The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archives #1) - Brandon Sanderson

This is a book that seems to be going absolutely nowhere....But I still really, really liked it.  The characters are fascinating and the world (as is true with all that I have read by Brandon Sanderson) is unique - the magic, the world, how the world works, and the peoples.

I love that about Brandon Sanderson that he creates the out of the box, not standard fantasy worlds, and I always want to know more about his world. In this world, it is world ruled by violent storms called the High Storms that come on a regular basis, and all the animals and plant life are adapted to these storms, and so have protective shells that plant and animal alike can retreat into to weather these harsh storms.  But on the plus side, these storms provide the magic for the world through the energy they bestow.

His characters are wonderful as well.  I want to know what is happening next, what the character is going to do, how they are going to achieve their goals, what motivates these people.  This book does have a myriad of characters - it is almost like he saw how popular George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series is doing with its myriad of characters and constant shifting view points, and thought he would adapt that to his own world view.  It works. I am waiting to see if he is as ruthless with his characters as George RR Martin is in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

All that said, I still have no idea where this books is going, or what the purpose of the story is.  I have a general idea - a big event is on the horizon, but not how the characters are linked to it.  It really seemed that this is a book that is going nowhere, and yet due to the wanting to know more about the world and the characters, I could easily over look that flaw because it is just a pleasure to read.

That said, I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series.

Heir of Novron (Riyria Revelations) - Michael J. Sullivan

Hadrian and Royce return.  Have I mention that I really like these characters? 

This is the final installment in the Riyria Revelations.  It opens with Arista in prison, and soon to be executed as a Witch.  Modina (Thrace) becoming more aware and Amelia falling in love and becoming more comfortable with who she is.  What more can one ask?  Oh, yes, a climax to the wonderful adventure we taken on in the first two books. 

This book does not fail to satisfy.  We at long last discover the true heir to Novron in this book, and without giving anything away, it was one I suspected early on but discarded.  The evil ones are routed, new evil is discovered and peace is achieved. 

There are some losses of major characters, but even those are given a happy ending.  Modina (Thrace), Amelia, Arista, and Hadrian find happy endings, and Nimbus finds a bit of what he is searching for in the end as well. 

Most of this book is the mad search for the Horn of Gylindora, which will save mankind from extinction.  Unfortunately, the horn was lost with the capital city of the Old Empire, and nobody knows where that may be.  And time is short because the elves are invading and annihilating all humans in their path.  The last bastion of human kind is Aquesta, where Modina is damned and determined to save her people.

Everyone discovers a lot about themselves in this book and what they believed to be true is set on its head.

I really enjoyed this book.  There are some things that are hinted at, but never fully disclosed in this book, which frustrated me a bit, but other than that, well written, a pleasure to read and a delightful adventure.  All in all, a good ending to a very good series.  I look forward to reading more from Michael J. Sullivan. 

Rise of Empire - Michael J. Sullivan

This is the second book in the Riyria Revelations.  And it was an enjoyable as the first.  The bad guys are a little more obvious, but there are still some surprises.

We meet back up with Royce, Hadrian, Arista and Thrace (now Modina) from the first novel. 

In the previous installment, we learned that there had once been an Empire that ruled over all the lands, and there was great peace and prosperity.  But a thousand years before, the Emperor was murdered by his trusted advisors, and his son was sent into hiding, accompanied by a Teshlor Knight as his guardian. There has been a search for the Heir ever since.

I really enjoyed the mystery here; everytime I was sure I knew who the Heir was, I found I was wrong.  Although I think it was obvious from the beginning of a Theft of Swords, who the guardian was. 

Thrace after killing the Gilarabrywn, a creature of pure magic that is created as a tool for war, and can only be dispelled with the one sword made at its creation inscribed with its name, is now Empress, but she is practically cationic.  Saladur, from the previous novel, has set Thrace up as the living descendent of Novron, and thereby the one true heir to the Empire. Along with Ethelred, Saladur has taken up the reins to run the new Empire with Thrace is but their puppet. 

