main character. He has all of the mainuplative slyness of Peter Wiggen, with three-fourths of the ego and all of the creativity Eli Monpress (of "The Legend of Eli Monpress," a series I've yet to review here). He's a lonely kid who has issues with authority and doing what he's told without questioning. He is also one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. Most characters, one their character and behavioral patterns are established, are relatively easy to predict. You know what their path of action is going to be before they take it which, when done right, is the sign of good writing. T'his book, though, can still surprise you. It's not written in first-person, so you don't know what Tom knows the moment Tom knows it. You have to wait and watch the character traits develop, which takes a while. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not often that you don't know everything about the main character immediately. When you do know his behavior patterns, it's difficult to predict what he's going to do next, not because of a bad writing style, more because Tom has such a complex personality. Really, it's refreshing.
Tom's friends are also amusing too. Vik, his roommate, is very funny (I think of him as the Doctor of Doom who has a tummy ace :P), as is Wyatt 'Manhands' Enslowe, Beamer, and Yuri. Each of them have their own personalities, and while they might be stereotypical on occasions (Vik has a 'mirror character' in "Ender's Game," except the guy in "Ender's Game" was much more serious) they do provide a nice balance to Tom's suicidal recklessness. The characters who are not Tom's 'friends' are also colorful as well as his enemies. They make sure that the book doesn't get too silly while having a good time. Well, a good a time as you can have when pretty much everything you have is at stake.
Pretty much everything happens at the Pentagon Spire. The division names--and this is where the Hogwarts part of things comes in--are all named after famous commanders. I forget which division Vik and Tom are him, but Wyatt's in Hannibal. There is also a Napoleon division, for example. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the computer coding instructor, Blackburn, sets division against division in a computer code war. You see, it's funny because with the neural implants in their brains, the 'student-cadets' can be controlled with computer code. I just get this picture in my head of hoards of dignified military students acting like sheep and eating the shrubbery . . . Anyway, the place is fantastically (and suitably wacky. Just the place that I would like to go to school in.
Of course, just as all school in all fiction books, there are issues with the school. Or, more importantly, issues with the faculty. Everyone has their own private agenda in Tom's world, so even among all of the physiological manipulation a tussle is bound to happen eventually. Most of the book, though, involves mind games and how physical combat incite deep strategical thoughts.
The plot of the book is very good. With Tom's relatively unpredictable though-pattern, paired with the cast of both goodies and baddies and the situation that they are all involved in, things are rocky. Also, the book doesn't focus on one overall problem. Most mainstream books today follow one or two conflicts -- 1) the main character saving the world, and 2) the main character's love life and maybe 3) the main character's relationship with various other characters. Very annoying. The conflicts in this book is more like 1) to work with or against the system, 2) who to trust and which secrets to keep, 3) the issue with Dominion Agra, 4) the issue with Medusa and the rest of the rival people who have implants in their brain, and 5) the issue that involves issues 2,3, and 4 but is still very much its own issue. Really, it's very interesting and complex and much better than a lot of stuff that passes for Young Adult material. It does make for a very thick volume but, hey, all the more room to showcase the many fantastic characters of the Pentagon Spire.
This is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy. The second book, "Vortex" comes out on July 2cnd. That day, you will find me anxiously waiting at Barnes & Noble, because the twenty dollars that I will spend on that book will be a sure bet.
www.sjkincaid.com The Q&A with the author on the 'home' page is very funny--she has quite a sense of humor--and the 'extras' tab under 'Insignia' (under 'The "Insignia" Series') has a playlist of songs that match up with the book.
Thomas Raines has spent most of his life traveling from casino to casino, waiting for his dad to finally make a big win. Tom has always been taught to distrust the government, so when a US general shows up and tells Tom that he would be perfect for controlling one of the unmanned drones that does the army's dirty work, fighting for mines and other territories on distant planets during World War III, Tom is apprehensive. This is a chance for greatness, though, the chance to join the few elite of the Camelot Company--a military group of children who control the robots in Outer Space--and to finally become someone important. Tom's all in until they tell him that he has to get a neural implant, a machine in his brain that would make him just like the people is father always looked down on. Thomas Raines must get his mind in order in order to make his own big win, because when gambling with your life everything that makes you you is put into question.
I know that it is unfair to compare anything to "Ender's Game" because Orson Scott Card is a genius writer, but this book can hold it's own. I mean, the premise is basically "Ender's Game" (boy gets taken for military training and plays games instead of learns lessons), but there are a few crucial differences that make the story its own. First, they are not fighting against aliens, they are fighting against other countries, albeit elsewhere in the Solar System. Second, all of the kids have computers in their brains.
The main character, Thomas Raines, is a cross between Eli Monpress and Peter Wiggen, which is fantastic, but I'll get to that in a couple of sentances. The setting, the Pentagon Spire where the cadet kids learn their lessons is a mix of Ender's Battle School and Hogwarts. These crazy combinations are the perfect mix to create something unique and wild, and the author takes full advantage of that. For starters, Thomas Raines is a unique main character. He has all of the mainuplative slyness of Peter Wiggen, with three-fourths of the ego and all of the creativity Eli Monpress (of "The Legend of Eli Monpress," a series I've yet to review here). He's a lonely kid who has issues with authority and doing what he's told without questioning. He is also one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. Most characters, one their character and behavioral patterns are established, are relatively easy to predict. You know what their path of action is going to be before they take it which, when done right, is the sign of good writing. T'his book, though, can still surprise you. It's not written in first-person, so you don't know what Tom knows the moment Tom knows it. You have to wait and watch the character traits develop, which takes a while. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not often that you don't know everything about the main character immediately. When you do know his behavior patterns, it's difficult to predict what he's going to do next, not because of a bad writing style, more because Tom has such a complex personality. Really, it's refreshing.
