[iscariot]

(I read this as a collected omnibus edition - so am referring to it as a reflection of that: the individual books are available at Amazon if you're interested enough to look).

If I was being unkind I would deem this work to on - or slightly above - the level of solid, technically-sound, Fan Fiction; the thing is there is plenty of Fan Fiction available that is infinitely superior to the original work that inspired said writing.

Perhaps then, it would be more accurate to say that The Dragonmaster Trilogy is a well-executed exercise in Fantasy genericism with the usual boy-makes-good tropes that we have all come to expect (and roll our eyes at) as every half-arsed fantasy hack has wheeled this sort of thing out in the past two decades.

At least Bunch can string a sentence together and things are well enough written and paced that it's an easy, and enjoyable, read but it's characterised by the superficiality of its characters, situations, conflicts...etc ad infinitum

To summarise:

Poor boy leaves village on run(ish) - Discovers something he loves (dragons) -Loses contact with such - Gets drafted into army - Rises through ranks - Re-connects with dragons - Rises through more ranks etc - Long drawn-out war scenario (1.5 books worth) - War ends, boy/ man tries to find new purpose for life - Goes on new existence definig adventure...the end.

Is it just me, or does this sound horrifyingly familiar?

As noted above, my predominant criticism is the superficiality of events, people...and...well...just about everything. There is no doubt that Bunch creates solid outlines and creates a concrete frameworks for interactions and events to hang on - which noticeably removes the propensity of a lot of modern fantasy has for relying on Deus ex Machinae except for the big one at the end - and that the basis for the operations of the world are believable, however, what he attaches to this framework are creations that stand up to scrutiny only marginally more than would a tissue paper fabrication.

Even our main character, Hal (and I finished this trilogy 800pg+ just last night and had to think hard to remember the protagonist's name, which gives you an idea of what I mean) retains barely more depth than a carpark puddle. The familiar crises and issues that are common to every hero are there but they hold and retain little emotional impact. Essentially, it's as if the characters are simulacra (with the usual fantasy sterotypes: lover/ humourous companion etc), programmed to respond in a certain way, but with no understanding of why they are responding so - it's disappointing, as this superficiality undermines any sort of emotional resonance. (The one exception is the King - a nice surprise character - who retains greater dimensionality that everyone)

If people have read any of my posts in the past, my dislike for GRR Martin's charactercidal bent is clear, what Bunch does, to my mind, is worse in that a character is built up and then, suddenly, the character dies or is killed ...and things carry on. Literally.

"Oops, we just lost our magician..." *shrug* "Oh well"...

Now, it's not like an existential crisis is called for, but there is no reflection, really, of how actions and events impact other actions and events, which clearly indicates that this is a trilogy written to a Point A to Point B plan and nothign is going to get in the way of that.

The book is full of action, but again, it's mechanical; efficient, well written, but mechanical - what should be exciting, aerial battles between dragons feel more like they have been expanded from plot-based bullet-points; somethjing mroe common to Oral tradition (c.f. Homer) where rote phraseolgy was used to make narrative retention easier for the speaker.

To give Bunch a degree of recognition, he, at least, writes a narrative that logically follow and where things are explained to a degree that the reader isn't left wondering if the Author forgot to take their ADD medication that day. There is ONE major exception to this and I was not only left wondering where said plot-point came from and why it was there but mroe importantly, what point did it serve: fortunately, in the grand scheme of things it didn't destroy continuity too much and, due to the superficiality of characters/ events, it was soon forgotten.

Anyway, should you read it?

It's readable and not particularly annoying and, as stated, technically sound enough that it's not painful. However, don't buy it new like I did, either: getit second hand or go to the library - worth your hard-earned money it isn't.

2.5 paper dragons out of 5

[rlfcl]

i just picked up "The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World" by G.E.M. de Ste. Croix.

it combines my love of political theory with my love of ancient greek history. i think i'm going to enjoy it.

[amphibian]

pat5150;202915 said:

When John Twelve Hawks' The Traveler was released in 2005, it immediately created waves that rippled across genre fiction and beyond. As a matter of course, I wished to read this novel, yet I wanted to wait for the buzz to die down before giving it a shot. And somehow, I forgot all about it. When I was sent an ARC of the sequel, The Dark River, I realized once again how much of a dumbass I could be when I put my mind to it.

To remedy this unfortunate and unacceptable state of affairs, I brought The Traveler with me to NYC and DC. And I'm sure glad I did!

This thought-provoking techno-thriller will keep you begging for more! Complex and engrossing, The Traveler is a post September 11th cyber-version of the classic 1984.

Though the novel is a well-executed thriller, it's the "fantasy" elements found within that truly make this one such an awesome read. The Harlequins, the Travelers, the Brethren, the Realms, and how they are all connected to our collective history, past and present, those are the characteristics which will mesmerize you at every turn.

Disturbing and paranoid, The Traveler should satisfy anyone looking for a quality read this summer.

Check the blog for the full review.

Patrick

I read a galley sent out by Random House during the huge PR push they were doing a few years ago. I wasn't all that impressed and the manager at the bookstore where I worked at the time wasn't either. I retained next to nothing in terms of concepts or characters from it. Just that the original cover with the blue lines and the sunglasses really sucked.

[stone monkey]

I'n currently reading Njal's Saga - one of the Icelandic Sagas. And it's far more fun than I would have thought. There's a palpable sense of doom that permeates the entire thing.

And the words "Yes, the girl is quite beautiful, and many people will pay for that..." is going into my list of favourite quotes.

[caladanbrood]

Been reading a number of books over the last month.

Al Reynolds - Chasm City
It's been so long since I read this that I actually managed to forget the twist at the end. Thank god, because if you know what's coming, this isn't such a wonderful book Well written, and with some really good ideas though.

