You've probably heard the story before. The beautiful princess, much beloved by her people, is cursed by the wicked witch. Good witches keep the evil spell from killing the princess but she falls into a deep sleep from which she can only be awakened by true love's kiss. When he comes valiantly in to rescue the princess they live happily ever after.
“Enchantment” by Orson Scott Card takes that familiar fairy tale and turns it on its head. The Russian versions of these same fairy tales do not end with happily ever after. They involve adultery, murder, hatred, chaos, and in some versions the princess also dies. Ivan Petrovich Smetski, called Vanya but whose real name is Itzak Shlomo, comments that only an idiot would want to live through a Russian fairy tale... Continued
A pity that it is he that will be doing just that. 5 of 5 stars for another marvelous novel by my favorite author.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Winning Delegate
"The Winning Delegate, An Insider's Guide to Model United Nations" isn't exactly the type of book I would write a review for on this blog. It is, however, a book on an important facet of my life.
If you are interested in the ins and outs of a Model UN competition and/or want to improve your performance check out my full review.
And then, of course, click the link below and pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.
If you are interested in the ins and outs of a Model UN competition and/or want to improve your performance check out my full review.
And then, of course, click the link below and pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Read the full review here
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card is the ninth book in the Ender series. Chronologically it fits between Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, but to understand its content you will want to have read the entire Shadow series, the spin off of Ender's Game that follows Julian Delphiki (Bean).
I was afraid, picking this book up twelve years after having read Ender's Game, that I would be disinterested in returning to this part of Ender's life. I thought I would be lost and confused, forgetting important plot points.
I was very wrong. It was more like a reunion with long lost but never forgotten friends. I immediately recognized the banter between Peter and Valentine, between Petra and Ender, and I loved it. I fell in love with the characters all over again, and all they needed to do was show up.
I loved this novel. I love the depth Card gives his characers. And I love the deep, intellectual jabs Card includes that would be so easy to just look over if you don't get them. Things like a verbal exchange where Ender is referred to as a knot and says he is a Gordian Knot, to just cut. References to Shakespeare's The Tempest tickled me, a joke about Caliban made me lol.
In the end, this book was a stunning reminder of why Card is my favorite author.
5 of 5 stars
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card is the ninth book in the Ender series. Chronologically it fits between Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, but to understand its content you will want to have read the entire Shadow series, the spin off of Ender's Game that follows Julian Delphiki (Bean).
I was afraid, picking this book up twelve years after having read Ender's Game, that I would be disinterested in returning to this part of Ender's life. I thought I would be lost and confused, forgetting important plot points.
I was very wrong. It was more like a reunion with long lost but never forgotten friends. I immediately recognized the banter between Peter and Valentine, between Petra and Ender, and I loved it. I fell in love with the characters all over again, and all they needed to do was show up.
I loved this novel. I love the depth Card gives his characers. And I love the deep, intellectual jabs Card includes that would be so easy to just look over if you don't get them. Things like a verbal exchange where Ender is referred to as a knot and says he is a Gordian Knot, to just cut. References to Shakespeare's The Tempest tickled me, a joke about Caliban made me lol.
In the end, this book was a stunning reminder of why Card is my favorite author.
5 of 5 stars
Monday, April 4, 2011
Faith of the Fallen, Terry Goodkind
Full review here
Yes, I have yet to put up the review for the last installment or two in this series, but I just finished this one and wanted to put up the review right away.
To be honest, I was growing tired of this series. Fiction requires a certain "willing suspension of disbelief," and by book six I was becoming unwilling to buy into this story. So I was delighted that this novel was so unexpectedly amazing.
Faith of the Fallen was probably one of my favorites of the series so far. The military campaigns were genuinely exciting and made for great reading. Life portrayed under the Order was interesting Richard's efforts to show them what freedom means-- to show them that their lives are their own-- was heart stirring.
I litterally tingled with excitement as the novel sped to the powerful conclusion. It's been a long time since the end of a nove brought a tear to my eye, and this novel managed to do it.
4 1/2 of 5 stars
Yes, I have yet to put up the review for the last installment or two in this series, but I just finished this one and wanted to put up the review right away.
