Title: God Stalk & Dark of the Moon (in anthology The God Stalker Chronicles)

Author: P.C. Hodgell

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Baen (anthology reprint)
Publication Date: January 2010
Paperback: 928 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of the God Stalker Chronicles

GOD STALK

Jame of the Kencyrath stumbles out of the Haunted Lands, away from the ruins of her home keep, to find the great labyrinth that is the city of Tai-tastigon. Unluckily, she arrives during the Feast of Dead Gods when all the gods who have lost their followers hunt the shuttered streets for souls to devour in order to maintain their shadowy half life. This situation poses an extra problem for Jame because her people are unwilling monotheists, chosen by their Three-Faced God to defeat the encroaching shadows of Perimal Darkling. Having once chosen his (or her or its) champions, however, the Three-Faced God left them on their own to fight a long, losing batttle from threshold world to world down the Chain of Creation. During her stay in Tai-tastigon, Jame not only struggles with this enigma of one diety or many but also joins the Thieves Guild ( another tricky situation in that Kencyr can’t lie), dances at the tavern that has taken her in, and in generall creates chaos wherever she goes. What she hasn’t quite realized yet is that she is becoming the Third Face of her detested god, That-Which-Destroys, while at the same time doing her best to save the day. Imagine collateral damage galore, followed by a rueful voice: “Oops. Sorry.”

DARK OF THE MOON

Leaving Tai-tastigon in flames (don’t ask), Jame, her ounce Jorin, and her elderly warrior friend Marc set out to find her twin brother, Torisen. All that lies in the way are the Ebonbane Mountains, a pack of ravenous wyrsa, the Anarchies, and an aging rathorn (think in terms of an ivory-clad unicorn with fangs and a really bad temper). Meanwhile, her brother Torisen has become the leader of the Kencyrath and, somehow, ten years older than Jame. He is also facing the challenge of his life so far in that the Waster Horde is about to march down Rathillien’s throat, eating everything and everyone in its path. Faced with treachery within and without the Kencyrath, Tori must lead the Kencyr Host against an overwhelming enemy. Brother and sister meet on the battlefield in time to encounter their long-lost, mysterious mother, who spontaneously combusts rather than hurt either one of them. Then comes the battle, followed by an ever greater conflict: how can Tori accept the sister whom he still loves but has been taught to fear for her darkling traits and nascent power?

How did I get this book: Bought

Why did I read this book: It took no small amount of arm-twisting and book-pimpage from commenter Estara, that’s for sure! Ever since I had posted the cover for Bound In Blood on my “Radar,” Estara has been pimping this series to me – and hey, what can I say? It totally worked. Anyone that passionate about a series is going to get our attention, and The God Stalker Chronicles sounded like my kind of fantasy.

REVIEW:

God Stalk, the first novel in the God Stalker Chronicles, opens with a silver-eyed, clawed heroine, stumbling from the mists of the Haunted Lands. Jamethiel of Kencyr (Jame, for short), is our heroine – named for Jamethiel the Dream-Weaver, consort of the Kencyr’s greatest traitor, Gerridon. Alienated by her own father and twin brother Torisen (Tori) for her Shanir appearance and abilities, Jame nevertheless is desperate to find Tori. Her journey takes her to the city of Tai-Tastigon, whose streets she discovers are oddly vacant, though clearly not an abandoned ghost-town. Receiving shelter and aid from a local tavern, the Res a’Bytrr, a feverish Jame learns she has come to the city on the eve of the Feast of Dead Gods (hence, the abandoned streets). Tai-Tastigon is a strange, eccentric city, with multiple religions and parties vying for power, and soon Jame finds herself firmly enmeshed with the local culture. Accepting an apprenticeship for the famed thief (and landed master) Penari – with the grudging consent of the Three-Faced Kenyr God, of course – Jame happens on many strange adventures in the strange city. Of course, her main goal and purpose remains unchanged, as she tries to find a way to get to her twin brother, Tori.

In Dark of the Moon, Jame and her companions the fellow Kencyr and elderly warrior Marc, and her ounce (the equivalent of a large cat), the blind Jorin leave a Tai-Tastigon consumed by flames. After being delayed in the city for more than a year from her quest, Jame seeks out her brother Tori to give him the broken sword and their father’s ring, while she also carries the pale-bound book, lost to her people for ages. It’s not so straightforward, however, as Jame and her companions must face wyrms, an ancient catlike Arrin-Kin judge, a changer minion of the fallen Gerridon, and even Jamethiel the Dream-Weaver and Gerridon themselves. Meanwhile, the narrative also follows Jame’s twin Tori, who has (despite the lack of their father’s ring and sword) become the Highlord of the Kencyrath as he deals with other young highborn Kencyr, squabbling lords, mysterious ruins and missing bones, and his own troubled, premonitory dreams. As Jame and Tori’s paths finally collide, the reunion between the separated twins is anything but tender, as Tori struggles with his fear of his sister and her Shanir powers.

God Stalk and Dark of the Moon are emblematic of 1980s fantasy: a heroic quest, surreal fancy high magic, action sequences that don’t exactly amount to much, and lots of the complicated, made-up names (NOTE: yes, fantasy always has many of the made up names and places, but at least in my experience, books from the ’80s are the most egregious offenders, throwing out as many strangely-placed vowels and unpronounceable names as possible). I’m not knocking on ’80s fantasy, as some books, God Stalk and Dark of the Moon included, are awesome – these novels simply reflect the popular trends in the genre during the time they were written.

The success of the God Stalker Chronicles rides on two factors – the strength of its heroine, and the awesome scope of its worldbuilding. The star of the series is Jame, a strong, powerful, heartfelt protagonist – who actually, in some ways, is something of an unexpected (even anti-) heroine. In God Stalk, readers meet a strong, funny Jame; a young woman that has a knack for attracting trouble, but has the skills and fortune to get herself out of tight spots. In Dark of the Moon, Jame is still naive, but comes to grips with her own past, her powers, her responsibilities, and her family legacy. Both versions of Jame are pretty cool, as Ms. Hodgell forces her heroine to confront truths and grow as a character – something I can definitely get on board with.

In terms of writing style, these two books are unquestionably dense, dealing with some dark story matter, but also tempered with humor (that doesn’t stray into parody – it’s actually a lovely balance that Ms. Hodgell achieves). God Stalk is much more lighthearted and quirky of the two novels, introducing readers to a heroine struggling with her memories and assorted political entanglements in the city of Tai-Tastigon. Fun and interesting, but God Stalk lacks the meat and potatoes, the central conflict of the series – and that’s what Dark of the Moon delivers. (NOTE 2: This is, in part, why I decided to hold off on my review of God Stalk and decided to read both novels collected in this anthology.) On its own God Stalk is entertaining, but feels somewhat…incomplete. Dark of the Moon, however, remedies that, delving into some dark, dark source material, as Jame is forced to confront her own nature. In terms of writing skill, too, Dark of the Moon is also a better written novel, alternating between Jame and Tori’s narratives, and revealing many more answers, especially considering the twins’ heritage and abilities, while leaving many tantalizing open questions (not to mention a cliffhanger ending).

And then, there’s the second strength of the series, as I mentioned earlier: the extensive – exhausting – worldbuilding. I’ve come to the conclusion that The God Stalker Chronicles are going to divide readers – you’ll either love these books to bits, or realize that they are not for you. Personally, I’m blown away by how detailed the world, cultures, religions, races, etc that Ms. Hodgell has created even within these first two books. BUT, at the same time (and this is coming from someone that revels in complex backgrounds, politics, and worldbuilding), Jame’s world(s) are as confusing as all get-out. I cannot imagine reading these without the handy dramatis personae or maps that apparently were not included in the original printing. As such, God Stalk and Dark of the Moon are not books that one can read casually – I constantly had to force myself to focus and process what I was reading, flipping back and forth to keep track of who/where/what the heck was going on. This isn’t a bad thing at all, it just requires effort on the part of the reader which, granted, isn’t for everyone (hence, the love it or hate it impression). At times, even with the most focused concentration, I found it hard to follow these books because of how complex and sprawling the story is, but with effort it all comes together in the end. And, as a reader, I appreciate Ms. Hodgell’s dedicated, nuanced universe and the effort it must have taken to create it immensely.

The God Stalker Chronicles are Epic with a capital “E,” and I have a sneaking suspicion that these are the types of books that get better upon rereading. Certainly, the books have a dedicated fan following (if Estara is any indication!) which is cool, and testament to the strength of Ms. Hodgell’s writing, worldbuilding, and fantastic heroine. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for classic high fantasy, with a strong female protagonist – with the lone caveat that you will have to set time aside to really focus on the novel in order to appreciate it fully.

Also, on one last note, I want an ounce of my own. That is all.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From God Stalk:

THE HILLS ROLLED up to the moon on slopes of wind-bent grass, crested, swept down into tangled brier shadows. Then up again and down, over and over until only aching muscles distinguished between rise and descent, climb and fall. A night bird flitted overhead. Jame paused to watch it, thinking enviously of wings. For a moment it showed clearly against the moon-silvered clouds, and then the wall of mountains to the west swallowed it. How near the Ebonbane seemed now that night had fallen. The range loomed over her, an immense presence filling half the sky, blotting out the stars. Two weeks of walking had at last brought her out of the Haunted Lands into these foothills, but that in itself was no help. Clean earth or not, this was still a wilderness. What she needed now was civilization—even a goatherd’s hut—but something, and soon.

Thin, high voices called to each other behind her. Jame caught her breath, listening, counting. Seven. The haunts had found her trail again.

She tensed to run, then forced her weary muscles to relax. Flight would only weaken her. Besides, they seemed to be keeping their distance, an odd thing after so many days of close pursuit. Should she finally turn on them? They were well spread out, tempting targets for their wounded prey . . . ah, but what good would it do to kill something already dead? She would make one last bid for life, then, Jame thought as she started up the next slope. If only she could reach shelter before her strength gave out and they overtook her.

Then, suddenly, there was the city.

Jame stared down at it from the hilltop, hardly trusting her eyes. It lay well below her, cradled in the curve of the foothills as they turned to the southeast. Even from this distance, it looked immense. The outer circle of its double curtain wall was miles from edge to edge; the inner seemed to strain under the pressure of the buildings it contained. Gray and silent it stood between mountain and plain, a stone city that appeared in the cold moonlight to be more the work of nature than of man.

“Tai-tastigon!” Jame said softly.

Behind her, the wailing began again, then faded away. In the silence that followed, a cricket chirped tentatively, then another and another. The haunts had withdrawn. Not surprising with the city so near, Jame thought, rubbing her bandaged forearm. They had followed her far beyond their own territory as it was, drawn on by the blood-scent. She shivered, remembering that first encounter in the Haunted Lands before the burning keep. Dazed by fire and smoke, she had turned to find a dark figure standing behind her. For a joyful moment, she had thought it was Tori. Then she was down with the foul thing on top of her, its fetid breath in her face.

Jame looked at her hands, at the long, slim fingers and at the gloves hanging in shreds from them. Each ivory white nail lay flush with the skin now, its sharp point curving halfway over the fingertip. They looked almost normal, she thought bitterly. Trinity knew what the haunt had thought when those same nails, fully extended, had ripped the rotting flesh from its face.

Not that that would stop such a creature for long. Even if she had killed it, nothing stayed dead forever in the Haunted Lands, just as no one could live there unprotected without changing as the haunts, once ordinary men, had changed. That was the curse that the Kencyrath, Jame’s own people, had let fall on the region when their main host had withdrawn from it long ago. No longer maintained by their will, the Barrier between Rathillien and the shadows beyond had weakened. Perimal Darkling, ancient of enemies, now gnawed at the edges of yet another world, poisoning the land, sucking health from the air. Still, it would have been much worse if a handful of Kencyr defenders had not remained, Jame thought; it was worse now that they were all dead. She, the youngest and last was getting out none too soon.

Or perhaps not quite soon enough. Though the Haunted Lands lay behind her, she could feel their evil growing in her bandaged arm even now.

You can read the full excerpt online, HERE.

And from Dark of the Moon:

TAI-TASTIGON BURNED.

“Wake, wake!” shouted city guards under windows barred for the night. Fists pounded on doors. Bells began to shrill. From the roof of the Council Hall came the sudden boom of the warning horn, all five of its mouthpieces manned at once.

The citizens woke. They tumbled bleary-eyed into the streets to find the sky alight overhead. From the north came shrieks and the crash of falling buildings. An unearthly wail rose from the Temple District as the gods, bound in their sanctuaries, felt the stones heat around them. Fiery motes danced in the air. What they touched, burned: roofs, clothes, flesh. Panic spread. Now people were running, some already on fire, down through the twisting streets, toward where the River Tone ran between dark buildings. Quick, the water. The swift, cold current bore them downstream under the soaring bridges to smash against the prow of Ship Island or drown in the white water along its sheer sides.

On the island itself, in the Palace of the Thieves’ Guild, an old man sat in a tapestry-hung room. On his lap lay a book bound in white leather with the texture of an infant’s skin. His head tilted back. Gaping mouth and empty eye sockets opened only into darkness.

The chamber room door burst open. A man clad in royal blue stood on the threshold, his golden hair shining softly in the gloom. He stared at the old man. An unpleasant smile twisted his handsome features, but when he turned to the dark figures crowding the corridor behind him, they saw only anger and grief in his face.

“The Talisman has done this,” he said to them. “Get her.”

A low growl answered him. The hallway emptied. Moments later, shadowy forms slipped through the streets, oblivious to fire and ruin, growling still. Swift as they were, rumor outpaced them:

The Lord of the Thieves’ Guild is dead, is dead. The Talisman has slain him. Brother thieves, the hunt is up!

The Talisman ran for her life, ran for home. One corner more, and there was the inn, the Res aB’tyrr, blazing. Dark figures came at her, silhouetted by the glare.

“The fire might have spared it, Talisman. We didn’t.”

You can read the full excerpt online, HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Those of you familiar with John Scalzi’s Whatever Blog know that he frequently has other authors over for “Big Idea” posts. Author P.C. Hodgell wrote her own “Big Idea” type of post on her LiveJournal, which you can check out HERE – it’s well worth visiting as she discusses the central theme of “What Do We Owe the Dead?” Jame’s world, and Ms. Hodgell’s motivations and inspirations for writing (especially for writing fantasy) are covered in this intriguing essay. Ms. Hodgell also posts a follow-up/Big Idea Redux after taking in reader feedback, which you can read HERE.

Thanks again to Estara for pointing out these essays!

