Fantasy Catalogue - Reviews

[sir archely]

Alright, this is the new place for fantasy book reviews. Any and all fantasy book reviews that are placed elsewhere will be moved here. This is just for the sake of organization.


Multiple reviews for the same book are okay, and even encouraged.
It's okay to simply respond to someone else's review if you have comments.
Reviews of series are fine, but individual book reviews are better.
If you'd like to see a list, check out the fantasy catalogue index thread, reviews will be linked to from there.
Use the spoiler tags if/when necessary, don't make the choice for us.
Include the title and author in the subject of your post.
When determining what to write about the book, more is better than less. A book review is not "i liked it. the end." (but that's still better than no review at all ;) )
Bad reviews are just as valuable as good ones.
Please try to limit it to one review per post. That would be very helpful.


Thanks.

Reviews are being put up in the appropriate places in the Fantasy Review.

Any posts that are not reviews or counter-review comments will be deleted. Keep in mind this is not meant to be a discussion thread. If you find yourself going back and forth with someone about a particular book, instead of simply providing an alternate perspective, consider starting a new thread.

[Anita Blake]

Synopsis For Ender's Game. by Orson Scott Card Aliens have attacked earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them to the arts of war ... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of "games" ... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games ... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?


A few months ago, my boyfriend suggested that i read this book. The story he attached to his insistence was of his own experience, reading it as a child, and having it completely blow his 12 year old mind away, altering forever the way he looked at the world.

Now, I came to the novel as a 24 year old woman, not a 12 year old boy, so my experience reading this book wasn't quite so life-altering as this, but I can tell you that this is one of the greatest sci-fi books i have ever read. (I haven't read a lot of sci-fi.... but this book inspired me to seek more out).

In a futuristic earth, not so terribly futuristic as be beyond belief, parents may have only one child legally due to overpopulation, but Our Hero, five year old Ender Wiggen, is not a second child, but a Third. And the government has eyes on him, literally, to see if he has what it takes to join the elite Battle School. Well, he wouldn't be much of a hero if he didn't have what it takes, so naturally he's off to Battle School, a space-station child-military training-camp. Oooh. Cool. It's there that he'll find out who he is, what he must do, and why he's in space fighting with other little kids. Oh, and playing an awful lot of video games.

The haunting, moving thing about this book is the depth of the characters... and their small age. Card does not write children as small, imbecilic creatures incapable of human emotion. No, he remembers that as a child, we all feel and think and emote. And he writes it. Card's Ender, and Bonzo, and Alai, and Bean, and Petra... they're all living, breathing characters. You come to know them and sympathize with them, feel what they feel, and understand what they understand. They are smart, and yet childish.

Ender is a dream character, almost too perfect to be believed, but occasionally pulls out a few surprises. His story is compelling, it draws you on as you watch his suffering and his triumphs, to discover the final resolution.... and of course if you don't know what it is, far be it for me to spoil your fun ;)

Ultimately this is a book that want you to read it. It's got fabulous writing, a deep and compelling story, and fabulous characters to sink into. If you haven't read this because you're a sci-fi fan, reconsider... this is not just good sci-fi, it's good story-telling.

10 out of 10 (and i don't give that lightly)

[sir archely]

One for the Morning Glory by John Barnes

Publisher: TOR, 1996
Pages: 319
Genre: Fantasy
Price on cover: $22.95 (US) (hardcover) (but i got it for $4 at a Barnes and Noble used book rack, and at amazon.com it's 5.99)



From the Jacket
It is said (by whom, we are not certain) that a child who tastes the Wine of the Gods too early is only half a person afterwards. Young Prince Amatus learned all too well the bitter truth of that ancient saying when he secretly sipped the forbidden elixer, leaving him literally half the lad he'd once been -- not just a figure of speech; indeed, his left side vanished without a trace.

His father, the fierce but fair King Boniface, was (only a figure of speech in this instance) beside himself, and the royal retainers responsible for the mishap were punished severely, leaving the young prince entirely without protectors. But a year and a day later, four mysterious strangers appeared to take their places. And since a year and a day is an auspicious time in tales of this sort, it was clear to the King that Great Matter Were Afoot.

...

A sharp, provocative, insightful, and wildly imaginative entertainment, One for the Morning Glory takes its place beside such enduring works of literary fantasy as William Goldman's The Princess Bride, James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks, and T. H. White's The Once and Future King.

I praise this book to anybody, regardless of their like of fantasy or not. It's a delightfully simple book, and it takes very little time to read. It's great to relax with. It's very predictable in certain ways, but that doesn't prevent you from getting into the story. This would be a very good book to read to a child. The story can be enjoyed on more than one level, and would be entertaining for both the adult and the child. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book.


"This is not the way these tales end," Calliope said firmly.
"This is not the way that things end when they get to be tales," Amatus said, "but since ours is not yet told, we cannot count on it. There were a hundred dead princes on the thorns outside Sleeping Beauty's castle, and I'm sure many of them were splendid fellows."

The book is fun, often humorous, but strangely, you find yourself growing attached to it. Light on the surface, but you are always thinking about what lies beneath. Great book. I'd recommend it to anyone out there.

