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)

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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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The Book of Phoenix, Nnedi Okorafor

The Book of Phoenix

by Nnedi Okorafor

science fiction

copyright 2015

read in September 2023

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

This book has several aspects.

It is science fiction: where the science may as well be magic. As SF the book is good fun.

The book is also fantasy. A special class of fantasy where all problems can be solved by chanting mystical spells while dancing naked in the moonlight. Or, as in this book, by using but not explaining the traditional magic of Africa.

Which leads to the third aspect of this book: It is a rabid racist rant where black and brown are good but all white is evil. It seems that various non-white races have moved on from their centuries of slaughter and slavery. Yet every white person still maintains the ancient master-slave attitude. Perhaps, in America, this is true.

Finally, the heroine learns to use her super-powers. Not for revenge, she says but for justice.

I rather like the justice that she serves to the seven ultra-villains. It's a pity that this "justice" involves killing every other person on Earth. Black, white, brown or brindle. Oh, the seven villains will probably survive... the "justice" is that they will not have anyone else to push around. Oh my.

The book is easy-reading rubbish.

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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Frugal Wizard's Handbook / Brandon Sanderson

Frugal Wizard's Handbook

(#1 of probably many)

by Brandon Sanderson

subadult, fantasy

copyright 2023

read in August 2023

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

I often take the hero's age as a measure of the expected age of the target audience. In this book the hero is mid-twenties or older? yet the message(*)  is aimed at late teens.

It's an enjoyable book. The author has devised time travel without needing to travel through time. How does it work? well... it is all explained. At great length.

Remember those great Heinlein novels? Where the plot is interrupted as a character spends several pages explaining the author's political views? This book uses a similar approach: there are pages of a "marketing brochure" where the "science" is explained.

I'm sure that novelists are told to show not explain. This book tosses that advice out the window. The "brochure" is amusing -- and satirical -- but lazy. Pure exposition. With no attempt to "show".

The book uses several of these lazy tools.

In an afterword the author is glad to have started his hero with amnesia. It allows the reader to learn along with the hero, he writes.

It is also an easy way to solve problems by suddenly providing the hero with a new and unexpected power. No need for an early hint of the power, just spring it on us when all else has failed. Okay, discovery of a new power is not over-used. Yet.

The book is subadult: all the locals are rather nice. Polite, clean and welcoming. Perhaps this is, as the author claims, a valid reflection of the historic era. It seems false.

Then there is the art: modern drawing techniques play an important part in the plot (though the importance is barely followed through). The author explains the "modern" use of shadow and perspective. Either he does not understand perspective or he is unable to explain it.

And then... the book lays on the (*)message: Try hard, do well, do not give up, do not run from the challenge. The tone of this message is aimed at uncertain teens.

Not to worry, the book is enjoyable.

Until it ends -- albeit satisfactorily -- with a clear excuse for a future book series. Clear excuse and very artificial. Another piece of a good author -- being lazy.

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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in the Lives of Puppets/T.J Klune

in the Lives of Puppets

by T.J Klune

fantasy

copyright 2023

started reading in July 2023

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

The beginning is a bit strange. Too many gaps in the explanation.

A few pages in -- plus a reference somewhere to Pinnochio -- and I have a vague idea.

But I have no interest in reading more.

The characters are interesting but... not interesting enough that I want to follow their adventures. The backstory is vague -- unexplained -- too simplistic to pique my interest. My worry is, if the rest of the book is this silly, it will be terribly boring.

On the other hand... if a villain suddenly appears with an axe -- I will be upset, the characters are harmless, unexciting but sort of nice.

I put the book aside... and have no interest in reading more. I do have other -- known to be good --  books to read.

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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Gods of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Gods of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Barsoom #2

copyright 1913

read in August 2023

... and I must have read it before, years before, because I remember the ending.

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Well worth reading? but it's rubbish!

No... it's a vastly enjoyable book in the category of bloodthirsty but heroic sword and sandals. I enjoyed it :-)

John Carter and his princess, the incomparable Dejah Thoris, are separated by vicious creatures, enemy armies, half a planet, a religion which demands their death. John Carter carves his way towards his princess. Every step of the way, there is a new obstacle. But he is unstoppable. Until... the final pages... a quick kiss and cuddle... and a further obstacle -- which will not be beaten until the next book. Oh no!

In that next book, the hero has a habit of overhearing just the right bit of information which allows him to overcome the next challenge. In this book it is the villain who manages to overhear just the right few words to further his nefarious schemes.

Yes, the plot is complex but weak. The goodies characters are strong, loyal, heroic... etc :-) admirable and worthy of the reader's expectation of ultimate success. (I almost wrote likeable, worthy of smpathy. But neither of those suits the strength of these characters.)

It's all a lot of highly imaginative fun Though violent.

This book does mention that John Carter is on the planet Mars -- named for Mars, the god of war -- so we should expect the planet and its people to be very warlike. Mind you... that logic would have made a huge difference to Burroughs' Venus stories :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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city of last chances / adrian tchaikovsky

city of last chances

by adrian tchaikovsky

fantasy, dystopia

copyright 2022

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

It's a fantasy world. Complex and miserable. So I've added the dystopia category.

Miserable and/or nasty characters. Doing miserable and/or nasty things.

One interesting idea, a character who travels with and worships God. A real god who only his one worshipper can see.

Then there's a more ordinary idea of a magic forest that will take you... somewhere. Or kill you.

As far as I read, several chapters, it is complex, nasty, barely explained.

Could be read but not by me.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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