Rating:

God Stalk: 6 – Good, Recommended
Dark of the Moon: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Wolfsangel by M.D. Lachlan

Title: Tome of the Undergates

Author: Sam Sykes

Genre: Fantasy (Epic Fantasy)

Publisher: Gollancz (UK)
Publication date: April 15 2010
Hardcover: 612 pages

Stand alone or series: 1st in a planned trilogy

Lenk can barely keep control of his mismatched adventurer band at the best of times (Gariath the dragon man sees humans as little more than prey, Kataria the shict despises most humans and the humans in the band are little better). When they’re not insulting each other’s religions they’re arguing about pay and conditions. So when the ship they are travelling on is attacked by pirates things don’t go very well. They go a whole lot worse when an invincible demon joins the fray. The demon steals the Tome of the Undergates – a manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates. And whichever god you believe in you don’t want the undergates open. On the other side are countless more invincible demons, the manifestation of all the evil of the gods, and they want out. Full of razor-sharp wit, characters who leap off the page (and into trouble) and plunging the reader into a vivid world of adventure this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

Why did we read the book: Numerous reasons, really. First there is the incredible hype surrounding its release: Gollancz, the house that found and published Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch amongst others has publicly declared that this is THE book to read in 2010. We also happen to be quite friendly with Sam Sykes: Ana met the guy at the Gollancz party last year, he has guest blogged for us here during our Smugglivus celebration. In turn, Sam interviewed us at his blog, not to mention, we are avid followers of his on Twitter.

Needless to say, we really wanted to read this.

How did we get the book: Review Copies from Gollancz

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: When I started Tome of the Undergates, I was excited. Really excited. Like, really gorram, gonna pee my pants excited. With publisher name drops like Rothfuss, Abercrombie, and Lynch, the hype around Tome of the Undergates grew a life of its own – and I happily lapped it all up.

Unfortunately, as almost always seems to be the case with hype, the let-down was brutal. These publisher comparisons are more than a tad….licentious.

Though undeniably imaginative and featuring a band of characters that amusingly hate each other, I found myself growing tired, very quickly, with this book. Unnecessarily long, unfathomably repetitive, and ultimately pointless, I could not find much to love in Tome of the Undergates (and this hurts me to say, since Sam Sykes is a stand up guy).

Ana: Like Thea, I approached Tome of the Undergates with excitement and yes, high expectations coming not only from the hype surrounding its release but from experience as well: I have read a short story by the author in The Dragon Book anthology and well, I loved it.

Thea is right though, hype can be such a pernicious device when publicising a book, because it can create unreasonably high expectations and when those are not met, when the promise is not upheld, the fall from grace comes from a much higher place.
Regrettably, that’s exactly what happened to me when I finished the book for the same reasons that Thea stated. I did however enjoy it a little bit more than she did and that’s because I dig Sam Sykes’ writing style and I actually liked the characters – when they were on their own (more on that later).

On the plot:

Thea: The plot is simple – a group of adventurers (not to be confused with their more reputable siblings, mercenaries) is traveling across the seas on a mission to protect the equivalent of a high priest, and to find a hoity-toity sounding gateway. The pay sucks, but hey, they’re adventurers. Hence, they can’t really complain as they’re the dregs of the by-the-sword wage earning community. Then, their ship is attacked by pirates and a formidable demon. After hacking a lot of the crew down to so much mincemeat, the demon shakes down the emissary and steals the titled Tome of the Undergates – the book that will, well, unleash hell. Lenk and his band of…er, colleagues (they aren’t really “friends”) are given the opportunity to hunt the demon down and save the Tome and the world – for an exorbitant sum.

The biggest problem with Tome of the Undergates is how wasteful the book is. It is a tome in itself, yet despite its substantive girth, nothing really happens in this book. It is literally much ado about nothing. Allow me to explain with an example. The first two hundred pages of Tome of the Undergates details a single battle sequence.

That’s right. ONE battle. Two hundred pages.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if this was some scintillating Steven Erikson or Paul Kearney style of epic battle or something. Unfortunately, it’s not. The first two hundred pages are just a lot of pointless, poorly-conceived action. The whole concept verges on the ludicrous; these characters are snarling at each other about how they are going to run away/kill each other, meanwhile what sounds like a never-ending pirate hoard is seizing the boat. (How the boat stays afloat in this chaos and supposed onslaught of destruction is quite beyond me) Even worse, however, is that this battle doesn’t even provide the visceral entertaining thrill that such hyperbolic carnage should otherwise offer! What begins as a mildly entertaining skirmish at sea becomes a protracted nightmare of bland tedium – and that, dear friends, is a hard thing to do when you’re racking up a body count.

This is basically the story of the entire book. Characters trade insults (humans suck! shict suck! I will stab you in the back!) – the same insults, mind you – over and over and over again, only to have that constant stream of monotony interrupted from time to time with sporadic, uninspired action and plot progression.

On the plus side, Sam Sykes does have a sense of humor which translates nicely in his writing, and there are the sporadic glints of promising plot seeds throughout the tome. Too bad the humor wears thin very quickly – there are only so many jokes one can make about making water – and while I very much liked the watery setting (as I do like the general feel for the cover), any interest sparked by a glimmer of background mythology, geography or politics was immediately squashed under the unrelenting weight of mindless tedium (humans suck! non-human monsters suck! KILL!).

There were also some odd, offsetting writing choices and awkward, cliched descriptions. For example, “Despite the oppressive heat, Kataria felt her blood run cold,” or “Asper could feel Lenk’s eyes with such intensity they threatened to crack her skull,” or “He had felt it once before, so keenly, when he held two bodies not his enemies’ in his arms, stared into their eyes as rain draped their faces in shrouds of fresh water,” or “The journal fell to the sand. The sound of it crashing upon the earth echoed through the dawn,” (how exactly does a book make a reverberating crashing sound on sand?), etc. You get the picture.

And for a book so obsessed with the most tedious of minutae, I have to remark that I only saw the characters eat and sleep once (on page 395). Just sayin’.

Ana: There isn’t much to be said about the plot – as it is very simple: there is a Tome which opens the doors to the undergates and this bunch of adventurers must try and rescue it before all hell breaks loose. Of course, there are complications (and unexpected twists) and gritty battles and adventure in their way to get the tome. For what it is, for what it proposes to do, yes, Tome of the Undergates is a wasteful book in need of serious editing.

Going back to the first two hundred pages and the infamous battle scene that lasts forever. When I started reading it, I actually enjoyed the opening sequence. I thought it was a clever, ingenious idea to start the book by showing us the characters doing what they do for a living – “here, there is a bunch of adventurers and this is what they do and this is who they are.” I liked that, I liked getting to know the main characters in the thick of battle and seeing what they thought, how they reacted to what was happening and to each other. But the novelty wore off really soon. How many pages does one really need for this exposition without becoming repetitive? Furthermore, the battle itself reads…not entirely right. Mostly because at times, the characters would start having lengthy dialogues in the midst of it all, cutting the action off.

After the battle ends, the story progresses a little bit further but again, it is bogged down by repetition – dialogue, motivations and even the bad guys, repeat themselves in their discourse. I grew tired of it all pretty soon. Which is a shame because as I mentioned before, I quite enjoy Sykes’ writing and sense of humour. Some of the interactions between the main characters were downright hilarious and amusing but again, how many times does one have to read the same thing to realise the author’s point: that the characters are together for reasons other than camaraderie and friendship.

Which brings me to my main point: is the book really about the search for the Tome of the Undergates? I don’t think so – to me, the book is about the characters and what motivates them. The second part of the novel reads more like a character piece than anything else and that was actually what kept me reading.

Through the fog of repetition and seemly pointless scenes I saw sparks of true brilliance. In my opinion, if you cut away about 100 pages from the opening battle scene, edit out another 100 pages or so here and there voila, this book would have been much better. The premise, the general idea of the book is good, the interesting background of different peoples (a dragon man? Cool! ), mythologies, religions and politics are there: it is just really, really hard to actually see and care about them.

Having said that, a couple of interesting developments towards the ending of the novel (again, character-driven ones) , guarantee that I will be back for seconds.

On the characters:

Thea: Like the plotting, the characters of Tome of the Undergates begin this journey as interesting, only to grow tiresome in a hurry. Our introduction to the characters is good fun, and I loved the initial wit and banter between the snarky adventurers – they clearly hate each other, which is a welcome novelty in a group of traveling adventurers. Lenk, as the leader, is clearly mentally unstable from the outset, struggling with the commanding voice in his head. Kataria (whom I cannot help but compare to Neytiri from James Cameron’s Avatar) is a strong, vocal character that discriminates and feels discriminated against by disgusting humans. There’s a pacifistic priestess, a hotshot wizard, a cruelly powerful dragon-man, and a funny coward. It’s a ragtag team that has a lot of potential.

And then…

It all becomes the same. Repetitive. Monotonous. Everyone sounds identical – which is to say, they are funny and witty and hate each other and the snark is cool, but when it’s nonstop hundreds upon hundreds of pages of the exact same conversations, it’s coma inducing. I hate to be so harsh, but someone’s gotta say it. No one develops, no one grows, and these characters feel very much like caricatures. I just could not bring myself to care, after the four hundred page mark.

Ana: Now, this is what I really liked about Tome of the Undergates: the characters and I will have to disagree with Thea. I don’t think they sound identical, quite the contrary. I thought they were unique and interesting, each having different issues to be dealt with. Even though they all fit into Fantasy stereotypes, they each have something that marked them as different. Lenk, their leader is struggling with a voice inside his head and what exactly does it mean – his inner battle to accept it or not is rather interesting. As interesting is his relationship with the non-human Kataria – there is a budding romance there even though, they are supposed to hate each on principle. Kataria’s race absolutely abhors humans and I loved to see how she too, struggles to accept herself as someone who doesn’t really hate them all as her father hoped. Denaos (who is probably my favourite character) is the “rogue” and obviously someone who has a carefree façade that is far from being true. There is Asper, the Healer (or is she?) hoping to find a place in the world, then there is Dreadaeleon, the magician and Gariath, the dragonman, possibly the last of his race.

Individually these are rather complex characters but their complexity is undoubtedly simplified when they spend any amount of time with each other. The premise is this: they are adventurers – they have freedom and they work for whomever pays them more. They belong to no place and uphold no ideal. They have been together for about one year, even though they hate each other. We are told that they hate each other, every other page. They bicker and they snark and they fight. The humans hate the non-humans, the non-humans want the humans to die a miserable death. Yes, it is monotonous and some of the conversations are exact replicas of previous conversations. As much as I loved the Lenk-Kat interactions for its potential, every single time they are together reads the.same.way.

And yet. Their animosity is not what is shown all the time. In fact, they all present, at one point or another, loyalty to the group and especially to Lenk (in the end of book, I understood why) . I am not sure if this difference between what they seem to think or feel and what they do is on purpose as part of their development. I prefer to think so. Or in the words of Fox Mulder: I want to believe.

Final Thoughts, Verdict & Rating:

Thea: Tome of the Undergates is a victim of its own hype – because while Sam Sykes has a lot of potential, The Name of the Wind this ain’t. The book feels very much like manuscript from an exuberant young author, attempting to write epic fantasy for the first time. There are moments of creativity and flashes of what might one day be brilliance (especially towards the ending of the book) – but they are soon lost to so much noise and nonsense. In my opinion, Tome reads like a decent first draft – but one that needs a lot of cutting down, cleaning up, and development of a sharper focus. And for this, I don’t blame the author at all. Rather, I wonder how did someone not step in at some point and blow the whistle? Is it like Entourage when the guys were making “Meddellin” – being too close to the source material, not seeing the forest for the trees sort of deal?

Bottom line, I wasn’t crazy about Tome of the Undergates. Though it ends on a high note, by that point I simply did not care. I won’t be reading the sequel, but I will give Sam Sykes another try in the future.

Ana: I agree with Thea’s final, overall assessment to a “t”. But even though I didn’t fall in love with the book as much as I hoped and wanted to, I do think there is still great potential in the trilogy. I love the idea that the characters choose to live as adventurers because of the freedom it provides them whilst at the same time they are basically chained by their past and beliefs – this is super compelling to me and I do want to see how it all progresses.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: From the official excerpt:

“Contrary to whatever you might have heard in songs and stories, there are only a few productive things a man can do once he picks up a sword.

“He can put it to use for his country, if he’s got any pride. He can use it to defend his loved ones, if he’s got any. And if he’s got any intelligence at all, he can put it down.

“For those who are lacking all three, the only viable option is to embrace that meanest and most disrespected of professions: adventuring. Falling somewhere just below the rank of mercenary and just above the classification of scum, adventurers are chiefly a source of cheap labor, providing with violence and misfortune what they lack in standards.

“And I count myself among the cheapest.

“Amongst my allies I count a murderer, a zealot, a heretic, a savage and a monster. Amongst my problems I count demons that shouldn’t exist, pirates with a loquaciously murderous bent, a society that wouldn’t care if I was rotting in the earth and my allies. Amongst my dreams…

“I count survival.

“I’ll get to the others after that one’s taken care of.”

Rating:

Thea: 5 Meh, take it or leave it

Ana: 6 Good, recommended with reservations

Reading Next: The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan

Title: Brightly Woven

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA/ Fantasy/ Romance

Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication date: March 23 2010
Hardcover: 368 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone (but should this be a series? HELL YES).

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that’s been dry for over ten years, he’s promised anything he’d like as a reward. He chooses the village elder’s daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she’s hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she’s heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North’s dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

Why did I read this book: 1) It looks lovely – this is a case of major cover win 2) it sounds lovely (High Fantasy! Romance!) and 3) Angie’s review made me want to read it sooner rather than later.

How did I get this book: Review copy from the publisher.

Review:

A combination of the two genres I love the most, Fantasy and Romance , the best word to describe Brightly Woven is “lovely”. From the opening sentence to the closing line (both of them mentioning the same word) , my attention was held by the stirring, enchanting prose, by a world that evoked memories of old-fashioned Fantasy novels and by a couple of captivating characters most especially that of the story’s narrator, Sydelle.

It opens with an arresting sequence in which rain falls for the first time in almost a decade in the small town where 16 year old Sydelle lives with her family. The rain was brought by a travelling Wizard, 18 year old Wayland North, who as payment for this miracle is offered anything he asks for and he asks for Sydelle. She is to leave with the wizard immediately, to become his assistant and companion as the two trek across the country to deliver a most important message to their Queen – a message that might put an end to a war brewing in the horizon between two warring nations.

The immediacy of their departure is painful to Sydelle who hardly has time to say farewell to her loved ones but the urgency of their mission is not lost to her. They start as antagonists fuelled by North’s disregard for things like, chivalry, or cleanliness and Sydelle’s angst at being taken away so suddenly (even if the dream of her life was to one day, leave and be free) but soon travelling together, working together towards a shared goal , these two become friends and more. But not before a long, long trip, many dangers including earthquakes, dragons, duels and another villainous wizard who is out to get them. And at the centre of it all lies North’s past and Sydelle’s identity – both mysteries that are unravelled to the reader and to each other as the story progresses.

