Book 5: Amped

Here's my review from goodreads which I posted right after reading. The more I think about it, the less I like this book. It just never becomes even a genre book let alone a probing sci fi with the sort of implications one might expect from a story of superhumans created by implants. "Let me start by stating that I think my two stars are a bit harsh. Wilson has created a very engaging, page turner focused on some interesting ideas. In fact, I liked the book well enough to pound it down during a sick day from work. But, ultimately, it is just an action book. Elements of the science are interesting, but Wilson really fails to fully realize the exploration of humanity explicit in his plot. It veers from mystery to action yarn to political thriller but seems to fail at what I wanted, namely, science fiction. Wilson has such a great grasp on the science behind his books, on par with any of his predecessors and contemporaries. But, the deep exploration of the human elements gets lost in an effort to keep the book moving. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but felt cheated by expecting more, especially when it seemed to be readily made for it"

Book 4: Hexed

The worst cover art (for straight guys riding muni anyway). Not much here really. Fun, zippy read. Second book in the ongoing adventures of a 2100 year old druid. Requisite magic, goofiness (sometimes intrusive). Don't expect much, read it fast. Feels pretty derivative from Dresden and Sandman Slim, but moves fast, doesn't slow to explain the "finer" points (well, the more absurd than usual points). Overall, if you like that sort of cheeky urban fanstasy noir blah blah blah, this is a good book. I like it and enjoyed it for what it is.

Book 3: Big Machine

Victor Lavalles excellent novel, Big Machine, comes in at book three. An interesting work told from a fairly unique (at least to this white guy) perspective, Big Machine is loaded with interesting and very real characters. Ostensibly a horror novel (which is moderately successful), it's really just a fascinating potrait of characters seeking redemption. The dialogue sparkles and the characters are engrossing. Plot level, once the bigger parts of the plot expand, the book gets onto shakier footing, which would have completely derailed in a less talented writer's hands. Lavalle manages to prevent this from becoming absurd thanks to some great writing. Next up: Hexed.

Book 2: The King of Thorns

Of course, after reading Prince of Thorns, I had to get the second book. The first book was thoroughly enjoyable in many ways, but I felt as though there were a lot of opportunities left on the table. Which the second book picks up. And then some. King of Thorns is my second favorite sequel of all time, putting the first book into much better perspective while providing the usual depravity and insanity told from two timelines with a deftness that suggest a very quick maturation of the writer. While the pacing continues to be brisk, there's a bit more restraint that and weight in the down moments to make it seem a bit slower (in a good way). Most surprisingly, there's a real pathos in the book that, again, is restrained enough that it's not bludgeoning, but also with enough commitment that it feels real. Ultimely, the protaganist, Jorg Ancrath, remains an irredeemable shit despite his tepid and thoroughly unsuccessful attempts to be anything else. In fact, his biggest problems seem to arise from any deviation from his monstrous self. Further, when Jorg is at his most ruthless that he seems to rise above himself, almost as some sort of "be yourself" message. It's not Jorg who provides the unexpected pathos though. It's the secondary (and oftentimes tertiary) characters that provide the window. Jorg is a bastard shitbag who really deserves a rather awful death. But, being a "gritty" fantasy book, bad guys rarely get what they deserve, so we get all the delicious delinquent and psycopahting behavior one can want (of course, you better like this sort of thing, or don't bother picking either book up). But the viewpoint, which is often skewed, that Jorg sees people is where the true heart lies. Every character that's a potential substitutre father figure is seen with uncharacteristically (did I really just type a word that long? This ain't German!) rose colored glasses. Goroth, Makin, his uncle, Codden, and others all get similar star treatment from Jorg. And, I found that Lawrence actually had Jorg age and mature in the four years that sets apart the last book from this one without too much wistful memories. And, holy moly, there's some great action and moments of real "WOW!" Lawrence is a very talented writer and I'm ecstatic to see what his finale will be.

Book 1: Prince of Thorns

I've seen this book quite a few times on my recommended list from Amazon, based on my purchasing history of course. Seemed like a natural to put on my wishlist. There's a lot to like and a lot not to like in Mark Lawrence's "Prince of Thorns" a book that I had more conflicting feelings about than just about any other I've ever read. On one hand, it is brash, crazy, and totally over the top. Jorg Ancrath is one of the irredeemably despicable central characters in a long time, which, of course, plays to my overly masculine desire to read about a lot of intriguing action and death scenes. But, alas, this is ultimately an empty pursuit that needs to be balanced by something other than heaping helpings of loathsome activities. If there were a better counter balance within the novel itself as played by a someone, anyone, who wasn't entirely contemptible in their actions or pursuits, it might have been able to elevate above just being a revenge fantasy genre book. It almost feels like a cynical approach to readership that we'll just accept any horrible abuse as "part of the character" or "necessary for the story". The tepid attempts at some sort of redemption are almost more cynical in that there really is no redemption for any of the characters outside of death and a chance to start over. There were a couple of intriguing characters introduced much later in the book. Being said, I actually still enjoyed many aspects of the book. There are moments when the writing really escalates and Lawrence shows his chops. Even though most of the characters are stock types found in nearly every fantasy ever written, they are still fun and darkly humorous at times. I just really wish that Lawrence could have pulled this up from the gutter a bit more (though I think he does in the second book).

100 books in a year

Sooo, for Christmas, my wife and pops decided to split the entirety of my wish list on Amazon, putting a ton of pressure on me (all perceived) to step up my reading game. My moms included a gift certificate to B&N, so I got some additional books as well. Added to my usual backlog of books, I've got a ton of books. So, I figure, what, 8 books a month and I can hit 100 books? As of this writing, I've hit eight this month, six more on my shelf, and a wishlist of 37. So, I'm going to give it a shot. If anyone is so inclined and wants there book on my list, I'll happily accept any donations. I promise that if I don't like it for whatever reason(if it's from an indie type publisher of self published, I won't write about it. Of course anyone is free to look at my wish list at Amazon and send a copy my way. Most of what I read is bit off the beaten path and I love indie type stuff.

Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute

One of my all time favorite literary characters is back! Johannes Cabal, notorious necromancer, reluctant private detective, and generally disdainful fop visits the dreamlands. Almost halfway through, and I have to admit, it's a bit of a slog. Cabal is still at his snarky best, dealing with morons (to him, that covers 98% of the human population) and invoking Nyarlothotep to do his somewhere just south of evil biddings (but well north of morally ambiguous let alone actual good). I think I'm having a hard time adjusting to the setting, which is an expansive dreamland, where the terrestrial characters seemingly act as if they are just on an adventure to Zanzibar rather than IN THE FUCKING MIDDLE OF THE DREAMLANDS! There's a Gaiman-esque quality to it, though that's probably because of my limited frame of reference. But, whereas Gaiman delights in his odd curiosities and characters from the ethereal and borderline mythic lands that he creates, Howard seems to despise them. Makes sense, I suppose, as Cabal hasn't met a person worthy of his scorn, but it gets difficult to really enjoy. Plus, the dreamlands themselves, which make no sense on the surface, don't really make any sense. On one hand, they are the ephemeral landscapes one would sort of suspect, but on the other, the people and places are also a bit too, well, logical. Again, I think this is the intent, but it's a little disconcerting and most of all distracting. I'll probably shift my thoughts fairly quickly as Cabal finds more ways of artfully dodging any serious harm.