Jessica
This book is a classic and I have been recommended this book countless times, but never thought I would read it. Teen literature doesn't really interest me & it doesn't really have a magic system, so I thought I was out. But for a reason I do not remember, I marked it as want-to-read and bought it. And I am so glad I did.
The story follows an eleven-year-old boy called Jonas, who lives in a community ruled by sameness. Everyone is assigned jobs, spouses and even children. To keep this community a utopia as much as possible, one person is selected to be the Receiver. They inherit all of the memories from the whole community, the good and the bad. Their purpose is to unburden the community from those memories and give advice to the Elders, a council of people who rule the community. Jonas has been selected to be the new Receiver and learns the dark truths behind his utopia.
Characters
Story & Outline
Pacing
tl;dr
I love this series so much! It's so magical and so fun. The dynamic between Wendell and Emily is just so well written. I can't wait for the next book.
This time, Emily and Wendell travel to the far reaches of Austria. Escaping a trail of assassins and following directions from a man covered in ribbons. They arrive in St. Liesl, a quant little town in the middle of nowhere. Here the people live close to many kinds of fae and their countless doors. But will they be able to find the nexus, one of the backdoors leading to Wendell's realm?
Characters
Of course, our friends Emily & Wendell are in this book, as well as her cousin Ariadne and the head of their department, Dr. Farris Rose.
Ariadne is Emily's cousin, the daughter of her brother, and decided to study Dryadology thanks to Emily. She has put herself firmly into the role of her aunt's assistant, much to the dislike of Emily. When Emily decides to go to Austria, Ariadne insists on coming along. Emily and Wendell try to stop her, but end up giving in. She's a really fun character and added a new social dynamic, mostly between her and Emily.
Dr. Farris Rose is the Department Head of Dryadology. He is first introduced as an angry self-important man that is trying to get Emily and Wendell fired. He later overhears their conversation about going to Austria and demands to join. Not really being able to refuse him, he also comes along. I liked him a lot. And that's to say I couldn't stand him for most of the book. He was just so well written. He added conflict to the book and made sure nothing went too easy for Emily, but he also taught her important lessons about dryadology and being a scientist.
Story and Outline
The book starts out in Cambridge, where Emily is about to meet Wendell for breakfast. On the way there she meets a strange man carrying pockets full of ribbons. He gives her strange directions and leaves. When she meets Wendell, he is looking awful. A bad hangover from his birthday party, but then he seems to lose control over his magic and assassins rain down on them. They found out Wendell was poisoned by his stepmother's lackeys. Having found evidence from Danielle de Grey herself, Emily and Wendell make plans to go to Austria; to find the nexus. A backdoor into Wendell's realm that his stepmother doesn't know about. They search and search, but are unable to find it. But they did find Eichorn, Danielle's lover who went to look for her, and Danielle de Grey herself in Faerie. Wendell pulls them out and grows terribly ill. Danielle promises to show Emily where the nexus is. Tasked with finding Wendell's cat, both Emily and Ariadne use the nexus to get into Silva Lupi and catnap Orga. Emily, being Emily somehow finds a way to poison his stepmother as well and escapes with the “cat”. Orga then pounces on the birds in Wendell's chest and kills all of them. Wendell has been cured. They then move to Greece, making an alliance with the common fae and other creatures to overthrow the queen.
This story was just amazing. It all starts with the promise of finding the nexus, fending off assassins and exploring the snowy regions of Austria and its fae. But we got so much more! I hadn't expected for Emily to go into Silva Lupi yet, and to get such a detailed account about it to booth. I'm still not a complete fan of the story being told by journal entries, but it didn't really bother me either. My favourite part must be when Emily and Ariadne enter Silva Lupi and their travels through it. I think it was really fun to make Snowbell a recurring character throughout the book and he was so much fun in this part. Emily never stops surprising me with how clever she is and how she escaped from the queen was just so well written. It was clever, there was the setup done so it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere and that the writer was cheating or anything. Just pure mortal cleverness based on facts.