GRRM - A Feast for Crows
The only book that appealed in an english-language bookshop in Rome, I finally got around to reading this, and nearly threw it straight in the bin after a few chapters. Persevered, but it didn't really get much better. A few hints of action later in the book were suitably dulled down by the dreary, slow writing, and Martin's usually excellent political machinations were limited to making me cringe every time I saw the word "Cersei" at the heading of a chapter. I can hardly believe this is the same man who wrote A Storm of Swords.

Harry Potter 7
Well, written, technically, with a horribly predictable plot and no decent twists to speak of. The few "good" deaths were hardly ever seen, and merely mentioned, and some really good oportunities missed. Dissapointing ending to an occasionally promising series.

Scott Lynch - Red Seas Under Red Skies
By far the best book of the bunch. A little dissapointing at the end, but clearly it will be expanded upon in a later book. I enjoyed this just as much, if not more than tLoLL, even if only for the sailing. Great fun to read, and the mixing of so many different genres is really impressive.

Jim Butcher - Fool Moon
About half way through this at the moment, and in two minds. As with the first Dresden book, the writing does jar from time to time, and the plot twists seem... uneccessary, but the characters are wonderful, and the rare moments of comedy are well worth the wait.

[Gothos]

I'm reading Das Boot right now, and I'm having a hard time with it, at least near the beginning. took me 3 days so far and I'm at page 59 right now... they're only just coming out of port. hope it picks up some pace later.

[Lord Gordonis]

Night of Knives by I.C.E

[Rat Mentor]

Player of Games by Iain M Banks

It's my third re-read. My favorite book of all time.

[Locke Reaper]

Shadowplay by Tad Williams...what a dissapointment having to choke it down i have a hundred pages to go and nothing sugnificant has happened.

Why must there always be a whining i'm no good ihate myself, character?

this one is even worse than richard rahl

[ch'arlz]

Finishing up Michael Chabon's _The Yiddish Policemen's Union_, pretty good read.
Next up is Jacqueline Carey's _Kushiel's Justice_.

[MrXIII]

Just about to start Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. Reading it on a recomendation though I don't normally read sci fi or cyber punk.

[Murrin]

Nineteen Eighty-Four.

[pat5150]

Inexplicably, this latest offering by acclaimed author C. S. Friedman has been flying under the radar since last January. And given its quality, this sad state of affairs continues to baffle me. Feast of Souls marks Friedman's return to the fantasy genre. That, in and of itself, should be reason enough to buy this book! Like many other readers, I have been waiting for this moment since Crown of Shadows was published.

And yet, having read both Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and Williams' Shadowplay earlier this year, I decided to wait a while before giving this one a chance. I try to balance everything by reading titles from various publishers -- an attempt to spread the joy, if you will. However, electing to wait before reading Feast of Souls proved to be a dumb move on my part, for the first volume of the Magister trilogy is without a doubt the very best of Daw Books' "big guns" of 2007.

More epic than dark fantasy this time around, Feast of Souls is a compelling opening chapter in a tale which appears vaster in scope than anything C. S. Friedman has written up until this point. Having said that, I feel that it's also the least self-contained novel the author has ever written. Whereas each volume of the Coldfire trilogy was more or less stand-alone -- even though part of an overall story arc -- Feast of Souls is definitely an introduction to a much more ambitious and complex fantasy epic.

Imaginative and entertaining, with an ending that I never saw coming, Feast of Souls is probably the most underrated fantasy book of 2007. Give C. S. Friedman's latest a shot, lest it remains this year's best-kept secret!

Check the blog for the full review.

Patrick

[Entrepy]

Just finished reading jPod by Douglas Coupland, great novel about a Canadian computer programmer and his family and co-workers. Really enjoyed it, felt like it was funnier than his earlier books (or maybe it just has more obvious humour).

Just started Neil Gaimen's American Gods, heard very good things about it.

[caladanbrood]

Just about to start Neal Asher's latest, Hilldiggers. The synopsis sounds awesome, I can't wait to get into it:)

[Kurt Montandon]

Dreadnaught, by Robert K. Massie.

Haven't found any fiction to read lately ... but I also haven't looked.

[Puck]

Picked up Perdido Street Station by China Miéville again.

[Fist Gamet]

Puck;204690 said:

Picked up Perdido Street Station by China Miéville again.

Ahhh, PSS, certainly one of my favourite books.

Now re-reading Deadhouse Gates by some Canadian dude...and I am genuinely in awe. Only now do I fully appreciate how vastly and intricately he has plotted the entire series, entire passages and plots now make far more sense. It is as though the world has been re-focused and now makes sense...genius.

[pat5150]

Having loved John Twelve Hawks' The Traveler, I couldn't wait and immediately plunged into the sequel. Though it's once again an entertaining read, I felt that The Dark River didn't have as much substance as its predecessor. Indeed, this novel is a more a full fledged techno thriller.

The pace is intense, from start to finish. So much so that I feel that several sequences were a bit rushed. I felt that certain portions should have been more fleshed out, especially the events occurring in Berlin and Ethiopia. In my opinion, John Twelve Hawks could have elaborated a bit more without losing the rhythm he established in The Traveler.

The storylines comprising The Dark River showed a lot of promise. And yet, the fact that the author speeds through most of them in the narrative doesn't allow him to exploit their potential to the fullest. I'm acutely aware that I don't say this very often, but this book should have been longer.

Regardless of those shortcomings, the reader keeps turning those pages. Short chapters that jump from one POV character to the next create a nice balance between the "good" and the "bad" guys. All in all, another good one!

Check the blog for the full review.

Patrick

[Dr Trouble]

I just got Knight of Knives, I read a little last night even though I really shouldn't as I have so much more to read and so much more to do. But a new tale in the Malazan world? How could I resist?