Favorite Books and Current Reads

[scy]

Future screenplay.

[spoiler]We'll get Uwe Boll on it.

trollface.jpg[/spoiler]

[Kinokokao]

[Optional Boss]

[Kinokokao]

Never should have let him know the truth, man.

[Maxine MagicFox]

NOOOOO!! I just finished up Empire of Ivory and IT ENDED ON SUCH A HEAVY CLIFF HANGER. T-T What an aweful way to end the story and now I gotta know what happens next, but I don't have the money to spend on another book.

I do have a library card coming in by Friday and even then, who knows IF they even have Victory of Eagles up to be downloaded (they honestly didn't have a wide selection when I was poking around on my mum's computer ... but maybe I didn't know what I was doing, either).

T-T ..... Me and my mom might go out so I might convince her to go to B&N and let me spend an hour reading.... Auuuu~~

TEMERAIRE *runs off crying*

[Kinokokao]

Why don't you just get it from the public library? I just searched their website and they have it available.

[Maxine MagicFox]

? What's that?

[beekee]

[Weeaboolits]

[beekee]

Alright, about Nightrunner.

I finished Stalking Darkness a little after I had purchased another book last week (which I already told you about, Kino). First, let me say that I am quite glad to have read this duology. With that in mind, I'm not exactly sure what to say about it. I find it difficult to encapsulate.

I'm loathe to start with "it has some flaws" or something like that, and yet for as much as I enjoyed these books, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what I liked about them.

I'd say that Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darkness were a fun, "light" fantasy adventure. I say "light" in quotes because I don't mean per se that they were the opposite of "dark." Perhaps light as opposed to "heavy" would be more apt.

More . . .
[spoiler]
These books involve romance, an adventure complete with a journey, a little politics, and some general kafuffle and swashbuckling action. Some of these are much more background than others.

And Kino, you weren't kidding when you said the romance was subtle.

The events of the core story are interspersed with episodes that seem to have little direct consequence, almost like sessions of D&D. One might see these as chances to develop the characters more or tune in on their relationships, but the attention tends to stay on the task at hand: robbing the house, investigating the sewer, discussing the ancient scrolls. This has good and bad to it, both contributing to the fun feel but also breaking apart the tension.

I found the setting colorful, and I thought the environment of the city was more vivid and interesting than some other readers felt. The author clearly put a lot of effort and work into her setting, and showcased it at interval. At times, this meant stopping to have a discussion about something historical or geographical or mythological. This is fine, except for when it was just a bit of flavor or info and didn't work with the plot at all. I respect her love for her setting and don't wish to knock that, though.

Kino, when you say that later books have parts that just make it hard to keep reading on, I understand what you mean. In the first two, as I mentioned above, she appears to stop for "breaks" from time to time, interrupting the flow of plot events, and everything just slows down. I can even understand why she may have done this.

It would have worked if she had used these as opportunities to shift focus onto the romance sub-plot. She didn't, though, and only gave attention to that very occasionally in the first book and a little more in the second. Moving Alec and Seregil's relationship a little faster - without pushing it or jumping ahead - might have enriched the storytelling.

That's why I was somewhat disappointed at how in the background the romance seemed to be, and not just because I wanted to see two guys holding each other and making out. ;p

All things considered, I feel like I'm selling the series short, and I don't mean to do that. These books were relaxing to read and I felt good during for the most part. I grew attached to Alec and Seregil, and I cried at the end of Stalking Darkness.
[/spoiler]

A little more, with spoilers . . .
[spoiler]
I wasn't thrilled by the use of evil necromancers, but the central plot with the sacred artifacts and Mardus was satisfying to me. In fact, these parts of the book were those I found most exciting.

The magic in this world wasn't delved into in much detail, but I rather liked it. Seregil's magic disruption is cool and it's a nice touch, instead of something like him secretly being this amazing magical talent or something. The style of the magic, replete with familiar feeling ritual and meditation and concentration elements, is believable. The fact that neither main character is a wizard is a happy choice, I think, since Nysander seemed pretty damned powerful. The world's implicit limits on use of magic before running out of steam is not as generous as some worlds, and I like that because it allows for a nice limitation on its wizards without groping for idiot balls or less fitting complications.

The Aurenfaie and similar fantasy beings/races are done well, and while reminiscent of fey and elves, she avoided loading them with many of those conventions' onerous baggage. And as often as writers use the immortality-kinda-sucks angle, it didn't stunt this story and its repercussions are given sufficient attention without becoming an excuse for lots of unnecessary angst (especially since there is a story reason for it not being a problem in Alec and Seregil's relationship).

There are a couple spots in the books I didn't like, which I'll get to, but lots of spots I really enjoyed. Nearly any moment with Alec and Seregil just being Alec and Seregil - even the slow parts where she's just describing Seregil's house or something - are nice. Which brings me to . . .

Characters.

SEREGIL
I expected more of an invulnerable badass when reading the book summary, and was pleased to find a quirky, slightly foppish knave with a surprisingly light and amusing personality. A bard, thief, trickster, disguise-artist, spy, would-have-been-mage, and overall charming scoundrel, Seregil really isn't obnoxious because he isn't as good-at-everything as that description sounds. More importantly, he's far from being the character solving every problem in the narrative. His bisexuality is believable, too, and doesn't feel like the author simply avoided giving him a decided sexuality.
Quick tempered and moody, and not just where it can be used to show that he is willful or "spunky," he has some obvious flaws that are both true flaws and also pretty endearing. He snaps and overreacts, but almost always in an understandable way.
I like Seregil and can definitely see myself reading more about him.