Pacing
tl;dr
It took me an extraordinary long time to finish this book, part due to it being an audiobook (which I found out I have a hard time following), and part due to how much I didn't really care. This was definitely not one of those books that I couldn't wait to pick up again. And so I didn't. I spend months not thinking about the book, only really “reading” it when it was more convenient to listen to an audiobook than read. Like in the bath or in bed.
When they casted Holland's body into Black London with the dangerous black stone, they all thought him dead. But death doesn't mean much to Osaron, he is a god and a king. And a king needs a kingdom. And here it was, someone that could take him out of this god-forsaken place and to a new world. A living world. And so he made a deal. A body for a dying world brought back to life. And so White London flourished, with Holland as its king. But White London wasn't good enough for Osaron, he needed more power, more magic. And when Kell came along, he knew where to find it.
Characters
This story has a lot of viewpoint; Kell, Lila, Rhy & Alucard being the most common. But also Holland, Osaron, Ned & a few one-time-only characters you will never hear from again. It's a lot, too much for me at least. It feels like Schwab found it very important that everything was told through someone's eyes instead of second-hand information to the main characters. Some of the information is never known by the main characters. And because of all of these viewpoints, many characters felt flat. The main characters and Holland didn't have this problem as much luckily, since they were long established over the other two books (except for Alucard who makes his entrance in the previous book, but still feels well-rounded), but Osaron was just such a bad villain. I understand he is just a piece of magic only knowing boundless hunger, but he could have had some sort of a personality. He could at least have had some plan.
Story & Outline
Pacing
Oh boy, does this book start slow. I takes the book a long time to set up the event. I'm used to the last book of a series being a bit faster paced due to the set up that is being done in the previous books, but then again this series has been a bit loose with its overarching storyline. The middle part feels very disconnected and has a completely different vibe.
tl;dr
This book's story was a bit weird and sometimes hard to follow. The pacing was all over the place and the extensive amount of viewpoints made it hard to get into it. But at least half the book was not filler, like the previous one, but still had a lot of fluff I didn't care for. A lot of the things that driven the plot were complete luck and made it hard to anticipate the ending, which left me quite unsatisfied.
The Bear and the Nightingale is a novel filled with Russian folklore and fairytales. In this novel we follow Vasya as she grows up seeing spirits of both the household and nature. One day, a priest comes to town and to make the people love him, he instills fear into their lives. He tells them that their household spirits are devils, not worthy of offerings. They grow weaker and the villages are overcome with misfortune. What they don't know, however, is that a bear is waking in the woods. One who will bring fear and misfortune on to the people. And only Vasya and the spirits she befriended will be able to save them.
I loved the fairytale aspect of this book, and if you love fairytales, you will probably enjoy this book too. The pacing is a bit on the slower side, however. The middle part is mostly focused on the priest and how he is spending his time in the village. I think this really took the pacing out of it. I understand it is important to get to know him to be able to understand the later chapters, but I think he got too much attention for how little he was featured in the end. I probably could have skipped a few middle chapters and still be able to feel like I read this book in a coherent way.
But the end was amazing. We finally stop focusing on the priest and it is just Vasya and the spirits against this threat. Her relationship with Frost is really well written and highly enjoyable. It's just such a shame that it was at the end of the book. I would have loved if the whole novel was just relationship building between them. Alas, perhaps he will feature in the other two books.
A Gathering of Shadows is the second book in the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab. The plot follows Kell, a powerful magician from Red London, as he competes in a magical tournament between the four different Londons. As Kell competes, he discovers a darker plot unfolding in the shadows, threatening the safety of all the Londons. Alongside Kell, the reader follows other beloved characters, such as Lila Bard, as they navigate the tournament and uncover the truth behind the danger lurking in the shadows.
The book contains depictions of violence, including physical and emotional abuse, as well as scenes of blood and gore. It also includes instances of alcohol and drug use, and some sexual content. Additionally, the book deals with themes of loss, grief, and trauma, which may be triggering for some readers.
