A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire

by George R R Martin, 753 pages

The 4th book in A Song of Ice and Fire is quite different from the first 3 in the series. The narrative voices of some of the major characters are not included, and new characters are introduced. I miss some of my favorites, but there was enough continuity in the story to get me through it.

Martin claims this a just half of what was to be book 4, and that book 5 (A Dance With Dragons) is the other half. I wonder since there were so many years between the two stories publication dates. While it's not really filler, there is quite a bit of background and stories from the outer fringes of Westeros. So that gives it a kind of "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." feeling.

That said, I did enjoy the book and the variety of settings. We still followed Jaime, Cersei and Brienne through different parts of Westeros. To me, Brienne emerges as more of a heroic character, and Jaime reveals new facets of his dark and complex character. Though I will say some of the scenes on the Iron Islands and in Dorne didn't engage me as much because I didn't know or didn't like some of the characters there. I am assuming they will play a larger role in later volumes.

So, all in all, it's worth reading to keep in touch with all the plot elements but I just didn't find it as engaging as the first three books.

The library recently acquired 2 volumes of The Art of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. This image of Jaime Lannister in his King's Guard armor is from the first volume.  The picture below is from the new cover for A Feast of Crows, so there is a lot of interest in creating art to go along with the stories. It sounds like a beautiful new illustrated edition.

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern, 387 pages

One of the reviewers said this tale plays on the premise that Tolkien showed us so well: the world isn't big enough for two powerful wizards. A has-been wizard with the stage name of Prospero finds out he is the father of a small, quiet girl named Celia. Does he clutch her to his chest in surprised joy? Not exactly. He discovers she has magical powers superior to his own, and decides to pit her against Marco, the protege of his arch-rival, "the man in the grey suit."

Though this may sound like Harry Potter, the writing style is more literary and the tone cool and menacing, more like Neil Gaiman. Celia and Marco have no idea that the "game" they are engaged in is a duel to the death. And it is only when they reach adulthood that they meet and eventually fall in love. Someone else has called this Romeo and Juliet for the Gilded Age, though most of the Shakespearean references are about The Tempest.

The setting moves back and forth from America to Europe, and from the late 1800's to the early twentieth century. Most of the story revolves around the mysterious the Cirque des Rêves, or Circus of Dreams. There is something a bit sinister about the Circus which "Opens at Nightfall/Closes at Dawn". It reminded me of the circus in Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The slower pacing and complexity of the plot and characters are similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, another story about rival wizards and the kingdom of the fey.

While I enjoyed the writing and the interesting setting, I didn't feel a emotional connection to the main characters. That could be because I had to rush reading the ending because there were people on the waiting list. This is still on the bestseller lists and has been optioned for a film.

Cate K.

A Storm of Swords

A Song of Ice and Fire Book Three

by George R.R. Martin, 973 pages

This image is an artist's rendering of The Wall which separates the civilized kingdoms of Westeros from the wild and dangerous North. I listened to all 39 discs of the audiobook, which took me nearly a month. Normally a book that long has a lot of padding, but with the complex plot and the huge cast of characters, Storm doesn't read that way. As in the earlier volumes the viewpoint shifts from character to character, and Martin manages to leave you hanging when the character is in a particularly perilous spot. Once again, Martin has no problem with killing off major characters, but to balance this bloody-minded quirk, he adds some compelling new characters.

Caution: spoilers ahead!

Though Joffrey Baratheon is still the king in the capitol, King's Landing, war still rages in the midlands. His uncle, Stannis Baratheon, the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, plots from his stronghold on Dragonstone with the help of the mysterious and sinister sorceress, Melisandre. Instead of the Stag of the House Baratheon, Stannis's new banner features a burning heart, symbol of the god R'hllor, the "Lord of Light". R'hllor is a blood-thirsty deity who requires fiery human sacrifices. Melisandre is opposed by Stannis's other advisor, Lord Davos, a battle-hardened veteran of the Battle on the Blackwater.

Robb Stark continues to win victories in the Midlands of Westeros, and returns to his uncle's seat at River Run with a new bride. His mother Lady Catelyn fears this breach of promise by the King of the North will have dire consequences for Robb and his cause. His little sister Arya travels toward River Run herself, but is first held captive by outlaws, then by The Hound, a henchman formerly in Joffrey's service.