Tom's friends are also amusing too. Vik, his roommate, is very funny (I think of him as the Doctor of Doom who has a tummy ace :P), as is Wyatt 'Manhands' Enslowe, Beamer, and Yuri. Each of them have their own personalities, and while they might be stereotypical on occasions (Vik has a 'mirror character' in "Ender's Game," except the guy in "Ender's Game" was much more serious) they do provide a nice balance to Tom's suicidal recklessness. The characters who are not Tom's 'friends' are also colorful as well as his enemies. They make sure that the book doesn't get too silly while having a good time. Well, a good a time as you can have when pretty much everything you have is at stake.
Pretty much everything happens at the Pentagon Spire. The division names--and this is where the Hogwarts part of things comes in--are all named after famous commanders. I forget which division Vik and Tom are him, but Wyatt's in Hannibal. There is also a Napoleon division, for example. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the computer coding instructor, Blackburn, sets division against division in a computer code war. You see, it's funny because with the neural implants in their brains, the 'student-cadets' can be controlled with computer code. I just get this picture in my head of hoards of dignified military students acting like sheep and eating the shrubbery . . . Anyway, the place is fantastically (and suitably wacky. Just the place that I would like to go to school in.
Of course, just as all school in all fiction books, there are issues with the school. Or, more importantly, issues with the faculty. Everyone has their own private agenda in Tom's world, so even among all of the physiological manipulation a tussle is bound to happen eventually. Most of the book, though, involves mind games and how physical combat incite deep strategical thoughts.
The plot of the book is very good. With Tom's relatively unpredictable though-pattern, paired with the cast of both goodies and baddies and the situation that they are all involved in, things are rocky. Also, the book doesn't focus on one overall problem. Most mainstream books today follow one or two conflicts -- 1) the main character saving the world, and 2) the main character's love life and maybe 3) the main character's relationship with various other characters. Very annoying. The conflicts in this book is more like 1) to work with or against the system, 2) who to trust and which secrets to keep, 3) the issue with Dominion Agra, 4) the issue with Medusa and the rest of the rival people who have implants in their brain, and 5) the issue that involves issues 2,3, and 4 but is still very much its own issue. Really, it's very interesting and complex and much better than a lot of stuff that passes for Young Adult material. It does make for a very thick volume but, hey, all the more room to showcase the many fantastic characters of the Pentagon Spire.
This is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy. The second book, "Vortex" comes out on July 2cnd. That day, you will find me anxiously waiting at Barnes & Noble, because the twenty dollars that I will spend on that book will be a sure bet.
www.sjkincaid.com The Q&A with the author on the 'home' page is very funny--she has quite a sense of humor--and the 'extras' tab under 'Insignia' (under 'The "Insignia" Series') has a playlist of songs that match up with the book.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Clockwork Princess
"Clockwork Princess," by Cassandra Clare, is the third and final book in the 'Infernal Devices' trilogy. If you haven't read the first two books in the series, then I would advise that you not read this, as to not spoil them for yourself.
Mortmain is almost a thought of the past in the London Institute, with Tessa and Jem busy preparing for their wedding and Will's younger sister, Cecily, recently installed into the household. Then Gabriel Lightwood comes, pounding on the doors of the Institute, with the news that his father has succumbed to the deadly Demon Pox. London's supply of Yin Fen, the drug that prolongs the life of people who have contracted Demon Pox, has run out. Jem, who must also take the drug, is days away from death when the message comes that Mortmain will give the London shadow hunters all the Yin Fen that they want, if only they give him Tessa Gray. The fight comes to the Institute's own front stoop, and the Shadowhunters are forced to reevaluate everything they know, lest they too fall to the Infernal Devices.
I did not like the ending of this book. What ending do I like? There are only a few perfect endings in the world, and I'll just have to accept that conclusion. Sadly, this book is not one of the better endings, though the ending is halfway decent, I'll give it that. But I hate how everyone has to have their cake and eat it too. I won't say more than that, lest I spoil anything. Still, though. Some people have to go home unhappy at the end of the day, don't they? -- not saying any more--
I wish that Tessa was more of a spunky heroine. She's more of a . . . background character, though, even if the whole book is supposed to center around her. She's more obsessed with her boys then with getting out of . . . wherever she was. A bit like in the first book, "Clockwork Angel." Come on, Tessa! I thought that we had been making progress in "Clockwork Prince!" But, noooo, Tessa Gray must be some deranged princess. She does three great acts throughout the whole books, three great acts that show she has a strong spine, and a fourth that isn't so great but, still, it's definitive. But, her strength is not apparent in her speech, and she is described as 'bookish.' Uh, I can see Tessa as so much more than that. It's a shame that her full potential isn't realized.
Jem Carstairs is a bit better. He's made his decision of how he's going to live his life, illness or not, and he sticks to that, which is admirable. He does sort of . . . I won't say anything. I've just never liked his character that much (I prefer Will). Jem was always a bit of a wallflower, until he decided that he was going to marry Tessa and then boom, now he's his own person. He hardly talked to Tessa before he decided he was going to marry her! In my opinion, at least. So, I never 'knew' him as well as I would have liked to. And I won't say anything else here, because I could rant for a good while and give away everything.
Will Herondale is the real break-out character here. Before this book, you see him as a good man in the throes of a curse that will ruin his life until his dying day. Here, Magnus has finally told him he's free of the curse and he's free to live his life as he pleases. Then Jem and Tessa lay it on him that they're getting married, oops, Will, here's your dreams, let's stick 'em to ya. In this book, he's dealing with his loyalty to both of them, as well as his loyalty to himself. His inner turmoil is fantastically done. You can feel what he's feeling with a rare acuteness, and that's a treat, even if most of what he's feeling is self-loathing.