This is the second book in the Shades of Magic trilogy and the first book I “read” as an audiobook. I did not mind the narrators much, nor did I love them either. Kate Reading reads Lila's and other female characters's passages, while Michael Kramer reads Kell's and other male passages. It's definitely not as fun as a full cast of narrators, but two are still better than one. What really bothered me was when Kell spoke in Lila's paragraphs or Lila in Kell's the narrator of that passage used their “male” or “female” voice which was very off-putting. In the beginning, you get used to hearing Lila's and Kell's voices in their respective narrator's voices. But when Reading speaks Kell's dialogue in her voice and Kramer Lila's dialogue in his, it is so very off-putting that I almost quit listening to the book. That, as well as that there is nothing happening to further the plot. The book is mostly a side-plot of which the goal I do not understand. It was an entertaining side plot, but it wasn't setting anything up. You could read the first and last few chapters of this book and you would go into the third book knowing everything you needed to know. Still an enjoyable read, however.
“On Writing” by Stephen King is part memoir and part guide for aspiring writers. King shares his personal experiences and struggles as a writer, providing valuable insights and advice for those looking to improve their craft. The book covers topics such as the importance of reading, the writing process, and the business of publishing. It has received critical acclaim and is often recommended as a must-read for anyone interested in writing or the publishing industry.
My expectations before reading this book were mostly that Stephen King was going to tell me in harsh words, as he is known to do, why I shouldn't be a writer and if I decided to ignore him what a good writer makes. Well, he certainly did. First of all, he said: “Plot is, I think, the good writer's last resort and the dullard's first choice.” Well, I guess I am a dullard then, or at least was. I am interested to try King's method of telling a story: I want to pair a group of characters (perhaps a pair; perhaps even just one) in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free.” And nuggets of gold like “And why worry about the ending anyway? Why be such a control freak? Sooner or later every story comes out somewhere.” As a dullard, this sounds insane to me, but I am very curious to try this out. I think it is important to remember that every writer is different and that when it comes to how you plot, there are no wrong ways, just wrong stories. But it was interesting to read what King's take was on this and how he plans, or in this case, did not plan his stories.
But before all of that plot talk, he talks about what makes a writer. For this section, I will just share my favourite quotes.
“You must not come lightly to the blank page.”
“But it's writing, damnit, not washing the car or putting on eyeliner. If you can take it seriously, we can do business. If you can't or won't, it's time for you to close the book and do something else. Wash the car, maybe.”
After this motivational speech, ahem, King talks about the writer's toolbox. It exists out of four levels and the common tools go on top. “The commonest of all, the bread of writing, is vocabulary.” Then second, also on top, comes grammar. Beneath those two top layers, go the elements of style. Like paragraphs and the basic elements of style. This part was very interesting and probably the most useful, to me, in this book. It gave me a clear path to focus on and what to improve.
Then he quotes his famous quote: “Read a lot, write a lot.” And that to become a good writer, you should not have a single excuse to not read, a lot. So throw away your television (or at least turn it off once in a while) and pick up a book. Those who have no time to read, have no time to write, and those who have no time to write will never become a writer. Luckily, or perhaps naturally, I enjoy reading and reading a lot. Even with a newborn baby, I have been able to carve out some time every day to read and write. Yes, I do get disturbed constantly, but I do read and write daily. And if I can make time to do those things, with a baby, I am sure you can too.
So, after you are being told, for the second time, why you shouldn't become a writer, King goes on about the anatomy of a story; narration, description and dialogue. Here we come back to King's rant about plot and how stories are relics that need to be discovered and that plot is basically a jackhammer. My favourite quotes from this section are:
”Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the readers.”
”So spare me, if you please, the hero's sharply intelligent blue eyes and outthrust determined chin”
”It's not about the setting, anyway - it's about the story, and it's always about the story.”
”Only story is about story.”
This section, just like the toolbox section, is packed with great advice that I can't wait to apply to my craft.
