Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) Book Reviews

Ok, I talked about this a while ago, but I guess its time to start a thread since noone else has.

There seems to be a lot of debate on whats good and whats not, so if you love a book (or hate it), post your review here.

Rules:

1)If you provide total plot sploilers, please, please place them under a warning. Ok?

2)If you provide something from someone else's material, provide credits (i.e if you include part of a copyrighted review, provide credits)

3) No arguments or flamewars, you disagree with someones review, post your own. Argue in private, or open a new thread.

I think thats it, rules are open to discussion. Lets roll.

Review: A Song for Arbonne

Author: Guy Gavriel Kay

This story takes place around the conflict between two countries, Gorhaut and Arbonne. The ancient saying says "As long as the suns rise, and the moons set, Gorhaut and Arbonne will not lie peacefully with each other". Anyway, the basic issue is religous, Gorhaut has a strict male God, while Arbonne worships both the God and Goddess. Religion is a theme that is often (and aptly, considering) well used and Kay handles it deftly. It may seem cumbersome at first, but the characters are well it realised, the lands have a feeling of history, and the climax actually surprised me. I liked it.

If you like this try: Tigana, by the same author

(Disclaimer: No, Im not paid by Kay, but if he's reading, I take cheques)

Those of you who have read Kay's work, the whole bard theme will be familiar territory, and it features again in this book.








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Spoilers (Well possibly, here just in case)
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It has a happy ending <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> That depends on perspective

There is a song about Fionvar (Fionwar) in this book. Someone mentioned a series by Kay called this?

Luth the archer, I knew his faithfulness would be rewarded.

How stupid was the war between the two Dukes, what a waste of life. At least they resolved it in the end.

Not a spoiler but a wierd fact: This story was inspired by the christian churches purge of the Cathars.

Hi Mandrake,

Here's a book I like:

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Winner of the first sci-fi hugo award, this book takes place at a time where a small percentage of the population has telepathic powers. Known as peepers, they have the ability to literally pick up on the thoughts of others and their presence in the world has done much to change business, government, and also law enforcement. Because of their ability to actively pick up criminal intent in the minds of others, they have been able to prevent murder for more than seventy years...Once murder is commited by a criminal mastermind who is cunning and dangerous, a relentless detective goes on the hunt. The pace of this book is quick but exciting...Not your typical mystery story...

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> Sounds like that movie with Tom Cruise. What was the name of that again???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Minority report?
It was wierd...

That was it!! Very cool I thought. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> back to books.

Eye of the world-
Robert Jordan
fantasy, adventure


very funny, enjoyed alot, the first book of the WOT (Wheel of Time) series, a young farmer (like 22 or somethin') goes out to a wintertide feast at his village, and then goes to his farm, and his famr is attacked. His father defends the farm, and is hurt bad, Rand al'Thor then brings his father (Tam) to the village were they see that the rest of the village has been attacked too. Then 2 friends, an Aes Sedai (witch like) her Warder (fightin' hero) a gleeman (peddler like storyteller) and the innkeeper/mayor's daughter leave their village and go off for an adventure.

Funny humor, very well, recommended. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

I am reading the new Harry Potter!!!!!!
I had to borow it off a friend, casue the paperback won't come out for about 2 years...i own all the paperbacks, and didn't want to break the collection... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Minority Report was written a long time ago by Philip K. Dlck (the second letter is "i")
"Minority Report, the short story by Philip K. [nocando] was first published in 1956 in the magazine Fantastic Universe. The story is to be made into a film, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise. The budget is rumored to be over $80 million with plenty of special effects in store. "

Eye of the World is nice but I read:

A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin.
Trilogy: A Song Of Ice And Fire

I love those books: They have humour but they are mostly serious. I like the character interaction and despite the fantasy content of those books, the author well describes the society of the middle-ages (mostly highborns).
The book is written from a limited 3rd person point of view and there are several protagonists which make the book unique.
To reveal a bit of the plot, I will tell you that it's war between different houses (see "Kingdoms"). Which means there is no parts like "a great evil has come". The evil in those books is the evil of men, even more, there is no real evil, most people are gray; not evil nor good.

I would write a reveiw for it, but some peoples are still reading it, so I'll wait.

I wouldn't read it - i don't want to spoil it for myself... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I'll wait tell ur done to post it. but, spoiler!!! harry lives in the end, and they save the day again. end spoiler!!! didn't know if u knew that.

And *mega-spoiler* J.K. Rowling probably made another couple of millions on this one. I am sure nobody knows that! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Dragon and Pheonix by Joanne Bertin

Created in the choatic magic wars of an eon ago, Dragonlords are a mixture of human and dragon. Two beings in a single body, each with its own personality. Born as regular humans, when they come of age, they undergo the change. This is when their dragon half fully awakens. They have the ability to shift between dragon or human form at will, are imune to fire and able to use various magics abilities, including the ability to mindspeak. Gifted with long life, they are the arbitrators and watchdogs of the civilized lands of the northern continent. The story centres around two Dragonlords, Linden Rathan and his newly found soultwin Maurynna Erdon.

