When I first hear about the A Song of Ice and Fire Saga I felt little to no interest in George R.R. Martin's epic series. But, of course, that was before I actually read any of the books, and now I have been sucked into the world of political intrigue, betrayal, heroism, and subtle mysticism. Not only that, but I also had to pick of the LCG (living card game) based on the series, but I'll get to that in a future review.
I have already powered my way through the first two novels, which could be aptly labeled as tomes for their size. A Game of Thrones, the first novel, focuses primarily on the various members of the Stark family, a hard, honest people who inhabit the keep and lands of Winterfell in the north of Westeros, the small continent which is the primary setting for the novels. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, which is an excellent story-telling device and I can't imagine these books any other way. From the start the six children of Eddard (the lord of Winterfell) Stark find a direwolf mother dead, having been locked in a deathly embrace with a stag. They discover six pups, which they adopt and remain loyal to their children throughout the course of the books.
Soon enough, Lord Eddard's king and old friend, Robert Baratheon, arrive at Winterfell to ask Eddard to become the Hand of the King, who basically does all the hard work, which Eddard is forced to begrudgingly accept. A secondary storyline focuses on Daenerys, the daughter of the old king who was rebelled against by Robert and friends, who has been exiled overseas with her brother on a vast, arid continent. As the book progresses, the importance of her role continues to grow, and although her storyline often felt almost jarring in its difference from the events in Westeros, it was still a welcome dialogue with interesting occurrences.
From this point forward the plot twists and turns in intriguing and sometimes unexpected directions, bringing the reader to truly care about the fate of the plethora of characters, regardless of whether they are good, evil, or somewhere in between. I don't really want to give away too much more of the plot because I feel it would spoil a lot of the surprises for a first-time reader. I absolutely recommend reading A Game of Thrones. I think it is one of the most fantastic and well-written pieces of literature I have ever read, which nearly anyone could find some part to enjoy. If you like intrigue, action, love, hate, and everything else in a book, this is the series for you!
I would also like to make a few comments on A Clash of Kings, the second book in George R.R. Martin's series. This novel introduces a couple of new perspectives from which the narrative is driven, those being the characters Davos and Theon. Davos is an old corsair turned loyalist who brings into focus the events surrounding Stannis Baratheon, Robert Baratheon's brother. Theon Greyjoy is a young man of age with the eldest Stark, Robb, who is also a ward of the Starks, and his narrative focuses on his return to his father on the island of Pyke.
I also managed to plow through A Clash of Kings quickly, but I found the plot twists to be a little less intriguing than in the first novel, but it had more than enough interesting parts to carry on a fantastic storyline, and I was definitely left eager for the next novel, A Storm of Swords, which I am already several hundred pages in.
I love these books and I just wanted to give a shout out to my graduate student compatriot, Joe, for introducing me to the series!
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Quick Review: Stranger in a Strange Land
My interest in Robert A. Heinlein really began with reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which I thoroughly enjoyed for its creative voice and interesting, relatively conflict-free plot. Stranger in a Strange Land is very similar, and yet very different. The plot is a sort of coming-of-age story, but told in a very different way. Michael Valentine Smith, or Mike, was the first and only human born on Mars and raised by Martians. After being brought to Earth, he must learn what it is to be human, and at the same time humans must learn what it means to be Martian.
One of the most important concepts, grokking, seems very simple at the beginning of the story, and yet has endless layers of complexity by the end. By grokking something, one has a complete understanding of it, but there is all so much more to it. With only a set of Martian morals and understanding, Mike begins to grok the world, friendships, and love, evolving from a seemingly child-like adult to a courteous and charismatic leader.
Despite his state, the reader can always empathize with Mike and the people he cares about, and I felt as though I were with them in the story, listening to their casual, witty banter, and going through all of the hard growing pains that each individual experiences. In a way, reading Stranger in a Strange Land made me see things differently and I wish that everyone would do the same. Robert A. Heinlein crafted an optimistic, yet bitter-sweet tale that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, which is the best and worst thing that can happen to all of us.
It isn't so much the plot that makes this book special, but the underlying messages it conveys. Some of the dialogue doesn't necessarily hold up with today's conventions, dating the story a bit, but the heart of it holds up to modern society relatively well for a book that is over 40 years young.
With that, I look forward to reading more by Robert A. Heinlein in the future, with my next stop being Starship Troopers.
