Winterdance / Gary Paulsen

Winterdance
by Gary Paulsen

travel, action

copyright 1994
read in July 2014

rated 9/10: really, really good

This book is subtitled, The Fine Madness of Running the Idatarod. And "madness" it is indeed !

The Idatarod in a dog-sled race across Alaska. A race where men and women pit themselves against the extremes of Arctic weather and terrain. Where dog-sled drivers suffer and are injured and occasionally die.

And the dog teams just trot along, apparently enjoying the exercise...

This book is "action" because the action is nonstop. And all of the action is real. It is also "travel" because it makes me want to visit Alaska, to see the country in all its glory and beauty and deadly danger.

Luckily, the action component keeps the travel urge in check... Paulsen finished the race; there is no way that I could do the same.

The writing style is simple -- and compelling. I finished reading and drifted off to sleep. To wake up from a dream of mushing dogs across a snow-covered wilderness... I was totally caught up in the excitement of it all.

This book is travel, and action, and -- if I had a category for a book where animals are stars -- this would be in that category.

The humans provide the fine madness. The dogs provide the... driving force (sorry ! ) which makes the book so memorable.

This is a terrific book ! A classic of human endurance. A tribute to people who accept incredible challenge. A glorious celebration of the beauty of wild Nature.

A book about dogs.

Very, very good.

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The Departure / Neal Asher

The Departure
by Neal Asher
Owner (1)

science fiction

copyright 2011
read in July 2014

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Action, adventure, human and artificial intelligence... Conflict on Mars, big brother on Earth, low gravity battle in near space... Conflicted good versus power-mad (and mad) evil...

Enjoyable science fiction !

Asher has written several books. I've read a few. Without having any of the others available -- except in my memory -- there is something odd about this book...

The Departure shows some signs of being an "early" book. Signs of an author still refining his style. Of course, I make no claim that my interpretation is correct :-)

The action is frenetic. The writing style matches the action -- a little too closely. Short, snappy sentences. Almost staccato, in parts. Just a little bit too stylistically simple for an author with more than a dozen good books already written.

Then there's "the message" -- painted on far too thickly.

Big Brother is in control. Power has corrupted. Population has exploded. Democracy has been lost... Okay, so far, so good. But it's laid on with a trowel.

Society has problems. Some of the "solutions" are extreme -- and very similar to "solutions" from the past, from Nazi Germany. Good message, a timely warning... But do we have to be told, This is the same as was done in Nazi Germany !?

Heavy-handed delivery of the message to society. Over-simplified writing style in some action sequences. Weaknesses which I do not expect in a "mature" author.

Minor criticisms of a very enjoyable book !

The plot is very standard: amnesiac discovers his identity and finds that he has the power to rule the world. A standard plot which I always enjoy.

Extreme science fiction. Great escapist reading. Overall a very enjoyable book.

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The Heroes / Joe Abercrombie

The Heroes
by Joe Abercrombie

fantasy, military

copyright 2011
read in July 2014

rated 7/10: well worth reading

This is a brutal story of steel-edged killing and blood-soaked betrayal.

Or, possibly, it's the strongest anti-war book that I have read for many years.

Brutality is matched by futility. The tagline says, No Heroes. The Heroes of the title is a location. The fighters are not heroes. They do as they are told: attack, fight, kill, retreat, on command.

The army commanders range from competent to absolutely useless, with most of them on the useless end of the scale. They spend as much time battling for personal glory and promotion as they spend on battle tactics.

Yet even the least competent has redeeming features. The general whose bad tactics killed thousands of his troops is driven to improve. The stickler for rules provides balance for the impulsive enthusiast. The coward uses cunning tactics to win a battle.

On the surface, all but one of Abercrombie's characters are dislikeable. Then he gives the characters enough depth to allow us to understand and sympathise with the characters. Yet I can never quite like them...

The violence is non-stop. The futility is ever-present. The final victory is an uncomfortable revelation.

A brutal book of blood and thunder. The strongest anti-war novel that I have read for years.

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Switzerland / "Marco Polo"

Switzerland
by "Marco Polo"

travel
copyright 2013 ?
read in July 2014

rated 5/10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

Okay, maybe it's not really that bad. It certainly does not suit my requirements.

The book starts with various lists: "insider tips", free places, places worth visiting... Just... lists. Well, okay, a paragraph each of explanation. I mean... no context.

No big picture overview. No sense of a plan. Just a list of places to go, things to see.

Worse yet, it reads -- to me -- like a series of paid advertisements.

So what's it all about ? What is there in Switzerland that makes it with a visit ? That, is not very clear.

Actually, reading the Wikipedia entry gives me a better understanding of Switzerland. Perhaps that's a source of the problem !

The internet has information on history, geography, politics, tourism... you name it, it's all on the internet. So how does a travel book maintain its market edge ? It offers clear advice and " insider tips"...

At least, I think that that's what this book is trying to do.