Before reading “On Writing” by Stephen King, I expected him to dissuade me from pursuing writing, as he is known for his blunt and critical style. However, I found his book to be motivating and informative. King discusses the qualities that make a good writer, including taking writing seriously and approaching it with dedication. He also emphasizes the importance of vocabulary, grammar, and style, which form the writer's toolbox. Additionally, he stresses the importance of reading and reading a lot to improve writing skills.
King further explains the anatomy of a story, which includes narration, description, and dialogue. He believes that stories should focus on the characters and their predicaments rather than the plot. I found King's advice to be useful and inspiring for my writing. The toolbox section, in particular, provided a clear path for me to focus on and improve my writing skills. The section on the anatomy of a story was also insightful and helped me understand the importance of character development in storytelling. I would recommend this book to any aspiring author.
“De keizerlijke vlag wappert weer boven Askir. Desina, klein-dochter van Askannon, heeft eindelijk de troon bestegen. Maar deze blijde gebeurtenis wordt overschaduwd door een verschrikkelijke moord. Havald, de man die niet kon sterven, is om het leven gebracht, zijn zwaard Zielentrekker gestolen. Pas als het is terugveroverd, kan de held van Askir weer uit zijn eeuwige slaap ontwaken. Havalds metgezel Leandra en haar vrienden trekken eropuit om Havalds moordenaar naar Illian te volgen. Maar de Goden hebben zo hun eigen plannen, en het lijkt erop alsof er een grootschalige oorlog op komst is...”Het boek volgt de bekende hoofdkarakters Leandra, Wezel en een nieuw karakter zwaardmajoor Blix. Leandra en zwaardmajoor Blix worden door de keizerin met de vijfde lans van het legendarische Tweede Legioen naar de Zuidlanden gestuurd om de wereldstroom in Lassahndaar om te leiden zodat zij een poort kunnen openen in de kroonstad Illian. Broeder Gerlon, een vriend van Blix uit zijn kindertijd, wordt meegestuurd door hogepriester Jon van het Soltargeloof, omdat broeder Gerlon in een visioen heeft gezien dat hij Zielentrekker terug naar Havald zou brengen, waarop hij zou ontwaken. In Letasan ontmoeten zij Leandra's oude bondgenoten Janos en Sieglinde en de derde koninklijke jachtlans van Illian, waar zij zich hebben bij aangesloten. in de tussentijd in Askir komt Wezel weer in contact met zijn oude stiefzusje Marla, een priesteress van de Naamloze, die door haar heer ook naar de Zuidlanden worden gestuurd om het lot van de koningin, die door de drie eenheden gepland is, te veranderen. Dit is de tweede keer dat ik dit boek lees, omdat een nieuw deel “[b:De vesting van de Titanen 56803359 De vesting van de Titanen (De Godenoorlogen, #4) Richard Schwartz https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611503746l/56803359.SY75.jpg 24582388]” nu eindelijk is vertaald en het een tijdje geleden is dat ik deze serie heb gelezen. Mijn verwachtingen waarom daarom ook realistisch te noemen, ondanks dat ik eerlijk gezegd niks meer herinnerde van het boek, behalve het doel van de omleiding van de wereldstroom. Een groot deel ligt waarschijnlijk aan het feit dat het 8 jaar geleden is dat ik het voor het laatst heb gelezen, maar de meeste bijfiguren waren ook wel echt vergeetachtingswaardig. Zo komen ook niet meer terug in de volgende boeken. Wel een beetje jammer, maar maakte het boek niet minder leuk om te lezen. Dit boek kon ik moeilijk neerleggen. Het tempo was erg fijn en ik was geen één keer verveeld. De (nieuwe) karakters, op de vergeetachtingswaarde derde koninklijke jachtlans na, voelen goed doordacht. Ze hebben diepe persoonlijkheden en gedragen zich daar ook altijd naar. Je leert ze echt kennen. Ik leefde ook erg met hun mee en zat altijd vol spanning te lezen. Zelfs het militaire gevecht was interessant om te lezen, ondanks dat ik mij daar normaal erg in verveel. De vertaling is weer geweldig gedaan door [a:Olga Groenewoud 4038452 Olga Groenewoud https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Ik kan niet veel zeggen over de schrijfstijl van [a:Richard Schwartz 227198 Richard Schwartz https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], want ik heb nog nooit één van zijn boeken in het Duits