The Lightwood brothers also become more prominent in this book, which is good in its own way, but it takes away from the drama surrounding the main three characters. The time that's spent focusing on Gideon and Gabriel is time that we are not focusing on Tessa. Also, I had trouble remembering which was the older brother (it's Gideon) because both have the same first letter in their name.
There are some happy parts where the unexpected happens. Not that that is a happy thing, because the unexpected is usually not so pretty, but it is good all of the same. Not everyone has to have a happy ending, and that's a lesson we all need to learn in life. There are also some mushy parts--namely one--which is annoying, because they're just about to fight demons and stuff. But, Magnus handles it gamely. (Magnus is, like, the most awesome person in both of the Shadowhunter series.)
The conflicts in these books are always pretty weird, though. It's all physiological until the last fifty or so pages, and then some big physical conflict happens. You know what I'm trying to say? It's almost as though the story arc has been modified to include some gigantic final battle between the two sides, while the rest of the story is entirely about the manipulation of the mind. And it has some pretty good manipulation. Cassandra Clare is, as always, very, very good at portraying human emotion in impossible situations.
One of the coolest thing about these book are the crossovers between the stories. Between the two Shadowhunter series, there are some objects and people that are the same (hint, hint, Isabelle's locket, Church the cat) and it's cool to get their origin stories. The families that participate in both dramas are the same (So, Clary, it isn't your fault--it's genetic), and you get to see what the 'Mortal Instrument' character's great-grandparents were like. If you get the hardcover book, the paper covering of the books comes off to become a family tree of the Fairchilds, Lightwoods, and Herondales spanning from the 1800s to 2008.
As mentioned, this is the third book in the 'Infernal Devicies' triology, with the first two books being 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Prince,' respectively. I think that 'Clockwork Prince' was my favorite of the three, with 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Princess' tied for third. And, let me tell you, the name 'Clockwork Princess' is a misnomer. Technically, it's a metaphor, referring to something Mortmain said in the second book.
Some things are a little too convenient, and other things are a little too perfect, but as always, Cassandra Clare is adept at capturing the tangled webs of human (or warlock, or Shadowhunter) emotion, making 'Clockwork Princess' a tale that's a little too good. The cast peddles in humor and misery equally, facing an inhuman army with the pure definition of humanity.
In our world, in our time, everything goes on as planned, but in the London of the 1800s, the Shadowhunters fight their final fight. THE INFERNAL DEVICES ARE WITHOUT PITY. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS.
The url to the Infernal Devices website is this: http://www.shadowhunters.com/theinfernaldevices/index.php
Though not as extensive as the Mortal Instruments sight, this one does have some pretty decent 'extras,' including a 'Clockwork Princess' countdown widget, which went into negative numbers 10 days, 9 hours, 48 a minutes, and 47 seconds ago. I got the picture above from the site (I can't draw that well).
Mortmain is almost a thought of the past in the London Institute, with Tessa and Jem busy preparing for their wedding and Will's younger sister, Cecily, recently installed into the household. Then Gabriel Lightwood comes, pounding on the doors of the Institute, with the news that his father has succumbed to the deadly Demon Pox. London's supply of Yin Fen, the drug that prolongs the life of people who have contracted Demon Pox, has run out. Jem, who must also take the drug, is days away from death when the message comes that Mortmain will give the London shadow hunters all the Yin Fen that they want, if only they give him Tessa Gray. The fight comes to the Institute's own front stoop, and the Shadowhunters are forced to reevaluate everything they know, lest they too fall to the Infernal Devices.
I did not like the ending of this book. What ending do I like? There are only a few perfect endings in the world, and I'll just have to accept that conclusion. Sadly, this book is not one of the better endings, though the ending is halfway decent, I'll give it that. But I hate how everyone has to have their cake and eat it too. I won't say more than that, lest I spoil anything. Still, though. Some people have to go home unhappy at the end of the day, don't they? -- not saying any more--I wish that Tessa was more of a spunky heroine. She's more of a . . . background character, though, even if the whole book is supposed to center around her. She's more obsessed with her boys then with getting out of . . . wherever she was. A bit like in the first book, "Clockwork Angel." Come on, Tessa! I thought that we had been making progress in "Clockwork Prince!" But, noooo, Tessa Gray must be some deranged princess. She does three great acts throughout the whole books, three great acts that show she has a strong spine, and a fourth that isn't so great but, still, it's definitive. But, her strength is not apparent in her speech, and she is described as 'bookish.' Uh, I can see Tessa as so much more than that. It's a shame that her full potential isn't realized.
Jem Carstairs is a bit better. He's made his decision of how he's going to live his life, illness or not, and he sticks to that, which is admirable. He does sort of . . . I won't say anything. I've just never liked his character that much (I prefer Will). Jem was always a bit of a wallflower, until he decided that he was going to marry Tessa and then boom, now he's his own person. He hardly talked to Tessa before he decided he was going to marry her! In my opinion, at least. So, I never 'knew' him as well as I would have liked to. And I won't say anything else here, because I could rant for a good while and give away everything.
Will Herondale is the real break-out character here. Before this book, you see him as a good man in the throes of a curse that will ruin his life until his dying day. Here, Magnus has finally told him he's free of the curse and he's free to live his life as he pleases. Then Jem and Tessa lay it on him that they're getting married, oops, Will, here's your dreams, let's stick 'em to ya. In this book, he's dealing with his loyalty to both of them, as well as his loyalty to himself. His inner turmoil is fantastically done. You can feel what he's feeling with a rare acuteness, and that's a treat, even if most of what he's feeling is self-loathing.
The Lightwood brothers also become more prominent in this book, which is good in its own way, but it takes away from the drama surrounding the main three characters. The time that's spent focusing on Gideon and Gabriel is time that we are not focusing on Tessa. Also, I had trouble remembering which was the older brother (it's Gideon) because both have the same first letter in their name.