Speaking of unravelling, the beauty of the book comes from the nearly flawless way in which the author weaves the different threads of the plot and of the characters. With several layers being slowly untangled and revealed to the reader, there are different sorts of weaving: small and large , from the small villages to the big cities, from the overall story arc in which the balance of their world rests on their shoulder to the very defined boundaries of the two character’s arc.

Sydelle’s for example as the protagonist and narrator is that a coming of age story. From girl to woman, from being bound by duty and love of her roots to being free and falling in love with North. The mystery surrounding her abilities and what she really is (trying very hard not to spoil) is interesting and intriguing but not as much as seeing her reactions to what is happening to her with every step she takes. This is a girl who has a very strong will and will not put up with anything that North throws at her, who is far from being a damsel in distress as I am from being Brad Pitt’s new wife (although one can hope). In fact, if there is someone in distress and in need of salvation that would be North, our anti- hero of the jour. He starts off as a drunk, dissipated fool who, although powerful as a magician seems to be a long way from being a nice man. He doesn’t even like to bathe. Seriously.

However, first impressions fall apart as Sydelle, observes and notices that behind the façade, the boy too, has a sad past (a real one for a chance) and a curse to break. Sydelle is incapable of keeping away and I am incapable of not loving the guy. Especially when after saying harsh words, he feels utterly miserable or when someone is in trouble he is the first to go to the rescue even if it means facing a dragon, even if it means feeling so much pain, he can hardly breathe after using magic. The magic that shapes him and enables him to be who he is, but which will be his doom at the same time. Sometimes fierce, many times funny (he can’t for example find his way around anywhere), North is for lack of a better word: awesome.

Their relationship is to me, the heart and soul of the book. It is via understanding and compassion that they go to each other. And it is very subtle and lovely as the two change for each other, but never, ever forgetting what was their mission and the things that mattered to them, the family and friends they loved and left behind. Two extremely loyal characters when push comes to shove.

But the romance, amazing as it is, is not all there is to Brightly Woven . In a world that worship two Goddesses Astrae and Salvala , with territories that are separated by being worshippers of Magic or War, war is brewing. Religion, politics, power struggles are perfectly balanced with the romance and in their travels, Sydelle is confronted with truths about her own faith which remains unwavering even at the worst of times. Magic battles, adventures, twists, turns, cloaks as talismans, secrets, love and loss, everything makes this book a page turner and right now, it is one of my favourite reads of the year. I closed the book with a huge smile on my face and that feeling of having read something truly lovely. Yep, still no better word for it.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

“But How in the world did you get here before me? I only stopped a few times along the way.”
“A horse!”, he said. “I don’t know why one wasn’t part of your cunning plan.”
“If you were on a horse, how did you not beat me here?” I asked. “Or see me?”
North suddenly found his gloves to be very interesting. I didn’t miss the way his cheeks colored.
“You got lost?”, I asked. “North, it’s a straight road all the way to Provincia!”
“I might have taken one or two – or four – wrong turns trying to leave Arcadia,” he said.
“You’re hopeless!” I said with a laugh. “And besides, you shouldn’t have been riding with your injuries.”
“Yes, but how else was I going to keep up with my beautiful, beautiful darling? A wizard can only twist so far.”
I rolled my eyes

Additional Thoughts: Angie has a great interview with the author at her blog. Make sure to check it out to learn more the author (this is her debut work and I can hardly believe it) , plus there is a giveaway involved!

Verdict: An absolutely lovely debut novel with a perfect balance of High Fantasy and Romance. Definitely a winner which I highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more by Alexandra Bracken.

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Title: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Author: J. K. Jemisin

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: February 4 2010 (UK) / February 25 2010 (USA)
Paperback: 448 pages / 432 pages

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky – a palace above the clouds where gods’ and mortals’ lives are intertwined. There, to her shock, Yeine is named one of the potential heirs to the king.

But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history. But it’s not just mortals who have secrets worth hiding and Yeine will learn how perilous the world can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably.

Stand Alone or Series: Book 1 of the Inheritance Trilogy

How Did I Get This Book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why Did I Read This Book: I think I do not exaggerate when I say that The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is one of the most highly anticipated reads of 2010 in the Fantasy metier. Then the reviews started showing and they were very positive. Even with all that, I was not prepared for how GOOD this book turned out to be.

Review:

I am not as I once was. They have done this to me, broken me open and torn out my heart. I do not know who I am anymore.

I must try to remember.
_____________

My people tell stories of the night I was born. They say my mother crossed her legs in the middle of labor and fought with all her strength not to release me into the world. I was born anyhow, of course; nature cannot be denied. Yet it does not surprise me that she tried.

It says a lot about me, as a reader, that I read those first few lines and am immediately hooked. I think to myself: is Yeine protagonist and first person narrator of this story, a reliable one, if she is trying to remember the story she is about to tell? I am therefore, engaged in her tale from the beginning, because unreliable narratives happen to be one of my favourite narrative styles.

Thus, I am comfortable in my belief that I know what the author is doing and the chapters pass me by and I am slightly disappointed because well, if there are no surprises, where exactly is this going?

But then, the slow realisation that: no. I do not know exactly what she is doing. I was wrong, what she is effectively doing is even better. I go back to the beginning. I re-read the two first chapters. It is a different story now.

It says a lot about N K Jemisin, as a writer, that I am now, more than engaged. I am committed to this story. There is a rapport between this book and I that is a direct consequence of the mix of elegant writing, fascinating story and awesome characters.

But I think I am ahead of myself.

I must start again.
______

Young Yeine Darr, is summoned by her grandfather after her mother’s death to the floating city of Sky, the seat of the powerful Arameri, the family that controls the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. To her dismay, she is named heir and is on the run for the Succession which is to happen in a couple of weeks. It is a wild competition against her two cousins which might well end up in death. Coming from the “barbaric” North, where she was the head of her matriarchal tribe, a position she has to relinquish once she leaves for Sky, Yeine has to learn (and fast) the rules of Sky, adapt to the political intrigues and to basically learn the ropes of the Arameri culture. Part of it means to understand how every single inhabitant of Sky is a member of the Arameri family only to different degrees : Quarter, Half-Bloods, Full Blood. The lowest from the top are servants and the Full Bloods like Yeine and her cousins are the top dogs. And in charge of the Weapons.

And here is where things get really interesting.

Once upon a time, there were three Gods. The Nightlord (or Nahadoth) who came first; Bright Itempas , the god of day, and Enefa, the goddess of twilight and dawn. Or light and darkness and the shades between. Or order, chaos, and balance.

The three Gods were siblings and lovers in what can be called the most beautiful and yet terrifyingly sad story ever.

Falling out. Death. Betrayal, Enslavement. The outcome is this: Enefa is dead, Itempas is the sole remaining God, the Skyfather worshiped by the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. The ancestors of the Araremi were his devoted priests and in reward they were given the weapons: Nahadoth and three of his Godling children, entrapped and enslaved in (somewhat) human vessels controlled by any Highblood who dares to (because there is a catch – any command you give must be very carefully phrased as the Gods tend to take them very literally). Still, weapons they are, hence, the power the Arameri hold all over the world. Who would stand up against a family who wield the power of Gods?

And there comes little Yeine. Whose motivations are much different than expected. Revenge. Because her mother was killed and who killed her? Inheritance is the least of her concerns. And then the novel is a murder mystery: because she wants to learn who her mother is and why she left Sky in the first place, why the falling out with her father?

But Yeine is not the sole protagonist of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Oh, no. She shares it with the Gods: Nahadoth and his son Sieh (the trickster or the eternal child). And then the story has yet another layer: as Yeine is caught in the middle of the Gods’ scheming against their oppression. It might come as a surprise the use of the word “oppression” in the same sentence as “gods” but this is exactly the extent of the ruthlessness that the Arameri family has come to. The horrible torture that the gods must endure is tremendous. For two thousand years these beings have been shaped and limited by human forces.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is basically the story of two very dysfunctional families. On one side, the Arameri is the cautionary tale of the maxim: that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Not only does that apply to the enslavement of the gods and peoples of the world, it also applies to a day-to- day life and fundamental relationships with others. Everybody is expendable in their pursuit for power.

On the other side, the cosmic Family: Itempas, Enefa and Nahadoth. In this mythology created by N K Jemisin, there is a mixture between concrete and abstract that is very interesting. These gods are both representations of ideas and nature forces such as chaos, balance and order; heat, cold, change; day, night, dawn, life and death but also very tangible, concrete, human emotions like hate, lust, love, fear. Bearing in mind that humans are their creations, it is almost like their own mirrors: with all the grandeur but also all the pettiness. The only difference is that when any of these things are felt by a God, the cosmos feels it too. This concrete x abstract occur even as Nahadoth talks to Yeine: sometimes looking at him is like staring into an abyss sometimes he is much humanised.

And in the middle of it there is Yeine. Not entirely Arameri, not a God. She is the most human character of them all: when she realises she might not survive her own story, she cries for hours, a very human reaction and one I deeply commiserated with. Her position is a very complicated one. Unused to diplomacy, used to situation when the drawing of a knife is the best way to deal with it, sometimes she is utterly incapable of making any move at all. But she adapts and in this adaptation, she reinvents herself. I thought Yeine to be a very sympathetic protagonist. And it is because of this humanity, that she dares hope for a romantic relationship with Nahadoth (he might be the God of change and chaos, but he is also the God of seduction) and those who tried in the past millennium have not survived the deed for a myriad of reasons best left for the reader to discover but is all part of the complexity of who Nahadoth is. It doesn’t surprise me the least that Yeine has fallen in love with him because I have too, a little bit. This is a larger than life character – consider this: a supreme being, the first ever living being in the universe cursed to live like a lowly slave. And yet, he still has the capacity for tenderness because after all he is the God of change (and adaptation).

As a Fantasy novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms has an evocative world and a unique, creative mythology and I found myself wholly invested in the latter. It was definitely reminiscent of Hinduism for example and the concepts of creation, destruction and preservation, personified by Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu; or even Greek mythology in which the Gods are definitely out and about mingling in the daily life of humans and have themselves very human traits. It is interesting to note that a sexual aspect that connect all three examples (there are no asexual Gods present in this tale .)

The novel has its fantastic characters and a great plot and that includes the romance thread as well. But it goes beyond that. It is a very emotional novel, and I went through a broad range of emotions while reading it: fear, rage, hate, compassion, sadness, lust; and finally, there was the writing. It felt very welcoming. I don’t think I ever used this word to describe someone’s prose but that is exactly how I felt, as the author eased me into a story that started thousands and thousands of years ago like I was just there.

All the different layers of the novel intertwine to a very satisfactory self-contained ending. And when I closed this book, I realised that the author did something to me, broke my mind open and torn out my heart several times throughout the book, but in the end I knew exactly who I am. A fan.

And I didn’t even tell you half of it.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

Another tale from my childhood occurs to me here.

It is said the Nightlord cannot cry.No one knows the reason for this, but of the many gifts that the forces of the Maelstrom bestowed upon their darkest child, the ability to cry was not one of them.

Bright Itempas can. Legends say his tears are the rain that sometimes fall while the sun still shines. (I have never believed this legend, because it would mean Itempas cries rather frequently.)

Enefa of the Earth could cry. Her tears took the form of the yellow, burning rain that falls around the world after a volcano has erupted. It still falls, this rain, killing crops and poisoning water. But now it means nothing.

Nightlord Nahadoth was firstborn of the Three. Before the others appeared, he spent countless aeons as the only living thing in all of existence. Perhaps that explain his inability. Perhaps, amid so much loneliness, tears become ultimately useless.

Verdict: Damn Near Perfect debut novel that is a great blend of fantasy and romance, religion, mythology, politics, gender and race. The writing is lovely, the plot is superb (with a few surprises) and the characters made a hole in my heart the size of a volcano. The only thing that can fill it now is book 2.

Rating:9 – Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next:: The Bride and The Buccaneer by Darlene Marshall

Welcome to the first Guest Dare of 2010! For those new to the feature, our Guest Dare is a monthly endeavor in which we invite an unsuspecting victim to read a book totally outside of their comfort zone. You can read all previous Dare posts HERE.

This month’s victim is Renee – prolific blogger of Renee’s Book Addiction and reader of all things Romance, Romance, YA, M/M, Mystery , etc. When we contacted her for a guest dare, she came back to say she hasn’t read many Epic Fantasy – not even, gasp, Lord of the Rings. We immediately created a list which included not only Tolkien but Rothfuss, Sanderson and others. Her first choice was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, but after much nagging from her significant other, she caved and decided to read The Lord of the Rings.

Ladies and gents, please give it up for Renee!

________

Title: The Fellowship of the Ring

Author: JRR Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ballantine (This is the edition I read, but there are many publishers.)
Publication Date: July 29, 1954 (UK)
Paperback: 527 pp

Stand alone or series: The Lord of the Rings, Part One – The Fellowship of the Rings

Why did we recommend this book: It is an Epic Fantasy classic and one our Favorite books of all time.

Summary:

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power except one — the One Ring that rules them all — which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task when Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Renee’s Review:

From the outset, high fantasy was one of the genres I suggested to Ana and Thea when we first discussed this guest dare. The Fellowship of the Ring was mentioned by Ana, but I blew off the suggestion, being far too intimidated by taking on such an icon of fantasy lit. Also, I tried reading The Hobbit a couple of times in my teens, and couldn’t get through it. When I told my husband about Ana’s suggestions, he said I was going to have to give back both my lit major card (we were both lit majors in college and met in a literature class) and my geek card if I didn’t remedy the fact that I hadn’t read this classic.

Typically, my reading tastes are varied, mostly enjoying romance of all flavors, YA, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and other kinds of spec fiction. However, high fantasy has never been a genre that I have been interested in reading. I think of knights and wizards and trolls, and my eyes glaze over. (Movies, especially The Lord of the Rings trilogy, are another matter, for some reason. I love these movies to death.) In fact, I often think I’d be interested in a high fantasy book, buy it, and then reality sets in and it just sits on my shelf, unread.

Since I consider myself a self-respecting book-geek, I rose to the challenge, and took on The Fellowship of the Ring.

Most people are familiar with the story of The Fellowship of the Ring, either the book or film, so (for the most part) I’m focusing this review on my experience reading the book, rather than reiterating the plot points.

