I’m trying to muster up the enthusiasm to write this review but it’s kind of hard as nothing really happened.So plot: a young boy is dropped off at a castle (he is the illegitimate child of the person next in line for the throne) and is treated alternatively really nicely or really badly, depending on … Continue reading
Category Archives: Fantasy
Book review: The Crystal Cave
The first of three Arthurian-themed books on this list and it was disappointing on more than one level. First: the tone Basically, Merlin, is a bit of a prick. The tone of his voice is insufferable know-it-all. Considering one of the things he does is organise adultery, it’s…wearing. As well, it was just too forced … Continue reading
Book review: The Left hand of God
Holy horseshit. That would be my two word review of this book. It was just so dumb and terrible, it’s hard to get angry about – other than I wasted my Sunday reading it. So, it takes place in what seems to be a dystopian version of European pre-Reformation Europe. There are some super-holy ridiculously … Continue reading
Book review: Elric of Melniboné
God. I’m getting tired of these. Really. Maybe this was good when it was published in the 1970s but god, it’s just…ugh. So, plot: in some mystical land, where everyone is an arrogant, self-entitled, slave-owning bastard – you’re supposed to like this one particular arrogant, self-entitled, slave-owning bastard because he’s got ‘weak blood’ and talks … Continue reading
Book review: Nine Princes in Amber
So Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny is part of a whole suite of novels about a place called Amber. I don’t know if I’m going to bother with the rest. So Amber is the true world, all the rest of the world’s (including this one) are just shadows of Amber (it’s a bit … Continue reading
Book review: Watership Down
Well, it’s been awhile since I read a book from the list as I’ve been busy reading other things. Anyway, here goes. So the plot is that a bunch of rabbits leave their warren after the urging of one of the rabbit’s having a vision of disaster befalling it. After a long arduous journey, they … Continue reading
Book review: Lord Foul’s Bane
I’m torn. I’m torn between naming this as the worst book so far or leaving it with A Spell for Chameleon. It’s probably just below it as it has a more positive view of women…sort of. So the plot. Thomas Covenant has leprosy. He get’s hit by a car and is suddenly in ‘the Land’. … Continue reading
Book review: Pawn of Prophecy
Well. This was boring. But at least it went fast. Plot: Boy is uprooted from everything he knows and is moved about the country/world by his mysterious aunt and her compatriots. THAT’S IT. There’s no resolution! Who writes a book and expects it to do so well that all the interesting stuff will happen in … Continue reading
Book review: Perdido Street Station
So, after a bit of a break, here we are. Another book, another slightly ranty blog post about said book. Beware: spoilers. I want to say I enjoyed this book as it had some lovely ideas and was all imaginative and shit but on balance, I only liked about 45% of it. Like Neal Stephenson, … Continue reading
Book review: A Canticle for Leibowitz
This was a relatively short book (only 338 pages) but because of the way it was structured, it just took me awhile to finish it. It’s split into 3 parts, taking place centuries apart – so basically every 100 pages you have to learn about new characters and what is happening a few centuries down … Continue reading
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