One of the most important concepts, grokking, seems very simple at the beginning of the story, and yet has endless layers of complexity by the end. By grokking something, one has a complete understanding of it, but there is all so much more to it. With only a set of Martian morals and understanding, Mike begins to grok the world, friendships, and love, evolving from a seemingly child-like adult to a courteous and charismatic leader.
Despite his state, the reader can always empathize with Mike and the people he cares about, and I felt as though I were with them in the story, listening to their casual, witty banter, and going through all of the hard growing pains that each individual experiences. In a way, reading Stranger in a Strange Land made me see things differently and I wish that everyone would do the same. Robert A. Heinlein crafted an optimistic, yet bitter-sweet tale that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, which is the best and worst thing that can happen to all of us.
It isn't so much the plot that makes this book special, but the underlying messages it conveys. Some of the dialogue doesn't necessarily hold up with today's conventions, dating the story a bit, but the heart of it holds up to modern society relatively well for a book that is over 40 years young.
With that, I look forward to reading more by Robert A. Heinlein in the future, with my next stop being Starship Troopers.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Quick Review: Carrion Comfort
About a month ago I finished Carrion Comfort, by Dan Simmons, which was quite an enjoyable read. Since then, I have read two other books, hence the "quick review" part of the title.
I've always loved Dan Simmons as an author, and my favorite of his works are by far the Hyperion saga and The Terror, two very different settings and genres. Carrion Comfort is much closer to the The Terror, genre-wise, in that it is a suspenseful and sometimes horrific novel. All similarity ends there, though, as Carrion Comfort takes place in a contemporary setting, well, 1980's, and centers on a group of people who have a powerful influence on the minds of others, essentially feeding off of turmoil, and those who fight against them. The book coins the term "mind vampires" for the depraved villains of the story.
I found the book to be quite gripping and well-written, but at times I felt my interest waning in certain plot points, with the middle part of the book in particular. The central portion takes place mainly in an area of Philadelphia known as Germantown and I found some of the character interaction to be a little artificial, and felt that this act dragged on for a little too long. The opening and closing acts of the story were hard to put down with a rapidly moving plot forcing characters into situations that were hard to get out of. Saul, a holocaust survivor, has a particularly interesting story in his never-ending quest to find the Oberst, a Nazi who had forced control over him when he was in Chelmno, an extermination camp during WWII.
Overall, Carrion Comfort provided an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a well-written horror book, but I would still hand The Terror to someone first.
I've always loved Dan Simmons as an author, and my favorite of his works are by far the Hyperion saga and The Terror, two very different settings and genres. Carrion Comfort is much closer to the The Terror, genre-wise, in that it is a suspenseful and sometimes horrific novel. All similarity ends there, though, as Carrion Comfort takes place in a contemporary setting, well, 1980's, and centers on a group of people who have a powerful influence on the minds of others, essentially feeding off of turmoil, and those who fight against them. The book coins the term "mind vampires" for the depraved villains of the story.
I found the book to be quite gripping and well-written, but at times I felt my interest waning in certain plot points, with the middle part of the book in particular. The central portion takes place mainly in an area of Philadelphia known as Germantown and I found some of the character interaction to be a little artificial, and felt that this act dragged on for a little too long. The opening and closing acts of the story were hard to put down with a rapidly moving plot forcing characters into situations that were hard to get out of. Saul, a holocaust survivor, has a particularly interesting story in his never-ending quest to find the Oberst, a Nazi who had forced control over him when he was in Chelmno, an extermination camp during WWII.
Overall, Carrion Comfort provided an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a well-written horror book, but I would still hand The Terror to someone first.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Dreaming Void Review
Following hot on the heels of reading the Night's Dawn trilogy, I began reading The Dreaming Void, Peter F. Hamilton's first of three epic space opera-ing books set in the distant future.
In 3584 AD humankind has expanded far beyond the sphere of earth into the vast expanse of our galaxy, encountering and making peace with the various sentient races that checker the stars, some almost as ancient as the stars themselves. While many species are mentioned, only the Raiel take the center stage throughout the first book since they are concerned with the next Devourment, a massive star-engulfing event in which the Void, a mysterious gateway to another dimension through which no one can seem to pass at the center of the galaxy, expands at a horrifying scale.
