mainstream fiction
As The Crow Flies
Jeffrey Archer
Harper Paperbacks
©1991
ISBN 0-06-109934-1
789 pages
US $6.50/ CAN $7.99
"The Honest Trader – When Charlie Trumper inherits his grandfather’s fruit and vegetable barrow, he inherits as well his enterprising spirit, which gives Charlie the drive to lift himself out of the poverty of Whitechapel, in London’s East End. Success, however, does not come easily or quickly, particularly when World War I sends Charlie into combat and into an ongoing struggle with a vengeful enemy who will not rest until Charlie is destroyed.
"As the crow flies, it is only a few short miles from Whitechapel to Chelsea Terrace where Trumper’s, the world’s largest department store, will have its beginnings. But for Charlie Trumper, following threads of love, ambition, and revenge, it will be an epic journey that carries him across three continents and through the triumphs and disasters of the twentieth century, all leading toward the fulfilment of his greatest dream."
I know I picked up this book second-hand, but I don’t remember where. I only buy new authors after I’ve tried them at the library or their books are second-hand, just so I don’t waste money. Well, after reading this book, I’ve started to collect others by Jeffrey Archer.
As the Crow Flies is an amazing novel. It chronicles the life story of Charlie Trumper, the best rags-to-riches story I’ve ever read. He starts life one step above that of a street urchin (his father being a dockworker and a drunk) and hangs around his grandfather’s barrow – a cart that he sells fresh fruit and veggies from. Yet over the span of his entire life he will become a war veteran, be knighted, and even given a title from Buckingham Palace.
This saga involves a cast of dozens, with the part of the villain expertly portrayed by Mrs. Gerald Trentham, one of the old nobility who resents anyone of ‘common’ blood. She makes it her life’s mission to foil Charlie’s every attempt at building an empire. She also very nearly succeeds. It is Jeffrey Archer’s genius that this book flows as smoothly as it does, navigating through nearly a thousand pages of story to bring us the points of view of every major character. It also expertly narrates the events of the twentieth century – complete with two world wars.
This book is compelling, richly detailed, full of joys and hopes as well as sorrows (a major character commits suicide, right out of the blue), and fulfils every persons heartfelt wish to make something worthwhile of their lives, to turn out better than your birth would have you realise.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Bone Collector (Four Stars)
suspense/horror
The Bone Collector
Jeffery Deaver
Signet Books
©1997
ISBN 0-451-18845-4
427 pages
USA $6.99/CAN $8.99
"Lincoln Rhyme was once one of the nation’s most brilliant criminologists, a genius in the field of forensics. Now an accident has left him physically crippled and emotionally stunted. But he’s about to be dragged into the most explosive case of his already distinguished career. A diabolical killer known as the Bone Collector has been stalking unsuspecting prey on the streets of New York, and it will take all of Rhyme’s investigative skills to stop him.
"With beautiful police detective Amelia Sachs at his side, Rhyme must uncover a labyrinth of clues to prevent the next grisly crime. But a race against the clock becomes a terrifying battle of wits as Rhyme is drawn, step by chilling step, into the mind of a monstrous madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to raw bone…."
What a terrifying book. Deaver has created a protagonist that the reader sometimes loves and sometimes hates. It seems that there is nothing more important than the crime scene, and, since Rhyme can’t be there himself to process it, he commands novice Sachs to process scenes, even though she’s never been trained in forensics. She is horrified with Rhyme when he once asked her to cut a victim’s hands off so he could examine the handcuffs without opening them.
But throughout the course of these horrifying days (yes, the whole novel takes place in about a week of real time), Rhyme comes to rely on Sach’s growing sense of the criminal mind, as she realizes that he is the only one who can figure out the Bone Collector’s clues in time to save the next victim. I must admit that Deaver is sometimes too graphic, and some descriptions of the crimes being perpetrated were heinous, far more chilling in the almost matter-of-fact language Deaver uses. However, if a reader can get past the blood, the ending is phenomenal. For anyone who loves suspense, this is a good read. And a whole lot better than the movie.
