Cold Days / Jim Butcher

Cold Days

(Dresden Files # 14)

by Jim Butcher

young adult, fantasy

copyright 2012

read in July 2018

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Have you ever read Asimov's Foundation books ? I read the first three -- "the" Foundation books -- and thought, Good fun, solid ending. Later, I read more in the series. And it just went on and on... There is a secret agency controlling the first Foundation. Behind this secret agency is an even more secret agency which controls the first secret agency. And behind that... well... each book discovers that the people "in control" are puppets for an even more secret group.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Butcher -- with his Dresden Files -- has a similar problem: how to find ever more powerful villains for the hero to battle. Dresden has -- so it seems -- battled his way to nearly the top of the power tree. (Sure, that's not all good news.) But now, who on Earth could possibly challenge him ?

The latest villains are -- spoiler alert -- from *outside* the Earth ! Possibly from outside the Universe, or from another dimension... or somewhere. Somewhere we have never before even heard of. Good grief ! What next ?!

On the other hand, this book is still a lot of fun. Comic book fun. With a hero who wants to be good, while he exterminates people and creatures who -- thank goodness -- are *not* good. (Actually, not many are "exterminated". Most villains are thrashed -- then left alive to come back in future books.)

The plot is as complex as the book series, with villains behind villains behind villains. There is also a supporting cast of thousands, so many that key battles are run off-stage, simply reported as "successful". Butcher has also -- in the spirit of controller behind controller -- explained a lot of past adventures as being part of the long-term plans of various controlling interests.

The main problem with all this complexity is... Do not make this book your first-ever taste of the Dresden Files !

Finally: Harry -- as the first-person story-teller -- seems to be getting very wordy. Those off-stage battles, for example, took many paragraphs to set up. Hmm... more words to set them up than to describe them. Perhaps saving the graphic battle descriptions for battles where the star is directly involved.

There are also several pages devoted to moral statements. Sure, they are fitted into the plot. Really, though, they are the author stating his values for the reader. Which is fine, all part of the pleasure of reading. And all part of the "young adult" genre... I guess.

Overall it's an enjoyable book. With too much dependence on previous books, too many characters who appear largely because they are entrenched in the series. And too ridiculous a set of villains -- and heroes -- to be taken seriously.

Violent, yes. Serious, no. Still good fun.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"I've found that there's a reason for everything… I constantly make the wrong decisions." … Pardon my Planet

===

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

Battlemage / Stephen Aryan

Battlemage (Age of Darkness #1)

by Stephen Aryan

fantasy

copyright 2015

read in July 2018

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Well worth reading. Sympathetic characters. Incredible levels of blood and gore.

Fantasy seems -- at least in the books that I read -- to be shifting to more graphic descriptions of death by mediaeval weapons. Realistic ? probably. Necessary ? not for my enjoyment. This is a comment rather than a criticism. The violence is ridiculously extreme --  yet an essential part of the plot. Just very graphic.

There are several interesting ideas in this book. The gods, for example, are believable, with motives which are easily understood in human terms -- yet they are clearly gods.

Aside: If I understand correctly, the powers of this book's gods are based on number of worshippers. The same idea as in Pratchett's books. And it seems, to me, to be a valid idea.

As the end of the book approached I was wondering, What will be left for books two and three ?! Until I realised that this book is far more standalone than I expected. An absolute conclusion to this story -- yet I am left wanting to read more... and can see the possibility of more. Excellent !

Don't get too attached to any one character, they may not survive. Don't read this book if you are squeamish. Nevertheless, the overall feeling of the book is positive.

I enjoyed this book. Including the occasional points where standard fantasy tropes are ignored... or improved upon.

Good enough to make me want to read the next book in the series.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"I've found that there's a reason for everything… I constantly make the wrong decisions." … Pardon my Planet

===

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

Annihilation / Jeff VanderMeer

Annihilation

(Southern Reach 1 of 3)

by Jeff VanderMeer

horror

copyright 2014

read in July 2018

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

I've only read a couple of Lovecraft short stories but I can see the similarity. There's the mysterious feeling of impending horror. The trembling fear of the protagonists. Then the final fearful flight -- with no actual conclusion.