There are some happy parts where the unexpected happens. Not that that is a happy thing, because the unexpected is usually not so pretty, but it is good all of the same. Not everyone has to have a happy ending, and that's a lesson we all need to learn in life. There are also some mushy parts--namely one--which is annoying, because they're just about to fight demons and stuff. But, Magnus handles it gamely. (Magnus is, like, the most awesome person in both of the Shadowhunter series.)
The conflicts in these books are always pretty weird, though. It's all physiological until the last fifty or so pages, and then some big physical conflict happens. You know what I'm trying to say? It's almost as though the story arc has been modified to include some gigantic final battle between the two sides, while the rest of the story is entirely about the manipulation of the mind. And it has some pretty good manipulation. Cassandra Clare is, as always, very, very good at portraying human emotion in impossible situations.
One of the coolest thing about these book are the crossovers between the stories. Between the two Shadowhunter series, there are some objects and people that are the same (hint, hint, Isabelle's locket, Church the cat) and it's cool to get their origin stories. The families that participate in both dramas are the same (So, Clary, it isn't your fault--it's genetic), and you get to see what the 'Mortal Instrument' character's great-grandparents were like. If you get the hardcover book, the paper covering of the books comes off to become a family tree of the Fairchilds, Lightwoods, and Herondales spanning from the 1800s to 2008.
As mentioned, this is the third book in the 'Infernal Devicies' triology, with the first two books being 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Prince,' respectively. I think that 'Clockwork Prince' was my favorite of the three, with 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Princess' tied for third. And, let me tell you, the name 'Clockwork Princess' is a misnomer. Technically, it's a metaphor, referring to something Mortmain said in the second book.
Some things are a little too convenient, and other things are a little too perfect, but as always, Cassandra Clare is adept at capturing the tangled webs of human (or warlock, or Shadowhunter) emotion, making 'Clockwork Princess' a tale that's a little too good. The cast peddles in humor and misery equally, facing an inhuman army with the pure definition of humanity.
In our world, in our time, everything goes on as planned, but in the London of the 1800s, the Shadowhunters fight their final fight. THE INFERNAL DEVICES ARE WITHOUT PITY. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS.
The url to the Infernal Devices website is this: http://www.shadowhunters.com/theinfernaldevices/index.php
Though not as extensive as the Mortal Instruments sight, this one does have some pretty decent 'extras,' including a 'Clockwork Princess' countdown widget, which went into negative numbers 10 days, 9 hours, 48 a minutes, and 47 seconds ago. I got the picture above from the site (I can't draw that well).
Monday, March 18, 2013
Eon
"Eon," Allison Goodman, is a novel centered around a girl pretending to be a boy in a fictional setting that closely mimics old feudal China.
Eon wants to become one with the Rat Dragon. Every twelve years, each dragon chooses a new apprentice to train, and during that year the apprentice from twelve years ago attains unthinkable power. Beyond this, though, gaining the apprenticeship will mean salvation for her adopted family and the chance to make the world see that Eon is something more than a cripple. But Eon has a secret--he is actually a girl named Eona. The position of Dragoneye, lord of the dragons, is for men only, and if Eon can pass the trials with his twisted leg he must hide his true nature, or else everyone he knows could be killed. The fate of the Celestial Empire rests in the hands of a sixteen-year-old girl who can't even begin to know what she's doing, but will do anything she needs to to get the deed done.
It is a very dramatic book, with a pretty commonplace plot, if you think about the plot to the most simplistic extension. Girl gets power = girl attempt to save world. Yada de yada de blah. This, though, is not your normal fantasy. Most fantasies are based off of European culture. Take Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle." Those books had dragons that bound with humans too, but they're the type of dragons normally found in Europe. And the bond is for life, etc., but we digress.
In "Eon," there are 12 Chinese dragons, each one representing one of the symbols of the Chinese years (rat, hare, tiger). It can get a bit confusing at times, but you are not required to remember all of the names of all 12 Dragoneyes to comprehend what's happening which is a relief. And, the books does a much better job of explaining it than I do.
Combine this feature with the fact that you're in feudal China and the Emperor is basically a god, things can get very interesting. I love books where the thought processes are as equally important as the fighting, and there is a lot of intricate politics that Eon has to dance around as he makes his way through court. One mistake, and his neck could be severed. It makes for quite an interesting read.
Eon's character is very interesting in and of itself. Eon is written as a boy who is aware that he's actually a girl. So, Eon doesn't have the complete brashness of a male, but he doesn't act like a girl. His thoughts are also schooled in the way of a male's (that's why I'm calling him a 'he'--because he's so absorbed in his chosen gender he ignores his given one). The only way you would picture him as a girl is if you knew he was a girl previously. That too, adds another layer of intrigue to the whole thing. First, because it effects the way things are played out, and second, because if anyone found out, Eon's dead.
Happy book.
Moving on to Kygo, the heir to the throne. He also is a very complicated person. Raised among the women of the court, he's considered a 'girl' so he does much to prove that he really is a man. He seems to want to be seen as a benign ruler, but he isn't afraid to impose his power upon others to get what he wants. Within the court, he has the potential to be one of Eon's greatest enemies, if he ever finds out Eon's secret. He winds up being one of Eon's greatest allies. You can almost tell that the violate temper inside of him will lead to something deadly--the only thing that you're unsure of is who he'll strike out at first.
Lady Dela and Ryko are another strange pair. Lady Dela is a man who is a woman--basically, the opposite of Eon, but she hasn't changed her gender because her life is in danger, like Eon had. Ryko is her guard. On the top, he seems to be a very uncomplicated person, but in reality, he's probably the most complicated person in this book.
Lord Ido is the designated bad guy. You picture him as a pudgy, balding, old man at first, which is really annoying because then you get a different picture of him elsewhere, and you have to change your entire mental image . . . He isn't a very good bad guy, though, in this book. Much too stereotypical.
