The Goblin Emperor--

Book: The Goblin Emperor
Author: Katherine Addison
Rating: ★★★
                                                     

   Maia is half goblin, half elvish. He is the product of a unhappy, detached political marriage. After his mother's death he lived in near isolation. Raised by his cruel cousin Setheris, he never dreamed of becoming king. When his father and brothers are killed, Maia finds himself in that exact position.
  He is whisked away to an unfamiliar court with a very big task. His family has no love for him and he in very much alone. He has no friends and certainly no one to trust. The book follows him as he navigates the tough political waters.   

  The book was not without some bumps along the way. To me, the purpose of developing a culture with specialized names, language, titles, landscape is to create richness in a book. It brings to life a new world, where obviously things are different. That it is one of my favorite things about fantasy books, and a mark of a skilled fantasy author. These things help us visualize this foreign landscape. A book that lacks creative world-building falls flat. On the other hand, a book that is too specialized... Is just annoying.

  Instead of enriching book it often just left the reader confused. I found it very hard to imagine the scenes of the book because I never had any idea who the people were. It's impossible to tell whether a character is male or female until the author specifies. The names give nothing away. Some of the names are almost identical. The author includes for us 16 pages at the end of the book listing all the people, places and gods. I found this when I had finished the book-- and at that point I just didn't really care. This all explains how to tell gender/status. These nuances become totally lost to the reader with every thing else one has to figure out. I think the author needed to mindfully choose which part she wanted to go crazy with. If you are going to have 10,000 characters, give them names that are easily distinguished and more familiar. Or, if you want the crazy names, do less characters.  

  I thought this really held the book back. Sometimes I would just skim a paragraph because I had no clue what was going on, or who was talking. I think this will turn a lot of readers away. It was at times, just tedious to figure out who was doing what.

  BUT here is the good news-- the book was actually pretty interesting. The story-line kept the book moving right along. The main characters struggle endeared me to him. Even though it relied on elves and goblins, the author made the races her own. I am glad that I stuck with the book and finished it. I hope Katherine keeps writing interesting books-- but maybe streamlines her ideas.   

  

Summer Reading--

    I used to look forward  to summer with a feverish excitement. It meant I could finally read all I wanted, and books that had nothing to do with school. Then I grew up. As an adult summer is often more busy and  hectic than any other season. I still can't help but fit a few extra books in, for the sake of nostalgia. Here are a few to add to your summer reading list--- you can click the images to find out more.

                                                                                                                                         

    

  Let's just say you have a lot of time to kill. Then hey- check out this series. At just over 1000 pages, it should keep you busy for a bit. And it's $2.99 right now on Amazon for Kindle. Which is a pretty good deal. This is just the type of book I like to read. The shear expanse of this book is impressive. Brandon Sanderson creates an entire world. There are many regions and cultures. There are so many little threads of stories, little mysteries and surprises. The second in the series is out as well, Words of Radiance.

           

                                                                                                      

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my all-time favorite authors-- and this is my favorite of his books. There are books that you just read to enjoy. They are fun and a good time. Then there are books that stay with you. That you carry around in your heart and change you. This is one of those books. I don't know what I could say to convey how good this book is. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again.

                                                                                                                                  

This was a enjoyable debut from J. Kathleen Cheney. The book is set in Portugal, which immediately sets it apart from other fantasy books. The book has spies, mermaids, selkies, magic and even a little romance. I was initially thrown because of the selkies, or seal people. The main love interest is half selkie. They are described as being highly sexual... I grew up on the ocean-- and I'm sorry there is just nothing sexy about seals to me. It's just kinda ewww. The author did a good job though. I was happy to see a good balance between the fantasy part of the book and the romance between the characters. This was not a bodice ripper, which I was happy about. This is a fun, light read.
                                                                                                                                

I can't believe how long it took me to read this book. How did I not know about it? Blood Song by Anthony Ryan was released back in 2012. I read it in May, and was thankful I didn't read it earlier--- because July 1st the second book comes out. I am really looking forward to it. I couldn't stop reading the first book- I started and finished it the same day. The book follows Vaelin beginning from his boyhood days. He becomes a warrior for his faith- a member of the Sixth Order.