The Bone Collector
Jeffery Deaver
Signet Books
©1997
ISBN 0-451-18845-4
427 pages
USA $6.99/CAN $8.99
"Lincoln Rhyme was once one of the nation’s most brilliant criminologists, a genius in the field of forensics. Now an accident has left him physically crippled and emotionally stunted. But he’s about to be dragged into the most explosive case of his already distinguished career. A diabolical killer known as the Bone Collector has been stalking unsuspecting prey on the streets of New York, and it will take all of Rhyme’s investigative skills to stop him.
"With beautiful police detective Amelia Sachs at his side, Rhyme must uncover a labyrinth of clues to prevent the next grisly crime. But a race against the clock becomes a terrifying battle of wits as Rhyme is drawn, step by chilling step, into the mind of a monstrous madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to raw bone…."
What a terrifying book. Deaver has created a protagonist that the reader sometimes loves and sometimes hates. It seems that there is nothing more important than the crime scene, and, since Rhyme can’t be there himself to process it, he commands novice Sachs to process scenes, even though she’s never been trained in forensics. She is horrified with Rhyme when he once asked her to cut a victim’s hands off so he could examine the handcuffs without opening them.
But throughout the course of these horrifying days (yes, the whole novel takes place in about a week of real time), Rhyme comes to rely on Sach’s growing sense of the criminal mind, as she realizes that he is the only one who can figure out the Bone Collector’s clues in time to save the next victim. I must admit that Deaver is sometimes too graphic, and some descriptions of the crimes being perpetrated were heinous, far more chilling in the almost matter-of-fact language Deaver uses. However, if a reader can get past the blood, the ending is phenomenal. For anyone who loves suspense, this is a good read. And a whole lot better than the movie.
The Deed of Paksenarrion (Five Stars)
fantasy
The Deed of Paksenarrion
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Publishing Enterprises
©1992
ISBN 0-671-72104-6
1024 pages
CAN $26.50 / US $18.00
"Complete at last in a single volume – the finest trilogy of the decade!
"Never in our experience has a new author burst upon the sf/fantasy field to such immediate enthusiastic recognition as Elizabeth Moon with her fantasy trilogy, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. Now at last we are able to offer all six hundred thousand words of The Deed of Paksenarrion in a single trade edition. Note that because of its size the complete Deed of Paksenarrion will probably never be offered in a mass market edition."
Well, that little blurb doesn’t say much about this truly extraordinary trilogy. This was loaned to me by a dear friend and I devoured all three books. Now, I have read fantasy all my life, some of it good and some of it rather poor, but this is exceptional. I even prefer reading this trilogy to (gasp!) The Lord of the Rings, which I have read faithfully every year for as long as I can remember.
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter introduces our heroine as a young girl who runs away from home (doesn’t want to marry the pig farmer) to become a mercenary soldier. The depictions of soldier training and battle are second to none, as I have learned that Elizabeth Moon has military experience. You will never find a more true account of mercenary companies, their travels on roads thick and muddy, their encounters with pillage and plunder, and the heroic pursuits that Paks finds herself on. Not wanting to be a hero, only wanting to serve her Duke, Paks finds within herself some extraordinary abilities that may even be Gods-gifted.
In Divided Allegiance Paks leaves the Duke’s service to follow the call of her Gods, to join the Fellowship of Gird. While in training at Fin Panir she is offered to become a paladin – a dream far beyond most peasant girls. However, in her travels she is captured by dark elves, tortured and mutilated before her eventual rescue. Evil has replaced the good in her mind and the high-ranking members of the Fellowship try to excise it, leaving her without the evil, but also without any courage and she cannot be a soldier any longer. The end of this book was the most tragic thing I’ve ever read, as this highly decorated and intriguing woman is left huddling in ditches and freezing and near death. The worst riches-to-rags scenario I’ve ever read and I was crying and crying the first time I read it.
Oath of Gold describes the lengths Paks goes to save herself, to put faith back in the common people. Beyond her wildest dreams and after many ills she is finally healed and called as a paladin once more. It becomes the deed of her life’s work to return to the service of her duke and rescue him from peril.
I wax on and on. This is a completely fabulous trilogy that anyone who enjoys fantasy should read. Parts of it are disturbing, only because they so closely echo our own hopes and pains. The reader feels like a part of Paksenarrion truly resides within them, and that we all have some of that incredible godlike potential.
The Deed of Paksenarrion
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Publishing Enterprises
©1992
ISBN 0-671-72104-6
1024 pages
CAN $26.50 / US $18.00
"Complete at last in a single volume – the finest trilogy of the decade!