Robb's other sister, Sansa is no longer King Joffrey's fiancee, but though she longs to return home to Winterfell, she is forced into a marriage with Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf brother of Queen Cersei. Neither of them wants this marriage, though Tyrion tries to win Sansa's affection.

But the most interesting "couple" in the book are Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Lady Catelyn arranges for Jaime to escape the dungeons at River Run so she can get her daughters Sansa and Arya back from the Lannisters. However, she charges the warrior maiden Brienne of Tarth to make certain that Jaime makes it back to King's Landing for the exchange. They are hunted across the midlands and fall into bad company. While initially loathing one another, each of them earns the other's respect. I found this new aspect of Jaime's character surprisingly likeable, even though he remains something of a blackguard. The flawed characters of Jaime and Tyrion are in the end more interesting than the more honorable Starks, implacable and unyielding as they are.

The plot is already Byzantine, and even in the fourth book new characters, cities and lands are explored. The series is supposed to be 7 volumes and it is entertaining in its own twisted complexity. Though Martin will never equal Tolkien by my reckoning, he has some skill with world-building. And you never know which characters will be dead by the end of the book!

Cold Vengeance

Special Agent Pendergast series
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 356 pages

If you like puzzle books and fast-paced thrillers, meet Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. For me, Pendergast has the mind of Sherlock Holmes and looks like a strong, lithe Elf Lord. He always wears Italian tailored black suits (unless he's in one of his myriad disguises) and happens to live in the Dakota just off Central Park. Oh, and he sometimes works for the FBI.

More frequently we find Pendergast involved in his own investigations with his sidekick, Lieutenant Vincent D'Gosta, a sometimes NYPD detective. Quite often these investigations have a paranormal element which can be delightfully creepy or bordering Lovecraftian territory. Pendergast made his debut in the 1995 thriller Relic about an Amazonian monster let loose in the Museum of Natural History in New York. His subsequent cases have ranged over the globe, from the sewers of New York, Africa, the edge of a volcano in Italy, and a lost Tibetan monastery.

In the volume before this one, Fever Dream, Pendergast finds out that his wife's death while on safari in Africa was not a tragic accident. Someone had put blanks in her rifle. What Pendergast finds next is a vast web of conspiracy which crosses continents. NYPD Captain Laura Hayward, D'Gosta's lover, tells Vincent that Pendergast is reckless and lethal. More than once she reminds Vincent that Pendergast's perps rarely ever make it to court. They die.

In Cold Vengeance, Pendergast's brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy thinks he's murdered the FBI agent, but the Scottish police can't find Pendergast's body. This begins a cat and mouse game between Esterhazy and Pendergast which leads them back to the United States. Pendergast believes his wife might still be alive, somewhere in hiding. When he delves deeper into Helen's origins, he finds troubling ties to a Nazi doctor/war criminal. The climax comes when a German black ops assassin comes to New York to murder Pendergast and anyone else involved in the investigation. Have the Nazis gone underground in Germany only to re-surface in New York sixty-six years later?

Fever Dream and Cold Vengeance appear to be the first two novels in a trilogy within the Pendergast series, as Preston and Child did with their earlier trilogy about Diogenes, Pendergast's brilliant, criminally insane brother.

Though some fans haven't liked their recent novels as much as the earlier ones, I still think Preston and Child are the best paranormal thriller writers around. Pendergast has his own website and there are fan illustrations on the Internet as well. Some think Paul Bettany would be the best actor to play Pendergast. This earlier post by another book blogger explains why she thinks Agent Pendergast is the modern Sherlock Holmes. So, the game is still afoot!

Foundation

The Collegium Chronicles, volume one
by Mercedes Lackey, 335 pages

This is the first work of Lackey's that I have read, a new series of novels about the founding of the Collegium in Valdemar. It introduces Mags (short for Magpie), a young slave living a brutish existence in the crystal mines. When a herald arrives on the scene, Mags is rescued and learns he is one of the Chosen. Magical horses called Companions choose their riders, and a telepathic connection is formed between horse and rider. The horses are very smart, and it is through his Companion Dallen that Mags learns to make his way in the Collegium for heralds. Because he's an outlander, Mags has a hard time making friends. Soon however, he is befriended by Lena, a Bardic student and Bear, A Healer trainee.