We are introduced to some new characters:  One is Amelia, a scullery maid raised to a lady, to help Modina learn to be Empress.  Sir Breckton, a champion of the Empire, who is incredibly loyal and honorable to a fault, and Nimbus, a courtier who comes to Amelia's aid to assist Modina in learning to be an Empress. 

Royce and Hadrian are once again brought in to aide Melengar with their struggle against the Empire.  Arista also plays a larger part in this novel, and comes to accept her powers more and where she is going. 

Arista proves herself a capable and competent administrator, but she is meant for something else.  I like strong women in books, and Arista is strong, but with some of the foibles strong women have, which is self doubt in their attractiveness.  I like her - she is great, but not perfect. 

This book covers growth of the characters and the beginning of realizing who they are and who they can be.  Lot of great action in this book also, and it ends on a cliff hanger. 

My only slight criticism about this book:  I would have liked to know a lot more about Gwen.  The prostitute with a heart of gold, and Royce's love.  

A wonderful addition to the series. 

Theft of Swords - Michael J. Sullivan

I didn't read this book as much as listened to it over a 4 day drive from Charleston, West Virginia to Carson City, Nevada.   It made the incredibly long drive actually enjoyable. 

I picked up this book because it looked interesting and I needed listening material for my long drive and at 22 hours, it would cover a good portion of my 36 hour drive. 

The book starts out with the characters of Royce, a very good thief, and Hadrian, an excellent swords man, two renown thieves who make up the Organization Riyria.  They are contracted for an enormous amount of money to steal a renown sword from the castle of the king of Melengar.  Hadrian, who has a heart of gold and really desires to help people accepts the job, not just because of the ridiculous amount of money offered but because he believed unless the sword was taken, a man would die. 

A word on Royce's and Hadrian's relationship:  These two men are close, very close.  They disagree a lot and they bicker frequently, but Michael J. Sullivan really built their relationship well, and despite the bickering and back biting, the characters obviously care about one another deeply. 

Royce is described as 'scary' throughout this book and the subsequent sequels, and a bit of delving into Royce's past, shows he is scary, but he is also smart and an excellent tactician.  Hadrian could have easily been played as the big, dumb lovable guy to foil Royce, but although Hadrian is the lovable guy, always willing to crack a joke and is very friendly, he is much more complex than initially meets the eye.  Needless to say, I really liked both of these characters.  They have depth, and I enjoyed reading about them.

After attempting the job, the two find that they have been set-up.  Surprised?  Not I, but there wouldn't have been much of a story had they just easily gained the sword, now would there?  The two end up accused of the murder of the King, and end up in the dungeon.  The son of the king, pronounces death upon them come the dawn.  The sister of the King, Arista, sets them free and commissions them to kidnap her brother for his own safety as she believes there is a plot to eliminate their family, the Essendon's.

And so they do.  And a delightful romp begins. Where the two travel to an hidden prison, rescue a eidetic monk, set free a renown evil wizard, and win the trust of the prince along the way.  And save the Kingdom of Melengar....at least for now. 

I was impressed that throughout the book, it had me second guessing who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.  It was well done, and I enjoyed that depth, which unfortunately, you don't always get in a Sword and Sorcery novel.

This book was so enjoyable that even though I had a second book lined up for the drive, I ended up buying the second book in the series, Rise of the Empire, to listen to during the remainder of the trip.

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

I received this book from a friend at a New Years book exchange party we had.  I think I had seen it briefly here and there, but had so much on my reading list that I never got around to picking it up. 

I really enjoyed this book.  It pulled me in immediately.  I kind of like the fact that the author treats the reader like they are part of the universe and instead of using blatant exposition to explain her world, she lets the reader learn as they go.  It was almost as fun when I finally understood the role of the saints played in this world.  I really like when a book doesn't beat one over the head explanations. 

The basic story is a girl who is half dragon and half human.  She doesn't fit in either world, and her heritage is a secret because it is illegal in both the dragon world and the human world.  She sees herself as a monster, and is uncomfortable in her own skin.  It doesn't help that the one person who really loves Seraphina for the person she is, can't show her because he, Orma, is a dragon and the dragons are breathing down his neck about showing excessive emotions.  It is a fascinating struggle, but the love is obvious in the care that he shows Seraphina and the lengths he goes to hide that love just so the dragons won't excise his memories of her and her mother. 