"Never in our experience has a new author burst upon the sf/fantasy field to such immediate enthusiastic recognition as Elizabeth Moon with her fantasy trilogy, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. Now at last we are able to offer all six hundred thousand words of The Deed of Paksenarrion in a single trade edition. Note that because of its size the complete Deed of Paksenarrion will probably never be offered in a mass market edition."
Well, that little blurb doesn’t say much about this truly extraordinary trilogy. This was loaned to me by a dear friend and I devoured all three books. Now, I have read fantasy all my life, some of it good and some of it rather poor, but this is exceptional. I even prefer reading this trilogy to (gasp!) The Lord of the Rings, which I have read faithfully every year for as long as I can remember.
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter introduces our heroine as a young girl who runs away from home (doesn’t want to marry the pig farmer) to become a mercenary soldier. The depictions of soldier training and battle are second to none, as I have learned that Elizabeth Moon has military experience. You will never find a more true account of mercenary companies, their travels on roads thick and muddy, their encounters with pillage and plunder, and the heroic pursuits that Paks finds herself on. Not wanting to be a hero, only wanting to serve her Duke, Paks finds within herself some extraordinary abilities that may even be Gods-gifted.
In Divided Allegiance Paks leaves the Duke’s service to follow the call of her Gods, to join the Fellowship of Gird. While in training at Fin Panir she is offered to become a paladin – a dream far beyond most peasant girls. However, in her travels she is captured by dark elves, tortured and mutilated before her eventual rescue. Evil has replaced the good in her mind and the high-ranking members of the Fellowship try to excise it, leaving her without the evil, but also without any courage and she cannot be a soldier any longer. The end of this book was the most tragic thing I’ve ever read, as this highly decorated and intriguing woman is left huddling in ditches and freezing and near death. The worst riches-to-rags scenario I’ve ever read and I was crying and crying the first time I read it.
Oath of Gold describes the lengths Paks goes to save herself, to put faith back in the common people. Beyond her wildest dreams and after many ills she is finally healed and called as a paladin once more. It becomes the deed of her life’s work to return to the service of her duke and rescue him from peril.
I wax on and on. This is a completely fabulous trilogy that anyone who enjoys fantasy should read. Parts of it are disturbing, only because they so closely echo our own hopes and pains. The reader feels like a part of Paksenarrion truly resides within them, and that we all have some of that incredible godlike potential.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Life Expectancy (Five Stars)
suspence/horror
Life Expectancy
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
©2004
ISBN 0-553-58824-9
476 pages
US $7.99/$11.99 CAN
"Before he died on a storm-wracked night, Jimmy Tock’s grandfather predicted there would be five dark days in his grandson’s life – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy must prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year, the last in his thirtieth. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five critical days? What challenges must he survive? The path he follows will defy every expectation and will take all the love, humor, and courage he possesses. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery both dangerous and wondrous…. Life expectancy… enjoy it while you can."
Another one of Janna’s recommendations, this has turned into one of my favourite books. From the opening paragraph, Dean Koontz leads the reader through the life of a baker, an ordinary guy, forced to live through five horrendous days. Compelling, gripping, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. Despite being a ‘horror’ book, this is also truly humorous, moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure. I have never known a protagonist who is a baker, and I loved hearing stories about the baker’s life. Every character in this book is well-thought out and rounded.
In short, I love this book. I will likely read it again and again. It may be my favourite Dean Koontz book, though ‘Lightning’ is the other of his novels that is also fabulous. Koontz’s craft only excels as he ages, and I look forward to reading more of him.
Life Expectancy
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
©2004
ISBN 0-553-58824-9
476 pages
US $7.99/$11.99 CAN
"Before he died on a storm-wracked night, Jimmy Tock’s grandfather predicted there would be five dark days in his grandson’s life – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy must prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year, the last in his thirtieth. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five critical days? What challenges must he survive? The path he follows will defy every expectation and will take all the love, humor, and courage he possesses. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery both dangerous and wondrous…. Life expectancy… enjoy it while you can."