Humankind has divided into three groups; regular people, who still manipulate themselves on a genetic level, Advancers, who are connected empathically by gaiamotes, and Highers, whose ultimate goal is to ascend beyond the physical condition into a greater existence. All of the above merely sets the backdrop for a story filled with mystery, espionage, sex, destruction, crazy cults, and interesting characters. Unfortunately a bit of apartment renovation is thrown in the mix, but the author can be forgiven quickly because it helps establish a pivotal character to the storyline.
Really, the book is two books, with one focusing on the future, while another takes us into the Void, where we follow Edeard through the early years of his life in a society which is technologically medieval. Edeard's story is brought to us by a series of dreams from Inigo, the first Dreamer in the future timeline who could see to the other side of the Void in his dreams, which has established a galaxy-spanning cult that desire only to enter the Void to become a part of Edeard's seemingly simpler society.
I won't give away any more of the plot, and considering that everything I mentioned is condensed into the first couple of chapters, I didn't spoil much. What I really enjoyed about this book were the numerous interesting characters, the enthralling storylines, and the excellent writing. Petter F. Hamilton has managed to condense his wild imagination into an understandable, readable, and exciting work, especially when compared to the expansive and often dragging Night's Dawn trilogy. I could always believe the actions and reactions of the characters and seldom felt pulled out of the universe of The Dreaming Void by dull or inconsequential sequences. There are still plenty of detailed sections describing the technology of the future, all of which are relevant and interesting. I felt that Peter F. Hamilton has also improved his ability to describe the ideas that must storm around in his imagination, bringing to life crystalline cities and outlandish alien cultures.
If you like sci-fi or fantasy or just a good book, please support an amazing author by picking up The Dreaming Void. I eagerly anticipate the next title, The Temporal Void, and can't wait to find out what happens next and how the two storylines converge.
Until then I will be reading Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons' second book, which was published during the same year as Hyperion, which has so far been a chilling and enthralling read. More on that one later.
In 3584 AD humankind has expanded far beyond the sphere of earth into the vast expanse of our galaxy, encountering and making peace with the various sentient races that checker the stars, some almost as ancient as the stars themselves. While many species are mentioned, only the Raiel take the center stage throughout the first book since they are concerned with the next Devourment, a massive star-engulfing event in which the Void, a mysterious gateway to another dimension through which no one can seem to pass at the center of the galaxy, expands at a horrifying scale.
Humankind has divided into three groups; regular people, who still manipulate themselves on a genetic level, Advancers, who are connected empathically by gaiamotes, and Highers, whose ultimate goal is to ascend beyond the physical condition into a greater existence. All of the above merely sets the backdrop for a story filled with mystery, espionage, sex, destruction, crazy cults, and interesting characters. Unfortunately a bit of apartment renovation is thrown in the mix, but the author can be forgiven quickly because it helps establish a pivotal character to the storyline.
Really, the book is two books, with one focusing on the future, while another takes us into the Void, where we follow Edeard through the early years of his life in a society which is technologically medieval. Edeard's story is brought to us by a series of dreams from Inigo, the first Dreamer in the future timeline who could see to the other side of the Void in his dreams, which has established a galaxy-spanning cult that desire only to enter the Void to become a part of Edeard's seemingly simpler society.
I won't give away any more of the plot, and considering that everything I mentioned is condensed into the first couple of chapters, I didn't spoil much. What I really enjoyed about this book were the numerous interesting characters, the enthralling storylines, and the excellent writing. Petter F. Hamilton has managed to condense his wild imagination into an understandable, readable, and exciting work, especially when compared to the expansive and often dragging Night's Dawn trilogy. I could always believe the actions and reactions of the characters and seldom felt pulled out of the universe of The Dreaming Void by dull or inconsequential sequences. There are still plenty of detailed sections describing the technology of the future, all of which are relevant and interesting. I felt that Peter F. Hamilton has also improved his ability to describe the ideas that must storm around in his imagination, bringing to life crystalline cities and outlandish alien cultures.
If you like sci-fi or fantasy or just a good book, please support an amazing author by picking up The Dreaming Void. I eagerly anticipate the next title, The Temporal Void, and can't wait to find out what happens next and how the two storylines converge.
Until then I will be reading Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons' second book, which was published during the same year as Hyperion, which has so far been a chilling and enthralling read. More on that one later.
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