In this book, he is once again on the issue of climate change in building a refreshing science utopia. So no climate dystopia this time. The title of the book is quite dry, and there is a lot of serious matter in the work, which is, however, counterbalanced by emotional drama. As a whole, the work is sadly a bouncing superball, exhausting in places, especially for non-English-speaking readers. There is surprisingly little room left for intriguing sections in such a thick book as Robinson keeps banging ecology, economics, and politics into the reader’s ear.

Anyway, I’m glad I got to the end. There was no waste of time, by any means. No pain, no gain!

There are as many as nine protagonists, who at first seem like a motley crew, but most of whom I grew fond of surprisingly strongly when the story progressed. After all, it's as much a story about people as it is about trees. The book is long and slow, a little like the trees themselves. The metaphor is hardly a coincidence. And no, the book isn't suitable for the hasty. You really have to stop by it to understand the wisdom that is conveyed by it.  The same thing is urged in the book every now and then: if you stop and listen, you can hear the trees talking.

Powers invites his readers to learn more about trees, so that we could learn to understand and respect them. Still, the book doesn't preach, but really inspires to look at trees in a new way. That's what happened to me, at least. Sure, it also happened to me that from time to time I felt buried under all the philosophical reflection and the avalanche of information. I’m sure there’s a lot more to realize in the book for re-reading.

The title of the book is apt when playing with the ambiguity of the word "story". A small but charming detail.

The story kicks off strongly. The early events create tension and maintain interest excellently. Darrow seems to be a sympathetic guy. But then the schoolyard brawl begins, in which parents, teachers and other people try to get involved to the best of their ability. I never got interested in these kind of quarrels when I was a kid, and it wasn't much more engrossing, even though it occurred on Mars. In addition, Darrow became more or less monstrous as the hassle progressed.

I would say that the first part of the novel was whopping great. All the other parts were rather much more painful reading, but the very cliffhanger ending led me to believe that the sequel could very well raise the level of interest again.  

But what makes Lynch so exceptional as a writer is his way of weaving dialogue. The story is dialogue-oriented, and at least I enjoy it as it is. Oh, how thrilling it is to follow the conversations, especially between Locke and Jean, and Locke and Sabetha. They are juicy. They are hilarious.

The story of Locke Lamora was complex in the first place, and this third book made it even more complex. It is a fantasy book, but not very light or easy read, especially if you - like me - are not fluent in English. Anyway, definitely worth it. 

I really enjoyed the character development; no cardboard figures here! The world-building was good, but not great, though the characters and fast-paced plot were so strong that it was not problematic. We're introduced to various countries, societies, religions, and history without being deluged by information. The author weaves some serious and unexpectedly deep issues into the adventures.

There are a few places where the prose is weak, but they are few—and the worst part about the book was reading the last page. I want more. Right now!

Anyone who likes good old-fashioned fantasy reads and complicated characters is sure to love this.

I highly suggest checking out this book. You will not be disappointed!

I loved the book but the ending is the only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars. Even tho it was heart breaking it also didn't make any sense. I mean, he loved the girl (witch or not) so how did he just kept living with the human one like nothing happened? 

I just finished this book and all I can say is it's one of the best Sherlock/Watson fanfics out there. I hadn't heard of wingfic before now, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Katherine Addison managed to follow the stories of Sherlock while also making John an original character that can actually solve problems on his own. Plus! He's a she! I wasn't expecting it in the least! I thought the secret was him (I still think of him as a guy instead of a girl) being a hellhound, which was wonderfully portrayed. I just really liked this book.

This book takes place after a couple of decades from the ending of the First Law Trilogy on the brink of an industrial revolution. Many of the old characters have gone back to mud but we get to glimpse some old ones. Can't say that I don't miss my favorite characters from the First Law Trilogy. The main characters are young fighters (of war or politics) of the next generation in a changing world. They have little to no combat experience, which sets a different atmosphere, compared to having mainly veterans. As a result, there's less action than usually in Joe Abercrombie's books but still plenty. The storytelling jumps from one character to the next and even some very minor characters get to have their say.

This novel is brilliant. What sets it apart is how truly realistic everything is, although it is not a surprise for anyone familiar with Abercrombie's other work. Events, thoughts, and relationships feel as though they could be real. The world is not softened or simplified as it often is in many books. The cold truths can be found from the pages of this novel. One would expect that from a fantasy book, even if the fantasy aspects are very subtle.

I strongly recommend reading the First Law Trilogy before starting this one. Otherwise, you won't understand many references. If you enjoyed reading any other books set in the World of the First Law, you'll like A Little Hatred too.

The first of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, this novel plays with conventional ideas about the world, especially mythological archetypes and their use in the sword and sorcery fantasy genre. His tongue-in-cheek physics adds a pinch of Sci-Fi to the mix. The Color of Magic is often compared to Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for its humour but is written with more finesse.

It lightened my heart to read this book. Surges of delight from the clever turns of phrase alternated with laughter as I read along. I particularly enjoyed this satire of fantasy because I am fascinated with the concept of reality and all its interpretations.

Here is a snippet of Pratchett's description of a wizard appearing out of thin air, an effect you might experience in a movie:
“Now the turning wizard was half man-size. At that point the growth was faster, there was a sudden crowded moment, a rush of air, and an explosion of sound. Rincewind tumbled out of the air, screaming. He hit the floor hard, choked, then rolled over with his head cradled in his arms and his body curled up tightly."

Birds are shown to carry messages, and a few pages later a man about to dispatch a message approaches a cage of white doves. But there are other cages there, and, “From one cage he removed a glossy coated rat, rolled the parchment into the phial attached to a hind leg, and let the animal go. It sniffed around the floor for a moment, then disappeared down a hole in the far wall.” The image of rats scurrying through underground tunnels with notes tied to their rear legs fits well into this city in a world of scoundrels.

Terry Pratchett obviously had a great time writing these books. He was a masterful writer and it's easy to see why so many have had fun reading the Discworld series. I thoroughly enjoyed The Color Of Magic and am on to read The Light Fantastic.

I mentioned this review in a blog post here: https://habyrd.com/blog/important-message.html  

An orphan has been raised by the librarians of a great castle. At sixteen, through her job as translator, the magic of a book tangles her life with that of the young queen and others of the realm. This history written in a language of thorns unveils secrets that will change everything.

The story is reminiscent of Arthurian tales, and Le Guin, with a touch of Harry Potter. 

Soon after I began reading, I felt a fondness for the author. Her language is beautiful, but I found the strange word order and her use of pronouns confusing. As this is the first book of McKillip’s I’ve read, I’m not sure if she wrote this way on purpose or not. The story does, after all, center on a brambly language.

I like McKillip’s patterns of thought, and the timing of her plot elements. Plenty of well-paced hints lit the way to the outcome. There are gems among her phrases, and interesting metaphors such as the enormity of night with its eye at the window, spying on comfort and fragile peace.

My favorite line is, “. . .even in the long, tumultuous history of Raine, the rulers had never had to go to war with their librarians.”

The final chapter or two make me feel that the author was already busy in her mind with her next book. The structure is there, but primary characters have oddly melted away and the writing has lost its flow. There is a beautiful resolution, but it was a tricky one that needed a little more care to make someone’s transition believable.

I've blogged about my process in creating this review.    https://habyrd.com/  Baby Sees Its Shadow For The First Time, Again.