This crew of fantastic characters aids the plot in unthinkable ways. It had the potential to be a horrendously boring book, but Allison Goodman pulled it off. Kudos to her. There is a sequel, "Eona," but both books are small libraries in themselves, so I decided to review them separately. There are other reasons for this decisions, which I will soon reveal.
Excuse my absolute chaotic layout of this review. No matter how much of the above you were able to understand, I encourage you to read the books. I saw these books sitting on the shelves for about three years before I decided that they were worth my time. Don't make my mistakes, and don't wait an eon to read the fantastic combination of history and myth. (And please, excuse my horrible pun, but I had no other way to end this).
She has a fantastic author's website, http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/ One of the best I've seen, in my opinion. It tells quite a bit on her and her other books, which is always interesting.
Eon wants to become one with the Rat Dragon. Every twelve years, each dragon chooses a new apprentice to train, and during that year the apprentice from twelve years ago attains unthinkable power. Beyond this, though, gaining the apprenticeship will mean salvation for her adopted family and the chance to make the world see that Eon is something more than a cripple. But Eon has a secret--he is actually a girl named Eona. The position of Dragoneye, lord of the dragons, is for men only, and if Eon can pass the trials with his twisted leg he must hide his true nature, or else everyone he knows could be killed. The fate of the Celestial Empire rests in the hands of a sixteen-year-old girl who can't even begin to know what she's doing, but will do anything she needs to to get the deed done.
It is a very dramatic book, with a pretty commonplace plot, if you think about the plot to the most simplistic extension. Girl gets power = girl attempt to save world. Yada de yada de blah. This, though, is not your normal fantasy. Most fantasies are based off of European culture. Take Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle." Those books had dragons that bound with humans too, but they're the type of dragons normally found in Europe. And the bond is for life, etc., but we digress.
In "Eon," there are 12 Chinese dragons, each one representing one of the symbols of the Chinese years (rat, hare, tiger). It can get a bit confusing at times, but you are not required to remember all of the names of all 12 Dragoneyes to comprehend what's happening which is a relief. And, the books does a much better job of explaining it than I do.
Combine this feature with the fact that you're in feudal China and the Emperor is basically a god, things can get very interesting. I love books where the thought processes are as equally important as the fighting, and there is a lot of intricate politics that Eon has to dance around as he makes his way through court. One mistake, and his neck could be severed. It makes for quite an interesting read.
Eon's character is very interesting in and of itself. Eon is written as a boy who is aware that he's actually a girl. So, Eon doesn't have the complete brashness of a male, but he doesn't act like a girl. His thoughts are also schooled in the way of a male's (that's why I'm calling him a 'he'--because he's so absorbed in his chosen gender he ignores his given one). The only way you would picture him as a girl is if you knew he was a girl previously. That too, adds another layer of intrigue to the whole thing. First, because it effects the way things are played out, and second, because if anyone found out, Eon's dead.
Happy book.
Moving on to Kygo, the heir to the throne. He also is a very complicated person. Raised among the women of the court, he's considered a 'girl' so he does much to prove that he really is a man. He seems to want to be seen as a benign ruler, but he isn't afraid to impose his power upon others to get what he wants. Within the court, he has the potential to be one of Eon's greatest enemies, if he ever finds out Eon's secret. He winds up being one of Eon's greatest allies. You can almost tell that the violate temper inside of him will lead to something deadly--the only thing that you're unsure of is who he'll strike out at first.
Lady Dela and Ryko are another strange pair. Lady Dela is a man who is a woman--basically, the opposite of Eon, but she hasn't changed her gender because her life is in danger, like Eon had. Ryko is her guard. On the top, he seems to be a very uncomplicated person, but in reality, he's probably the most complicated person in this book.
Lord Ido is the designated bad guy. You picture him as a pudgy, balding, old man at first, which is really annoying because then you get a different picture of him elsewhere, and you have to change your entire mental image . . . He isn't a very good bad guy, though, in this book. Much too stereotypical.
This crew of fantastic characters aids the plot in unthinkable ways. It had the potential to be a horrendously boring book, but Allison Goodman pulled it off. Kudos to her. There is a sequel, "Eona," but both books are small libraries in themselves, so I decided to review them separately. There are other reasons for this decisions, which I will soon reveal.
Excuse my absolute chaotic layout of this review. No matter how much of the above you were able to understand, I encourage you to read the books. I saw these books sitting on the shelves for about three years before I decided that they were worth my time. Don't make my mistakes, and don't wait an eon to read the fantastic combination of history and myth. (And please, excuse my horrible pun, but I had no other way to end this).
She has a fantastic author's website, http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/ One of the best I've seen, in my opinion. It tells quite a bit on her and her other books, which is always interesting.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
"Beautiful Creatures" Novels
The "Beautiful Creatures" quartet by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohlr can be beautifully intricate . . . or beautifully confusing.
Beautiful Creatures: Ethan Wate has wanted to escape Gatlin since he could remember. To be free, not to be cooped up with in the predictable parameters of small-town Southern life. Before he gets a chance to make good on his dreams, a girl in a hearse pulls up in the school parking lot, and his life changes forever. Soon, Ethan has stopped asking how he can get out of Gatlin, but how he can get in to the secrets that the old town holds.
Beautiful Darkness: Lena Duchannes blew Gatlin away, almost quiet literally, on her sixteenth birthday. She put off the decision of her lifetime--Should she become Dark or Light?-- for another year, but the guilt at causing her uncle's death has ravaged her mind. Already she's pulling away from Ethan and showing Dark tendencies, such as running away with a strange Caster boy. Concerned and worried Ethan hits the charts with a new friend and finds that the extent to which Lena's mother will go to make Lena Dark is beyond imagination--even in a world where anything is possible.