The Prologue: When I first started the book, I was really stressed out by the Prologue. The history and backstory set out in it was complex, and the number of names, events, and dates felt really overwhelming. I also worried the entire book was going to be like this. However, I was reassured that I didn’t need to memorize everything, and that the Prologue’s style was more to give a sense of entering a complete world. So, I relaxed and kept moving forward.

It took me well over a week to settle in to the book. It was frustratingly easy to get distracted by tv, my kid, the fact I had a cold, or conversations going on around me. I found that my mind would wander while I was reading, and I’d have to keep bringing my attention back to the page.

However, as I pushed on, something gradually changed. It was a shift of my mindset. Typically, I’m a fast reader, and usually have a couple of books going at any given time. I generally read books that have lots of fast paced dialogue or action. However, The Fellowship of the Ring is just not that kind of book. While many things do happen, they unfold slowly, and the action builds as the book progresses.

In the Shire: At first, I was impatient, waiting to get from plot-point to plot-point, as I remembered them from the movie. Yet, it felt like not much was happening. I’d glance at the page number, thinking, “I can’t believe they still haven’t left the Shire!” Part of what gives The Fellowship its slow pace is that each scene is crammed with an incredible amount of detail: physical detail—how the building looked, what was on the dinner table, what the weather was like; historical detail— who the characters are, how they are related, what this event’s significance is in the scheme of things; and, character detail—what each character said, did, or thought. The result is an amazingly vivid book that, once I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy the ride, began to come to life.

Awesome quote, describing Gandalf’s fireworks at Bilbo’s party:

There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices. There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a whole spring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers down upon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touched their upturned faces.

I loved learning things about the hobbits, like Sam’s impulsive and adventuresome nature. The beautiful interlude with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry was an unexpected surprise, since (inevitably) I kept comparing the book with the movie.

At The Prancing Pony, where they meet Strider (Aragorn): About halfway through the book, I realized what the experience of reading The Fellowship of the Rings was like for me. To use a food analogy, this was the literary equivalent of a “slow food” dinner. One where I needed to savor the words, the descriptions, and the songs. The point was not to get to the book’s climax, but savor the journey. This isn’t always a natural state for a goal-oriented person like me. Yet, even the songs (which I tend to skim over in most books) became enjoyable. I once had a lit professor tell us to read things like sermons and poetry out loud since they were written to be heard. So, in an effort to get into the swing of things with the songs in The Fellowship, I’d sing them to myself. (Greensleeves, Amazing Grace, and Scarborough Fair worked especially well!) This made a vast difference in my enjoyment of them.

Rivendell, at the Council of Elrond: This was my favorite part of the book! While it wasn’t the book’s climax, it really felt like the book comes together here. It’s funny, because often we talk about how a book needs to “show not tell”, yet to me I was so excited to get everyone’s story. It was like fitting a puzzle together, where before you only have a few of the (hobbit) pieces. Part of it the reason this “telling not showing” works is because the dramatic tension has been built slowly. The hobbits go through so much to finally get to Rivendell, and Frodo is so relieved, thinking that his adventure is near its conclusion. Yet, I (the reader) know that all this changes here at the Council. Frodo’s journey is just begun. The path for the rest of the trilogy is set down at this point and we get to see what must happen —the ring must be detroyed, the people of Gondor must be aided, Sauron must be defeated— and get to hear from the key players (the hobbits, men, elves, dwarves, and wizards).

Moria and Lothlórien: For me, this part of the book became more about the big events. The tragedy in the mines and meeting Galadriel were parts of the story which I had been dreading and anticipating (as the case may be). However, with both these sections, again Tolkien’s vivid writing make them wonderful. The “doom, doom doom” drumbeats of the orcs foreshadow what eventually happens in the mines as well as adding an auditory layer to the scenes in the mine. The unreal beauty of Lothlorien and Galadriel are such a contrast following the events in Moria.

Awesome quote #2, when Frodo asks Galadriel to take the ring:

‘In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!’

She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. she stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful.

*chills*

The Breaking of the Fellowship: This part felt mostly like a set up to The Two Towers. I read about the events of Boromir and Frodo, and Frodo’s decision to break up the group with anticipation for the next part of the adventure. By now, I knew I was in it for the rest of the story. I will be definitely be finishing the rest of The Lord of the Rings.

It’s impossible to ignore the movies’ impact on my reading experience. While the movies gave me some very clear referential images, and helped me in understanding some of the more complicated historical relationships, I sort of regretted that I had seen the LotR movies first. I wonder what it would have been like to experience Middle Earth for the first time solely through JRR Tolkien’s words. (That being said, though, you know what I’ll be watching this weekend.)

I don’t usually grade my books at my place, but from about halfway through the book it was clear that The Fellowship of the Ring was a “10″ for me. Not because of its classic status, but because of Tolkien’s success in creating the incredibly ambitious world of Middle Earth. The magnitude of his scope is breath-taking, and once I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy the ride, I was rewarded with a truly memorable reading experience.

Thanks, Thea and Ana for daring me to take on The Fellowship of the Ring. I know I wouldn’t have read it without the extra little push.

__________

And thank you, Renee for saying yes, to the dare! And we are delighted that you enjoyed the book!

Next on the Guest Dare: Jeff one of the folks from Alert Nerd, reads a Romance Novel: The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Until next month!

Title: The Demon King

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Genre: (Epic) Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Hyperion Children’s (Disney)
Publication Date: October 2009
Hardcover: 512 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 in a planned trilogy.

How did I get this book: Review copy from the author

Why did I read this book: Author Cinda Williams Chima contacted us with a review query, and after checking out the: 1. gorgeous cover; 2. awesome, in-depth synopsis; 3. really cool book trailer and excerpt; and 4. fawning blurbs from the likes of Tamora Pierce & Robin Hobb; well, I was sold.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They’re clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Review:

On a day like any other, Han “Cuffs”/”Hunts Alone” Alister and his best friend Dancer go a-hunting, only to run into three riders and an inexplicable fire. The three outsiders turn out to be charmcasters (wizards), intruding on Clan land and violating the Naeming – a thousand year truce between the green magic Clan and the Wizard nobility, after the world was torn apart by reckless magic. The charmcasters are trailed by a magic-fueled and colored fire, burning land that should not be able to burn so early in the season, and an enraged Dancer demands that the wizards – the same age as Dancer and Han – turn over their ill-gotten amulets, which allow them to use magic. Things get ugly between Dancer and the leader of the wizard riders, a cruelly handsome young man named Micah Bayar, who also happens to be son of the most powerful wizard in the kingdom. When Micah refuses to relinquish his amulet, Han resorts to aiming an arrow at his heart – and Micah and his lackeys are forced to comply, leaving the amulet in their wake. Dancer – whom Han is uncomfortably discovering has secrets about his knowledge of wizard magic – tells Han to throw the amulet away…but there’s something important about it. Instead, Han keeps it close, figuring he can at the very least sell it for a tidy sum later if need be. But then the murders begin in Fellsmarch – anyone connected to the mysterious amulet or that might know of its whereabouts are being killed one by one, and their deaths blamed on Han. What’s even more disturbing is when Han discovers that the amulet is a very powerful, ancient relic of The Demon King himself, the wizard that nearly destroyed the world a thousand years ago – and somehow, the amulet is connected to him, and the mysterious, permanent silver cuffs that have encircled his wrists since birth.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace, things have also gone awry. Young crown princess and heir to the kingdom, Raisa ana’Marianna, awaits her sixteenth name-day celebration, when she will become eligible for marriage. As her father, the royal consort, is a Demoni warrior and of the Clan, she has just returned to the palace from her education with her grandmother and the Clan – much to the irritation of her mother, the lovely but flighty Queen Marianna. Something has changed in the palace, and Raisa begins to receive foreboding warnings, visions of dark times to come. Her mother is spending far too much time with her head Wizard, the handsome and ambitious Lord Bayar, while Raisa’s own father has been busy scouting the wars to the south. And Queen Marianna seems so ineffectual, so uncaring and distracted when it comes to ruling her own kingdom – and Raisa fears that her mother is under the influence of advisers that promote only their own personal goals, without the good of the kingdom in mind. As her name-day approaches, Raisa also must fend off suitors – especially the intoxicating attentions of young wizard Micah Bayar, and her own old best friend and now personal guard, Amon. Too, she must learn how to become a good Queen, a strong one that represents the best of her people – and as a sinister plot begins to form concerning the future of the kingdom through Raisa, she must discern who to trust, and take a stand for herself.

The Demon King is the first book in a brand new trilogy from Cinda Williams Chima (best known for her “Heir” books), and introduces readers to a new, enticing world. Though I haven’t read anything by Ms. Chima before, I can safely say that her worldbuilding skills are absolutely fantastic (and I have a hunch her earlier fantasy titles also reflect this gift for worldweaving). The realm of the seven kingdoms, of Fellsmarch, the Clan camps, the palace and the rich history of the realm is truly awe-inspiring. I loved the changing nature of history that Ms. Chima manages to capture, as myth and fact are interchanged over the years. The backstory of the Demon King and his tragic, doomed love affair with the Queen Hanalea is the stuff of epic ballads, and resonates wonderfully throughout the novel. The social structure, the geography, the careful balance between Clan and Wizard magic is similarly well-constructed, and consequently the changing of that precarious balance feels all the more sinister and terrifying. In terms of plotting and pacing, The Demon King also does a fair job, as it is written well, told in an authoritative and convincing voice, and culminates in a brilliant ending (even if the early chapters drag ever so slightly).

But…

Though the setting, the worldbuilding and general storytelling are all beautifully executed, I couldn’t help but feel a little put-out at how familiar, how traditional this novel felt. Allow me to elaborate via brief dramatis personae:

Han/”Cuffs”/”Hunts Alone” – Fatherless, impoverished reformed thief-lord teenager with a heart of gold (he only stole to feed his mother and younger sister, dontchaknow); blonde, blue-eyed, charismatic, attracts trouble (and the ladies) at every turn; has silver cuffs on his wrists that soak up magic and mysteriously accommodate his growth over the years; can handle wizard amulets even though they destroy others.

Raisa ana’Marianna – Crown Princess, BEAUTIFUL, attracts multiple suitors including 1. The Bad Boy Wizard; and 2. Her childhood friend and dependable (and now super hot) Bodyguard; willful, headstrong, naive, but determined to do the right thing; at more than one point in the story dresses up as a boy to escape the palace.

Micah – POWERFUL young wizard; devastatingly handsome (of course in a DARK way); cruel, at times cowardly, used as a tool by his ambitious father (who is everything Micah is, just MORE evil and dark); has sinister goals towards Raisa and the Queen.

Amon – Raisa’s childhood friend, son of the Queen’s Captain of the Guard; went away for training and returned a brawny young man; unflinchingly devoted to his childhood friend Raisa (to whom he is also incredibly attracted).

Do you see where I’m going here? This brief list doesn’t even include the wise Grandmother, the kind Father, the gruff Captain of the Guard, the beautiful but enchanted Queen, and the Evilest of Evil Wizards. There’s a whole lot of predictability with the plot and the characters because it is a story that has been told many, many times before. BUT, despite this familiarity, Ms. Chima proves that even the oldest tropes can still be really entertaining. As our hero, Han is pretty cool and easy to like. Raisa is a little harder to peg – at times she’s your typical headstrong (nonetheless totally lovable) heroine; but she also has some incredibly stupid moments. She can be superficial and shallow, but this adds a dimension of believability to her character – after all, she’s a beautiful, young, sheltered princess.

Perhaps the most frustrating (but understandable) thing about The Demon King is that it is a First Novel in a trilogy. It sets the stage, but leaves off when the really good, interesting stuff begins. But, hey, that’s a good thing! There are a number of predictable revelations in the book’s final act, and yet despite all this familiarity, The Demon King is an eminently readable book. I finished excited for the second novel, and cannot wait for it to hit shelves hopefully next year. Definitely recommended for fans of traditional fantasy.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Han eased to his feet and drew the bowstring back to his ear. Then paused, sniffing the air. The breeze carried the distinct scent of woodsmoke. His gaze traveled up the mountain and found a thin line of smoke cutting across the slope. He looked at Dancer and raised his eyebrows in inquiry. Dancer shrugged. The ground was soaked and the spring foliage green and lush. Nothing should burn in this season.

The deer in the meadow caught the scent, too. They raised their heads, snorting and stamping their feet nervously, the whites showing in their liquid brown eyes. Han looked up mountain again. Now he could see orange, purple, and green flames at the base of the fire line, and the wind blowing downslope grew hot and thick with smoke.

Purple and green? Han thought. Were there plants that burned with colors like those?

The herd milled anxiously for a moment, as if not sure which way to go, then turned as one and charged straight toward them.

Han hastily raised his bow again and managed to get off a shot as the deer bounded past. He missed completely. Dancer’s luck was no better.
Han sprinted after the herd, leaping over obstacles, hoping to try again, but it was no use. He caught a tantalizing glimpse of the white flags of their tails before the deer vanished into the pines. Muttering to himself, he trudged back up to where Dancer stood, staring up the mountain. The line of garish flame rolled toward them, picking up speed, leaving a charred and desolate landscape in its wake.

“What is going on?” Dancer shook his head. “There’s no burns this time of year.”

As they watched, the fire gathered momentum, leaping small ravines. Glittering embers landed on all sides, driven by the downslope wind. The heat seared the skin on Han’s exposed face and hands. He shook ash from his hair and slapped sparks off his coat, beginning to realize their danger. “Come on. We’d better get out of the way!”

They ran across the ridge, slipping and sliding on the shale and wet leaves, knowing a fall could mean disaster. They took refuge behind a rocky prominence that pierced the thin vegetative skin of the mountain. Rabbits, foxes, and other small animals galloped past, just ahead of the flames. The fire line swept by, hissing and snapping, greedily consuming everything in its path.

And after came three riders, like shepherds driving the flames before them.

Han stared, mesmerized. They were boys no older than Han and Dancer, but they wore fine cloaks of silk and summer wool that grazed their stirrups, and long stoles glittering with exotic emblems. The horses they rode were not compact, shaggy mountain ponies, but flatlander horses, with long, delicate legs and proudly-arched necks, their saddles and bridles embellished with silver fittings. Han knew horseflesh, and these horses would cost a year’s pay for a common person.

A lifetime’s earnings for him.

The boys rode with a loose and easy arrogance, as if oblivious of the breathtaking landscape around them.

Dancer went still, his bronze face hardening and his blue eyes going flat and opaque. “Charmcasters,” he breathed, using the clan term for wizards. “I should have known.”

Charmcasters, Han thought, fear and excitement thrilling through him. He’d never seen one close up. Wizards did not consort with people like him. They lived in the elaborate palaces surrounding Fellsmarch Castle, and attended the queen at court. They served as ambassadors to foreign countries—purposefully so. Rumors of their powers of sorcery kept foreign invaders away.

