Kireth

Another satisfying entry in the CHERUB series that brings supporting character Dana to the forefront and introduces Rat, who really interested me. Although it is advertised as a cult story, the beginning has a significant (and admittedly cool) reconnaisance side-mission for information, and the following cult section is sandwiched by an explosive finale that again lifted the sloggish sections. I appreciate how Muchamore seems to be writing the books in an unpredictable fashion, with each story's structure being different than previous ones in order to keep a sense of surprise. Also, he tracks side and background characters well, providing great moments of payoff for series readers.

Attempts to place Superman in the modern age one piece of his supporting life at a time, first with the acquisition of the Daily Planet and then with the hook-up culture version of Lois Lane. Yes, Superman isn't that happy but in context it makes sense he isn't a smiling boy wonder anymore, and it is obviously where this story is trying to head towards. I thought having villains who are a) alien, b) know about Krypton and c) require a sense of intelligence to beat before just brute strength was really interesting and well executed, even if they seemed a bit rushed.

Overall, the story just didn't grab me in its setup and payoffs, but was a good self-contained first arc with good art.

Following the Avengers vs. X-men event, Uncanny X-men shows Xavier-murderer Cyclops going around the world with his team of outcast X-men to recruit the waves of new, young mutants. Some aspects of this story worked, including the fighting of the law, the new characters having realistic characterisations and the art style overall. The second half which became a self-contained story not on the outside world, and the double/triple(?) crossing of some characters just made things a bit confused, and reduced this first volume's overall flow. I would've thought a series like this would be a good chance to really dig into these character's thoughts and views, especially when they're not villains but not exactly heroes anymore either, but only hints of this were seen. Basically a decent read if you are following the overall Marvel story.

Shadow of the Hegemon was undoubtedly entertaining, but I felt there was something missing from the book when it stands alone. Key events for the overall story occur, such as Petra's kidnapping, Achilles' accension to power and the first interactions between Peter Wiggin and Bean. But everything seems to move so slowly, and is long foreshadowed/signalled/repeated thus reducing its impact.

Alternatively, the new setting of futuristic Earth after multiple Ender books and this novel's predecessor set in space is refreshing, and credit to Card for the international conflicts which occur in a logical and well-researched manner. Hopefully the sequel propels the story forward.

The Killing felt like a story of three parts, which hurt the overall pacing for me. The first third of the book shows the reader what typical small missions and CHERUB training exercises are like. This was exciting, but largely inconsequential, which I had no problem with after the previous three books attached higher and higher stakes to them.

The thin middle section is what bogged down the book for me, as James actually undergoes some emotional character development. My issue was that when the final third of the book emerged, the mission grew into something bigger and somehow James's character development was lost in the exciting police plot. Whilst the story itself was engaging and different to the other CHERUB books so far, I never really felt like James solved his anger issues by the end of the book.

Past that criticism, the interesting character interactions and unfolding plot (individually in both the first and third parts) made this an enjoyable read.

A novel way to write high fantasy, The Name of the Wind excels first and foremost at developing the beginnings of it's protagonist, Kvothe.

The biggest thing I noticed in the early stages of this book was how quickly Rothfuss was able to change the tone of the novel. Kvothe's first-person narration goes from describing a seemingly normal or uplifting scene before quickly adjusting into a dark or different situation. This made for enjoyable shocks in the story and a much more realistic upbringing for Kvothe.

What also impressed me was Rothfuss's choices to subvert typical genre conventions, and spend time developing a range of story areas. The winding, uncertain nature of the story made for a much more realistic and enjoyable read than one that would typically follow the fantasy formula. The writing style of having both a storyteller in the present, and his coming-of-age story in the past makes a new sort of plot that pushes the realism of the world even further, and stands apart from other books in the genre. The novel doesn't seem to have any clear thematic message, but Rothfuss drops quotable lines that are applicable in anyone's life, and describes Kvothe's interactions with others so well that you can see your own relationships with others reflected in the writing.

I can understand some readers not appreciating Kvothe's character, as a guy who basically has done-it-all and speaks down on those who aren't on his level, but I found his arrogance in particular a believable trait that balanced out any “too-perfect” complaints. He is, at the end of the day, a flawed protagonist.

Unfortunately, my largest gripe with the book is how much of both the world development, and the character's life, are left unexplored. I will definitely be reading the sequel, but this book felt largely like a set-up (a very long 800 page one at that!) for the rest of the series. Also, I've seen the numerous complaints with the long (now 8+ years) wait for the third and final book in the trilogy...

Contrarily, the best parts of the book for me were undoubtedly the preludes and hints at the past, and I loved how different people throughout the book have different versions of stories to tell, really harkening back to an age where travellers shared tales and a common, written history was not widely known. All in all, a welcome breath of fresh air that leaves you wanting more in the fantasy genre.

Some of my favourite quotes:
- “If you can find someone...who you can hold and close your eyes to the world with, then you're lucky. Even if it only lasts for a minute or a day.”
- “It is like the ocean. I can tell you of the waves and water, but you don't begin to get an inkling of its size until you stand on the shore.”
- “May all your stories be glad ones, and your roads be smooth and short.”
- “There's no good story that doesn't touch the truth.”
- “As with all truly wild things, care is necessary in approaching them.”
- ““Bitter.” “That's how you know it's real medicine... If it tasted good it would be candy.”“
- “I found what I wanted most, yet it was not what I expected... As is often the case when you gain your heart's desire.”