Beautiful Chaos: With Lena finally Claimed, life in Gatlin should finally be going back to sweet, sweet normalcy. But plagues of grasshoppers, drought, and scorching heat are ravaging the land, even though it's the middle of December. The high-society ladies of Gatlin have decided that it must be the End of Days, but the Casters know better. Lean broke the Order when she was claimed, and now Mortal and Caster worlds alike must suffer. Ethan is the only one who has all of the pieces of the puzzle in his hand, and when he puts them together he arrives at a sickening conclusion: For the world to survive, one of them must die.
Beautiful Redemption: The sacrifice has been made, but down in Gatlin no one is willing to let matters be with one of their own buried in the ground. They must bend Heaven and Earth, putting themselves at risk for death themselves at the hands of their old enemy. The peril on the other side of the veil is great as well as Ethan risks it all to return to the place he once fought to escape.
My two favorite books in this series are "Beautiful Creatures" and "Beautiful Chaos." "Beautiful Redemption is pretty decent, while my reaction to "Beautiful Darkness" was 'Wha . . .? That was random." But, more on that later.
Yeah, I know that this is a romance story, okay? Deal with it. They also fight evil-demon thingies and evil relatives. And such. So, yeah. And Lena is strange and writes long skirts and funky necklaces and writes depressing poetry, so that makes everything okay. Anyway . . .
It's very interesting that these books are written from the perspective of a male. They're obviously aimed towards girls (though, I know a guy who likes them), but they're written by two women. I say kudos to them for being able to pull it off. No offense to you, males, if you're reading this, but it is very hard to write from your perspectives, I not being one of you. And, most books aimed at girls have girl main characters. Easier to relate to and all that. Ethan, though, is very easy to relate too. Which propels the book to its status. If you couldn't relate to Ethan, at least, then the second book is too difficult to even attempt to pursue.
That leads me to my special rant, written out specifically for you on "Beautiful Darkness." Wow. Okay, when you write/read fantasy, you generally come to accept that each fantasy world you enter comes with a certain set of rules. In "Eragon" by Christopher Paloni, it is accepted that using magic saps some of your energy. In one book, Eragon gets exhausted from causing rocks to hail down on someone. If, in the next book, he was able to lift an entire mountain using magic without any extra reserves of magic, then everyone would be outraged because he just violated the rules of the world Christopher Paloni created for him. Does that make any sense? In the book, the characters operate by the rules which are set down, much like we must operate by the rules of physics and all that. Because flying isn't possible. You would look twice at someone who started flying right in the middle of the street, right? Because that violates the 'rules' of this world. So, why in the name of all that is did Kathy Garcia and Margret Stohl make Sarafine pull the ---- out of ----!? That made no sense! They never said that they couldn't do it, yeah, but they never explained why she could! Very random. I was very outraged. And what was the deal with that place that ---- ----- took Lena? It was hardly mentioned in the rest of the books. It was just this random place that they needed to make their story work. But a story only works if it works within the parameters that's already set out for it.
Anyway. Sorry, I've been planning that rant for some time.
One of the best things about these books are the characters. We've already established that Ethan is pretty darn awesome. So is Lena. There are a bunch others, though, that all deserve and honorable mention; Link, Liv, Ridley, John, Amma, Macon, the Sisters. They are all fantastically quirky. Hardly any cookie-cutter in them at all, which is fantastic and keep the whole thing very interesting to read. I think that you start reading these books for the cool titles they have (Oh, come on, admit it."Beautiful Creatures" is one cool title.) and keep reading for the characters. They're the sort that stay with you long after the last cover of the last book has been shut.
One thing that I don't get, though; a bunch of people have names that begin with 'L' and are four or less letters long. That makes it pretty hard when you speed read. All during "Beautiful Darkness" I kept tripping up. "Wait, isn't Lena supposed to be--Oh, wait, that word was Liv." Yeah. That might just be an issue for me, but, you know . . .
Even though some of the books don't follow all of the 'rules' and though they are very mushy and romantic, for each of their bad qualities they have details and twists that redeem them. And, believe me, the result is very beautiful.
Even though these are popular books, I can't find an official site on it. But, as half the world knows, there is a movie out (heh heh heh), so here's the link to the IMDb trailer of that. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559547/ I would advise you to watch the featurette (is that what it's called?) of Ridley meeting Ethan and Link because it is very amusing. Also, I want it for the record that no one in the movie looks like they do in the book, and in the book they look better. And that the dude who plays Ethan is not extraordinarily good looking. Just saying.
Beautiful Creatures: Ethan Wate has wanted to escape Gatlin since he could remember. To be free, not to be cooped up with in the predictable parameters of small-town Southern life. Before he gets a chance to make good on his dreams, a girl in a hearse pulls up in the school parking lot, and his life changes forever. Soon, Ethan has stopped asking how he can get out of Gatlin, but how he can get in to the secrets that the old town holds.
Beautiful Darkness: Lena Duchannes blew Gatlin away, almost quiet literally, on her sixteenth birthday. She put off the decision of her lifetime--Should she become Dark or Light?-- for another year, but the guilt at causing her uncle's death has ravaged her mind. Already she's pulling away from Ethan and showing Dark tendencies, such as running away with a strange Caster boy. Concerned and worried Ethan hits the charts with a new friend and finds that the extent to which Lena's mother will go to make Lena Dark is beyond imagination--even in a world where anything is possible.
Beautiful Chaos: With Lena finally Claimed, life in Gatlin should finally be going back to sweet, sweet normalcy. But plagues of grasshoppers, drought, and scorching heat are ravaging the land, even though it's the middle of December. The high-society ladies of Gatlin have decided that it must be the End of Days, but the Casters know better. Lean broke the Order when she was claimed, and now Mortal and Caster worlds alike must suffer. Ethan is the only one who has all of the pieces of the puzzle in his hand, and when he puts them together he arrives at a sickening conclusion: For the world to survive, one of them must die.
