The Hero of Ages / Brandon Sanderson

The Hero of Ages

(Mistborn #3)

by Brandon Sanderson

fantasy

copyright 2008

read in April 2019

rated 7/10: well worth reading

It's a lot of fun, a lot of excitement, enormously complex...

This is book three of a trilogy. I read one, missed two... yet three is still very enjoyable. Sure, a lot of characters are no more than vague memories; doesn't matter. It still makes sense. There are a lot of references to book two, enough to guess some of what happened, doesn't matter. This book is enjoyable all by itself.

There's a lot of analysis of the religious background to the action, that can drag. Yet, at the end, it all -- sort of -- makes sense.

In fact, quite a lot of the book drags, as the characters analyse what they are thinking, what they are doing, what they will be doing. But it doesn't matter!

There is enough action, enough good characters -- and bad characters who become good -- to keep me reading. The end is a good wrap-up for the book. And, I suspect, a very satisfying wrap-up for the entire trilogy.

Well worth reading. Even without having read books one or two.

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31jul22: I picked up this book and...

I knew I'd read it before. I knew that it was the very satisfying conclusion to a trilogy.

I could not be bothered reading it.

Just not in the mood for reading a complex book. 

Also, my appreciation was spoilt by having read about Sanderson's "cosmere". It's nice to know that there are other related adventures in this universe. On the other hand... it means that the end -- no matter how satisfying -- is not really the end. Sometimes this makes me think, I wonder what happens next. This time it was... "Very nice but so what." A bit like reading Clarke's City and the stars: the breadth of the universe makes any one novel seem trivial... and less interesting.

But really -- I was just not in the mood for a solid, serious and complex book.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them." … Robert Jarvik

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

The Tangled Lands / Bacigalupi & Buckell

The Tangled Lands

by Paolo Bacigalupi & Tobias S Buckell

fantasy

copyright 2010 etc

part read in April 2019

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Okay, this book may be better than "six". I read part way. It was clear that the main character was about to be … treated very badly. A chapter or so later, he realises that this is possible. Depressing.

There may be better times ahead but it's clear that the hero and family will suffer a lot more, before anything good happens. If anything good ever happens. Too depressing for me. I stop reading.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them." … Robert Jarvik

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Dux / South Perth

café: Dux, South Perth

Okay, we were there a few weeks ago... my memory has faded. Some things do stay in mind:

Our first impression is, this place is flash ! Not "flash" as in, a rat with a gold tooth. More, South Perth flash: catering to a local, well off clientele, expecting traditional good service and traditional food selection. They may offer acai and rocket but probably not.

Definitely not hipster. Very much a café for -- my opinion of -- the area.

It is very friendly, very welcoming. I have a delicious iced coffee, cake -- I can't remember what it was but I remember that it was good.

If we lived close by this could be rated three. We're not likely to be here again, so, Two out of three: we enjoyed it but are unlikely to return.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them." … Robert Jarvik

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Leaf and Bean / Mt Hawthorn

café: Leaf and Bean Emporium, Mt Hawthorn

It's an awful road for traffic, we are lucky to get into a roadside parking bay. They are there, just that traffic makes it difficult to get in and out. Then we walk, looking for coffee. This looks fine, we think, We'll try it.

But is it "hipster"?

Furniture and décor are very much mix-and-not-match. The café is busy but not crowded. Staff do not look hipster, there is just one man bun and the barista has short neat hair and glasses. Customers look like locals, rather than trend setters sipping latte between gym sessions.

Come to think of it... this could be the authentic version of a friendly, comfortable café that some hipster cafes are trying to imitate.

Our slice of cake is very nice, though the lemon icing is too harsh a contrast for the fruity cake. We push aside a small fraction of the icing and enjoy the cake, one generous size slice which satisfies the two of us.

Definitely enjoyable. The location makes it unlikely we will return. Two out of three.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them." … Robert Jarvik

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cobra / timothy zahn

cobra

(*) see below

by timothy zahn

science fiction

copyright 1986

read in april 2019

rated 8/10: really quite good

it's quite an old book and -- thanks to the baen free library -- still easily available. free library? excellent idea.

as i start reading i think, okay, android super-soldier, not too exciting. this book is more than that. a lot more.

the story is told in a series of episodes, separated by years. (originally written as a series of short stories, perhaps?) it's easy to follow, as the same key characters flow in and out of each story. and each story covers -- develops and explores -- a unique aspect of the super-soldier theme.

this is clearly not a "modern" story yet there is nothing *embarrassingly* tied to its decade. the science may have changed, the questions and problems are still relevant. "what if" this soldier were created today? the setting may change, the problems are still worth exploring.

and then at the end, the aliens are dealt with in a way which i appreciate. i was hoping... wondering... and find that the author is already there.

good science fiction. well developed plot. generally believable solutions to still relevant problems. really quite good.

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(*) this is book one of eight so far, according to wikipedia. i did think, while reading, that the "cobra" characters are worth more books, that there is a lot of cobra universe yet to explore. i wonder if the cobra problems also continue to develop in interesting directions? i wonder if i can get hold of another cobra novel :-?

====    Dr Nick Lethbridge  /  Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"If It Ain't Broke, Break It" … Meat Loaf
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dying for you to read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
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