You can read the full chapter online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Want more info on The Demon King? Check out Cinda Williams Chima’s awesome website, complete with supplemental info on the book (including a character glossary, history of the Seven Realms, book excerpt, etc)!

And, for good measure, check out the cool book trailer:

Verdict: A promising start to a strong new (if somewhat traditional) fantasy series. I eagerly await the release of Book 2, The Exiled Queen! Definitely recomended.

Rating: 8 – Very Good

Reading Next: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Title: The Red Wolf Conspiracy

Author: Robert V.S. Redick

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Gollancz (UK) / Del Rey (US)
Publishing Date: February 2008 / April 2009
Paperback/Hardcover: 464 pages

Stand alone or series: The Chathrand Voyage, Book One (out of four) .

Why did I read the book: Because of the positive reviews

How did I get the book: Bought

Summary: The Chathrand – The Great Ship, The Wind-Palace, His Supremacy’s First Fancy – is the last of her kind – built 600 years ago she dwarves all the ships around her. The secrets of her construction are long lost. She was the pride of the Empire. The natural choice for the great diplomatic voyage to seal the peace with the last of the Emperor’s last enemies. 700 souls boarded her. Her sadistic Captain Nilus Rose, the Emperor’s Ambassador and Thasha, the daughter he plans to marry off to seal the treaty, a spy master and six assassins, one hunderd imperial marines, Pazel the tarboy gifted and cursed by his mother’s spell and a small band of Ixchel. The Ixchel sneaked aboard and now hide below decks amongst the rats. Intent on their own mission. But there is treachery afoot. Behind the plans for peace lies the shadow of war and the fear that a dead king might live again. And now the Chathrand, having survived countless battles and centuries of typhoons has gone missing. This is her story.

Review:

I will start with a most obvious statement: this book is about a Conspiracy. But not just any conspiracy:a Sinister one, a Bold one, to bring war about the world. A Conspiracy that spans across time and different countries (and even different dimensions); and which takes place, for most part, inside a ship. A ship of gigantic proportions, almost a world in itself (with seven decks and a hold) capable of holding over 800 souls, the oldest ship in the world (600 years old and counting) and one with a History and a secret mission: The Chathrand.

Yes, this is a book about a Conspiracy but also about the last voyage of the Chathrand, a fact we learn in the prologue. According to the newspaper clipping, the ship has been lost at sea. Whatever happened to the Chathrand and its passengers and how it connects with the Conspiracy is the main story-arc that will take place over the four books of the series. This first volume reads exactly like this: the first act of a major dramatic production. And when I say major, I mean major. To the point where stripped to its bare essentials, critically examined under a microscope that lists each element of this endeavour, separately, The Red Wolf Conspiracy could be a recipe for a mess of Titanic proportions:

Ancient artefacts, Assassin Spies, several evil villains with a Plan working together or maybe against each other, a King turned God, a Crazy infamous Captain, an Ambassador and his consort, Mages, different dimensions, a teenage girl who is a martial arts expert, a teenage boy who is cursed with a Gift for languages, a doctor with suspicious behaviour, giants, talking animals, a book that speaks only lies unless you have the never-seen-before 13th edition, a soap merchant, mermaids, fish-peoples, an Ixchel (think Tinker Bell- sized warriors) infestation, rats and pirates.

However – and this is all that stands between failure and success – mix them all together under the expertise of a skilled plotter who clearly has a plan of his own then add a few awesome details here and there and voila: mess it is no more. On the contrary, to join the author and his characters on their voyage is a most pleasurable way to cruise for a few hours.

With a complex world-building and an interesting plot, The Red Wolf Conspiracy is a great Fantasy novel and I really liked it. Starting with quite a few chapters of set-up and character introduction before they even embark on their journey, the plot expands and aggregates characters very slowly. I have seen reviews that mention how the setting up is rather slow but I actually really enjoyed the slow pacing of the first pages, I had more problems later on when the pacing changed abruptly but more on that later.

It is hard to give details of the plot because there is so much. I guess it is enough to say that there is not only the aforementioned Conspiracy but also a Conspiracy within the Conspiracy and a Counter-Conspiracy, all happening at the same time. And all that stands between the villains and their plan to plunge the world into war are a ragamuffin bunch of underdogs: the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle, whose only skill (or is it?) comes from a curse which allows him to understand any language but also leaves him with crippling headaches; the girl Tasha Isiq, daughter of the Ambassador to Sidpa , the chosen Bride to marry the enemy and bring peace to and who is the unwilling key figure (and yet, expendable) of the Conspiracy; Lady Driadelu, the Queen of the Ixchel; Hercol , former spy and Tasha’s tutor and his friend Ramachni, a mage who takes the form of a mink when in our dimension and the woken rat Felthrup. All of them are aware of parts of the master plan but only together can they put together the puzzle. All of these characters, to some extend or another, are relatable characters. I especially liked Pazel and Felthrup when they both fight adversity and strive to do their parts.

The book is not without its problems though. For all that the characters are interesting, they are never truly, deeply fleshed- out. Tasha is especially puzzling and not a bit annoying – I had huge problems with the fact that she is such an expert fighter. Not that I have anything against kick-ass female characters. Quite the contrary. It is just that it made little sense to me, that this specific character would be so adept at fighting. For starters, how exactly did she learn? Being a closeted daughter of an Ambassador, when exactly did she have time to have secret lessons and how was that kept a secret in the first place? Plus, at the book opens she has just spent two years in a school-convent without any chance to train and yet as soon as she is out, she is a master again. It required quite a lot of suspension of disbelief from me. There is also a romantic storyline with a very contrived love triangle.

Given the scope of the story and the plotting, and the sheer amount of characters – the ones listed above are the GOOD ones, there is a plethora of antagonists as well and rather clichéd they are, I am afraid – it is not a surprise that character development takes a backseat to the overall story; in all fairness there will be three more books in the series and the potential is undoubtedly there.

Another problem is the narrative itself. You see, it is rather schizophrenic. It alternates between omniscient narrator (even addressing the reader) and several third person limited. It is not necessarily bad but it did make me jump at times. I mentioned that in the beginning the author takes his sweet time with setting up and characters’ introductions but at some point in the book, things shift rather quickly. To the point where, instead of being privy to the happenings in the novel as we had been up to that point, all of a sudden things happen outside the pages and we learn about them through other characters. It is as though huge chunks were removed because the book had enough pages already – maybe an editing constriction?

I should also probably mention that my copy (a final copy, bought in the book store, not an ARC) was missing about 20 pages in a VERY IMPORTANT POINT. I was able to surmise what happened via characters’ conversations though but that was certainly frustrating. To the point where I yelled to the Gods “This is not happening!!!!”. That I actually screamed in agony over the loss of 20 out of 500 pages should probably tell you that in spite of the problems above, I enjoyed this fantastic adventure very much.

The bottom line is this: all of the problems I had with the book were duly noted as I read the book but they didn’t mar at all the experience of reading it. The overall plot with the conspiracy, all the political intrigue, THE TALKING RAT, the coming of age storylines of Tasha and Pazel were amazing. I sailed through The Red Wolf Conspiracy as though I was standing on the deck of a cruise ship with the breeze caressing my face and…you get the drift. I will read the next volume, The Rats and the Ruling Sea pronto and I swear by Poseidon’s Trident that there will be zero nautical references in that review.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I like the opening paragraphs of chapter one:

It began, as every disaster in his life began, with a calm. The harbour and the village slept. The wind that had roared all night lay quelled by the headland; the bosun grew too sleepy to shout. But forty feet up the ratlines, Pazel Pathkendle had never been more awake.

He was freezing, to start with – a rogue wave had struck the bow at dusk, soaking eight boys and washing the ship’s dog into the hold, where it still yipped for rescue – but it wasn’t the cold that worried him…

You can read more here.

Additional Thoughts: The series has its own website with maps (I heart maps!), crew listings, details of the ship (with a sketch) plus details of the world, the calendar and even selections from the Merchant’s Polylex. These are the sort of details that I LOVE!

Verdict: The Red Wolf Conspiracy is a great mixture of fantasy and political intrigue, of adventure and romance. Although it is obviously the “first” in a series, it is certainly imaginative and exciting. And I can’t wait to read volume 2!

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading next: Magic Under Glass by Jacklyn Dolamore

Title: The Hero of Ages

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor (US)/Gollancz (UK)
Publication Date: October 2008 (US)/February 2010 (UK)
Paperback: 784 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 3, final volume of the Mistborn trilogy

How did we get this book: Bought

Why did we read this book: We have read, reviewed, and loved the first two books in the Mistborn trilogy. Naturally, we had to finish the story with this bittersweet, final volume.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!

The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: I absolutely loved The Final Empire (Mistborn book 1), but was somewhat disappointed with The Well of Ascension (book 2) – so I entered The Hero of Ages with some trepidation. There’s no doubting that Brandon Sanderson possesses a flair for world creation and had planted some tantalizing plot seeds…but would he be able to bring it all together in a brilliant, perfect ending?

The answer is…sort of. The Hero of Ages is certainly much better than its predecessor, and it brings a dramatic, bittersweet, fitting conclusion to a truly fantastic series. It wasn’t without its weaknesses, though, and still doesn’t manage to live up to the initial sparkle of The Final Empire.

Ana: I had a similar frame of mind when I first opened The Hero of Ages. Even though I was not as disappointed with The Well of Ascension, I still thought The Final Empire was a much superior instalment. I did have high hopes for Hero of Ages, expecting it to have the best of both and to close the trilogy with a punch. And you know what? Except for a few caveats, Brandon Sanderson totally delivered. The conclusion of the Mistborn series was both dark and bright, definitely bittersweet but also very, very good.

On the Plot: The final empire has fallen, the Lord Ruler is dead, and Vin has discovered the Well of Ascension and has taken and released the power there, as the prophesied Hero of Ages. But everything has gone desperately wrong – an ancient, primordial force called Ruin has tricked them all, and Vin’s selfless gesture of relinquishing the indescribable power at the Well of Ascension has freed this old, destructive god from his prison, and now the end of the world looms closer and closer. The ashmounts, created by the Lord Ruler, to cool down the land enough to sustain human life, are spewing black ash and lava; earthquakes rack the land, devouring whole cities; the mists, ever-repelled by Vin now, appear with increasing frequency, attacking and sickening more people each day. Crops and animals wither, and the land itself is dying under Ruin’s destructive malevolence. All the while, Elend, Vin and the crew travel from city to city, trying to soothe rebellion and unrest in two very important principalities, while they desperately look for the Lord Ruler’s hidden cache of atium – which Vin knows must be essential to saving the world.

Thea: It’s no secret that Brandon Sanderson has a gift for storytelling – his world creation skills are amongst the finest I’ve ever beheld, and his ability to write action scenes is unparalleled. And, with The Hero of Ages, he proves himself to be pretty damn good at plotting too, tying up loose ends with some well-conceived and well-executed ideas. The final volume of a series is a monumental task – it’s easier to create an intriguing opener with tantalizing questions and mysteries to hook readers, but trying to make all those mysteries come together in a cohesive, mind-blowing conclusion? That’s something much, much harder to accomplish. And, for the most part, Mr. Sanderson pulls it off. All the questions and suspicions I had from the first two books – the secret of the Inquisitors’ (and Zane’s) spikes, the hidden religion and past of the Kandra, the origin of the mists, the garbled legend of The Hero of Ages, the Lord Ruler’s motivations – all these things become clear in this final novel with a conceivable explanation for everything that has been happening in this mist and ash-shrouded landscape. And, basically, the explanations hold together pretty well.

Well, there are some things that left me a little skeptical on further observation. Certain resolutions didn’t quite work – in particular the explanation of the mists and the Hero of Ages myth. I appreciated the way the book ended and the overall explanation for this epic close, but…I can’t help but feel that this explanation didn’t really fit quite right with the earlier books. By accepting the final explanation, the whole impetus for the series – the Lord Ruler’s rise to power and the first journey to the Well of Ascension – doesn’t make any sense (well, I suppose it makes sense, but it’s silly). The ability of Ruin to change written word (except those words written in metal), to overhear every conversation omnisciently, to plot and scheme for eons…it all feels a bit boogeyman-ish and contrived. For all that Ruin isn’t supposed to be “evil” and Preservation “good,” it certainly felt like a polarized villainy. The idea of these two opposing forces is a good idea, but I didn’t particularly buy it, especially in terms of execution.

My other main complaint concerned the effectiveness of the length and multilayered plotlines. A lot of things happened over the course of the book as the narrative jumps to different characters and their separate stories, but some of these plotlines ultimately amount to naught in terms of the overall conclusion. These different parts allow the reader to understand what has happened and why, but these explanations and plot points are virtually useless otherwise – they don’t play any real part in the overall arc. In particular, Spook’s entire storyline in the city of Urteau and his discoveries and actions there doesn’t really affect anything, upon reflection. What Spook learns, Vin and a certain other character are able to figure out on their own. Similarly, TenSoon’s singleminded dedication to reach Vin doesn’t really amount to anything directly either. Even the siege at Fadrex and all the drama with King Yeomen ultimately amounts to nothing in terms of overall significance! I loved reading about these different threads of the story, I loved seeing more of two favorite characters, but from a critical standpoint these lengthy and entertaining storylines are the literary equivalent of empty calories.

Now, it may sound like I didn’t like the story – and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I really liked this book. Heck, I loved it. I loved the different types of magic and their explanations, in depth here (Allomancy versus Feruchemy versus Hemalurgy). But these flaws in the story and the almost deus ex machina type ending kept me from loving it with the reckless abandon that I had for The Final Empire.

Ana:

“I am unfortunately, the Hero of Ages”

With this tantalising bit Brandon Sanderson opens his final volume in his amazing trilogy. The line is, even in its shortness everything that is right about the series. It points to both plot (Who is the Hero of Ages is a central question of the trilogy) and character (the “unfortunately” shows that being the Hero of Ages does not come without sacrifices) . It is also part of something I really liked throughout the trilogy: the quotes that open each chapter. In this particular one, the quotes are very revelatory, finally answering those questions I had been waiting for: like the truth behind the Lord Ruler’s actions and what exactly are Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy. It is also very clear who is writing these from the start which only ads and extra layer of mystery to the plot because how exactly did THIS person become the Hero of Ages?

Speaking of which: if The Well of Ascension was mostly a character piece, The Hero of Ages is definitely a plot-centric instalment. It is with this book that it becomes very clear to me what an amazing plotter Brandon Sanderson is. EVERYTHING comes together perfectly and even small, deceptively irrelevant pieces of information from BOOK 1, prove to be essential to the overall story. I was completely awed by some of it and I had quite a few moments where I went “WHOA” .