                                                                                                             

I have to wait until fall for the newest Patrick Rothfuss release-- which I eagerly await. I also want to finish the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher-- only 2 more books to go. The other series I'm contemplating starting is The Malazan Book of the Fallen. I have heard good/bad things. We shall see what this summer holds for me!

On my bedside table..

I have a really large stack of books on my bedside table right now. It's seriously out of control. The one I started today was The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (aka Sarah Monette).

I will be honest, I did not have high hopes for this book. However I am enjoying it so far. It seems to have created some buzz online as well. Here is the description from Amazon---

"The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life"
                                                                                                     

It is an interesting concept. However I'm finding it little hard to get into, the names are pretty much all gibberish-- and all similar. I have been trying to figure out who is who. It's not just the character names, it's locations, titles and buildings. It's hard to imagine the landscape and the city when you are just totally confused. I am hoping when I get further in it will be easier. I will type of a full review when I finish it! 

New From Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie

  These two big name fantasy authors both have new releases this summer. I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing both of them.

 
                                                                                                                             

 Fool's Assassin will be out Aug 12th. This is the newest installment of Fitz's adventures. Be sure to look for this one when it comes out! I really enjoyed it. This is will be a treat for long time readers. Let's just say a lot of what you believe about the series will be called into question. This book really opens the door for more novels to come. I will publish my review in a few weeks.
                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                            

  Half a King will be available on July 15th. I think this one is a must-read for this summer. Let's just say, at the start of this book I was like-- boring boring boring... Then... I couldn't put it down. I'll have a review up for this one in a week or so. 

                                                                                                                             

Reading When You're Busy-

  When I get busy, the first thing I stop doing is reading. I get in a funk sometimes and stop reading for a week or a month. This became especially hard when I became a new mom. Sometimes balancing it all can be tricky. Reading is important to me though. One of the amazing things about being a stay-at-home mom is that I make the schedule. I sometimes have to be creative about making free time. BUT it can be done-- and reading is important to me. So here are a few tips if you can't remember the last time you read a book--

-Find a book that excites you. Did you stop reading because you were bored? I really think there is a book for everybody out there. Resources like Goodreads can be really helpful. If you can remember a book you loved, search for similar titles. Or just reread an old favorite.

-Shuffle time. I can usually make time for the things I love, it might just take some shuffling. Maybe instead of spending an hour Pinning recipes I don't plan to make, I can read a book. I usually have wasted time I could turn to more practical endeavors.

-Talk to people who love books-- I find it really inspiring to discuss my current reads with people. Unfortunately fantasy novels are not a hot topic with the mom's I know. Luckily there are plenty of nerds like me on the internet.

-Read a little at a time. Even if you can't spend a ton of time reading a book, sometimes just starting helps. Reading for a few minutes every night instead of watching a show. Bonus, it helps you sleep better. Unless your like me and stay up until 4 a.m reading-- and then are plagued by weird dreams all night.

  Sometimes I just have to accept that I don't have time. Some things are just more important. I know eventually I will be wandering the library again. 

And now for a change of pace..

  Two weeks ago I got lost in the black-hole called NetGalley. You get to read and review ARC's in exchange for your reviews. I thought perhaps I was dreaming. Read this book for free, then I just tell you what I thought?? Yes please. So here is another installment courtesy of NetGalley. Seriously, if you love to read, check it out. I also just got wind of Edelweiss, a similar site.

  This pretty thing is from a husband and wife team. They are Miraval chef's and their cook is described as "spa cuisine". I really enjoyed this cookbook and wouldn't mind owning it myself.

 


I have never been to a spa. The thought of spa food was a bit of a mystery. What do they eat? Baby carrots and celery? After reading Miraval's Sweet & Savory Cooking I can tell you it isn't as bad as that. Not by half. As it turns out you don't need to be rich or snobby to enjoy this food. The recipes are for everyday people, who make mindful choices about food. The book is full of clever tricks and switches built into the recipes. I usually have to take it upon myself to make these swaps. Sometimes with disastrous results. Here the recipes are built around them, by people who know what they are doing.

I thought the premise of the book- Sweet and Savory- really tied the book together. I love that it was a married couple who brought their ideas together for this book. I have to say, I favored the sweet recipes. There were many savory recipes that I plan on making. Especially the soups. However I found some of them were just too involved for a weeknight meal at my house. By no means does that make the recipes bad. Just perhaps not as practical for me. For the most part I found the recipes balanced enough for the home-cook.

