Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Twilight Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko

Twilight Watch (Watch, #3)Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Not many series get better as you get farther along, but the tales of the Others may just be one of them. Perhaps what I'm sensing is Lukyanenko's move from straight action to a more winding philosophical treatise on what makes the Others tick, the differences between the two "sides," and the individual characters on which he focuses. Again, the focus of this novel (or set of three stories) is Anton, although many characters from the earlier books make appearances: Sveta (now his wife and the mother of his little Other), Gesar, Zabulon, Edgar, Kostya, and Semyon. These stories center around issues of metaphysics--the relationship between magic and energy in the Others and in humans--and how these issues could be used within the world for good or ill (or a combination thereof). Twilight Watch is a great example of how good fantasy/science fiction can make you stretch your brain a bit.



View all my reviews

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The Wicked, by Douglas Nicholas

The Wicked (Something Red, #2)The Wicked by Douglas Nicholas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


IMHO, The Wicked is generally a worthy successor to Something Red. Featuring the same traveling musicians/family by choice as in the earlier novel, the book bit-by-bit reveals more about the characters, the world in which they live, and the overall plot. Although some parts of it may be a bit predictable to those who have been around the horror block a few times (eg, the nature of the beast in this one), The Wicked is still a great read, full of adventure, magic, humanity, and love.

A couple small quibbles though: The term "russet fur" sounds like it came straight from a Barbara Cartland novel with an Irish lassie on the cover. Actually, the phrase probably has been used in every cheesy romance featuring a redhead at least once. I hope the author avoids these sorts of scenes from here on out.

Disclaimer: I received an electronic manuscript from NetGalley.



View all my reviews

Saints, by Gene Yang

Saints (Boxers & Saints)Saints by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Saints is a fabulous mirror to Boxers, depicting the side of the same events from the perspective of a Chinese Christian girl, Boxers' girl with a face like an opera mask. That said, this isn't a pretty story and the only saint here is Joan of Arc, who makes periodic hallucinatory appearances much like the gods and goddesses in Boxers do. One has to wonder how the events of the conflict would have unfolded if not for the superstition, ignorance, racism, and hatred on both sides. Or even the misery on a micro-level, such as a grandfather who declares a child as a cast-off, people who make assumptions about others' activities, and religious nutbags and zealots a-gogo. Despite all this, these books are incredibly written and drawn, providing a worthy container for the content.



View all my reviews

Day Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko

Day Watch (Watch, #2)Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The world of the Watches, as this series is sometimes known, seems pretty straightforward: You've got the Light and the Dark. Should be simple, right? Dark bad, Light good. Well, not so fast. One of the main themes of Day Watch is that the line between the sides is thinner than either side, particularly the Light, would admit. Like the first in the series, this volume is told in 3 separate mini-novels. Familiar characters make an appearance, but these stories are told from the perspective of the Dark, which depicts the events of Night Watch in a new light while adding to the canon. Although I enjoyed all 3, the section dealing with Alisa was probably the one that touched me the most.



View all my reviews