In this point I have to disagree with Thea. I thought everything fit beautifully with the previous books and I was left completely satisfied with the entire overreaching arc – the historical one between Ruin and Preservation and the localised one that dealt with these particular characters. (Although I have to agree that the two forces did seem polarised between Evil X Good despite the attempt of making it not so.) . This (apparent) division between two storylines – the one that began a long time ago and which have Forces of Nature fighting and the one that has Elend and crew trying to survive it, was extremely well done.

BUT there is a lot of it. And here I have to agree with Thea 100%: some of the plotlines were completely useless even if they were interesting. I have to admit to loving Spook and TenSoon as characters but the amount of time spent with them only hindered the overall experience, delaying the progress of the story. In my not so humble opinion, this is another example of a book that needed heavy editing, cutting back pages and pages of useless storylines. To the point where I believe this trilogy would have worked far better as a two-book series. As it stands, the trilogy is an uneven ride: slow in points, fast paced in others. Remove some of these storylines from both book 2 and 3, unite the two into one book and ergo: you have a fantastic rollercoaster packing a much more effective punch.

Not that the series doesn’t go out with a BANG! Quite the opposite, the final 150 pages of the book, once all the irrelevant secondary stuff was taken care of, and we reach the resolution (which includes the demise of VIPs), were absolutely, undoubtedly brilliant. Had the book been more focused and more centralised, I have no question in mind that instead of “brilliant” I would be using the word “spectacular”.

Ultimately though, despite its flaws, I loved this series.

On the Characters:

Thea: I have come to an important conclusion whist reading The Hero of the Ages. Brandon Sanderson’s characters only have two speeds: Badass and Emo. There is no in between. Characters will oscillate from self-pitying emo whiner to deadly, awesome decisive badassness, without any middle gradation. This is something I find incredibly infuriating – I like characters to be vulnerable and to question their decisions, but when it goes on for the entire 700-plus pages, it’s a tad ridiculous. You will have seen this phenomenon in The Well of Ascension with Elend’s whiney introspectiveness, Vin’s self-doubting (How could Elend love someone like ME! *dramatic hand over face*), heck, even Breeze’s posturing about Cett’s daughter. In The Hero of Ages, it’s poor Sazed, torn up and faithless after the death of Tindwyl. Emo!Sazed is a character that had ME wanting to drive hemalurgic spikes into my eyes because of how ridiculously mopey he was for the. enitre. book.

That said, there were characters I was thrilled to see again, and in depth. Since The Final Empire, one of my favorite side-characters was Spook, the tineye member of Kelsier’s original crew. In The Hero of Ages, Spook plays a much larger, pivotal role in the story. Also returning to a major plotline is TenSoon, the kandra that killed and usurped OreSur’s place in The Well of Ascension.

As for our intrepid heroes, Vin and Elend? I was not cool with Elend being a badass all of a sudden – yes, I know it’s a full year after the events at the Well of Ascension, but it felt a bit easy to have Elend all of a sudden gain strength and allomantic prowess after all his struggles in the second book (especially his insecurities concerning Vin and her incredible power). And yet, I was more than happy to see a departure from Emo!Elend and his constant self-doubts and questions. Vin, once again, is the true hero of this novel – she’s back in top badass form, and fights long and hard. She’s not infallible, and she gets into her share of tough scrapes – but even without allomancy to help her, she’s a fighter and proves her mettle once more as a heroine worth everything.

Ana: First of all, I do need to give Thea the kudos for summarising brilliantly the two speeds of the characters (and for me making me laugh so hard). This is unfortunately very true for most part. It is also true that thankfully, the worst of internal monologue was left behind in the Well of Ascension. I mean, there is still a lot of self-doubt in this book (if I had to hear one more time Elend thinking about the distinction between being King x being a Scholar, I would have gladly stood in line behind Thea to get those spikes into my eyes too ). Sazed got the blunt of it this time around – the mopping about the religions and loss of faith was incredibly…well, boring to be honest. But of course it all came back to bite me in the behind when the connection between his religious knowledge and how exactly it fit in the overall story was revealed (for your information, that was a “WHOA” moment). Gotta give Brandon Sanderson the props for playing this card. Damn him, and I say that in a most reverent manner.

Despite the moodiness and the Emo moments though, I am a sucker for the badass mode specially Elend’s. PLEASE, give me Badass!Elend any time over Emo!Elend. When he became a Mistborn at the end of Well of Ascension I had my concerns and I was afraid he would steal Vin’s thunder but I am pleased to say that this does not happen. They both have their strengths and they play according to it even if they spent most of the book apart. That fit really well with who these characters were: Elend, the new Emperor dealing with the political side of the situation and Vin going on her own to deal with the metaphysical aspects. I liked to read these two characters’ evolution from book 1 to the final book.

Finally, I need to mention the Lord Ruler, the tyrant who was killed at the end of The Final Empire. Even though he is dead and gone, and is not a physical presence anymore, I absolutely loved to learn more about him. From the end of The Final Empire it was very clear that he was more than an eeeeevil villain but just how much more was really cool to learn in this book.

Vin remains my favourite in the entire trilogy and the most memorable character.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: Though not without its weak points, The Hero of Ages is a fitting, bittersweet end to a wonderful trilogy. I loved this powerful conclusion, and I absolutely cannot wait to read more from Brandon Sanderson.

Ana: The Hero of Ages is a great, final book in an extremely well-plotted and very (VERY) original Fantasy series which I highly recommend. After reading both this and Warbreaker this year, I am fully aware of the author’s strengths and weaknesses and the former far surpasses the latter. I am reading Elantris ASAP.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Fatren squinted up at the red sun, which hid behind its perpetual screen of dark haze. Black ash fell lightly from the sky, as it did most days lately. The thick flakes fell straight, the air stagnant and hot, without even a hint of a breeze to lighten Fatren’s mood. He sighed, leaning back against the earthen bulwark, looking over Vetitan. His town.

“How long?” he asked.

Druffel scratched his nose. His face was stained black with ash. He hadn’t given much thought to hygiene lately. Of course, considering the stress of the last few months, Fatren knew that he himself wasn’t much to look at either.

“An hour, maybe,” Druffel said, spitting into the dirt of the bulwark.

Fatren sighed, staring up at the falling ash. “Do you think it’s true, Druffel? What people are saying?”

“What?” Druffel asked. “That the world is ending?”

Fatren nodded.

“Don’t know,” Druffel said. “Don’t really care.”

“How can you say that?”

Druffel shrugged, scratching himself. “Soon as those koloss arrive, I’ll be dead. That’s pretty much the end of the world for me.”

Fatren fell silent. He didn’t like to voice his doubts; he was supposed to be the strong one. When the lords had left the town—a farming community, slightly more urban than a northern plantation—Fatren had been the one who had convinced the skaa to go ahead with their planting. Fatren had been the one to keep the press gangs away. In a time when most villages and plantations had lost every able- bodied man to one army or another, Vetitan still had a working population. It had cost much of their crops in bribes, but Fatren had kept the people safe.

Mostly.

“The mists didn’t leave until noon today,” Fatren said quietly. “They’re staying later and later. You’ve seen the crops, Druff. They’re not doing well—not enough sunlight, I’d guess. We won’t have food to eat this winter.”

“We won’t last ’til winter,” Druffel said. “Won’t last ’til nightfall.”

The sad thing—the thing that was really disheartening—was that Druffel had once been the optimist. Fatren hadn’t heard his brother laugh in months. That laughter had been Fatren’s favorite sound.
Even the Lord Ruler’s mills weren’t able to grind Druff’s laughter out of him, Fatren thought. But these last two years have.

“Fats!” a voice called. “Fats!”

Fatren looked up as a young boy scrambled along the side of the bulwark. They’d barely finished the fortification—it had been Druffel’s idea, back before he’d really given up. Their town contained some seven thousand people, which made it fairly large. It had taken a great deal of work to surround the entire thing with a defensive mound.

Fatren had barely a thousand real soldiers—it had been very hard to gather that many from such a small population—with maybe another thousand men who were too young, too old, or too unskilled to fight well. He didn’t really know how big the koloss army was, but it was bound to be larger than two thousand. A bulwark was going to be of very little use.

The boy—Sev—finally puffed up to Fatren. “Fats!” Sev said. “Someone’s coming!”

“Already?” Fatren asked. “Druff said the koloss were still a while away!”

“Not a koloss, Fats,” the boy said. “A man. Come see!”

Fatren turned to Druff, who wiped his nose and shrugged. They followed Sev around the inside of the bulwark, toward the front gate. Ash and dust swirled on the packed earth, piling in corners, drifting. There hadn’t been much time for cleaning lately. The women had to work the fields while the men trained and made war preparations.

War preparations. Fatren told himself that he had a force of two thousand “soldiers,” but what he really had were a thousand skaa peasants with swords. They’d had two years of training, true, but they had very little real fighting experience.

A group of men clustered around the front gates, standing on the bulwark or leaning against its side. Maybe I was wrong to spend so much of our resources training soldiers, Fatren thought. If those thousand men had worked the mines instead, we’d have some ore for bribes.

Except, koloss didn’t take bribes. They just killed. Fatren shuddered, thinking of Garthwood. That city had been bigger than his own, but fewer than a hundred survivors had made their way to Vetitan. That had been three months ago. He’d hoped, irrationally, that the koloss would be satisfied with destroying that city.

He should have known better. Koloss were never satisfied.

Fatren climbed up to the top of the bulwark, and soldiers in patched clothing and bits of leather made way for him. He peered through the falling ash across a dark landscape that looked as if it were blanketed in deep black snow.

A lone rider approached, wearing a dark, hooded cloak.

“What do you think, Fats?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Koloss scout?”

Fatren snorted. “Koloss wouldn’t send a scout, especially not a human one.”

“He has a horse,” Druffel said with a grunt. “We could use another of those.” The city only had five. All were suffering from malnutrition.

“Merchant,” one of the soldiers said.

“No wares,” Fatren said. “And it would take a brave merchant to travel these parts alone.”

“I’ve never seen a refugee with a horse,” one of the men said. He raised a bow, looking at Fatren.
Fatren shook his head. Nobody fired as the stranger rode up, moving at an unhurried pace. He stopped his mount directly before the city gates. Fatren was proud of those. Real, true wooden gates mounted in the earthen bulwark. He’d gotten both wood and fine stone from the lord’s manor at the city center.

Very little of the stranger was visible beneath the thick, dark cloak he wore to protect himself from the ash. Fatren looked over the top of the bulwark, studying the stranger, and then he glanced up at his brother, shrugging. The ash fell silently.

The stranger leaped from his horse.

He shot straight upward, as if propelled from beneath, cloak whipping free as he soared. Underneath it, he wore a uniform of brilliant white.

Fatren cursed, jumping backward as the stranger crested the top of the bulwark and landed on the top of the wooden gate itself. The man was an Allomancer. A nobleman. Fatren had hoped those would all stick to their squabbles in the North and leave his people in peace.

Or, at least, their peaceful deaths.

You can read the full chapter online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Brandon Sanderson, in addition to penning the popular Mistborn, Elantris books and Warbreaker is also the author who was chosen to pen the conclusion of the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. You may have heard of it.

The Gathering Storm, the first of the three final novels started by Robert Jordan before his death in 2007, is now out in bookstores and has DISPLACED the formidable Dan Brown with his The Lost Symbol atop the New York Times Bestseller List. Huzzah!

Rating:

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Ana: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

Title:The Well of Ascension

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor (US) / Gollancz (UK)
Publishing Date: June 2008 / December 2009
Mass Market Paperback: 816 pages / 800 pages

Stand alone or series: Second book in the Mistborn trilogy

Why did we read the book: Because we loved Mistborn.

How did we get the book: We both bought our copies.

Summary: The impossible has happened. The Lord Ruler has been vanquished. But so too is Kelsier the man who masterminded the triumph. The awesome task of rebuilding the world has been left to his protege Vin; a one-time street urchin, now the most powerful Mistborn in the land. Worryingly for her Vin has become the focus of a new religion, a development that leaves her intensely uneasy. More worryingly still the mists have become unpredictable since the Lord Ruler died and a strage vaprous entity is stalking Vin. As the siege of Luthadel intensifies the ancient legend of the Well of Ascension offers the only glimmer of hope. But no-one knows where it is or what it can do .

Review:

First Impressions:

Ana: Having loved the first book in the series as much as I did, it was no-brainer that I would be reading the entire trilogy and I started The Well of Ascension with a great amount of excitment. And I was not disappointed. Although not as awesome as the first in the series, this book was still gripping, interesting and with quite a few plot twists that made me all giddy inside. This series is GOOD.

Thea: I too loved The Final Empire, and had high hopes for this second book. But I gotta level with you here, dear readers – I frankly was disappointed with The Well of Ascension. It’s still a very good book, and I am as impressed as ever with Mr. Sanderson’s worldbuilding skillz as well as his eye for drama and action…but this book felt like a let-down on many levels. The constant repetition and caricaturish characters in particular were constant annoyances. That said, the scale of action in this book and the war/politicking storylines were fantastic, and though I did guess a few of the plot twists, there was more than enough mystery to keep me entertained with this novel. Certainly enough to warrant continued reading of the series!

On the plot:

It’s been one year since Vin and her friends killed the supposedly immortal tyrant, the Lord Ruler, and freed Luthadel. But freedom doesn’t come without consequences. The city is surrounded by two invading armies who think Elend should not be King. Inside the citadel, political intrigue blooms and both Elend and Vin struggle to accept their place in the new world order. Meanwhile, the mists are coming now during daytime and Vin starts to realise that maybe the Lord Ruler was more than a tyrant : what if he was keeping the Deepness at bay? Then another manuscript is found that may shed light in the Prophecy about the Hero of Ages and his (or her) role in saving the world from something worse than they ever thought.

Ana: I have to admit I did not expect that one year would have passed since the end of the first book but that certainly allows for the interesting place where the characters find themselves: being under siege by two distinct forces, trying to find a new balance between lords and Skaa, trying above all to find their voice after the loss of their leader Kelsier, the man who planned everything they accomplished. Elend, the new king, finds himself in a complicated position trying to hear all the different sides and to remain a good person. Vin, who is now his bodyguard is becoming a stronger Mistborn by the minute and the more power she has, the more the Kingdom and the King have to rely on her for protection and survival (how refreshing to see the female character in such a powerful position). Just then she starts to see things in the Mist and to hear a thudding sound in the background which might point that she is in fact the prophesised Hero of Ages who will save them all. A LOT happens in this book and the scope that the story has, is simply amazing but that doesn’t come without its share of problems.