Another one of Janna’s recommendations, this has turned into one of my favourite books. From the opening paragraph, Dean Koontz leads the reader through the life of a baker, an ordinary guy, forced to live through five horrendous days. Compelling, gripping, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. Despite being a ‘horror’ book, this is also truly humorous, moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure. I have never known a protagonist who is a baker, and I loved hearing stories about the baker’s life. Every character in this book is well-thought out and rounded.
In short, I love this book. I will likely read it again and again. It may be my favourite Dean Koontz book, though ‘Lightning’ is the other of his novels that is also fabulous. Koontz’s craft only excels as he ages, and I look forward to reading more of him.
Full Tilt (One Star)
romance
Full Tilt
Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
©2003
ISBN 0-312-98328-X
342 pages
US $7.99/ CAN $10.99
"Jamie Swift has one priority in quiet Beaumont, South Carolina: running the local newspaper. Romance runs second. But with the arrival of her silent partner, the notoriously mysterious and sexy Maximillian Holt, Jamie’s life gets shaken up. Max claims he’s here to give his brother-in-law a vote of confidence. A former wrestler, Frankie Fontana’s now taking his shots in the political ring. Beaumont could use a mayor with scruples, but what it gets is a crime – and what Jamie gets is a story that’s taking her for a ride on the wild side, complete with two assassins, a washed-up stripper, and an insane poacher. Between a spray of bullets and a fast getaway, could it get any more romantic – or dangerous? Max and Jamie are betting their lives on a long shot."
Like I’ve previously stated, I don’t read much romance. But I’d heard of Janet Evanovich before, and thought I’d give her a try. I read my requisite fifty pages (I give every book fifty pages) and couldn’t go on. I found Max Holt to be the absolute cliché – rich (filthy rich), a ladies man, arrogant, and self-righteous. I almost couldn’t get past the first two pages (he has so much money he’s bought himself a state-of-the-art car with an onboard computer he calls ‘Muffin’, and the car talks back to him like a stripper.) Aside from my problems with the characters, I found the plot to be too blunt. Assassins, bullets, they seemed out of place in Beaumont, even with the characters, and I couldn’t help feeling that the authors created this book for a money grab without even trying to write a convincing plot line. It was far too cliched, and I couldn’t even finish it.
Full Tilt
Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
©2003
ISBN 0-312-98328-X
342 pages
US $7.99/ CAN $10.99
"Jamie Swift has one priority in quiet Beaumont, South Carolina: running the local newspaper. Romance runs second. But with the arrival of her silent partner, the notoriously mysterious and sexy Maximillian Holt, Jamie’s life gets shaken up. Max claims he’s here to give his brother-in-law a vote of confidence. A former wrestler, Frankie Fontana’s now taking his shots in the political ring. Beaumont could use a mayor with scruples, but what it gets is a crime – and what Jamie gets is a story that’s taking her for a ride on the wild side, complete with two assassins, a washed-up stripper, and an insane poacher. Between a spray of bullets and a fast getaway, could it get any more romantic – or dangerous? Max and Jamie are betting their lives on a long shot."
Like I’ve previously stated, I don’t read much romance. But I’d heard of Janet Evanovich before, and thought I’d give her a try. I read my requisite fifty pages (I give every book fifty pages) and couldn’t go on. I found Max Holt to be the absolute cliché – rich (filthy rich), a ladies man, arrogant, and self-righteous. I almost couldn’t get past the first two pages (he has so much money he’s bought himself a state-of-the-art car with an onboard computer he calls ‘Muffin’, and the car talks back to him like a stripper.) Aside from my problems with the characters, I found the plot to be too blunt. Assassins, bullets, they seemed out of place in Beaumont, even with the characters, and I couldn’t help feeling that the authors created this book for a money grab without even trying to write a convincing plot line. It was far too cliched, and I couldn’t even finish it.
Miranda and the Warrior (One Star)
teen fiction
Miranda and the Warrior
Elaine Barbieri
Avon Books
©2002
ISBN 0-06-001134-3
197 pages
US $4.99/$7.99 CAN
"Miranda – The only child of a U.S. Cavalry major, Miranda Thurston has grown up in a watchful, overprotective household. So even after the major’s repeated warnings of Cheyenne raiding parties on the Western frontier, Miranda never believes she is in danger – until a Cheyenne warrior captures her.
"The Warrior – Respected by the Cheyenne, Shadow Walker has earned his reputation as a warrior. At first, he is dismayed to find that his captive is just a girl – a girl worth little in his vengeance against the military. But he comes to realize that she is not just a girl, but a headstrong woman. And even as she defies him at every turn, he wonders if she may be worth something to him in a way he never expected.
"As captive and captor, Miranda and Shadow Walker grow closer, and soon uncover feelings they had thought impossible. But would they risk everything they once held dear – for each other?"
I took a long time to finish this book because it interested me so little. I found the characters typecast, their foibles transparent, and their every move predictable. The plot was lacklustre and, again, predictable. For her part, the author researched the book well. I currently live among natives (Cree, not Cheyenne), but the familial spirit they possess is well represented in this book. As a teen love story, it does what it intends, but neither of the characters is someone that will live long in me, and I doubt I will ever read this book again.
Miranda and the Warrior
Elaine Barbieri
Avon Books
©2002
ISBN 0-06-001134-3
197 pages
US $4.99/$7.99 CAN
"Miranda – The only child of a U.S. Cavalry major, Miranda Thurston has grown up in a watchful, overprotective household. So even after the major’s repeated warnings of Cheyenne raiding parties on the Western frontier, Miranda never believes she is in danger – until a Cheyenne warrior captures her.
"The Warrior – Respected by the Cheyenne, Shadow Walker has earned his reputation as a warrior. At first, he is dismayed to find that his captive is just a girl – a girl worth little in his vengeance against the military. But he comes to realize that she is not just a girl, but a headstrong woman. And even as she defies him at every turn, he wonders if she may be worth something to him in a way he never expected.
"As captive and captor, Miranda and Shadow Walker grow closer, and soon uncover feelings they had thought impossible. But would they risk everything they once held dear – for each other?"
I took a long time to finish this book because it interested me so little. I found the characters typecast, their foibles transparent, and their every move predictable. The plot was lacklustre and, again, predictable. For her part, the author researched the book well. I currently live among natives (Cree, not Cheyenne), but the familial spirit they possess is well represented in this book. As a teen love story, it does what it intends, but neither of the characters is someone that will live long in me, and I doubt I will ever read this book again.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Curse of Chalion (Five Stars)
fantasy
The Curse of Chalion
Lois McMaster Bujold
Harper Torch
©2001
ISBN 0-380-81860-4
502 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment that Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge – an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous…and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death."
This is my favourite book. I own more than a thousand titles, and this is the best of them all. This is the only book I had read from cover to cover then turned back to page one to read the whole thing entirely again.
Most fantasy novels are written of sword-toting and law-breaking heroes whose divine purpose leads them to break all the rules. This is the first fantasy novel I read where the hero is a scholar, and a sickly scholar at that. Cazaril grabs your heart like no other hero possibly could, because he is trapped in a diseased body and doomed to certain death. It makes his struggles all the more real, the price all too high, and you are never certain he will actually succeed. The romance in this book is subtle and fine, as Cazaril falls in love with Iselle’s attendant, the Lady Betriz, and knows he can offer her nothing except a funeral.
The theology of fantasy worlds always interests me, and the Quintarian theology of this book is astounding in its simplicity. The political structure of this world is easily described, never leaving the reader too dazed with endless political schemings.
This book is fantastic. You should read it.
The Curse of Chalion
Lois McMaster Bujold
Harper Torch
©2001
ISBN 0-380-81860-4
502 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment that Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge – an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous…and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death."
This is my favourite book. I own more than a thousand titles, and this is the best of them all. This is the only book I had read from cover to cover then turned back to page one to read the whole thing entirely again.
Most fantasy novels are written of sword-toting and law-breaking heroes whose divine purpose leads them to break all the rules. This is the first fantasy novel I read where the hero is a scholar, and a sickly scholar at that. Cazaril grabs your heart like no other hero possibly could, because he is trapped in a diseased body and doomed to certain death. It makes his struggles all the more real, the price all too high, and you are never certain he will actually succeed. The romance in this book is subtle and fine, as Cazaril falls in love with Iselle’s attendant, the Lady Betriz, and knows he can offer her nothing except a funeral.
The theology of fantasy worlds always interests me, and the Quintarian theology of this book is astounding in its simplicity. The political structure of this world is easily described, never leaving the reader too dazed with endless political schemings.
This book is fantastic. You should read it.
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