So. Take the Marco Polo guide as gospel. Read nothing else. Eat, drink, sleep and visit as advised. You will probably have a great holiday.

I prefer to get a lot of information -- then make my own decisions. Unfortunately our own holiday will be to a part of Switzerland which is only ten pages out of 154...

Oh, and the book includes maps with too much detail and not enough information.

Overall, this book is a valiant attempt to condense an enormous amount of information into a small volume. Or it's a commercial advertising brochure thinly disguised as a travel guide.

I'm not sure which.

Either way, for my purposes -- this book is not as useful as the internet.

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The Cold Commands / Richard Morgan

The Cold Commands
by Richard Morgan
follows The Steel Remains

fantasy

copyright 2011
read in July 2014

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Disappointing.

It took me a while to realise that this book follows another. No hints on the cover. No hints inside. Okay, it's listed below The Steel Remains in the list of Morgan's books.

Bloody stupid.

Still, it only takes a few chapters to work it out. It takes those same chapters to work out who are the continuing characters... Every other character is dead.

So I've found out that this book is the continuing saga of some brutal yet sensitive warriors who are suffering from old age and boredom. They get into fights and kill a lot of people.

Gods, demons, computers and mysteriously unknown mystics appear and disappear. Some get bad-tempered, admit that they are controlling the heroes but refuse to explain why. One mystic appears, saves the heroes then disappears. No name, no explanation.

Half way through the book and we are told that an evil super powerful entity has appeared. Who is it ? What will it do ? We are never told. At about the same time, the heroes are given a quest. Why ? We are not told. How does it go ? No idea -- they never get started !

Yes, this is a rubbish piece of soap opera fantasy: all about tough guys -- with hearts of gold -- getting into pointless fights against insuperable odds. Winning, of course, but getting beaten to a pulp along the way.

What about plot ? There's none.

Perhaps if I could be bothered reading half a dozen of these books, I may find a coherent plot. More likely I would find half a dozen rambling and incomplete storylines.

Yes, it's another fantasy author making money by forcing readers to buy a whole series of books. That is... if you're interested enough to wonder if any parts of the story will ever end.

Me ? Well, it was fun. But I prefer to read a novel. Not a continuing soap opera with no sign of it ever ending.

Really. Disappointing.

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Apocalypse Now Now / Charlie Human

Apocalypse Now Now
by Charlie Human

fantasy / horror
copyright 2013
read in July 2014

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

The hero begins as a creep, then gets better. That's a vital part of the plot, so don't give up too early ! You could almost say, this book is a nasty teenager's voyage to a more caring adulthood...

It's also a story of a violent underworld of demons and monsters. Fantasy, horror... take your pick.

And it's written for young adults. How can I tell ? According to my list of "young adult" identifiers:

The hero -- and all his friends -- are teenagers. His guide and strongarm supporter is a father-figure adult. There is gruesome violence though injuries to the hero are never fatal. There is pornographic sex but the hero only has off-screen sex and only with his girlfriend.

The violence escalates but the hero -- and the reader -- are given breaks in which to recover. Then it all wraps up with the promise of more books to come.

All a bit ridiculous, really -- and all a lot of fun... Just not for the weak of stomach.

Oh, and the monsters are nastily imaginative. Evil, ugly, tough yet beatable... Though it does help to have assistance from a team of heavily armed dwarf fighters...

I enjoyed reading this book. It's not great but it has plenty of enjoyably over the top excitement. And the characters are a well written blend of rough surface and underlying support for their friends. Likeable !

Read it, enjoy it, move on.

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Issola / Steven Brust

Issola
by Steven Brust
Vlad Taltos (9)

fantasy

copyright 2001
read in June 2014

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Rated as "well worth reading" -- if you have been following the earlier adventures of Vlad Taltos ! This book is enjoyable... but it is very much one step on a longer journey.

The Taltos stories are set on a world with two major civilisations -- plus several other civilised races. This book goes a long way to explaining the background to and relationships between the various races. As a fan of the series -- I am fascinated. It may be less interesting -- I suspect -- if you are not already familiar with Taltos.

I think that you would enjoy Issola as a standalone novel. But not as much as I enjoyed it, as one step in a world of discovery. So... speaking as a fan...

Dragaera is a world of magic. From this book -- and from earlier hints -- this is one world of magic in a more mundane universe. The characters interpret what they see in terms of magic. The reader begins to see science fiction.

Where will it end ? I hope that the series continues the exploration...

The book is enjoyable.  Books in the series are great fun, with action and adventure and humour. The series is adding depth, a full universe beyond the fantasy world of adventure.

It's about time for me to look for more books in the series !

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09Oct23: It's nine years since I first read this book. I am no longer so *currently* steeped in the series -- yet I still enjoyed the book as an almost standalone novel of SF&F. Admittedly I still remember the characters -- and would not recommend the book as a start into the series.

There's one thing that I notice -- this time -- which did not strike me before: There is a lot... a *lot* of mystical magic mumbo jumbo.