Starting with pacing: the story kept shifting from the overall story arc (The Deepness and the siege of Luthadel) to focus on the characters. I never thought I would ever say this in my reading life, but I wished that the author had progressed with the plot instead of focusing so much on character development.

Thea. Hold me, I think I will be sick.

This instalment reads a lot like a coming of age story for both Vin and Elend in which both go through a series of hard-learnt lessons about sacrifice and the greater good and both emerge stronger in the end. To be fair, this was absolutely necessary and I wouldn’t change it for the world but I am sure their arcs could have been shortened without detriment to the development of their characters. Most of their inner monologue and identity issues was repeated ad nauseam. Vin would go on and on about trust issues, about who she is – is she a lady? Is she a killer? Similarly with Elend who suffered of lack of self-confidence: is he a good king, is he a scholar? Lather, repeat, rinse. It got boring and tiresome pretty soon.

It might sound as though I didn’t like the book which is not the case, at all. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t read fast enough. All of the above are me being completely objective but the truth is this: even though the book is far from being perfect, even though there were pacing issues and I had problems with the repetitions, these were only minor quibbles because the overall plot is fantastic. It is clear that the author knows what he is doing and where his story is going. From political intrigue between the several lords with interest in the citadel and its hidden Atium, to the mythology surrounding the Kandra for example noting seems to be random and eventually it all falls into place during the climax. The amazing, mind-blowing climax who had everything I love about Fantasy: great fighting sequences, lose threads that become part of the whole, and a twist, OMG the twist. I finished the book with my jaw dropping to the floor.

It is also worth to mention that this is a second book in the trilogy, and as with all amazing middle books, this one ends with a sad note of loss and despair. The stakes are higher from now on and it should not be different. I really want to see what the frak happens next.

Thea: I have to echo Ana’s thoughts – while The Well of Ascension has a truly wonderful, multilayered plot, there were some serious pacing issues. First, the good: this book covers an impressive amount of detail and is awe-inspiring in its scope. In particular, the political aspect of the novel, with the marching armies besieging Luthadel and the actions of the Assembly in their votes against Elend’s rule as King are fabulously imagined and feel very real. There’s also the problem of the ominous mists choking the land, appearing across the Empire earlier in the afternoon and staying past dawn – to the point where people are mysteriously being killed in the mists themselves. The overarching mystery of what the Lord Ruler’s last words truly meant, about the nature of “the Deepness” reverberate ominously throughout this book and come to a somewhat shocking conclusion. Well, sort of.

The biggest problem with The Well of Ascension is how repetitive it is. I have to agree whole-heartedly with Ana – there was SO MUCH time devoted to characters and their insecurities, I found myself impatient to get back to the action and plot. When the plot moved forward, it was phenomenal – but the great plotting was unfortunately dwarfed by the character repetition, and this really hampered my reading experience. In contrast to Ana, by the time the twists came along and the dramatic conclusion, I was more than a little weary of the whole book. As for the twists themselves, they are so obviously alluded to throughout the story with heavy-handed foreshadowing (seriously, the little excerpts at the beginning of each chapter from the same. damn. document over and over again get very tiresome) that by the time all the cards are on the table at the conclusion of the novel, it was a bit ruined for me.

That’s not to say that The Well of Ascension is a bad book – rather, it’s testament to Mr. Sanderson’s writing that in spite of these qualms I still found myself engrossed in the story and finished it all in a few scant days. But there was no need for this book to be so long as it was. Two hundred or so pages could easily have been trimmed from the novel, making it more suspenseful and efficient. But that’s just my opinion.

On the characters:

Ana: Thea will probably tell you that the characters are too good. I agree but I have actually am not really bothered by that. I usually am all for shades of gray but I think in this instance it not only worked (why not? Why can’t people be genuinely good?) but it actually added extra angst because good does not always triumph in the end. It was a great exercise to see a group of good, honourable men taking charge of a city after the fall of the tyrant and realising little by little that sometimes being good and honourable is not enough. It is HORRIBLE to realise as you go along, that if you were a bit more flexible in your beliefs you could be a better leader but also a sell-out. I liked reading this and the repercussions of their actions.

I did resent though, being told over and over again that they were good. It was completely unnecessary because I could see that – I was shown that they were good. And this is one of the crazy things about Brandon Sanderson’s writing of his characters: it is bipolar, shifting between telling and showing. For example, a character would do something cool, like say Breeze, would soothe people’s emotions. Then there would be paragraph after paragraph examining the action and telling me that it was because he was a good person. But I already know that – I can see for myself. It is as though the author doesn’t trust the reader to understand what he is doing.

That doesn’t mean that he can’t write these characters: he can. And I love every single one of them. All the members of their motley crew of thieves turned citizens who belong and who have a role to play in the decision-making process. Sazed is another one whom I adored since the first book and this time we are granted his PoV as well. His arc is another one that is gripping especially when he comes to realise how his position of Keeper is one that prevents him for taking a side. I even like the villains and I was MOST intrigued with Zane, the Mistborn who fell for Vin. Finally, of course there is Vin, my favourite character and she totally kick-ass in this book. Boy, can the woman fight.

There is one character though that I do not like as much as the others and that would be Elend Venture. Elend is uptight, self-sacrificing and self-righteous and he can go round and round immersed in his ideology and insecurities instead of DOING something. Elend is in other words, a douchebag. But he is not a complete douchebag. Every time I was about to quit on him and wish for his demise, he would do something cool that would make me appreciate him and to be completely forthright, I sort of like his romantic relationship with Vin even though at the times I wished that she would have been paired off with someone stronger.

You know what? I spent most of the book thinking that what he really needed was to have a good night of sex. You know, to let the tension out? But also because it is hard for me to believe in a love story between Elend and Vin, which is central to this trilogy, when something as essential as PASSION was missing. They would snuggle and kiss but nothing else and they have known each other for two years and have been together as a couple for one. Elend kept BLUSHING every time Vin would show him some skin for Christ’s sake. It is hard for me to believe in a couple when passion and sex is missing . Note, I am not asking for sex SCENES, I can have them or leave them. What I am trying to say is that sex is important for a relationship to work and it was unrealistic that they didn’t even think about it.

Despite Elend douchebaginess, the main group of character are strong and sympathetic. Kudos to Brandon Sanderson for making me care so much to what happens to them.

Thea: Ok, Ana guessed it – I have a small problem with all the main characters in Mistborn. They are all so, damned GOOD. They are all honorable thieves with hearts of gold, who would NEVER turn their backs on Kelsier’s liberated empire even when it means their deaths. Blah, blah, blah, kumbaya. In of itself, this isn’t a huge deal – but there’s this overarching obsession with “good men” that it made me want to tear out my hair, or at least drive one or two of those Inquisitor spikes into my own eyes. Again, this goes back to the repetition thing. Over and over again we hear about how Vin fears Elend won’t love her because she cannot be a lady and Mistborn at the same time. Again and again we hear about how Elend isn’t Kelsier and how inadequate he feels about being a leader. Every other page, we hear that “Elend is a good man!” “But good men cannot be kings!” “Yes they can!” “No they can’t!”

I feel like a huge grouch, but this bothered me immensely whilst reading. Besides the repetition, the other annoying thing with the characters was how caricaturish they all seemed. In fact, I can sum them all up in a few sentences:

Breeze: I’m so silly and no one can take me seriously, but I soothe emotions unconsciously! No one can love me because I’m a soother! *fights with Ham*

Ham: What is God? What is life? I ask supposedly deep questions, but never answer them! *fights with Breeze*

Zane: I’m CRAZY! Kill them! No don’t kill them! Vin, we can leave together! MIST!

Elend: Wah, wah, wah, does Vin love me? I’m not as cool as Kelsier! But I do dress in nice uniforms and stand up straight. PHILOSOPHY! BOOKS!

Vin: Elend can never love me anymore, I am not a lady, I am an outsider. MIST! Pewter, copper cloud pierce! Pewter! DURALUMIN-PEWTER!!!!! *ninja vanish*

That probably doesn’t make sense if you haven’t read the book. But if you have, you know exactly what I mean.

That all said, when Vin isn’t drowning in a weird sea of insecurity, she’s a badass heroine, and her action scenes are ridiculously good fun. Elend is a complete wanker, and I’m super annoyed with the ending of this book in particular as it pertains to him. I completely agree with Ana with her dissatisfaction with the character. And yet, despite my annoyance with the insecurities and repetition in the novel and especially so far as Vin and Elend are concerned, their dysfunctional personalities work together, somehow. Though I will also agree that there’s something weirdly PG about the whole relationship. They’ve been together for over a year now, and sleep in separate rooms, and their relationship consists mostly of “cuddling” and chaste kisses. It’s weird. And a little creepy.

While the supposed “hero” characters were grating, there were some standout others that more than compensated for the deficit. In particular, the character of Zane was a favorite of mine. Heck, even the villainous Lord Straff Venture, Elend’s father, was a welcome breath of fresh air in a sea of one-note characters. Also, OreSeur, the Kandra bound to Vin from Kelsier’s contract, was probably my favorite character in the entire novel. We learn a lot more about the Deepness, about the mist and the Kandra in this novel, and it’s all wonderful good fun. I only wish this was more of a focus in the novel.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating

Ana: Overall, The Well of Ascension is not as good as Mistborn, but parts of it are. The fighting sequences, the political intrigue, the mythology surrounding all the different races, Vin and the last bombastic 100 pages were completely awesome. When Brandon Sanderson shines, he shines with a force of a supernova. Here is wishing that the last instalment will be made entirely of good parts.

Thea: While I’m not as convinced as Ana, I did enjoy The Well of Ascension, despite its sizable, glaring missteps. Mr. Sanderson has a knack for writing action, so when it does (finally) come around, it’s enough to keep even the most reluctant readers engaged. And, to be fair, the high points of the book were ridiculously good. I’m just hoping that Hero of Ages has more of the high points, and less mind-numbing repetition.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: From Chapter 1:

The army crept like a dark stain across the horizon.

King Elend Venture stood motionless upon the Luthadel city wall, looking out at the enemy troops. Around him, ash fell from the sky in fat, lazy flakes. It wasn’t the burnt white ash that one saw in dead coals; this was a deeper, harsher black ash. The Ashmounts had been particularly active lately.

Elend felt the ash dust his face and clothing, but he ignored it. In the distance, the bloody red sun was close to setting. It backlit the army that had come to take Elend’s kingdom from him.

“How many?” Elend asked quietly.

“Fifty thousand, we think,” Ham said, leaning against the parapet, beefy arms folded on the stone. Like everything in the city, the wall had been stained black by countless years of ashfalls.

“Fifty thousand soldiers . . .” Elend said, trailing off. Despite heavy recruitment, Elend barely had twenty thousand men under his command—and they were peasants with less than a year of training. Maintaining even that small number was straining his resources. If they’d been able to find the Lord Ruler’s atium, perhaps things would be different. As it was, Elend’s rule was in serious danger of economic disaster.

“What do you think?” Elend asked.

“I don’t know, El,” Ham said quietly. “Kelsier was always the one with the vision.”

“But you helped him plan,” Elend said. “You and the others, you were his crew. You were the ones who came up with a strategy for overthrowing the empire, then made it happen.”

Ham fell silent, and Elend felt as if he knew what the man was thinking. Kelsier was central to it all. He was the one who organized, the one who took all of the wild brainstorming and turned it into a viable operation. He was the leader. The genius.

And he’d died a year before, on the very same day that the people—as part of his secret plan—had risen up in fury to overthrow their god emperor. Elend had taken the throne in the ensuing chaos. Now it was looking more and more like he would lose everything that Kelsier and his crew had worked so hard to accomplish.

Lose it to a tyrant who might be even worse than the Lord Ruler. A petty, devious bully in “noble” form. The man who had marched his army on Luthadel.

Elend’s own father, Straff Venture.

You can read the full chapter, as well as chapters 2 and 3 online HERE.

Additional Thoughts:

Brandon Sanderson, as you may have heard, has also written the completion of Robert Jordan’s beloved Wheel of Time series – with the long awaited twelfth novel, The Gathering Storm out in stores on October 25th. You can find out more about Brandon Sanderson and The Gathering Storm online in an interview with editor Harriet McDougal and the author HERE.

What’s even cooler is, Tor is providing us with a sweet “Fantasy Firsts” giveaway of both The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time book 1) and Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn book 1)!

We are giving away THREE prize packs for three lucky readers, each containing a copy of The Eye of the World and Mistborn: The Final Empire. The contest is open to residents of the US, Canada, and UK, and will run until October 24th at 11:59 PM (PST). In order to enter, simply leave a comment here, letting us know what your favorite first book in a fantasy series is! Good luck!

Rating:

Ana: 8 – Excellent

Thea: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter

Title: Mistborn: The Final Empire

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor (US) / Gollancz (UK)
Publication Date: Jan 2007 (US) / October 2009 (UK)
Paperback: 672 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 in the Mistborn trilogy.

Why did we read this book: We’ve actually had our eye on the Mistborn books for a while. A year or so back, a commenter recommended them, and we’ve been wanting to read them ever since!

Summary: (from amazon.com)
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

REVIEW

First Impressions:

Thea: Holy burning metals, Batman! Mistborn is flipping fantastic. Though it had a bit of a slow start, I soon became fully immersed in this new, dark world of ash and mist, where Allomancers “burn” certain metals to work magic, and a cruel tyrant rules with an iron fist (pardon the pun). At 700 pages long, I was scared that I might not be able to finish Mistborn in time to review it this week, but I needn’t have worried. I devoured this book. From the superb worldbuilding to the wonderful leading characters to the action-packed plot and overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere, I loved Mistborn. A brilliant start to what looks to be an incredible trilogy.

Ana:Thea has such a way with words. Look at how perfectly she conveys how much the book is good. Meanwhile, here I am, trying really hard to contain myself not to write: “SQUEE, this book is awesome, read it” and be done with it. Since I can’t I will just say this: I recently read (and loved) Warbreaker, the latest book by Brandon Sanderson, and I knew what the author is capable of creating in terms of magic system and world building. Still, Mistborn surprised me as it’s even better than Warbreaker and the good news is: it is only the beginning of what I am 100% sure will end up being one of my favourite Fantasy trilogies of all time. Squee.

On the Plot:

For a thousand years, the world has been plunged into in wasteland of gray ashfall and thickly misted nights. Ever since the Lord Ruler ascended to power by defeating the Deepness that threatened to destroy mankind, he has ruled the world with his incredible power. Immortal, the Lord Ruler’s so called Final Empire, however, is at unrest. Since his ascension, he has wiped out all religion except the worship of him, and has split society into two classes – nobles and skaa (or slaves). Beaten, raped, and murdered, the skaa have no hope and no will to rise up against their oppressors as every revolution has been met with disaster – and further, who can kill God himself? But one day, a very enterprising skaa, thief master and legendary “Survivor of Hathsin,” the indomitable Kelsier discovers a legend that means the end of the Lord Ruler.

