Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

Soul Music

(Discworld #?)

by Terry Pratchett

fantasy, humour

copyright 1994

not read in October 23

rated: 4/10: bad but could be read

That rating deserves an explanation.

There is humour. Social satire. The plot is complex and entertaining. There is magic and mystic meaning.

I am not enjoying it.

It's like the books with Rincewind. There may be some sympathetic characters -- and they are losers. Worse, in this book they are losers because other characters take advantage of them.

It is humour but it is cruel humour.

After perhaps a third of the book I stop reading. There is no sense of fun. No enjoyment.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Whoever said "fighting never solves anything" obviously never won a fight

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

Quest, Shannah Jay

Quest

Tenebrak #1

by Shannah Jay

science fiction, fantasy

copyright 1993

read in October 2023

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

What a load of New Age nonsense!

Meditation, love and dancing will save the world. Well, no argument against trying but I doubt that mystic mind melds will heal wounds and create doors through solid stone.

The good people are soooo very good. And so powerful thanks to their mystic Disciplines.

It's actually quite a surprise that the bad people are, in fact, really really bad. Except for those few who are healed and convinced by the nice people.

One odd thing with the characters: It is very hard to empathise with any of them. It is, I think because the likeable ones are so quickly converted to the New  Age religion.(And nasty ones so quickly turn to evil.) they are no longer human enough for our empathy. Or, perhaps it is because their magic meditation allows them to so easily deal with their inner demons so, why should *we* care.

Despite the embarrassingly twee religion, the book is quite enjoyable. Once the reader has achieved the necessary willing suspension of disbelief, there are believable adventures and unbelievable escapes.

But be warned: this is book one of at least three. And I believe that all of the books are out of print.

An ultimate happy ending seems inevitable... This book ends with absolutely nothing resolved. And yet... the story is fun as far as it goes... and it is so really silly that... well... who really cares how, or whether, it will all end.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Talk is cheap — but say the wrong thing to your boss and it'll cost you. (adapted from Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

Cytonic, Brandon Sanderson

Cytonic

(Skyward #3)

by Brandon Sanderson

science fiction, subadult

copyright 2021

read in September 2023

rated 7/10: well worth reading

No, the saga is not complete, there's at least one more to go. But at least the end of this one is not a complete cliff-hanger.

By itself it's 6/10, read to pass the time. As part of the series -- it is essential and worthwhile, so 7/10. Hmmm... I just double-checked my rating scale. For its subadult market, as one of a series, it could be 8/10, really quite good. Or? no. It's fun, action, adventure, imagination -- all good -- but not worth eight.

It's swashbuckling adventure set in a world with a lot of variety -- which is barely used. The adventure fits well within the series but this book is relatively narrow in scope. That said, I was constantly surprised as a new revelation was fitted neatly into the series-wide plot. Perhaps that's the problem: in order to build the series, this book is limited. Enjoyable though.

The whole book is rather simplistic: challenges set and met, sometimes met by discovering that people (and aliens etc) are all rather well-meaning. All part of the subadult genre -- and something that I enjoy as much as any subadult.

Yet many of the problems are solved by near-magic: Oh, I didn't know that you had that super-power... Not quite deus ex machina, more wish fulfilment.

And then there is the message... The heroine is constantly learning, growing and developing. As she learns, the reader is given the clear message that personal growth, understanding, helping others and so on, are all good things. Well yes they are, the message is just a bit heavy-handed. Not that I object... I agree with the messages, I am happy to see them in print. My own "moral compass" was set by reading Biggles. I enjoy a book with a positive message. Perhaps it could be by example rather than by instruction.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Action, adventure, a satisfying ending. I hope that, sooner or later, the entire series will reach some sort of satisfying conclusion.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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