Book Review: The Sandman series

Neil Gaiman's Sandman books have been widely regarded as some of the best comic books in existence.  Intrigued, I decided to check them out for myself.  This series breaks the comic book mold and probably had a hand in shaping the concept of the graphic novel.  The characters include the Endless: Dream (also known as Morpheus, King of the Dreaming), his older sister Death (cute, cheerful, pragmatic, and instantly likeable), Destiny, Despair, Desire, Destruction, and Delirium (who used to be Delight). The Endless are not gods--rather, the personification of ideas of the human race. Each of the Endless have their own realm. It's as much fun to see Dream learn about himself and grow as it is to watch the antics of his wonderfully dysfunctional family. However, a word of warning. The books are listed at my library as being a 'young adult' series, but they are actually for 'mature readers' (read: adult). While the overall storyline is intriguing, there's a good deal of nudity and graphic violence throughout these pages. Some of the stories within the Sandman collection are excellent, but several are nightmarish. Watch out for blood, violence, and sexual content in what is otherwise a stellar tale.

The Sandman books:

1. Preludes and Nocturnes

2. The Doll's House

3. Dream Country

4. Season of Mists

5. A Game of You

6. Fables and Reflections

7. Brief Lives

8. World's End

9. The Kindly Ones

10. The Wake
11. Endless Nights

Pictured above: Dream and Death, my two favorite characters from the series.

Book Review: Sunshine

You wouldn't ordinarily think that vampires and dessert would mix well, but somehow in this book, they do.

Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, is the baker for Charlie's Coffeehouse in vampire-infested New Arcadia. When she is kidnapped by vampires, her entire world changes, and she must learn to adjust.

Sunshine tends to be a little wordy, and there's some brief sexuality. Aside from that, this book is very interesting, and will make you hungry. Frequently. Sunshine's gothic-named desserts sound amazing: Cinnamon Rolls As Big As Your Head, Sunshine's Killer Zebras, Bitter Chocolate Death, Lemon Lust, cherry tarts, the dramatic pudding known as The Death of Marat, and Sunshine's Eschatology are just a few of the bakery offerings for which you'll want the recipe.

Book Review: Pegasus

This relatively new book is very similar in style to Robin McKinley's early works...until you get to the end.

In the world created within these pages, it is traditional for two peoples--the humans and the pegasi--to create a bond between carefully selected individuals in order for the races to better understand each other.

This is the story of a princess and her pegasus, and the secret that they uncover.

I didn't care for the ending at all--it was too abrupt, and didn't fully resolve things--but it was interesting until that point. However, the ending makes all the pages before it seem like wasted time, so I can't recommend this one wholeheartedly.

Book Review: The Blue Sword

Those of you who love Robin McKinley are no doubt already acquainted with The Blue Sword, as it is one of her very early works. However, I had the opportunity to discover it for the first time this past December, and fell completely in love.

This high-adventure tale has all the elements neccessary for a really good story: swordfights, kidnapping, danger, excitement, romance, and compelling characters. I loved it so much, I bought a copy online before I'd even finished reading the library copy. Highly recommended.

Book Review: Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits

Another excellent story collection by husband-and-wife team Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson, Fire brings together tales of such things as salamanders, hellhounds, and the Phoenix. Some of my favorite short stories included Dave's Wood (Dickinson), Hellhound (McKinley)--possibly the best story in the book, and Salamander Man (Dickinson), although I enjoyed them all. This one also includes a story about McKinley's Damar, entitled A Pool in the Desert. This anthology is even better than their previous endeavor, Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits!

Book Review: Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits

This four-star collection of six short stories by husband-and-wife collaborators Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson is imaginative, satisfying, and extremely well-told. The tales are filled with mer-folk, sea serpents, water horses, and more, however, these are not your average mermaid tales. The rendering of the various worlds of the merfolk abound with rich descriptions, satsifying plots, and variety. Personal favorites among these stories included Water Horse (McKinley), Kraken (Dickinson), and The Sea-King's Son (McKinley). This last one surfaces as an unusual retelling of McKinley's favorite fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. Excellent! [266 pages.]

Book Review: The Door in the Hedge

This collection of four short stories is great to curl up with on a rainy day with a good cup of tea. Along with two original tales by Robin McKinley, it also has her renditions of "The Princess and the Frog" and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Very enjoyable!

Book Review: Foxmask

Eyvind's daughter Criedhe has loved her friend Thorvald for her entire life. When Thorvald turns eighteen, he is given a disturbing piece of news by his mother, Margaret: that he is not Ulf's son as he had thought, but the traitor Somerled's. Desperate to find out whether he is truly Somerled's child in nature as well as by birth, Thorvald embarks on a voyage to find his father, who was banished from the Light Isles. Thorvald doesn't know that Criedhe has been watching him, and that she has stowed away on his ship to be with him. He is angry when he finds out, but by then they are already too far out to sea to simply turn around and take her home. This is a story about a young man's quest for his father, a young woman's journey to find love, and an ancient feud. Not quite as well-written as Wolfskin-- there wasn't enough time in the beginning to get to know Criedhe before she followed Thorvald to the ends of the earth, with the end result that I didn't really liked her at first. This act of love simply seems silly rather than courageous, something that she herself comes to admit later on in the book. Thorvald and several of the support characters are more interesting, though Thorvald isn't tremendously likeable either. Overall, the book was interesting and a good read, but not a fantastic one. My rating is 3.5 stars out of 5. [462 pages.]

Book Review: Wolfskin

All Eyvind has ever wanted in life is to be a Wolfskin, a warrior of legends serving the god Thor. When his elder brother, the Wolfskin Eirik, comes home, he brings Eyvind an unexpected task. Eirik's comrade Ulf doesn't quite know what to do with his younger brother, Somerled, who has witnessed terrible tragedy and become extremely withdrawn. It has become Eyvind's task to befriend Somerled and teach him how to be a boy. As clever Somerled and strong Eyvind spend time together, hunting, climbing trees, and learning combative training, they grow in their friendship, which becomes a brotherlike bond rather than an enforced task. In time, they become blood brothers, swearing an unbreakable oath to one another.

The years pass, and Eyvind becomes a Wolfskin of renown. As Ulf prepares to depart for a place known as the Light Isles, Somerled's newfound happiness wanes, disappointed that his elder brother is leaving him behind yet again. Eyvind speaks up for him to the Jarl, the ruler of their settlement, requesting that Somerled be allowed to go to the Light Isles. Ulf doesn't want Somerled to come, but he can hardly say no to the Jarl. In turn, Eyvind ends up also going along on the voyage, something he doesn't really want to do. As they reach the Light Isles, Ulf makes a peaceful contract with the king there, and the two peoples dwell in peace alongside one another. When Ulf is viciously murdered, Somerled takes over in his brother's stead, and the once-peaceful settlement becomes one of violence and bloodlust. Eyvind must put aside his blind obedience to Somerled and their blood bond, and search for the truth in order to save both peoples.

This is an epic tale based on the dark fairytale of The Singing Harp. There is a depth of cultural richness in this novel that makes the story gripping and believable. It's believable because it's very true to life. While reading it, I could really feel characters' pain, love, loss, longing, and betrayal as if it was my own. Some parts are so beautiful they'll make your heart ache; some so cruel and horrific you'll want to weep. This is not a book for the fainthearted-- some of the unsettling parts are quite graphic, and there are some sexual parts that make this book inappropriate for younger readers. The good and the bad twine together in a way that makes it feel like an epic of your own personal history. I give it 4 stars out of 5. [489 pages.]

Book Review: Cybele's Secret

A companion novel to Wildwood Dancing, this book takes place six years after the events of its predecessor and is told from the viewpoint of Paula, one of Jena's younger sisters. The scholarly Paula has been chosen to assist her father on a business trip to Istanbul to obtain a long-lost yet valuable artifact known as Cybele's Gift. Upon arrival, Paula and her father learn that one of their business associates has been killed, possibly in connection with the artifact--they aren't the only ones who want it, and apparently some bidders are prepared to pay any price to obtain it. Number one on Paula's list of suspects is the dashing pirate Duarte Aguiar, a man of ill repute in the city. Paula's father entreats her to hire a bodyguard to keep her safe during their stay, and she eventually hires a man named Stoyan. Stoyan is muscular and well-built, an excellent bodyguard. His previous employer, however, was the business associate that was murdered while Stoyan was away, so Paula questions his motives. While trying to learn whether she can trust Stoyan, Paula is invited to the house of a wealthy independant woman named Irene. It's not safe for women to walk the streets of Istanbul alone, so Paula must have an escort to get there-- either Stoyan or Irene's steward, the eunech Murat, while her father tends to business. The quest for Cybele's Gift is filled with danger, and Paula and her friends will be tested to their limits. Who can Paula trust? Who will stop at nothing to obtain the precious artifact? And why does the pirate Duarte seem so interested in Paula? The story that unfolds is interesting and exciting, but nowhere near as good as its predecessor. It's still a good story, however, and I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. [424 pages.]

Book Review: Wildwood Dancing

What would happen if a well-known fairytale were given an unexpected twist? That's exactly what happens in this amazing book, which is based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and is suprisingly set in...Transylvania. There's something here for everyone, but the plot remains cohesive and intriguing. There's a Beauty and the Beast element, vampires (known in this story as the Night People), and the interesting setting of the Carpathian Mountains. Jena is a strong heroine, likeable, well-imagined, and easy to relate to. She is surrounded by equally strong characters: her sisters, Tatiana, Iulia, Paula, and Stela; Gogu, her best friend; and Cezar, her disagreeable cousin, who makes a very satisfying antagonist. (Don't be daunted by the unusual names-- there's a pronounciation guide in the back of the book.) Jena and her sisters have been making regular monthly trips to the Other Kingdom by way of a secret portal, where they dance until dawn. When the Night People come to visit the Other Kingdom, Jena fears for her sister Tatiana, who seems to have fallen in love with one of them, the handsome Sorrow. Jena knows that a relationship with one of the Night People is not possible, and attempts to persuade her sister otherwise. With wise advice from her friend Gogu, Jena will have to learn the meaning of true love, and how love can come in many forms. The rich descriptions of the Other Kingdom are breathtaking and spellbinding, and overall the tale is excellent. I had to read it again immediately after finishing it, it was so good! I am rarely able to give a book this rating, but this one has earned it. 5 out of 5 stars! [400 pages.]

Book Review: The Fair Folk

This elven-themed anthology contains six stories specifically written for this collection. Each one of them were thought-provoking in different and unique ways, and that's what I really loved about this book. Some stories were funny, some serious, but all were themed around faerie folk. (Not the Santa Claus kind. Think Lord of the Rings.) Edited by Marvin Kaye and published in 2007, this book is already out of print, and I can't understand why. (It's so good!) In some stories, the book does contain a few flaws (the f-word is overused by some authors). It contains stories by Jane Yolen, Kim Newman, Tanith Lee, Craig Shaw Gardner, Midori Snyder, and Patricia A. McKillip. The best place to find it will probably be at your local library or a good used-bookstore. If you're able to find it, I highly recommend this book.

Book Review: Swords for Hire

If you enjoyed The Princess Bride (either movie or book version), you'll probably enjoy Swords for Hire. Written in equal parts sarcasm and humor, this book made me laugh quite a bit. It parodies your typical fantasy adventure-- dynamic sword-wielding duo rescues princess and overthrows bad guy-- so it isn't particularly original, but the material is familiar enough (and funny enough) that it's not really a disadvantage. Instead, it's more like seeing an old friend again. Overall, I thought that this was a book worth reading, and it made me wish that its author, Will Allen, was still alive. I'm sure he would have made a mint with books like this, and I wish there was more where this came from. (It was written in 1979 by Will Allen when he was twenty-two. He was terminally ill with melanoma.) The characters in the book are actually based on Will and his family members, and their portraits are on the cover!

If you can't find this book and think it sounds interesting, more information is avaliable here.

Book Review: The White Dragon

Jaxom, the young Lord Holder of Ruatha, and his unusual white dragon Ruth star in this volume of the Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. Chronologically set at the same time as the Harper Hall trilogy (or roughly thereabouts), it was interesting to see Pern and other major characters (such as Menolly) from yet another point of view.

However, I found this book somewhat tedious (though fairly well-written), because the basic plot doesn't ever really pick up. Things are seen from Jaxom's point of view, and he is discontented during the majority of the book. (You'd think he'd spend more time doing something about his situation than whining about it.) Eventually Jaxom does figure this out and takes a few steps in the right direction, but I felt that his full potential as a character was never very well realized. Instead of sympathizing with him or cheering him on, I mostly felt annoyed with him. Much more interesting were the support characters (who are main characters in the other books). Overall, I thought this book was "just okay," but not worth purchasing for my personal library or even really worth re-reading.

Book Review: Dragonquest

I enjoyed Dragonquest far more than the previous book in the "Dragonriders of Pern" series, Dragonflight. The brown dragon Canth and his rider F'nor are the most major characters in the book, and I liked them a lot. Also, this book takes place at the same time as Dragonsong and Dragonsinger from the Harper Hall trilogy, so there were a lot of the same events happening from a different viewpoint than Menolly's. I thought this was a very entertaining and fairly well-written book.

Book Review: Dragonflight

For many years, I've been reading and re-reading the Harper Hall trilogy, loving it each time and taking the general social structure within the book for granted. However, I recently became interested in Pern outside of the scope of the Harper Hall. As I read Anne McCaffrey's first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series, Dragonflight, I learned that things were not always as I had thought. This book is the story of how the Pern I've always enjoyed came to be. I had a bit of trouble keeping everyone's name straight, as several different characters frequently have similar names (for example, F'lar is not to be confused with F'nor; and T'bor is not the same person as T'sum) due to the method of naming children on Pern. Thankfully, in this particular copy there was a "Dragondex" in the back that helped to keep the main characters straight.