If I had bought just this book, I would be annoyed. It's a first chapter, an introduction, with no other point. Except -- presumably -- to introduce the next two books. With luck, the next two books will go somewhere. This book -- by itself -- is pointless. Easy to read, mysterious to the point of unbelievable. I read to the end only because I already have books two and three.

I think it may be trying to be science fiction. It could be fantasy. I suspect that the author -- like Lovecraft -- is trying for horror. I'm not sure, because there is no hint of the causes or reality of the story's setting.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"I've found that there's a reason for everything… I constantly make the wrong decisions." … Pardon my Planet

===

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

The Sapphire Rose / David Eddings

The Sapphire Rose

(Elenium 3 of 3)

by David Eddings

fantasy

copyright 1991

read in July 2018

rated 6/10: read to pass the time... but also see below

It's one thing to have heroes who are tough and in control. In Rose, the heroes are tough and controlling. From being assertive, they have become bullies.

This story is a boys' own adventure, with a mother-figure for guidance and a little girl for the oh-so-sweet minor character needing constant protection. Despite the fact that this little girl can obviously look after herself.

The gods are -- except for immortality and super-powers -- very human. That adds an interesting dimension to the book. Though it makes me wonder why anyone would worship any of these gods. Except for the evil god: worship him and there are all sorts of benefits, as long as you also like evil.

Interestingly, the "one god" of the main characters does nothing, never appears, is mentioned only once -- as being fairly useless. Yet the heroes worship him and (so they claim) follow him. Or Him. Even the evil good is "Him" with a capital H.

The first two books of this trilogy have a lot or words -- details of daily interactions -- which add very little to the plot, just adding to our knowledge of the characters. This third book has the same verbiage. This time the words are less characterisation, more reminders of the various characters.

Remember how Maxwell Smart can get a laugh simply by repeating, Missed by that much !? A lot of this book is that same catchphrase-like repetition, except not so funny.

Still, it's an entertaining book. Light, violent, easy to read. Though the verbiage is less distraction and more tedium.

Not as good as the previous two books. Worth reading for its conclusion of the overall story.

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06jul23:

Well good grief. I gave up reading -- before I even realised that I had read this book before.

This is what I thought this time:

Tough guys with swords. Clanking and creaking in their armour as they slaughter anyone who gets between them and their fight for right.

There's also the token priestess who rolls her eyes at all the violence.

The story is set in a complex world which is barely explained. Or perhaps I just missed a lot that I could not be bothered memorising... there are too many characters and places to be bothered following.

Just read it as a simple story. Hero is good. His friends are good. anyone they kill is bad.

I admit that I missed book two. Missed as in, did not read. there are enough hints about what happened, I won't look for that book.

This book is good solid fantasy, read it for mindless enjoyment. It does not thrill. It's almost boring and somewhat stupid. With challenges which are solved by decapitation.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"I've found that there's a reason for everything… I constantly make the wrong decisions." … Pardon my Planet

===

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

The Ruby Knight / David Eddings

The Ruby Knight

(Elenium 2 of 3)

by David Eddings

fantasy

copyright 1990

read in June 2018

rated 7/10: well worth reading

More rollicking adventures across a complex fantasy world ! More swords & sorcery, more "clever" tricks, more unlikely coincidences.

The coincidences, though, do get an explanation. Doesn't matter... even if it were pure deus ex machina, the story would be just as much fun :-) The plot is reasonably well constructed but it's the action that's enjoyable. The action and the likable characters.

The action is, admittedly, surrounded by a lot of words. A lot of description of doings which are not at all essential to the plot. I'm hungry, you're always hungry, yes, and I'm hungry now, we will have supper soon, I'll wait for supper... and so on. Till they eat supper. With comments on what is for supper and whose turn it is to cook it.

Not that it's tedious... just there. Lots of extra words that add little to the plot but, sometimes, add to our understanding of the characters. I read more quickly -- absorbing less -- in some of these non-essential passages. They did not stop me from enjoying the book.

This book is number two of a trilogy. Full marks to the publisher for making this clear, right on the cover. Can this book be read alone? I think so. Something... but not much... would be lost. The overall quest motive is restated but really, the interest is more from the adventures along the way. Identifying the established characters may be confusing but many are replaced by new characters.