Seraphina struggles to find her place in the world, amidst an uneasy treaty between dragons and humans, and deep horrible prejudice on both sides.  She learns and grows and something I like to see, other character's grow as well.  To many books fall into the trap of having their character's remain stagnant, which makes them just unfleshed out shells of the people the author really wants them to be.  Seraphina and the other cast members are nicely fleshed out, and I look forward to seeing them fleshed out in the coming sequel. 

Replay - Ken Grimwood

That said, this book disappointed me in the end.  It seemed like there was no resolution. As if he learned nothing from his repeated journeys and re-workings of the past.  Also, the main character in this book came off as rather selfish. 

He used people and events to his advantage, but seems to give little in return.  He brushed off his family, which to me, who has lost my mother at an early age is a travesty.  If I were to go back 25 years, I would be 19 years old, and have another year with my mother.  I would treasure that year, and my mother more than I did my first go around. 

Also, there is the implication that major events, such as the Kennedy assassination, can not be changed, but in the book over his several replays of his life, he has made major changes to the world by effecting events, so that was confusing and contradictory. 

But I have to say, despite these flaws, I did enjoy the journey, and it made me think. 

The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

This is amongst my favorite books of all time.  I rank it up there with Anne McCaffery's The Dragon Riders of Pern and Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.  Something about this book draws me. 

Harry is a girl who has often felt alone and out of place in the world, and even more so after the death of her father and her move to the dry, dusty and reddish Darian desert far from the wet and green world she is familiar with.  She feels out of place not because of the Desert which calls to her, but because of who she is.  She feels awkward in her own skin.  No great beauty, taller than fashion permits, and just different from her surroundings.  I think many a teen girl, and I was such a teen girl when I first read this book, can identify with this feeling. 

But more than that I can identify with Harry, I like Harry.  She is different, and although she tries to bridle her difference and be content with her lot, she doesn't surrender to it.  And when she is taken from all that is familiar - kind people who love and care about her, and forced into a foreign world, she doesn't curl up and become useless, she strives to grow and learns to understand her difference.

When duty calls to her, she is not afraid to abandon the person she loves to do what she must.  She is strong and brave, and it shows deeply when she returns to the man she abandoned afr
aid of his rejection, but returning all the same to face the music, so to speak. 

I love this book.  I like the world it is set in.  I like the magic that inhabits this world, and most of all, I like the characters who are flawed, but willing to learn and grow. 

Still after all these years, a favorite of mine.  I have read this book at least a two dozen times over the last 30 years, and like an old, well loved friend, it is there to greet me each and every time, I open its cover. 

The Weight of Blood - David Daglish

I picked up this book because a few years ago when I got my first Kindle, I became hooked on the free books available.  A lot are by independent authors trying to get their writing out there, and offer a book or two as loss leaders.  If you read my review of the game Of Orcs and Men, you know that I have a fascination for Orcs, so this book drew me like the proverbial moth to a flame.

This is the first book in the series, and it pulled me in.  Here are two half-Orc brothers, Harruq and Qurrah, who are very flawed. Qurrah is a necromancer of great power, and Harruq is his strong, warrior brother.  Harruq is really the focus of this book.  Harruq is Qurrah's strength and is often treated as the stupid muscle, but as the book unfolds, I found that Harruq is not as dumb as one would think, but is torn between his love for his brother and what is right. 

Not instantly redeemable or likeable characters - they start out killing children, which Harruq does at Qurrah's bidding, but feels horrible about at the same time; Harruq believes Qurrah that they are doing the right things.

Once the gods in their world are understood a little better, it was easier for me to accept the brutality of these characters and to a certain degree find some empathy for them, especially Harruq who eventually repents for what he has done, and tries his best to be a better person.  He pays for his sins later, but that is in the subsequent books in the series.

I am usually not drawn to such dark characters, but the writing sucked me in, and the character development was fascinating to me.  So despite my initial horror, I found I really, really enjoyed this book and the subsequent entries into the series, and was a bit sad to see the series end.