Of course there are evil doings in the city, and it falls to the 3 students and Dallen to make certain that matters are cleared up. The relationship between Herald and Companion is an interesting one, which kept me reading. The trio of friends reminded me a bit too much of Harry, Ron and Hermione, which I found distracting. It probably would have helped if I was familiar with the larger world-building Lackey has done in her other series.

While I enjoyed reading it, I don't know that I found it compelling enough to continue on with the series. I may go back to it, but now I am engrossed in reading two other popular fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

Revolution

by Jennifer Donnelly, 471 pages

I saw the print edition of Donnelly's book on the shelf and eventually got it on audio. Andi Alpers is an angry, grieving teen from a posh school in Brooklyn. Alexandrine Paradis is a young player who becomes involved in the lives of the royal family during the French Revolution. Andi lost her young brother Truman to a random act of violence, and Alexandrine must watch Louis-Charles suffer the brutality of the Terror. Their lives intertwine when Andi finds Alex's lost diary and she reads the gripping account of the attempts Alex makes to to save the doomed Dauphin, Louis Charles.

Why I picked it up: I thought it would be a time travel novel set during the turbulent era of the French Revolution.

Why I finished it: While I know a fair amount about the French Revolution, I was intrigued with the character sketches of real figures from the time. It is not really a time travel novel, but through Alex's eyes you get a level of detail about the lives of the royal family and their tragic ends.

Overall, I liked the book, though Andi's rebellious teen posture became a bit annoying by the end. It would appeal to people with musical interests since that is the main focus of Andi's character, especially when she talks about the history of rock music. The epilogue was a bit over the top, but given the fantastic elements of the story, it didn't seem that out of place.

by Cate K

Walking Ollie

by Stephen Foster, 177 pages

Another dog memoir along the same lines as Marley and me, but set in England. Foster describes his rescue of a lurcher (sighthound mix, in this case, a Saluki) and the resultant mayhem this leggy puppy brings into his household. Ollie is a nervous wreck and impossible to control. Foster doesn't pull any punches, and I was sometimes horrified with his methods and Ollie's wildness. Foster has a lot to learn about owning a freakishly fast dog, and there are some dark moments before Foster and Ollie come to a loving (though still stressful at times) relationship. Still I had an optimistic feeling at the end of the book--there was definitely hope for Stephen and Ollie.

So when I went to find a cover image for this blog post, I was heartbroken to learn that Ollie had to be put to sleep when he got bone cancer a few years ago. By the time I listened to his story, he was already dead! I got all teary as I read Stephen's blog about Ollie's diagnosis. He tried so hard to keep Ollie well, but osteosarcoma is lethal and all too common in large sighthounds. Ollie didn't stand much of a chance, and Stephen would not let him suffer. I realized that around the same time our greyhound Rocket was diagnosed with bone cancer, and even though he was operated on and the tumor hopefully excised, we lost him the next year. (see above picture, right) So I could actually say I felt Stephen's loss.

Someone posted this poem on Stephen's blog:

Epitaph to a Dog by Sir William Watson

His friends he loved.
His fellest earthly foes–
Cats–I believe he did but feign to hate.
My hand will miss the insinuated nose,
Mine eyes that tail that wagged contempt at Fate.

Westu hal, Ollie!

Before I Go to Sleep

by S.J. Watson, 360 pages

This novel has an interesting premise: the main character is amnesiac: she doesn't remember anything of her life after she sleeps. Each morning she has to re-learn who she is and who the man sleeping beside her is. Think 50 First Dates with a sinister twist. As Christine finds out she has a secret doctor and begins to piece together her life through a daily journal, a pervasive sense of unease permeates the book. Though some aspects of the plot are telegraphed early, Christine's tense situation is enough to keep you reading to find out what will happen next. I thought the novel was a bit long and the character of Christine too trusting at times, but overall the sense of growing menace kept me going to the end.

Killing Floor

by Lee Child, 536 pages

Since Lee Child has become so popular, I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. Killing Floor is the first of the Jack Reacher novels, and his character is similar to Jason Bourne: a killing machine with few scruples. Still, Jack Reacher does have a sort of moral compass which leads him to care for the good people at risk yet lets him kill the bad guys without much soul searching. The body count was pretty high and the action brutal, so I am not inclined to read the rest of the series even though several people I know recommend it. I might decide to read one of the newer ones to see what it's like, but for now, one is enough.

The Dresden Files

by Jim Butcher, total pages 1,201

I started reading the Dresden Files with Changes, the 12th in the series, then went back to the beginning with Storm Front. Because I knew "spoilers" from the most recent titles, some of the suspense was missing. However, I still found the earlier books interesting because I was seeing the beginning of relationships that span the series. Butcher writes urban fantasy (or as I call it fantasy noir) and the streets of his Chicago are dark indeed. Still, Harry Dresden, wizard for hire, has a smart mouth and a penchant for doing "the right thing" even if he knows he's going to be in big trouble. So far the series has had bad sorcerers, werewolves and vampires, not to mention the titular creatures from Ghost Story. I enjoy the fantasy universe that Butcher has created since he's twisted dark legends into new menacing shapes that haunt you even in broad daylight. And any book that references Star Trek, the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and The Princess Bride all in the same chapter is right up my geeky alley. I'd put Butcher and Laurell K Hamilton at the top of my list of dark fantasy writers.

Silent in the Grave

A Lady Julia Grey Mystery

by Deanna Raybourn, 509 pages

Somehow I missed this historical series when it debuted back in 2007. So far I've read this one and the third one (when I couldn't wait for volume 2). I am liking it well enough to read a few more.

This first line definitely perked up my interest:

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

That hook gives you a taste of the tone of the book, which has a wry sense of humor throughout. In fact, I think the witty style captured my attention more than the mystery itself.

When Lady Julia Grey's husband dies at a party in their own home, she blames Edward's death on his physical infirmities. Her husband's inquiry agent, Nicholas Brisbane, tells her that it was murder, but Julia thinks Brisbane is just a bounder trying to capitalize on Edward's death. A year later evidence turns up which leads Julia back to Brisbane, and the two of them set about trying to find out who the killer is.

The sense of danger intertwines with a growing attraction between Julia and Brisbane. Though the mystery is solved at the end of the book, the relationship between the main characters is not. Of course not!

I haven't read the second book yet, so I don't know what happens between Julia and Brisbane after the events in volume one. I am happy to read Silent in the Sanctuary to find out!

Winter Sea

by Susanna Kearsley, 536 pages

This story has 2 main threads: a novelist who is drawn to the Scottish coast and one castle in particular as she researches a historical novel loosely based on her family history. The other is the historical setting seen through the eyes of the author's characters.

Kearsley does a good job of tying the two stories together, though the patterns are strong enough to give an alert reader clues to where the story is ultimately headed. The historical parts in particular were compelling and well-researched. Kearsley is a talented story teller who has enough faith in her readers to avoid hurrying the intricate setting and plots.

Between the Thames and the Tiber

by Theodore Riccardi, 317 pages

This is a collection of Sherlockiana set after Sherlock Holmes "retired". It is again narrated by Watson, but now the duo divide their time between foggy London and sunny Rome, hence the title.

Like the originals by Conan Doyle, this volume contains several stories. While the further exploration of the characters was enjoyable, I didn't seem to find much real detection going on. More like a series of vignettes than real adventures. Charming, but a little light and frothy.

A Game for Heroes

by Jack Higgins, 300 pages

I've been kind of stuck in a time warp recently: during World War II. It started with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, then it was on to Connie Willis's stunning time travel/historical fiction duo, Blackout and All Clear. I found the audio for this and since it was set in the Channel Islands during WWII, I gave it a go.

A quick read, it follows the adventures of reluctant British agent Owen Morgan at the end of WWII. A battled scarred veteran of the war in France, Owen is sent on a secret mission to St. Pierre, his former home, now in the hands of the Germans. Due to ancient grudges and treachery, Owen and his team of U.S. soldiers on the mission are captured by the Nazis. Old loyalties and new bonds are sorely tested by the S.S. villains, the foul weather and the tumultuous sea itself.

All in all, a fast and gripping read.

A Clash of Kings

Book Two of A Song of Ice and Fire, 761 pages
by George R.R. Martin

Mini-spoilers!

Volume 2 picks up right where A Game of Thrones ended. The title is spot on, because there are at least 5 contenders for The Iron Throne. Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, a Targaryen and assorted clans are all jockeying for control of Westeros (also known as The Seven Kingdoms). Martin is an expert with interweaving intrigue, violence and even bits of mysticism in his novels. He is most deft, however, with arcane plots and wanton wickedness. Kind of an Anti-Tolkien, if you will.

HBO has picked this up for a second season, and the latest in the series, A Dance With Dragons, was just released. Martin's novels read like historical potboilers, or as I like to joke, The Borgias with Dragons. Just be prepared to wait and wait for the next installment. Better idea....go read The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss while you're waiting. You won't be disappointed.

About the artwork: noted fantasy artist John Howe has done artwork for the series, though most people know him from the Lord of the Rings books and films. I go online and pick out alternative covers, usually from the UK editions, for most of my reviews.

Juliet

by Anne Fortier, 447 pages

This is another bi-level story, one contemporary and the other historical, set in Renaissance Italy. A young American woman inherits a mystery but nothing else when her aunt dies. Yet the mystery supposedly leads to a hidden treasure somewhere in Italy. With nothing left to lose, Julie soon finds herself tracking down clues in the beautiful city of Siena. Her mother had been obsessed with the story of Romeo and Juliet, so Julie (named after Shakespeare's heroine, get it?) discovers that the Bard had it all wrong. The real Romeo and Juliet tragedy played out among the ancient families of Siena, not in Verona.

The historical part of the tale tells the "true" story of Juliet and her Romeo. Soon there are intimations that Julie's bloodline also goes back to old Siena. Hints of brooding enemies, modern and ancient, shadow Julie while she searches through Siena and her familial history. Is there really a treasure...will Julie live long enough to claim it....and what about Julie's evil twin?!

This reminded me of the romantic suspense written by authors like Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. I enjoyed reading about old Siena and the lesser known aspects of the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. What was kind of interesting for me was that so much of the play is embedded in my psyche that I didn't have to look up quotes or background. It's all back in the dustier parts of the old memory banks. With the exception of some obvious plot twists, I did enjoy the book, especially the historical parts. Over all, worth giving it a go.

How to Publish A Kindle Book

by Cynthia Reeser, 288 pages

The title on this one is self-explanatory. I bought this title after checking it out from the library. While this isn't recreational reading, it does give you detailed instructions about e-publishing with Amazon. Worth considering if you're dying to get your writing out there without going the traditional route.

Wise Man's Fear

by Patrick Rothfuss, 993 pages

The second volume in the Kingkiller Chronicles, Wise Man's Fear doesn't disappoint. Kvothe the Bloodless still keeps us engrossed in his trials at the University, his travels and battles, and his star-crossed relationship with the elusive Denna.

I did think there were some sections which could have been shorter, such as his sojourn with the Adem. On the other hand, the Adem themselves were quite interesting. On the surface they appear to be legendary mercenaries, but their culture has something almost like a Zen Buddhist feel. The different lands give the story a wider scope, more of an epic setting.

The framework story of Kote the innkeeper, Bast the fey creature and Chronicler is also getting more complex and fraught with dangers unknown at this point. Score another tour de force for Patrick Rothfuss. I am anxiously awaiting the next volume in the trilogy.

Gideon's Sword

by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, 342 pages

In their most recent collaboration, Preston and Child have created a new protagonist named Gideon Crew. He is younger and more reckless than FBI Special Agent Pendergast, the beloved hero of their other joint series.

(Mini-spoilers follow)

Crew witnessed a horrific event in childhood, which impells him into a world of danger and risk taking as an adult. But just when he retires from being a notorious art thief, a bizarre shadow organization rather forcefully recruits him to make contact with a defecting Chinese scientist. Mayhem and murder result while Crew is being tailed by a notorious Chinese assassin bent on obtaining the same important scientific discovery.

Gideon is smart and likeable and the plot is adrenalin-stoked. However, I didn't find his character as interesting as Pendergast. For me, Pendergast is like an Elvish (think Tolkien, not Keebler) Sherlock Holmes. Incredibly strong, swift and remarkably brilliant, Pendergast is still my favorite hero for a thriller.

If you haven't been spoiled by Special Agent Pendergast, you will probably enjoy Gideon Crew's adventures. That means I am assuming there will be more novels starring Crew. In the meantime, you could check out the first in the Pendergast series, Relic.

I Has A Hotdog

One hundred plus pages
A companion volume to I Can Has Cheezburger? for dog lovers.

Adorable puppies, demon dogs, fluffy, scruffy, lean or pudgy pups, LOL Dogs will make you grin and chuckle.

A fun way to spend what otherwise would be a boring afternoon or evening.