Yes, I think that this book could be read alone. Though I am glad to be reading the complete trilogy, one, two, three.

If you had not read one, you would think that the end of two was sufficiently satisfying. I'm looking forward to reading three -- because I enjoy the style of the books rather than due to a desperate urge to know how it will finish.

Lots of fun, lots of action. Classic fantasy though not a classic novel -- just well worth reading. Pure enjoyment and great escapist fantasy.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"What a trial it is to submit to the whim of fools." … Captain Trumane, The Waking Fire

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

Shattermoon / Dominic Dulley

Shattermoon

by Dominic Dulley

(Long Game #1)

science fiction

copyright 2018

read in June 2018

rated 8/10: really quite good

====

Okay, the story seems to ramble. Ramble... definitely not amble! There is action from go to whoa. A lot of violence, a lot of fun :-)

By ramble, I mean, the characters fly all over space. Far faster than other spacers... well since Doc Smith days, anyway. Space travel uses scientific terminology but not scientific technology. This is not "hard" science fiction...

This book is an adventure in space. Science is essential but realism is not. This is science fiction *adventure*.

It is also a lot of good fun.

Likable characters despite being largely stereotypes. (With interesting and still developing back-stories.) Evil villains. Government agents who are "bad" only because their job is to enforce the law; they are tough but fair.

The story itself... rambles all over space. Or, rather, jumps rapidly, from here to there and back again. Some of the locations, characters and events have been hinted at, others simply happen.

The plot is tightly scripted, well controlled -- as long as the reader has the necessary willing suspension of critical faculties. Not that it's unbelievable. More that clever thinking, coincidence and quick reactions cut through the reality of time and space...

Which all adds to my enjoyment of this book :-) It's light, it's escapist, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Only the title page mentions "book one"... but at least it is there. Shattermoon is complete in itself, and introduces a cast of characters who I hope to meet again. This is the best sort of "book one" -- a complete story which leaves me satisfied... and thinking, I wonder what will happen next.

===

08dec20: I read it again -- and enjoyed it even more :-)

Perhaps enough for a nine out of ten? Not quite... but I did enjoy re-reading. Made even better by comparison with the two rubbish books that I tried to read -- and failed -- in the previous week.

What a pleasure to read a book which is entertaining, with no social message being hammered in between the action. Just good fun, good characters, and a well-crafted plot.

and after an enjoyable re-reading in August 2023: ditto :-)

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25jan24: Here's something interesting:

I started to re-re-read this book. Enjoyed the first few chapters. Except... I know that there is about to be violent disaster. Setting the scene (creating motivation) for the rest of the book. I just do not want to read it.

I do not want to read the chapters of violence that set off the pursuit of the violent villains. Perhaps if I had the complete trilogy -- with the assurance that villains could get their just desserts -- that could make the nastiness more bearable. I'm not sure

I may return. But for now -- I stop reading. Put the book away.

Of this much I am very sure: Current mood -- of the reader -- is a key determinant for my enjoyment of a book. Right now, I want to read something with less stress. So, back to LotR.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"What a trial it is to submit to the whim of fools." … Captain Trumane, The Waking Fire

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/

The Lost Time Accidents / John Wray

The Lost Time Accidents

by John Wray

science fiction (perhaps)

copyright 2016

gave up trying to read, in June 2018

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

I lasted maybe twenty pages then gave up. In my opinion, absolute rubbish. I *think* that the author is attempting "literature" and is happy to ignore "entertainment".

The back cover quotes a review of, "this spectacular rattlebag of a novel." That quote covers the main points of this book:

rattlebag

​: (

n

​) 

1. a rattle made out of a bag containing small objects

​,

2.

​ ​

an assortment, variety

​. (​

adj

​) 

​​

rattly, shaky, ramshackle

​.

If the reviewer meant, "rattly, shaky, ramshackle"​ then, yes. After, admittedly, just 20 pages, that is my opinion. Perhaps the reviewer meant "ratbag"? Ratbag: "a stupid, eccentric, or disagreeable person". No, it's not that bad.

The book -- pages 1 to 20 -- and that review raise similar thoughts: What on earth is it all about ?!

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"What a trial it is to submit to the whim of fools." … Captain Trumane, The Waking Fire

===

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/