Lessa is a lowly kitchen drudge at Ruatha Hold. However, there's more to her than meets the eye. It turns out that she's actually one of the last true Ruathans, and the cruel Lord Fax killed the rest of her family when she was eleven during his conquering of Ruatha Hold. Since that day, Lessa has been planning her revenge so that she can take over the home that should have been rightfully hers.

Everything changes on the day that F'lar, rider of a bronze dragon named Mnementh, visits Ruatha Hold with Lord Fax. (A bronze dragon is the highest-ranking male dragon.) With F'lar are his twelve wingmen, other dragonriders, including his half-brother F'nor, who rides a brown dragon named Canth. F'lar is on Search-- in other words, he is looking for a strong woman who is capable of becoming Weyrwoman. Lessa doesn't know this--she only sees an opportunity to rid her Hold of Lord Fax forever by making him renounce his claim on it in front of dragonmen. She subtly manages to make Lord Fax's meal inedible in various ways, which makes him angry, and he swears an oath that he will not have a Hold that cannot support itself.

However, things do not happen as Lessa has planned. Fax ends up dead, Ruatha Hold goes to his newborn son Jaxom, and F'lar has found the woman he wants to become Weyrwoman: Lessa. As Lessa consents to go to Benden Weyr, she has no idea that she will have to learn to work with F'lar, and together, somehow find a way to save Pern from the deadly spores of Thread...

Book Review: Dragondrums

It's been about three years since the last book, and Piemur's voice is changing. Having lost his famous soprano voice, Masterharper Robinton decides it's time to put Piemur to good use with his other abilities. Piemur's primary other talents include picking up important snippets of information and putting them together to see the whole of whatever's going on, and dissembling. So Master Robinton secretly makes Piemur his new apprentice, and assigns him to the drumheights (the primary message center). This way, Piemur will be in a position to send and recieve messages, as well as covertly perform any other tasks the Masterharper might wish.

This is my least favorite book in the Harper Hall trilogy. I like Piemur, but as the other two books are about Menolly, I would have expected her to be more important in this book than she actually turns out to be.

Book Review: Dragonsinger

The second book in Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy, Dragonsinger, chronicles Menolly's eventful first week as a harper apprentice.

Menolly and her nine fire lizards have come to stay at their new home, the Harper Hall. Initially she is put in the small cottage with the other girls--paying customers--but most of the girls make life miserable for Menolly because of their envy. It doesn't help that the cotholder Dunca hates the sight of Menolly and fears her fire lizards. When a message to Menolly about her classes is withheld by Dunca, Menolly is given a room of her own within the male-dominated Harper Hall and becomes Masterharper Robinton's apprentice.

After a few initial trials and tribulations, Menolly is befriended by the mischievious young boy Piemur and Master Robinton's journeyman, Sebell. Piemur's clear soprano voice earned him a place as an apprentice harper at an unusually young age, and he proves a true friend to Menolly (and not just because he wants a fire lizard of his own someday).

Book Review: Dragonsong

This book is a longtime favorite of mine, and for quite awhile I was not aware that it was actually part of a trilogy. It can be read alone, but works fairly well with the other two books also.

Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong is about a girl named Menolly who lives in Half-Circle Sea Hold on the planet known as Pern. Menolly's one true joy in life is music. She has talent, and was singled out and taught by the Hold's harper Petiron. In this society, songs are used to teach Pern's history and school the children, among many other things. After Petiron's death, Menolly is the only one able to sing and play properly, and must take over schooling the children until the new Harper arrives. However, her strict, tradition-abiding father, Yanus, is the Sea Holder, and anything musical is considered "harper's business" and therefore a man's job. (Traditionally, only men can become harpers.)

After an unfortunate accident and the increasing unfairness of her parents in denying her music, Menolly leaves the Hold-- a daring and dangerous thing to do, because of something known as Thread. When a wayward red star passes close enough to Pern, it drops deadly spores that eat through anything living. Metal and rock are the only things that stop Thread, so one must have shelter during Threadfall. The inhabitants of Pern have come up with a way to combat Thread: huge dragonlike creatures are ridden by specially chosen human beings--dragonriders--and together, they char Thread into ash midair. Menolly's leaving her Hold and living without shelter is dangerous, but she finds a cave in time. Inside the cave, a clutch of fire lizards (similar to dragons, but much smaller) are about to hatch, and from there, all her adventures begin...

Book Review: The Outlaws of Sherwood

Robin McKinley's take on the classic story of Robin Hood is an exciting and unusual read. I'm most familiar with the Disney version of events, and while I was aware that Robin Hood was not really a fox, the ending was somewhat disappointing. (You mean there are consequences at the end of robbing the rich to feed the poor?) It was still an enjoyable book, however, and I will definitely be reading it again.