To be honest, I was growing tired of this series. Fiction requires a certain "willing suspension of disbelief," and by book six I was becoming unwilling to buy into this story. So I was delighted that this novel was so unexpectedly amazing.
Faith of the Fallen was probably one of my favorites of the series so far. The military campaigns were genuinely exciting and made for great reading. Life portrayed under the Order was interesting Richard's efforts to show them what freedom means-- to show them that their lives are their own-- was heart stirring.
I litterally tingled with excitement as the novel sped to the powerful conclusion. It's been a long time since the end of a nove brought a tear to my eye, and this novel managed to do it.
4 1/2 of 5 stars
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
Read the full review here
This was another excellent book by my favorite author, Orson Scott Card. The novel has plenty of twiats and turns and things to keep you guessing until the last page. In typical Card fashion, the protagonist is an intelligent young man. Rigg will have to use everything he learned from his mysterious father if he is to survive a life that he is suddenly thrust into.
4 of 5 stars.
This was another excellent book by my favorite author, Orson Scott Card. The novel has plenty of twiats and turns and things to keep you guessing until the last page. In typical Card fashion, the protagonist is an intelligent young man. Rigg will have to use everything he learned from his mysterious father if he is to survive a life that he is suddenly thrust into.
4 of 5 stars.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Lots of Catching Up
So, I have been away for a while, working on my first novel, currently titled "Caym's Service." It's never a good idea to get attached to a title too soon, so that is simply the working title.
The novel evolved a great deal over time, the main character was named Bayard Ansital, he was a demon hunter searching for the demon that permanently altered his life years ago and returned to kill his wife and child.
Now the main character is named Bayrd Anstal (flows so much nicer) a demon ruined his life 5 years ago and he ran away from it, living a life of obscurity. When he finally, after 5 years, decided to move on a woman he had a date with is brutally murdered. This sets into motion a stream of events that will reveal to Bayrd what really happened five years ago and nothing is what it seemed or even now seems.
In my typical Xiao Wang duality there is a strong romantic theme in the novel that runs parallel to the violence and bloodshed. There are three significant women in Bayrd's life through the novel, and you are left guessing until the end how that turns out.
So, shameless plug over, I have read several books in that time and need to put up reviews for them. I will do so over the next couple days.
The novel evolved a great deal over time, the main character was named Bayard Ansital, he was a demon hunter searching for the demon that permanently altered his life years ago and returned to kill his wife and child.
Now the main character is named Bayrd Anstal (flows so much nicer) a demon ruined his life 5 years ago and he ran away from it, living a life of obscurity. When he finally, after 5 years, decided to move on a woman he had a date with is brutally murdered. This sets into motion a stream of events that will reveal to Bayrd what really happened five years ago and nothing is what it seemed or even now seems.
In my typical Xiao Wang duality there is a strong romantic theme in the novel that runs parallel to the violence and bloodshed. There are three significant women in Bayrd's life through the novel, and you are left guessing until the end how that turns out.
So, shameless plug over, I have read several books in that time and need to put up reviews for them. I will do so over the next couple days.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Eight, Katherine Neville
Full review, click here
OK. THIS novel gets 5 out of 5 stars.
This is the second time I read this novel, having read it about 10 years ago. It is so good, so powerful... when I finished it yesterday I was literally shaking.
It weaves together 2 stories, one of a young French nun and her cousin and one of a Manhattan computer expert. Although the nuns live during the time of the French revolution and the computer expert lives in the 1970's, their lives are tightly entwined.
They are all players in a game not of their choosing. They are destined for things that can only be dreamed of. They are in the Game.
Alchemy, mysticism, chemisty, physics, math, history, music and CHESS. This book has it all.
OK. THIS novel gets 5 out of 5 stars.
This is the second time I read this novel, having read it about 10 years ago. It is so good, so powerful... when I finished it yesterday I was literally shaking.
It weaves together 2 stories, one of a young French nun and her cousin and one of a Manhattan computer expert. Although the nuns live during the time of the French revolution and the computer expert lives in the 1970's, their lives are tightly entwined.
They are all players in a game not of their choosing. They are destined for things that can only be dreamed of. They are in the Game.
Alchemy, mysticism, chemisty, physics, math, history, music and CHESS. This book has it all.
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