ALEC
I found Alec to be cute. He's the young man to become Seregil's apprentice, and he actually acts like a teenager. This story is not very interpersonally driven, but the thread drawn through all of the books is the relationship of Alec to Seregil, the stages it moves through and why. (This is why I would have liked for that relationship to be a bit more pronounced). Much of his part of the story is how he reacts to Seregil and learns to adapt to him. This is as one may imagine for a youngster coming to live with a somewhat rambunctious older mentor/friend. He has the naivete, eagerness to please, and modest pluck that make sense for someone of his age and background.
He also gets excited easily, especially about new or fantastical things, which is cute. And he becomes annoyed at Seregil when you'd think he would, and when you kind of want someone to be annoyed at Seregil. Lots of little moments take place that show his meekness, too, and him legitimately responding to things like losing his father or being tortured or having to fight people. I'm really glad that she did this. He's a refreshingly authentic teenaged character, which is worth admiring on its own, with a nature unlike but complementing Seregil's and which inspires genuine empathy. I think he's adorable and would like to read more books even if just for him and his relationship with Seregil.

As for other characters, such as Micum, Beka, and Nysander, I enjoyed them but they were of course less developed. I found Nysander charming, and I liked that he had a noticeable style of speech without a lot of verbal affectation. Beka is a fun character, and is a legitimate action girl that is totally done well. I even felt for Theron, especially near the end.

I did not like Ylinestra, but she's a background character anyway. I absolutely did not like that she [hide]more or less mind-raped Alec, using seduction magic to get him into bed with her. Although no one in the story treats it like rape, and even Alec isn't really angry, he is very uncomfortable around her afterwards and tries to avoid her. I'm glad she turns out to be bad and falls in battle.[/hide] This is one of my least favorite scenes, along with [hide]the part where Alec finds Seregil at a gay brothel - where he starts to realize that he has feelings for him - and then they both go to a straight brothel and get with female prostitutes. I felt like this had too much of an implication of Alec "sticking with being straight for now," perhaps even of proving to the reader that Alec and Seregil aren't gay but bi. In retrospect, I think it's also that the event started about Alec and Seregil and added to their growing relationship, and began to address the sexuality of Alec, then went right along to show them both having straight sex with different people. It just . . . seemed like a tease, a mixed message. Combined with my desire to see more of the romance plot, this whole scene ended up feeling like a big step back.[/hide]

Many parts of the story give the impression that Alec mostly likes women, except he likes Seregil. I'm not going to accuse the author of using single-target sexuality, but I would have liked for her to demonstrate Alec's struggle with his sexual identity a bit more, at least defining what that struggle is. He's shocked in admitting his feelings for Seregil to himself, but he doesn't seem attracted to males otherwise and therefore it doesn't quite come across that he is simply dealing with not being straight.

In the end, I found their relationship to be quite warm and touching. I'd like to read some later books, maybe Glimpses, just to see more of it.

Lynn Flewelling made an interesting world with fun characters, and I would definitely reread these books. I mentioned quite a few criticisms, but I hope that doesn't make it seem that I didn't like the books or that they weren't well written. This was a very good fantasy duology with a full, warm quality to it that I have to praise. I want to compare this story to D&D, and it evokes many of the same cozy feelings I associate with that game.[/spoiler]

One thing I want to add is that I read these - Luck in the Shadows especially - pretty quickly, and I feel like I should reread them again more slowly to fully appreciate them. That should be taken into account with any criticisms I made. I ended up very fond of these books, and they give me a little smile just thinking about them. I heartily recommend them. And thank you, Kino, for telling me about them. Another pair of winners for my bookshelf!

[Kinokokao]

Hooray! I'm glad you liked them. I feel you eloquently described them in better ways than I did, especially since you're fresh off reading them and my last read through was 2008/2009, or whenever it was I went to New York. I agree especially with your comments on character sexuality and the romance in general.

@Maxine

the Wilkes-Barre public library has the next Naomi Novak book available for check out.

And that reminds me that I need to return my library books. : /

[Maxine MagicFox]

I wants it on my nook!!

:3 I'm waiting in the mail for my library card that will give me access to the digital database for Pennsylvania. Should be arriving Friday. Maybe tomorrow? :3 *hopes*

I love my nook. No page turning and even better I can increase the font size and read without my glasses while lying down - in the dark.... :3 I've fallen asleep several times like this. It's a good thing my nook shuts off after 5 mins of inactivity ^_^;;

<3 I love my baby.

[beekee]

[Maxine MagicFox]

[Trifkin]

I finished reading Ender's Game. It is amazing. I love it. I want to read it again RIGHT NOW. I've already flipped through to reread random bits here and there. I also reread the last chapter. But I'm supposed to be finishing that biography of Russell Brand... and reading that World of Warcraft novel my friend's loaning me... and reading that advanced reader copy of You Deserve Nothing that I got from work so that I can give my bosses a review... So many books. SO LITTLE TIME! T 3T

EDIT: Also! My 100th post! It would be about books, wouldn't it? : throws confetti :

EDIT AGAIN: D< I want a subscription to Granta.