Beautiful Redemption: The sacrifice has been made, but down in Gatlin no one is willing to let matters be with one of their own buried in the ground. They must bend Heaven and Earth, putting themselves at risk for death themselves at the hands of their old enemy. The peril on the other side of the veil is great as well as Ethan risks it all to return to the place he once fought to escape.
My two favorite books in this series are "Beautiful Creatures" and "Beautiful Chaos." "Beautiful Redemption is pretty decent, while my reaction to "Beautiful Darkness" was 'Wha . . .? That was random." But, more on that later.
Yeah, I know that this is a romance story, okay? Deal with it. They also fight evil-demon thingies and evil relatives. And such. So, yeah. And Lena is strange and writes long skirts and funky necklaces and writes depressing poetry, so that makes everything okay. Anyway . . .
It's very interesting that these books are written from the perspective of a male. They're obviously aimed towards girls (though, I know a guy who likes them), but they're written by two women. I say kudos to them for being able to pull it off. No offense to you, males, if you're reading this, but it is very hard to write from your perspectives, I not being one of you. And, most books aimed at girls have girl main characters. Easier to relate to and all that. Ethan, though, is very easy to relate too. Which propels the book to its status. If you couldn't relate to Ethan, at least, then the second book is too difficult to even attempt to pursue.
That leads me to my special rant, written out specifically for you on "Beautiful Darkness." Wow. Okay, when you write/read fantasy, you generally come to accept that each fantasy world you enter comes with a certain set of rules. In "Eragon" by Christopher Paloni, it is accepted that using magic saps some of your energy. In one book, Eragon gets exhausted from causing rocks to hail down on someone. If, in the next book, he was able to lift an entire mountain using magic without any extra reserves of magic, then everyone would be outraged because he just violated the rules of the world Christopher Paloni created for him. Does that make any sense? In the book, the characters operate by the rules which are set down, much like we must operate by the rules of physics and all that. Because flying isn't possible. You would look twice at someone who started flying right in the middle of the street, right? Because that violates the 'rules' of this world. So, why in the name of all that is did Kathy Garcia and Margret Stohl make Sarafine pull the ---- out of ----!? That made no sense! They never said that they couldn't do it, yeah, but they never explained why she could! Very random. I was very outraged. And what was the deal with that place that ---- ----- took Lena? It was hardly mentioned in the rest of the books. It was just this random place that they needed to make their story work. But a story only works if it works within the parameters that's already set out for it.
Anyway. Sorry, I've been planning that rant for some time.
One of the best things about these books are the characters. We've already established that Ethan is pretty darn awesome. So is Lena. There are a bunch others, though, that all deserve and honorable mention; Link, Liv, Ridley, John, Amma, Macon, the Sisters. They are all fantastically quirky. Hardly any cookie-cutter in them at all, which is fantastic and keep the whole thing very interesting to read. I think that you start reading these books for the cool titles they have (Oh, come on, admit it."Beautiful Creatures" is one cool title.) and keep reading for the characters. They're the sort that stay with you long after the last cover of the last book has been shut.
One thing that I don't get, though; a bunch of people have names that begin with 'L' and are four or less letters long. That makes it pretty hard when you speed read. All during "Beautiful Darkness" I kept tripping up. "Wait, isn't Lena supposed to be--Oh, wait, that word was Liv." Yeah. That might just be an issue for me, but, you know . . .
Even though some of the books don't follow all of the 'rules' and though they are very mushy and romantic, for each of their bad qualities they have details and twists that redeem them. And, believe me, the result is very beautiful.
Even though these are popular books, I can't find an official site on it. But, as half the world knows, there is a movie out (heh heh heh), so here's the link to the IMDb trailer of that. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559547/ I would advise you to watch the featurette (is that what it's called?) of Ridley meeting Ethan and Link because it is very amusing. Also, I want it for the record that no one in the movie looks like they do in the book, and in the book they look better. And that the dude who plays Ethan is not extraordinarily good looking. Just saying.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Death Watch
"Death Watch," Ari Berk, is a fantastic novel on death and what it means to live.
Lichport is a town where the dead outnumber the living. Amos Umber used to be the town's Undertaker, putting the spirits of the dead to rest and keeping the fragile peace between the world. Amos Umber went missing while working a year ago, though, and his disappearance has haunted his son, Silas. Moving into his uncle's house in Lichport, Silas stalks the old, abandoned streets looking for clues to his fathers appearance. But Silas is no child and the more time he spends looking for his lost father is less time he has to figure out the real problem in Lichport, the one that's got everyone on their toes; a lonely ghost locked in a house, an insane man looking for blood, and the ship wicked that's hovering just beyond the horizon.
You know what's going on forty pages after Silas steps over the threshold and into his uncle's house. Well, you know the basic premise of what's going to happen, but still. That's a hundred pages into a (I want to say) 500 page book? Eh. Could be better.
Also, Silas is a spoiled brat. All he thinks about is his 'girlfriend' and his father's disappearance. Okay, so, maybe he's not a spoiled brat. But he's pretty self-absorbed. He is a basically good person and he's selfless when he can see past his own problem. When Mr. Peale dies he's still wrapped up in his father and he has to do the final rites. Hello? Quit worrying. There's a time for everything. Eventually, though, I do believe that he learns his lesson. It's always nice to see a character grow after reading an absurdly long novel. In my mind, he was cutting an impressive figure by the end, but that might just be my perception and my obsession of good beating evil, good personalities over bad personalities.
I'm not saying that it's a bad book, though. It's one of those books that can carrying on no matter what mood the protagonist is in. There isn't a dreadful amount of dialogue; the descriptions of things outweigh the dialogue by far. The amount of description is like that of C.S. Lewis's, in literary nature, of course. I've heard some people describe the Narnia books as wordy, and if you can't handle those I don't believe that "Death Watch" is for you.
