Lost in a Good Book (#2) by Jasper Fforde

31 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Science Fiction, Thursday Next Series Tags: , , , , ,

Published: July 18th 2002
Goodreads badgePublisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages: 372
Format: Book
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Thursday Next, literary detective and registered dodo owner begins her married life with the disturbing news that her husband of only a month drowned thirty-eight years ago, and no one but Thursday has any memory of him at all. Someone, somewhere, sometime, is responsible. Could it be the ubiquitous Goliath Corporation, who will stop at nothing to get their operative Jack Schitt out of ‘The Raven’ — the poem in which Thursday trapped him? Or are more sinister forces at work in Swindon?

Having barely caught her breath after The Eyre Affair, Thursday heads back into fiction to search for some answers. Along the way she finds herself helping Miss Havisham close narrative loopholes in Great Expectations, struggling for a deeper understanding of The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and learning the truth about Larry the Lamb. Paper politicians, lost Shakespearean manuscripts, woolly mammoth migrations, a flurry of near-fatal coincidences and impending Armageddon are all part of a greater plan.

But whose? And why?

Time for another rave about the Thursday Next series. I am very much and a little cross with myself for not reviewing this when I finished it last year because I have lost that feeling and recall of exactly what happens and how I felt. Of course I remember a lot, not all of which I’ll tell you because it spoils the glory, but it is the little things and funny lines that make you laugh. So maybe when one has time for a reread I may find more but for now this will suffice. Lost in a Good Book takes place three months after The Eyre Affair fiasco and Thursday has become a celebrity of sorts, though slightly out of favour with the Bronte Federation, with good reason. Naturally Goliath Corp attempt to censor a lot of Thursday’s story and with a determination to repair the damage Thursday caused at the end of The Eyre Affair, they fight to get back what they want; but this time it’s personal on a whole new level. The consequences of the previous book’s actions are a strong narrative puller, but there is a lot more going on as well.

Issues around Shakespeare return in book two with a discovered lost transcript being investigated. As the best in the business regarding these matters, Thursday and her partner Bowden Cable try and determine if this really is the lost copy of the play Cardenio. This of course is connected to bigger and better things, as everything always is.

Thursday’s father makes another appearance in this book which is always fun. I do like him, you never know what is going to happen when he pops in. It messes with your head as you try to figure out what  is going on, but it is just too fun to be bothered by any of it. The literary world also plays a much larger role in this book than The Eyre Affair. We discover more about the Book World, about the Great Library and we learn about Jurisfiction – the police force of literature (both fiction and non-fiction division).

What was wonderful about this book was not only the range and imagination of this world and the mass of literary knowledge and complex genius that just works (don’t ever question it), but it is also the fact that Fforde can do this with mystery and twists and unexpectedness that can be masterful when you deal with a world as surreal and insane as this. What seems odd to us is normal for them, so when strange things happen to them, you know it is going to be wonderful.

You really get to see that the characters in a book are as real as any of us, and are people who have their own lives to lead. Entering Jane Eyre showed us that but Lost in a Good Book takes it to a whole other level, which isn’t even every level, not even close. Reading about all these books: Shakespeare, Dickens, Kafka, it just makes you want to rush off and read them as well, but you can’t because you can not put down what you are reading.

There are hints and clues through these books as Fforde prepares us for the future and what we need to know. We don’t know it at the time but when we find out something clicks and we realise we already know. It is very much like getting the answer before the question is given, and you don’t even get told which answer goes to which question, but somehow you know.

Once again Fforde uses brilliant literary characters and insight to create yet another fantastic story of surreal but highly believable reality. There are new threats and enemies in this book, revenge, shoes, laughs, and more dodo than you could want (which is never enough). Just simply another great display of this alternate world of theirs, which even without the literature would be just as fantastic. There is more SpecOps, more Daphne Farquitt, lethal coincidences and the oncoming apocalypse, what more do you want? I applaud you Mr Fforde.

Darkest Mercy (#5) by Melissa Marr

30 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Wicked Lovely Series, Young Adult Tags: , , , ,

Published:  March 3rd 2011
Goodreads badgePublisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 327
Format: Book
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
★   ★   ★   ★   ★   – 5 Stars

The Summer King is missing, the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey. Love, despair and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict some will win…and some will lose everything.

As the Wicked Lovely series comes to a reviewing end I realise that I rather enjoyed them and a small part of me is sad that it has ended. But this is why the reread is such a glorious past time. Years down the track I can return and go ah yes, I remember you, and of course probably end up liking and not liking the same things, or things will make a lot more sense, who really knows.

When I finished this book I was so pleased that it was a final book to a series that doesn’t make me want to hate the author and curse them to high heaven with every swear word in the
devil’s dictionary, *cough* Mr Lewis *cough* Mr Snicket. After going back and forth in each book from good to intriguing, to annoying to alright we have some balance in book number five, which is great. There is a clear sense of growing tension and the threats of War brings out a completely new side of everyone which is just what you need at this point. Enough of the relationship drama and complaining and whining, it is time to get serious and it is done so well.

As the Courts try and recover from the actions in the previous book, they are also trying to prevent, prepare or ready themselves for battle with War. The majority of the narrative is alternating between Courts as we see them struggle with these recent events, while simultaneously holding back the battle they know they can’t prevent. The Summer Court is struggling with Keenan MIA, the Dark Court is wounded and even in the final chapters of this saga Marr still has more to reveal to us. I have said it before and I will say it again, for all the faults in this series, Marr’s ability to pull you in with what she isn’t telling you, and what she won’t show you right away is one of the real highlights for me. This book is filled with so much tension and suspense it is amazing. You pretty much have no idea what is going on but you love it all the same. You feel pain with these characters and you have an understanding of where they are coming from, something that has always been a strong point in Marr’s writing style as well. You try and predict the future and guess where the story will run and as much as you try and think you know what will happen Marr takes you somewhere else, and it works.

The build up of tension and the anticipation of action is clear for about the first half, but when the change comes you can see it begin to unravel steadily and then suddenly erupt. Everything rushes towards the end early on while still managing the steady pace. It is almost as if there are two layers going on within this book: the build up is being developed through the narrative, all the while the action has actually already begun under the surface and is pulling it along. That is the best description of it I have, but whatever it is it is working on so many levels. As you read you feel the excitement grow and it starts in gradual waves but then things change and you are just waiting for the explosion, which comes in spectacular form I might add.

No one in any of the Courts has declared war yet but War is there any way, and seeing how these characters react is brilliant. Keenan finally does something besides being a selfish manipulative guy, Aislinn comes into her own, Niall, oh god Niall is fantastic, always a favourite, and Donia shows her strength as usual, she did not have far to go like the others in terms of character strength but she does not hold back all the same. The fact that War is already there makes you feel like you are in the end of a film where the final battle montage plays and you see each of our main characters preparing or fighting for their lives and what they stand for. Lives are lost, those who remain are wounded in more ways than just physically, and there is the little rainbow at the end that tells you the damage is done but you know they will recover. This feeling comes in with a pretty much half the book to go but the way Marr has spread this out and treated each person to their own preparation was so well done. By alternating perspectives you really get to see their thoughts and reactions to everything that has happened or is happening. And what adds to the suspense is that there is no real promise of the movie rainbow in sight.

The presence of War we have seen in the past books becomes a dominating force as the world around fey and mortal alike begins to shatter. Casualties and sacrifices are shown on both sides, some not as dramatic or as violent as others, but powerful all the same. All the small battles have nothing against that of War, but that is her purpose. She is the embodiment of war and she is disobeying every rule of Faerie to get what she wants. By ignoring the rules she baits the Regents into fighting and lures them into her domain. It was really good to see everyone come into their own after so long dealing with their issues. The earlier books were fine because the situation had to be set up, but the fault was in the middle where I felt we hung on too long to the drama and love and mortality and connecting and it was so over the top. Now we have seen that reasonably dealt with we can get back to what makes these books so enjoyable: the politics and power theirs faeries wield under the surface. I understand that understanding history makes them what they become, but even if this weren’t the case it is worth having to read about these relationship dramas and internal struggles just for a glimpse of the real hidden power these fey have. We caught glimpses of it in the previous book but the threat of War brings it to its head marvellously.

The final chapters, well the last third actually, are worthy of everything that has been building over the past four books. There has been some bumps along the way and tediousness and a few out of sorts issues (looking at you book three), but by the final few chapters I could barely contain my excitement about what was going to happen. When Marr writes well, and writes with the tone and style it deserves it is brilliance. Nothing more, nothing less. Again, it is like Harry Potter 7: it is about the physical fights most of the time yes, but you can win just as well with logic and technicalities, they will help you win the fight more than the sword. When you finish the book there is no questions about what happens, what will happen, or any confusion. There is certainly no feeling of unsatisfactoriness. Definitely a fitting conclusion to a very well thought out and executed series.

Shade's Children by Garth Nix

26 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General Tags: ,

★    ★    ★    ★    ★ – 5 Stars

Seeing as Australia Day is upon us I thought I would post a review of an Australian author and I am choosing Shade’s Children by Garth Nix. Another goodreads steal, originally from Sep 19 2012, this story gets us as far from WA and Melbourne as we can, with a story where the human race has been overtaken and enslaved by the Overlords.

This story is set in a dystopian future and begins right in the middle of the action as we are introduced to this strange new world piece by piece. Fifteen years prior a mysterious Change has occurred causing all the adults to vanish, and creatures now roam the city and all the remaining children are essentially raised for their parts and no one is allowed to live past their fourteenth birthday.

The story follows Gold-Eye, Ella, Drum and Ninde as they work for the revered, yet mysterious Shade to fight in this war. Their missions revolve around trying to help the children still trapped and under Overlord control and those who have managed to escape and are fighting for their lives on the streets. Nix has written this in segments, and each segment focuses on following the different characters around. By doing this Nix gradually reveals certain information, and certainly only as it is required, never more than he has to. There are the occasional report and archived transcripts placed throughout, along with comments and stories by various characters. I think this helps to piece together the world really well and you manage to see it from all angles so by the end of the story you know a lot, but somehow you still only know as much as you need to.

It is certainly very cleverly written and I think even though it is a known archetype of the dystopia, Nix takes it in his own hands and makes it something fantastic with such unique and appealing characters. Not everything is revealed in clear terms which I thought was part of the charm, and Nix is smart enough not to make everything sunshine and lollipops. It is still a war zone and casualties are to be expected. The honour, bravery and innocence of these kids is shown through Nix’s writing and expression of these characters. Because there are so many mixes of kids and histories you get to see those who have known nothing except these Dorms where they are raised and know of nothing else, but you also get to see the odd few who remember what is was like before the invasion. With no adults and their own lives in their hands, these young kids follow instinct and whatever training they have or have not had, guided entirely by Shade. There is a lot of suspense in this book, and you do find yourself always guessing and trying to jump ahead because it gives the impression that everything could change suddenly and change everything you have been trying to grasp. Those kinds of books are always a winner in my eyes. Once again Mr Nix has not failed his readers and produced another great story to add to his collection.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

24 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Fiction Tags: , , , ,

Published: 01 Aug 2008
Goodreads badgePublisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages: 512
Format: Book
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tales
★   ★   ★   ★   ★ – 5 stars

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own — populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

You know how sometimes you read a book, and from the first few chapters you already know it is going to be spectacular. That is what The Book of Lost Things is. I knew this was getting five stars and it held up its promise until the final word.

It tells the story of 12 year old David who struggles with the death of his mum and the new changes in his life as he struggles to hold on to the old. Trust me, this is not going where you think it is. As a character David loves books, loves to read and is always reading about fairytales and stories about knights and history. Anything he can get his hands on, but he always returns to the fairytales. For a kid his age David has pretty good insights. A lot are childhood irrationalities, but others are profound and well developed.

When David is propelled into a strange new world and must face what sits before him. Through his books he finds recognition as there are references to multiple fairytales and other books in Connolly’s story, but it is nothing like you expect and even more than you can imagine. It is like a book of fairytales gone mad, but in a sinister but amusing fashion. They clash and cross over and intertwine with myth and legend. There are deeper meanings, lessons and insights in everything Connolly writes and it makes even the stories being told seem like memories rather than works of fiction.

Connolly’s imagination and creativity is amazing, yes there are things he’s borrowed but where he takes them is beyond what they were intended for. The creativity he shows surrounding these characters is fantastic and allows you to see more than what the story requires but opens up this cavern of detail and insight about the rest of the world, what goes on when the story is not being told.

Not many books can make me emotional, like proper emotional. I am not sure what it was, but I’d like to think it was a combination of sadness and happiness, but also perhaps a little bit of admiration about this entire journey and story. They were not bad tears, there is something wonderful about books that make you cry, much like a movie. I’m also not saying you will start crying reading this story but when you finish, if you do not feel differently about the world, about friends, about family, about reading and growing up, then you must turn back to page one and try again because you’ve read it wrong.

Connolly writes this story with such honesty and truth that he hold nothing back about the realities of life, the impact of stories and the importance of family. It keeps you going and you know these things to be true and you admire the strength and heart that this book has. How you could not reread this a hundred times over is beyond me. This book is going to stay with me for the rest of my life and for every good reason

The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard

24 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Mystery, Thriller Tags: , , ,

Published: July 9th 2010
Goodreads badgePublisher: Transworld Publishers
Pages: 430
Format: Book
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
★   ★   ★   ★   ★ – 5 stars

Imagine that some people have the power to affect your thoughts and feelings through reading—to seduce you with amazing stories, conjure up vividly imagined worlds, and manipulate you into thinking exactly what they want you to. When Luca Campelli dies a sudden and violent death, his son Jon inherits his second-hand bookshop, Libri di Luca, in Copenhagen. Jon had not seen his father for 20 years—since the mysterious death of his mother. 

After Luca’s death is followed by an arson attempt on the shop, Jon is forced to explore his family’s past. Unbeknownst to him, the bookshop has for years been hiding a remarkable secret. It is the meeting place of a society of booklovers and readers who have maintained a tradition of immense power passed down from the days of the great library of ancient Alexandria. Now someone is trying to destroy them, and Jon finds he must fight to save himself and his new friends.

Oh my god I adored this book. I do not think I have ever read a crime/thriller book before (I’m not really counting The Da Vinci Code in this). This was gripping, it was suspenseful and it draws you in like no other. Given the content of the book it was amazing that it had a hold over me. It would be a disappointment if a book of this nature, about this kind of thing was uninteresting and could be put down, but this I had to drag myself away from and got annoyed when I was interrupted.

I simply loved it from start to finish, the characters were real, deep and were very well developed. Even if not everything was exposed and explained the first time we see them it is drawn out through the entire book so even in the final chapters we are still learning about them as people. It was intense, it was funny, it was sweet, action filled and dramatic, everything it needed to be very believable within its realm of possibility.

The writing style was good and allowed insights into characters as well as detailed but not over the top descriptions of people and places. Some of the language around descriptions of the bookshop or environment were beautiful and fitted nicely into the story, especially if seen by a character as it suited their perception of the world perfectly. The point of view changes throughout between a few of the characters. It is good because it allows you to get to know everyone through their own eyes and their interactions with other characters. But no matter whose point of view it is Birkegaard sometimes flows off into tangents of explanations after he hits on a point or topic. It is not a bad thing exactly, it helps explain a few things, surprisingly doesn’t distract really from the story and then he manages to loop it back almost seamlessly to where he trailed off from. It is an interesting technique and it does expand on either the current character in particular, or just explain those around them and their own back story and perceptions by others.

The first half appears slow paced, not in a bad way though. You get to feel around the story and take in everything much like Jon does, you learn as he is exposed to the new information and situations. But then at the halfway mark it gets very exciting very quickly and I got rather excited as I knew this was where the action and adventure was going to begin.

Throughout the story so much is not said so you are trying to make your own assumptions, piece together clues, assume everything is clues and hints, trying not to suspect everyone. It was enthralling which was great because in a book about being so involved in a text it was amazing how engaged and into this book you get. It is very hard to draw yourself away from it, you want to know what is happening what will happen. It’s so mysterious and you don’t know what is connected and what isn’t and it constantly keeps you guessing and eager to find out what is really going on. It is a bit like watching a crime show or something similar, you focus after awhile on people who keep popping up, trying to fill in mystery people with possible people you’ve already come across. You are suspicious of everyone who is mentioned because you are convinced they hold a greater purpose. It is amazing, your brain works overtime trying to think of all the possibilities and you read so much into everything in an effort to figure out the ending before being led there by Birkegaard. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book of this kind before, it is very addictive and keeps you guessing constantly. I just can’t believe it is a first novel, it is spectacular.

 

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