The hero needs some magic, he begins to cast a spell, the spell... somehow... forms itself in his mind. Oh, gosh, so that's what I need to do... and the day is saved.

Or, to put it another way: this book is not about building on a clearly defined magical framework, it's about developing towards an explanation of the world of Taltos.

A bit silly but still good fun.

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Lonely Planet: Budapest / Steve Fallon

Lonely Planet: Budapest
by Steve Fallon

travel

copyright 2011?
read in July 2014

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

It's a typical Lonely Planet book -- packed with info, packed with advice, too much to read and absorb.

I think there are two ways to use this style of travel book. (1) Skim through it, get a general flavour of the area, put the book away and go on your holiday. (2) Take the book with you and follow it slavishly.

For some travellers, (2) would be ideal. Budapest -- the book -- is interesting, informative and clearly written by someone who knows and loves the city. That, however, is also a minor drawback...

The author knows and loves the city. In my skimming -- I prefer approach (1) -- I am sometimes confused. Have I missed an earlier explanation ? Or has the author forgotten that his readers do not have his own background knowledge.

Some of my confusion is due to the city itself... The language of Budapest -- the city -- is unique. With no similarity to English. A paragraph refers to a street... or is that the name of the railway station ? or the museum... ? And even in my own mind I have no idea of how to pronounce the name.

Here's a thought for an English language tourist guide to Budapest: after each Hungarian name, provide a pidgin version. For example: "Szechenyi rkpt (Sheckni avenue) runs beside the River Danube. Szechenyi u (Sheckni lane) takes you past Szabadsag ter (Sabadsag gardens)." Which may or may not be correct -- but is the way I would like to read the guide.

There is one page which provides a brilliant overview of the city. An overview which should be right at the front -- the first page to be read. The page is a concise pen picture of each district of the city.

The page heading is, "Where to stay". A list of the nine major "neighbourhoods". A sentence for each, why stay there, and why not. Brilliant !

Forget the tourist sites. The first decision for a tourist is, where to stay ?

I needed to book a hotel in Zurich. Where to stay ? Lots of advice -- in books and on the web -- of what to see and where to shop. But... where can I stay that is accessible from the tourist spots but that is not an all-night tourist trap ? I actually rejected one hotel because Google Street View showed boarded-up shops and graffiti.

"Very central to things that matter" but not much happening after dark... Exactly what I want to know ! Put that page right at the front of the book !

In fact: that one page is the very best feature of this book. The rest is interesting, possibly useful, one person's opinion. Worth reading. Needing to be balanced against every other printed and online book and website.

Not worth buying the book for one page... Well worth borrowing the book -- before you pick a place to stay on your holiday in Budapest.

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Broken Homes / Ben Aaronovitch

Broken Homes
by Ben Aaronovitch
Peter Grant (4)

crime, fantasy

copyright 2013
read in June 2014

rated 8/10: really quite good

I read Broken Homes and thought, this is really quite good... But I had questions. You know how it is: you read quickly, you're not familiar with the characters, you miss a lot.

So I read it again. Most of it.

Confirmed the weaknesses. And still enjoyed it.

This is the fourth in a series. Four novels starring the same character. Independent novels -- yet related.

This is -- if I correctly understand the term -- a "police procedural". Crimes, clues, police following several related lines of enquiry. With the author's clever or cynical comments on the police methods.

Yes, the author is showing off his knowledge. In the style of his clever and cynical hero. It's fun.

The crimes are magical: that's central to the plot. The magical style is, to me, new and interesting. The occasional insight into the history of magical practice is also interesting.

Then there are the supporting characters...

On first reading I assumed that they were adding to the plot... But... They didn't seem to add much.

My second reading confirmed my worry: this book is one story in a continuing soap opera.

Some characters come and go, staying just long enough to fill in some minor gap in the plot. Other characters appear, continue their ongoing saga -- and disappear. Having added background to the environment but little else.

You know, like The Bill, when it stopped being about police and changed to a soap opera about the personal lives of people who happened to also work as police.

Luckily, Broken Homes still spend most of its time solving the crime...

With plenty of time also spent on commentary on the city of London and its near neighbours. Which -- I must say -- I enjoyed.

We're given, for example, a view of the tower blocks of flats which became vertical slums. Then we're taken inside -- and given a far more positive view of the towers, if only the original intention had matched the reality of life. With a brief reference to one area which was -- in reality -- defended against towering monstrosities.

Views, actions, opinions, all merged with the living reality of London. Pease Pottage ? Yes, the village does exist. Bernie Spain Gardens ? Yes, they are there, on the banks of the River Thames. Fascinating !

Of course I do believe that London is the greatest city in the world. So I'm predisposed in favour of anything set in London (Sherlock Holmes, Monopoly...).

Still...

The flavour of the book is young adult. Some violence, mostly off screen. Some suggestions that sex would be enjoyable. Plenty of escapism. A solid story with an acceptable level of soap opera background.

Very enjoyable. And I've bought the first in the series, to see how the soap opera began.

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