But, lo, the descriptions describe something wonderful. The ghostly worlds jump of the page. It's phenomenal. The town of Lichport is as real as any town on the map, sometimes more real. The closed in lanes of the Narrows; the playground; the cramped, chaotic, and serene sight of that graveyard that's on the hill that I've gone and forgotten the name of; and (one of my favorite parts) the tea house and the alehouse where the spirits go to forget that they ever lived. They all played like a little movie in my head, and I believe that I would recognize those places if I ever stumbled across them.
Also, I love books about death. I know that's extraordinarily morbid, but I do. Books that bring up theories about what happens to you after you die, books that speculate what the meaning of death is. This is a book that does both, with an added question: What is death if you've never really lived at all The question is sort of buried within the many pages, but I agree with it wholeheartedly, or, at least, as much as one can agree with a question. The book also brings up another interesting concept (yes, this one also has to do with death); the memory of the dead.
Not the memory of the spirits, but how people remember them. Silas's mother's grandfather decided not to die, so he's basically a 'zombie' or a corpse with a will. No, he does not try to eat anyone's brains, sorry for the disappointment. Mainly, he sleeps. But, all that aside, Silas's mother's grandfather is a good example of the books theme "Remember the dead," because Silas's mother is afraid of her grandfather. She doesn't want to remember him. In fact, she moves so she doesn't have to remember him anymore. This could be in part because he's a corpse, but it also could be a metaphor, and not just about death. A lot of people are afraid to remember things that are painful to them.
Also, in the spirit world, spirits try to remember things too. I think that those souls 'have lost something but have given up on looking for it' but I don't have the book in front of me so I can't check up on the correct wording. But these souls lost something in their life, and now, upon their death, they've given up looking, but they're still stuck. This could be another metaphor, but about people who are living.
So, really, the book isn't all about death. It's about the living and how death affects them. It has multiple levels, which makes for an enthralling read. All in all, Silas Umber's story isn't half bad, not half bad at all. Now, if only he can stay alive long enough to give us more of them.
Lichport is a town where the dead outnumber the living. Amos Umber used to be the town's Undertaker, putting the spirits of the dead to rest and keeping the fragile peace between the world. Amos Umber went missing while working a year ago, though, and his disappearance has haunted his son, Silas. Moving into his uncle's house in Lichport, Silas stalks the old, abandoned streets looking for clues to his fathers appearance. But Silas is no child and the more time he spends looking for his lost father is less time he has to figure out the real problem in Lichport, the one that's got everyone on their toes; a lonely ghost locked in a house, an insane man looking for blood, and the ship wicked that's hovering just beyond the horizon.
You know what's going on forty pages after Silas steps over the threshold and into his uncle's house. Well, you know the basic premise of what's going to happen, but still. That's a hundred pages into a (I want to say) 500 page book? Eh. Could be better.
Also, Silas is a spoiled brat. All he thinks about is his 'girlfriend' and his father's disappearance. Okay, so, maybe he's not a spoiled brat. But he's pretty self-absorbed. He is a basically good person and he's selfless when he can see past his own problem. When Mr. Peale dies he's still wrapped up in his father and he has to do the final rites. Hello? Quit worrying. There's a time for everything. Eventually, though, I do believe that he learns his lesson. It's always nice to see a character grow after reading an absurdly long novel. In my mind, he was cutting an impressive figure by the end, but that might just be my perception and my obsession of good beating evil, good personalities over bad personalities.
I'm not saying that it's a bad book, though. It's one of those books that can carrying on no matter what mood the protagonist is in. There isn't a dreadful amount of dialogue; the descriptions of things outweigh the dialogue by far. The amount of description is like that of C.S. Lewis's, in literary nature, of course. I've heard some people describe the Narnia books as wordy, and if you can't handle those I don't believe that "Death Watch" is for you.
But, lo, the descriptions describe something wonderful. The ghostly worlds jump of the page. It's phenomenal. The town of Lichport is as real as any town on the map, sometimes more real. The closed in lanes of the Narrows; the playground; the cramped, chaotic, and serene sight of that graveyard that's on the hill that I've gone and forgotten the name of; and (one of my favorite parts) the tea house and the alehouse where the spirits go to forget that they ever lived. They all played like a little movie in my head, and I believe that I would recognize those places if I ever stumbled across them.
Also, I love books about death. I know that's extraordinarily morbid, but I do. Books that bring up theories about what happens to you after you die, books that speculate what the meaning of death is. This is a book that does both, with an added question: What is death if you've never really lived at all The question is sort of buried within the many pages, but I agree with it wholeheartedly, or, at least, as much as one can agree with a question. The book also brings up another interesting concept (yes, this one also has to do with death); the memory of the dead.
Not the memory of the spirits, but how people remember them. Silas's mother's grandfather decided not to die, so he's basically a 'zombie' or a corpse with a will. No, he does not try to eat anyone's brains, sorry for the disappointment. Mainly, he sleeps. But, all that aside, Silas's mother's grandfather is a good example of the books theme "Remember the dead," because Silas's mother is afraid of her grandfather. She doesn't want to remember him. In fact, she moves so she doesn't have to remember him anymore. This could be in part because he's a corpse, but it also could be a metaphor, and not just about death. A lot of people are afraid to remember things that are painful to them.
Also, in the spirit world, spirits try to remember things too. I think that those souls 'have lost something but have given up on looking for it' but I don't have the book in front of me so I can't check up on the correct wording. But these souls lost something in their life, and now, upon their death, they've given up looking, but they're still stuck. This could be another metaphor, but about people who are living.
So, really, the book isn't all about death. It's about the living and how death affects them. It has multiple levels, which makes for an enthralling read. All in all, Silas Umber's story isn't half bad, not half bad at all. Now, if only he can stay alive long enough to give us more of them.
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