In the far off land of Jehanglan, a dragon has been captured and put to despicable use - its magic drained from it continuously to hold a pheonix in stasis. But the pheonix needs to burn, and the dragons cries reach the ears of Linden and Maurynna. They must travel deep into Jehanlan to free the dragon and pheonix, putting to end a crime that has spanned a millenium.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters are well realised and likeable. The world is well detailed and has a real sense of history. This is actually the second book in the series, and I really wish I could track down the first one, just to fill in the gaps. It was probably due to this that I found the book a little hard to get to grips with at first, but once you get used to how magic and everything works, its very hard to put down. The climax especially is very gripping, you can imagine how angry a dragon imprisoned for 1000 years is going to be <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. The villians too are very well realised, with many facets to the personality making them behavewith believable motivation (You understand why they are doing what they do, even while hating them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />). There are lot of plot twists and a lot of intrigue to keep you interested. I give it 8 out of 10. She is working on a third in the series called "Bards Oath" and im going to buy it as soon as its released. I reccomend Dragon and Pheonix to all fantasy fans.

The Rainbow Abyss by Barbara Hambly

Jaldis and his student Rhion make a scant living, like most freelance wizards in a hostile universe, from luck-spells, love-potions and fortune-telling. Love and Magic are dangerous practices: combining the two can be lethal, as he discovers when he sells a love-potion to the wrong woman. Before long the wizards are running for their lives, leaving a rare and dangerous spell unfinished.

Years pass before Jaldis can repeat the spell: to open a Dark Well across the void, the space between realities. From the Well he hears a voice crying for help: magic in their world is being destroyed - they need a wizard to save them.

Another one I really enjoyed, this book has a lot of heart and Jaldis and Rhion are really great characters. In the world they live in wizards are outcast. All the great churches go so far as to say they have no soul. Legally they have no rights, they cannot own land, cant be properly burried and cannot marry. This book really does a fantastic job of capturing persecution and prejudice, the churches jealous of their power, feeling that the wizards are robbing them by intervening directly with the greater powers. It is not even possible to murder a wizard, "fruge" is the word that is used, it means to kill an animal. One would fruge a rat in their barn, a rabid wolf in the woods......or a wizard. After all, your just getting rid of vermin. None of this is helped by the factionalism amongst the wizards themselves, all insisting that their own school of magic is the only one.

Against this adversity Jaldis and Rhion really shine, soldiering on and doing the right thing despite the persecution they recieve. Trust me, you'll really feel for these poor guys, especially as people they help and heal turn on them in angry mobs at the drop of a hat or a priests word. Full of novel twists on magic and full of interesting creatures and characters, Barbara Hambly has done a great job. This book is part one of a series, Ive yet to track down the next one but Ill review it when I do. I give the Rainbow Abyss 9 out of 10.

The Gobbler by Adrian Edmonson

Julian Mann, the hard drinking, preening, and sexually provocative star of the hit TV sitcom "Richard the Nerd", feels caught on the horns of dilemma: Should he be concentrating on his careers, which is on the slide after an unseemly bout of fisticuffs at the BAFTA awards; or following his baser instints and bedding every young girl in sight?

His twin dreams of comic immortality and a penthouse flat full of booze and young models seem to be frustrated by his wife and children; by Tom, his wifes best friends from university days, a pretentious 'National Theatre Player' who appears to be competing with Julian on the small screen and in the bedroom; by the tax man, who's chasing him for sixty thousand pounds; and by Llilith, a psychotic fan, and member of a strange Herculean cult whose eight-year cycle of death and rebirth migh augur Julians imminent nemesis....

This book was a real surprise for me. I know Adrian Edmondson from "The Young Ones" and "Bottom" and was kind of expecting a smilair silliness from this book. Its not like that at all, the comedy here is very dark. Julian is truly a pathetic person, a bubling idiot who is convinced he is the king of comedy, a drunken buffoon who casually shags anything he can get, yet is jealous of his wifes friend Tom (Rightly though, Tom is a truly oily git). Watching Julian stubmle from disaster to disaster and generally make a complete wreck of his life is almost painful sometimes. You really feel sorry for his wife. I enjoyed this book though, after the initial suprise it was a pleasure to discover just what a good writer Edmondson is. Not everyones cup of coffee, read it if you like your comedy strong, black, and without sugar. I give it 7.5 out of 10 (8 if you like biting satire).


*Possible spoilers*



Fave bit: When Julian burns down his house trying to make his son a ship in a bottle. His idiocy knows no limits

Quotes: "Dont give me that" Julian snapped "I may not have a degree, but I can spot a complete wanker when I see one"

"Stop ringing the f*cking doorbell and call the fire brigade, you c*nt!" (Said when burning down his house obviously <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />)

This isnt a one man show people, some help here would be nice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.

Im currently reading Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane, review to come.

Come on, anyone who isnt illiterate should be able to post a review of a book they like or hate here. Illiterate people, those little pictures you're looking at are called letters!

Pieter Aspe's (Dutch) books rule <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Can we expect a fuller review?, oh froglike one <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, But can it be in Dutch cause all his books are in dutch <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" />