Kelsier sets about to assemble a crewe of noble thieves for the biggest job in history. Though the task is likely suicidal, Kelsier has a few aces – in addition to the legend of the mythic Eleventh Metal, Kelsier also discovers a young ragamuffin urchin named Vin…who happens to be a Mistborn, just as Kell is. Able to use the powers of Allomancy, together Vin and Kelsier and his crew will undertake the impossible – the liberation of the skaa, and the felling of the Final Empire.

Thea: The greatest strength of Mistborn lies in its beautifully detailed and unique world-building. In this world, magic is real, but only Allomancers can use it. In the mechanics of magicking, there are ten metals – each with a specific ability or reaction. Allomancers, or Mistings as they are also known, ingest these metals and can “burn” them in their bodies. Only those of noble heritage can use allomancy, and almost always they can only command one metal. However, a very few Allomancers can use all ten metals – and these strong magicians are known as Mistborn. The way each metal works, the physics of “pulling” or “pushing” iron or steel is breathtaking – in many scenes, Kelsier and Vin use their allomancy to soar over buildings and fight enemies, and I could only sit and marvel at Mr. Sanderson’s imagination. Allomancers are kind of like Magneto, only much more detailed and realistic in process.

The world itself is similarly well defined – it’s dreary and plagued by constant ash falling from the sky, and dead gray landscapes. And of course, at night, the mists come out and cloak the land. What’s most impressive about the landscape, however, is the fact that all of the characters are blissfully ignorant of its bleakness – to each skaa and nobleman in Mistborn, the world has always been gray and raining ash, and every night has always been heralded by cold mists that hide monsters. Gradually Mr. Sanderson reveals that there is no green grass or flowering plants; these concepts are completely alien to his characters, though the world once had them. There’s an eerie, pervasive sense that something is very wrong with this world, and Mr. Sanderson injects this dreary oppressive atmosphere into the story flawlessly.

Then, of course, there’s the story itself. And, simply put, it is brilliant. There’s a building sense of menace as Kelsier’s plans for revolution come to a head, and there are a number of unexpected twists and turns that make this a genuinely unputdownable book. And the ACTION! Oh, it’s any adrenaline junkie’s dream. The fight scenes are brilliant, enhanced by the allomantic properties of metals…I couldn’t be happier.

I should also mention that each chapter begins with a brief excerpt from the journal of the Hero of Ages – the man who thwarted the Deepness. It’s a wonderful stylistic touch that gives insight to a character that failed in his task to bring peace and prosperity to the Final Empire, and one that I appreciated very much. It did get a bit repetitive towards the end of the novel, but for the most part, the parallel storylines worked beautifully.

The only drawbacks I had in terms of plotting was how conventional the plot premise is. Weary slaves rise against their tyrannical oppressor, overcoming insurmountable odds (with the help of course of a hero that has unparalleled magical powers), etc. Also, some of the writing felt incongruous with the fantasy setting. On occasion characters would speak in a variation of usual fantasy speak (“Aye,” etc), but then would slip into modern colloquialisms that didn’t really sit right with the period. Also, the dialogue at times could be a bit clunky and info-dumpy, which felt a little forced. But, I should say that these very minor qualms were easily overshadowed by the strength of the world, the pacing of the story, and the innumerable twists along the way.

Ana:Mistborn has a low-burning start but soon it becomes clear that the author is simply laying out the grounds for his story to expand. The book starts with Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin visiting one of the country plantations and talking to a few skaa slaves and finding out that one of the skaa girls has been summoned to attend the Lord of the place – according to the law, she is to be raped and then killed and no one can do anything about it. Kell is taken with rage and with his Mistborn powers proceeds to annihilate the Lord and his House and frees the Skaa. And that is how his plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler begins.

As much as I try (and I have thought about the book continuously since I finished reading it) I simply cannot fault the plotting of this book. It may start with a simple enough, conventional premise with a band of noble brothers who get together to overthrow the oppressive lord and free the populace and lead by a charismatic leader; but the richness of details, the imaginative world building, the unique magic system, diverse religious beliefs and the politic intrigue of the upper members of government with its Houses and Inquisitors makes this a most fantastic read.

There are layer upon layer of events – both present and past – that intertwine throughout the book and lead the reader through a maze of non-stop action (once the book gets going, that is) till the most awesome climax I read in a while, full of twists and turns coming left and right and with some of the most amazing fighting sequences I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Brandon Sanderson seems to be a writer that has a flair for eccentric magic systems and his Allomancy proves it once again – I can’t help but to be awed at the laws he created and how creative it is. The most astonishing thing though is how by the end of the book, there is the introduction of a SECOND magic system also with its own laws. On top of that, there is the presence of several levels of government officials, of aristocratic Lords and their Houses and their direct oppressed counterparts, the skaas with their Thief Crews, the city Skaas and the plantation skaas. There is scheming and conspiracy everywhere and from all sides and all combined make for a magnetic read (ha. Another lame pun from us).

I simply loved how, as you move along, the story becomes more and more complex until all falls in place by the end of the book. Although, on second thought, one can argue that the very neatness of the conclusion can be a drawback, it is not enough to make a dent in my adoration for the novel. If I have to be nitpicky though I could mention that Kell and his plan did sound a bit paternalistic towards the poor, skaas slaves that can’t think for themselves but since this is the very premise of the story – that the skaas have been oppressed over a thousand years and have fallen into a life of conditioning and needed to be shown that there was hope in fighting – there is not much point.

The real point I want to make is: this is a kick –ass, imaginative book and I loved it. Squee.

On the Characters:

Thea: Ahh, sweet Kelsier! And Vin! These dual protagonists are absolutely fantastic (though Kelsier is easily my favorite character of the book). Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, is the charming, wise mentor to Vin’s youthful distrust and inexperience; he’s the Dr. Dre to her Eminem; the Obi Wan to Vin’s Luke Skywalker. In fact, while reading this book and emailing Ana, I remarked on the Star Wars similarities – because both George Lucas’s original trilogy and Mr. Sanderson’s Mistborn really are both Hero’s Journeys at heart. Kelsier is just…cool. His story is tragic – once the best thief in Luthadel, he was betrayed by one of his teammates and sentenced to a harsh life of labor in the mines of Hathsin by the Lord Ruler himself. But Kelsier escaped the inescapable, and “snapped,” thus becoming a full fledged Mistborn. Having lost everything, including the love of his life, Kelsier is a man with nothing to lose, but he’s not bitter or cruel. Rather, he’s determined to bring down the Final Empire, to destroy the Lord Ruler, at any cost. And the coolest thing about Kelsier is that he isn’t perfect – he’s clever but he makes mistakes. And yet, ultimately, he has a plan. And he’s so much fun.

Then, of course, there’s Vin. A sixteen year old girl who has been living rough her whole life in a crew of thieves who beat her and see her as more trouble than she’s worth, Vin has grown into a distrustful girl that believes in the worst in people, and struggles to keep herself safe at all costs. It is Vin’s journey that is the Hero’s tale of Mistborn – and it is quite a tale of self discovery. Vin grows from a quiet, distrusting young girl to a powerful (one of the MOST powerful) Mistborns over the course of the novel; again I have to applaud Mr. Sanderson for this pretty near flawless execution. Vin is a heroine worth rooting for, worth loving, and she’s tough enough to be believable as a complete, allomantic badass. Her thoughts, her fears, her questions are an integral part of the story. Needless to say, I am a fan.

As for the rest of the cast, however, it’s a bit hit or miss. Some secondary characters, such as the Terrisman Sazed and Kelsier’s brother Marsh, are fantastic standouts in their own right. Both are given character arcs that are captivating and believable – in particular, Sazed’s background as a Terrisman is fantastically drawn. But then, there are other characters that fall under the realm of too-good-to-be-true. The other crewe members and their undying loyalty to Kelsier’s suicidal mission – even when they know the promised payday will never happen – is feel-good awesome, but somewhat unbelievable given how dangerous and cutthroat the Final Empire really is. Then, there’s Lord Elend, Vin’s love interest. Blah. The romance element of the story didn’t particularly work for me. The chemistry was fine and as a subplot it was certainly entertaining, but Elend himself is a bit of a pushover. A wuss. In fact, I found myself far preferring the thief Spook to Elend’s foppish lordliness. But that, of course, is a matter of personal taste (as Ana will get around to, I’m sure). Villainous characters weren’t given as much insight as I wished, and everyone fell into either the “good” or “bad” categories with only a few shades of gray.

Still, despite these problems, the strengths of the main characters (who are the only ones that really matter, really) more than compensated for the lesser secondary characters, and on the whole I was quite pleased with the cast of Mistborn.

Ana: It is not a secret that between a plot-driven novel and a character-driven one, I shall always gravitate towards the latter and that nothing makes me happier than a book that is BOTH. Mistborn, I am glad to report, is one of those.

The point of view alternate between Kelsier and Vin (for most part, more on that later) and I was a happy camper with both protagonists. On one side, you have Kell, the larger than life anti-hero, the rogue, who is a bit uncompromising in his beliefs and his quest for revenge and (ultimately) justice, who always has a funny comment and smile but deep down there is more to him than most see. Thea mentions Star War’s Obi Wan and this is certain a spot on comparison but Kell has a bit of a Han Solo-ish personality to go along of his Obi Wan role to Vin. He is definitely a fun character to read about but his arc, although essential to the novel (and how essential it is!) it is not the one that I related to the most.

That would be Vin’s – who begins as the street urchin whose sad past of spoke beatings and abuse from her own brother and crew members and becomes a strong woman on her own. As a character, Vin is wholly relatable mostly because Brandon Sanderson excels at showing the inner workings of her mind as she goes from one end of the spectrum (powerless, abused) to the other (the most powerful Mistborn) and tries to make head from toes as she goes along. I liked how at first she is so mistrustful that she rejects the very idea of friendship until Kell’s teachings and way of life become her own – but not without some serious consideration. Kell is the daredevil, Vin is the more balanced of the duo. One of the regular tropes of Fantasy is the Hero’s journey and I can’t begin to express how good it feels to read one where the female character is the one to undertake it, how refreshing it is! To me, this is Vin’s book and I love her.

There is also a plethora of secondary characters and I have to echo Thea’s feelings about Marsh and Sazed, although out of the two Sazed has a larger role to play as Vin’s relentless aid and protector and as such, he is more fleshed out. He is my favourite secondary character not only for his kick-ass moments but because of the extra layer of knowledge he adds to the story. His background as a Keeper of knowledge for his Race is so interesting and I was glued to the pages whenever he had a conversation with Vin or Kell about one of the myriad of religions he knew about it. As for the remaining members of the crew – well, I have to say I do have a soft spot the Noble Crew of Misfits and I felt like I was there in their meetings: I love that each had a role to play relating to the sort of metal each was able to burn and how there was so much sense of humour amongst them. Did it seem unrealistic that in the horrible world they lived in, they had such lightness amongst them in contrast? Yes. But it didn’t matter to me.

As for Vin’s love interest, Lord Elend. I have to disagree with Thea, I love the guy, love his interactions with Vin and I basically fell a little bit in love with him from the first time he walked into a ball and step aside to read a book. Yes, compared to Kell and Vin, he is a bit feeble but hear me out: I am convinced he will have a much larger role to play and to back me up we have one, the fact that he is granted his point of view towards the end and two, the way he behaves in the climax.

And of course, I need to mention the villains of the piece. We have the totally creepy, immortal invincible Inquisitors who are constantly searching for Mistborns such as Vin and Kell and who scared me to death and the Lord Ruler – who by the way is not only a ruler but actually an Immortal GOD – who was once mortal until he was chosen as The Hero of Ages, the one to save the world from the Deepness and someone who would either turn out to be a hero or a tyrant. It was riveting to read each small piece from his journal which opened the chapters and see that inner fight and indecision prior to becoming the Tyrant he is as the book opens. What went wrong and why?

(squee)

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: If you couldn’t tell, I loved Mistborn. I really loved it. Fantastic worldbuilding, solid protagonists, excellent plot…there’s very little not to love in this fantastic first novel of a trilogy. I’m buying my copies of books 2 & 3 immediately. Absofreakinglutely recommended, and one of my favorite reads of the year.

Ana: This is the sort of Fantasy book that I love to read: with a great, tight plot and wonderful world building without ever losing touch with its characters. I already bought books 2 and 3 (and we will be reading those soon) . Highly, highly recommended and it is easily one of my faves of the year as well.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

I consider myself to be a man of principle. But, what man does not? Even the cutthroat, I have noticed, considers his actions “moral” after a fashion.

Perhaps another person, reading of my life, would name me a religious tyrant. He could call me arrogant. What is to make that man’s opinion any less valid than my own?

I guess it all comes down to one fact: In the end, I’m the one with the armies.

Chapter 1

Ash fell from the sky.

Vin watched the downy flakes drift through the air. Leisurely. Careless. Free. The puffs of soot fell like black snowflakes, descending upon the dark city of Luthadel. They drifted in corners, blowing in the breeze and curling in tiny whirlwinds over the cobblestones. They seemed so uncaring. What would that be like?

Vin sat quietly in one of the crew’s watch-holes—a hidden alcove built into the bricks on the side of the safe house. From within it, a crewmember could watch the street for signs of danger. Vin wasn’t on duty; the watch-hole was simply one of the few places where she could find solitude.

And Vin liked solitude. When you’re alone, no one can betray you. Reen’s words. Her brother had taught her so many things, then had reinforced them by doing what he’d always promised he would—by betraying her himself. It’s the only way you’ll learn. Anyone will betray you, Vin. Anyone.

The ash continued to fall. Sometimes, Vin imagined she was like the ash, or the wind, or the mist itself. A thing without thought, capable of simply being, not thinking, caring, or hurting. Then she could be . . . free.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Ana has read and reviewed Warbreaker by this author, and loved it too (Thea’s Aside: Dammit, I wish I had received that review copy). Mr. Sanderson is a science fiction and fantasy writer who has also written the Elantris books, and has been writing the twelfth and final book of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Needless to say, after we finish reading the Mistborn trilogy, we’ll be back for Elantris!

On the Mistborn books, the UK is re-releasing the trilogy under Gollancz with new covers. Aren’t they gorgeous? We love both the original US covers, but the new UK ones are fabulous too.

US Covers (books 2 & 3):

UK Covers (books 2 & 3):

Rating:

Thea: 8 Excellent – leaning towards a 9, and definitely one of my favorite reads of 2009

Ana: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Next Joint Review: The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente