Unclean and Undead by Richard Lee Byars are books one and two of the Haunted Lands trilogy. Both deal with a Civil war in the wizard dominated country of Thay, set in the world of the Forgotten Realms.
Well, read these two books and now I have to wait until March 2009 for the third one, so you might want to wait to read these until the trilogy is completed.
The stories of these books are decent, but they are not going to go down in history as genre-defining or great works of our civilization. But if you like wizards, vampires, the occasional wizard-vampire and combat give these books a try.
The writing is, again, decent. Byers creates characters that escape being two-dimensional, but not by much. The villains ( a relative term in this book, as even the "good guys" are pretty bad) are more interesting than the heroes, with deeper motivations. The fight scenes are evocative, and avoid being repetitive. The overall arc of the books is also intriguing, with more secrets to be revealed in the final book.
In my opinion, the best part of these books is Byers willingness to kill characters, both minor and major. It lends to the gritty feel of a war that involves demons and undead on both sides.
I recommend these books for those looking for something to read on the bus, that doesn't require a lot of thought.
Well, I have recently finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, book one of The Gentleman Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch and I really enjoyed it.
The plot of the books is fairly straightforward: Lies, swindles and betrayal in a fantasy version of Venice called Camorr. The thief and priest of the 13th,the crooked warden, unnamed god of thieves and scoundrels, Locke Lamora (aka, the Thorn of Camorr) is in the middle of a caper to trick a Nobleman out of his fortune when he is drawn into the plot of the Gray King to unseat the crime lord of of Camorr. There is magic and mayhem and crooked dealings all around.
The book shines not in its plot, but in its characterization, setting, and use of language. Lynch successfully gives each of his characters a distinct voice and mannerisms that make them unique from one another. His descriptions of Camorr flesh out the city and make it feel like a real place, with a long history and all the baggage that comes with that history. These descriptions are even more effective as they do not cause the story to drag under masses of descriptive text, being inserted naturally into the flow of the plot.
If you enjoy reading about the exploits of a charming rogue and anti-hero, then try this book.
Nightwatch
Lukyanenko, Sergei.
New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion, c2006.
This bestselling Russian novel contains three separate, but interlinked stories featuring Anton Gorodetsky of the Nightwatch. Told mostly in a first person perspective, we learn of the world of the Others; people gifted, or cursed, with extraordinary powers. Anton works for the Nightwatch, which monitors those Others who have gone to the side of the Dark. Their counterparts are the Daywatch, that monitor the activities of those who are on the side of the Light. Neither side can directly interfere with the lives of mortals, and the stories involve the intrigues, and plots by both sides to do just that.
The stories are well written, with complex narratives and interesting characters. The underlying theme of the work is that of morality, and how far one should go to do good. The translator has done a good job of making the story flow well in English, but keeping the hints of the original Russian "voice" that makes this story different and exotic.
The first of the three stories serves as the basis for the film, which you can find my review of here.
Stardust
Gaiman, Neil.
New York: Spike, c1999.
In the 18th century village of Wall lives young Tristran Thorn. His village lies next to Faerie. No one is allowed to cross through the gate except every 9th year when they have a market day. Tristan fancies himself in love with Victoria, the local ingenue. In a pledge of love, he vows to retrieve a fallen star for her. The only hitch is that the star fell on the other side of the wall...Along this quest, we meet many inhabitants of Faerie and find out that Tristan is not all that he appears to be.
This is a light and fun fairy tale. All ages will love it, especially with the movie coming out this August 10th. I absolutely love Neil Gaiman's voice from listening to Coraline and other works and could literally hear his voice in my head as I read this book. It wasn't The Princess Bride but it was pretty magical.
Behind the scenes peek: I've seen the graphic novel waiting to be processed so keep checking back.
The Children of Húrin
Tolkien, J.R.R. (ed. by Christopher Tolkien)
London: HarperCollins, 2007.
illus. map.
There’s been great speculation about this book since its 2006 announcement. Based on a manuscript begun by father J.R.R. in 1918 and reworked throughout his life, son Christopher, who has edited 14 posthumous volumes of his dad’s work, spent decades shaping the story’s many drafts into this final form. Tolkien’s legions of fans—all except those expecting Lord of the Rings Part II—shouldn’t be disappointed; it’s goooood! But far from hobbits frolicking in the Shire, this is a woeful tale laced with suicide, incest, and murder. Set 6500 years before Rings, the old master delivers new depth to Middle-earth lore, which, by its sheer weight, arguably is modern literature’s greatest mythology. Many characters and settings will be familiar to those who’ve delved beyond Rings, and here we encounter Túrin and Niënor, son and daughter to Húrin, a great warrior held captive by Morgoth, the Dark Lord. Once grown, Túrin seeks vengeance against Morgoth, and though mighty in arms and the bane of orcs, Morgoth’s icy fingers touch all Túrin’s deeds, and doom and darkness surround him. The destiny of sister and brother are intertwined, and their ultimate fate is a family tragedy worthy of Shakespeare. Production wise, the book is a beauty, with nine color paintings and 25 pencil sketches by Tolkien artist Alan Lee, plus a glossary of names, family trees, and the obligatory appendix and map. The Children of Húrin is a dark and brooding yet glorious addition to the Tolkien canon. Welcome back, old friend (and bravo Christopher for bringing it to fruition!). Highly recommended.
Review from Library Journal -- Mike Rogers, LJ/LJX