Almost all the sweet recipes are ones that I would make for my family. I love baking for my kids but struggle to find healthy recipes. I do wish a few of the gluten-free recipes had used coconut flour/almond flour. I'm not a huge fan of potato starch and tapioca flour, which the recipes rely upon heavily. I also would have liked to have seen a different sugar substitute rather than agave. However these things are all personal preference. There are still a ton of other recipes to choose from.

I thought the book on a whole was gorgeous. The photographs were spot on, beautiful lighting. Each recipe included serving size, calorie, fat, carb, fiber and protein information. Anyone who is watching their weight would find this information helpful. This is the type of book I would cook from time and time again

The High Druid's Blade

Book: The High Druid's Blade
Author: Terry Brooks
Rating:★★★★
                                                                                                                                                              

 This delightful ARC was provided by NetGalley. The book itself will be published on July 8th. I give this release four stars... although that might be a bit generous. Read it for yourself and see!

  As a long time Terry Brooks fan, I always enjoy reading his new releases. I love returning to the world of Shannara. Even though this book is set further in the future it is still familiar. New readers won't miss a beat. The story isn't built too much upon older books. However for long-time readers will find familiar names.

The book is built around the Leah family. Paxon, the protective older brother looking to protect his crazy younger sister. All the while they get caught in a much bigger plot. Betrayal among the Druids order and a nasty sorcerer named Arcannen.

Is the story enough though? Compared to some of the amazing new releases this year does this book stand up? I find myself sort of caught. I love returning to Shannara for the nostalgia. I would recommend the book to long-time readers. I also think this is a good book for readers looking for a lighter fantasy book. Someone looking for an adventure and some fun without too much complexity. You don't have to learn a new language to read the book, or commit to 1000 pages.

At the same time the book is missing a lot. The characters just aren't developed. You barely have a chance to get to know them-- then they are in the thick of being tortured.  I worry that new readers will find this one lacking.
   

The Blade Itself...

Book: The Blade Itself

Author: Joe Abercrombie
Rating: ★★★★★
                                                                                                                                                           

   Joe Abercrombie is a name most fantasy readers will instantly recognize. I picked this book up on a whim one day. I was glad I didn't research it much, because otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't have read it. I'm sort of a sissy when it comes to torture.

     If you are looking for a lighthearted, feel good read-- this may not be the book for you. There is torture, battle and a lot of politics. When I began reading I was sure I would dislike it.
What really took my by surprise-- what really made this book beautiful- are the characters. On one page I was sure that I disliked them, sure they were terrible. Then a moment later I was rooting for them. Many characters are ugly, crippled in mind or body. I fell in love with the book as the author showed us different facets of each one, giving them humanity.

     Glokta is a great example of this. He is in one moment s***ting his bed, carried around like a feeble infant, surely a useless man. Then he is the most powerful dangerous man in the room. He is dangerous, ripping out teeth, guessing motives, taking confessions. You often get to read snippets of his inner voice. His two Practices are almost equally intriguing.

     Logen, Bayaz, Ardee, Jazel, Ferro- the characters all come to life in all their grisly splendor. There is constant intrigue. I did get bogged down in the politics of it all. There were points where I found myself skimming. Some sections were just not gory for my taste, especially the torture. That is simply a matter of personal preference. I skimmed a few. I hope the next book in the series surprises me just as much. I plan to read on. The book left many mysteries yet to be discovered or understood. 

For the love of books...

  So here's the thing-- I read a lot of books. Every time I go scouring for a new one, I like to check the reviews first. I spend a lot of time checking out what other people have said. After years of reading, I realized I have a lot to say about these books too.
   My main love is fantasy novels. I just can't help myself. I take my two kids to the library (3 and 1) and it's pure chaos. They have a hard time being quite while I spend time choosing books. My method is to "look for the unicorn". Our library has the genres labeled on the spine with stickers. Fantasy is the unicorn. So I walk briskly through the isles, grabbing as many unicorns as I can. This method has proved mildly successful. I get a lot of duds but some gems as well. So here I will share my thoughts on all these unicorns.
   I also love reading cookbooks, gardening books and various non-fiction as well. My main occupation title is "housewife", so these sorts of books play a part in my everyday life.
   SO, here I am. I am not a fancy blogger, but I think I can figure all of this out.