gelezen, maar het was erg prettig om te lezen. De proza (ja dat is echt het Nederlandse woord voor prose) leest gemakkelijk. Schwartz wilt nog wel eens dingen herhalen uit de vorige boeken, wat ik dan weer niet erg nodig vind, maar het valt mij ook weer niet lastig. Zijn beschrijvingen zijn erg rijk en helpen je om ook echt Askir en de Zuidlanden voor je te kunnen zien, maar hij maakt er naar mijn mening wel een beetje teveel gebruik van. Sommige dingen had ik liever “meegemaakt” dan er over gelezen. (vertelling versus dialoog)Ik beveel het boek dan ook echt aan aan iedereen die “Het Geheim van Askir” heeft gelezen. De kwaliteit van schrijven zit er nog echt in en ook de vertaling is erg goed gedaan. Let er wel op dat het niet helemaal zeker is of Luitingh Fantasy de serie ook helemaal zal vertalen, tot nu toe is het maar vertaald tot [b:De vesting van de Titanen 56803359 De vesting van de Titanen (De Godenoorlogen, #4) Richard Schwartz https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611503746l/56803359.SY75.jpg 24582388] en ook dat is pas sinds kort, maar er is hoop!
“Scars. A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had healed.”
It's from the perspective of Aristotle, an angsty Mexican teen living in El Paso, USA. I have never read from this perspective before and it was eye-opening. It taught me a lot about identity, love, loneliness and life.
Even though this book starts very slow, it's very beautifully written and had a few tear jerkers at the end for me.
“Empathy. Carlin always said it was the great value of fiction, to put us inside the minds of strangers.”
This book was a ride. This whole series surprised me so much, it was so much more than I ever could expect.
For now, this is the last book, but Erika Johansen has said that we will hear more from Kelsea. I've read a lot of comments about people dislike the end and even though I can see where they come from, I did not dislike it. There are still questions left unanswered.
Overall, I find the series baffling and possibly one of my favourites. It feels very original, all of the characters feel so real and always act like their personalities. The cast of the book is pretty big, with many viewpoints. The world is vast and interesting, the history of the world is the most creative thing I have ever read. Her writing style is slightly complicated. As a non-native English speaker, I had to look up several words throughout the book. Except for that, however, it was written beautifully.
Personally, I didn't find all the characters that interesting. Reading from the point of view of Javel and Hall wasn't that important to me. They mostly were meant for foreshadowing events that would happen not that long after.
The Red Queen and Aisha were by far the best characters in my opinion. The Red Queen is strong, but that strength ended up being her weakness. She was written very cleverly and felt different from the standard evil queens. She taught me some important life lessons. Aisha is this anger-filled twelve-year-old that goes on unbelievable adventures and learns to deal with her past through them. She thought me to let go and to never let my age define my possibilities.
I can't wait for the next book that comes from this author's hands!
“Humans lack good mirrors. It's so hard for anyone to show us how we look, and so hard for us to show anyone how we feel. But on some fundamental level we find it difficult to understand that other people are human beings in the same way that we are. We idealize them as gods or dismiss them as animals. Consciousness makes for poor windows, too.”
Enjoyed it a lot! The end even made me cry a little.
The story starts all sad and slightly magical, then the big adventure starts and it ends with a smile. There is a bit of sadness weaved throughout the whole story that I personally couldn't connect with but which made Harry a more dimensional character. After all some pain can still linger after decades, just slightly touching your heart at all times.
This book was ok, the story was great but the storytelling wasn't. For a long time the story just went on and on and I didn't know where to exactly, I was bored throughout most of it. The ending was the only part that I liked. I felt like I just could have read the first chapter and the last four chapters and I wouldn't have missed anything.