Other books by John Barnes:
Kaleidoscope Century
A Million Open Doors
Mother of Storms
Orbital Resonance

[Cloric the Cleric]

While I must admit I feel a bit silly for this, I decided, what the heck.

Publish Date - 1997, 309 pgs (Hardcover)

Quote:


Front Flap
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable live with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley - a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry - and anyone who reads about him - will find unforgettable.

For it's there that he finds not only friends and aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.


Hmm. Well, I have to say...thoroughly enjoyable. A fun read, if a bit quick (I read it in just over 3 hours). For a book that was written with adolescents and the younger set in mind, Rowling put just enough in there to catch an adult's attention as well. I am actually glad I saw the movie first, if only because I would have been disappointed if I had pictured Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest, and then they'd turned out differently cast.

There are also additional scenes that weren't in the movie, but they don't change the story at all. Neville has a slightly larger part to play, but many of the lines are word for word what was used for the big screen.

By the end of the book, tho, I understood Harry better than I did by the end of the movie, and hope the trend continues throughout the rest of the books in the series.

All in all, like I said, an enjoyable fun read, good for a summer afternoon.

7.5 out of 10 stars

[epiph]

The Darkangel Trilogy by Merideth Ann Pierce

i stumbled across this book in 8th grade when a friend of mine was like "here, i don't read fantasy, you do. someone gave this to me, you can have it." to this day, it has remained one of my favorite books. my book contains all three books: The Darkangel,A Gathering of Gargoyles, and The Pearl of the Soul of the World.

the premise is that human colonized the moon and made it their pleasure garden. they filled it with peoples and animals and plants created for it. they had liasons with these people. they caused wars among these people because it no longer existed among them. but then war came again and called all the humans but a very few back to Earth, where they were destroyed. the few humans left couldn't maintain the moon in it's former glory and sought a stasis point where the creatures who inhabited the moon could continue. so finally they got it to that point and a lorelei, or water witch, appeared and started stealing water. she created vampyres to control the world for her and called them her sons.

the story focuses on a slave girl named aerial and her journey to defeat the lorelei. it sounds like it would combine technology and magic, but it doesn't. you hear about the technology, you assume that the "sorcery" has some sort of scientific background, it's never explained scientifically. thank god. it's all sorcerous and magical and fabulous. the world she creates is so perfectly fantastical. she doesn't try to make it a realistic fantasy world, and the whole thing has the feel of a fairy tale. it's supremely good read, and reread. and the comglomerate of the three books is still a pretty quick read.

[epiph]

the movie is really just a visual aid for the book, i felt. it's the exact same story with things cut out. although i was a bit peeved that they left out the potions bit where hermione saves the day at the end when they're going to get the stone...

[Christy Sedai]

Mike and I were upset about that as well, that was the best part . ~pouts~

[sir archely]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is a 'trilogy' series by Tad Williams consisting of:
The Dragonbone Chair
Stone of Farewell
To Green Angel Tower: Part I
To Green Angel Tower: Part II

I'm just going to review the entire series, and not each book individually.

Publisher: DAW books
Pages: 783 + ? + ? + 815 (they're all around the same general length)
Genre: Fantasy
Price on cover: $7.99 (US) (paperback at amazon, all of them are that price)

Well, like i said, i'm just reviewing this as a series, not each book. I'm not going to post up the short summaries from the backs either. I'll just give my own short synopsis of the entire series.

The story centers around Simon, a castle scullion ('kitchen-boy') who we follow through adolescence into early adulthood. Early on in the story he is "apprenticed" to a Doctor Morgenes. Unbenknownst to Simon, Morgenes is a member of a group called the "League of the Scroll." It's a loose organization of learned men and women who strive to preserve the wisdom and lore they know, and search for more. Through talks with Morgenes, we learn much of the history of the kingdom of a Prester John. John, king at the outset of the story but in old age, dies, leaving his son Elias to rule. Conflict starts between Elias and his brother Josua, whom Elias thinks wants the throne.

Elias' monk/wizard advisor type guy, Pryrates, is evil. You know that pretty much from the outset. Josua becomes the prisoner or Elias/Pryrates, but is freed by Simon. Without giving away too much more, i'll just say that much of the book is the quest to gain the three "Great Swords," named Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, to combat an ancient evil that has some unknown plan for the world. Elias, and more specifically, Pryrates have made a bargin with this ancient evil, and our heroes are set in opposition to them.

Now, what did i think of it? Well, i thought Williams had a decent story to tell...but i don't think he did a very good job of telling it. One of the things i had a problem with was the way he gets through events in the story. His solutions to characters' problems are either far too obvious in their set up, or he seems to forget about certain aspects of his story for a while, and then randomly say, hey, look, this person can be doing this now, because i forgot about them.

In a more general sense, i really had a problem with the flow of this book. It was much too jerky and disjointed for my taste. I really don't think the story flows well. Williams doesn't know when to move on, and when to linger. I didn't like who he chose to have POV's from either. When the story gets more complex with more characters, we have a variety of different POVs going on. Except, it seems that Williams always manages to choose someone you really aren't interested in hearing from at that time. If you're thinking, what's going on with (X) now, he'll give you (Y's) story. If you want (Y) plot, he gives you (X). I don't know how to explain it any better than that, but it was slightly frustrating to me.

Related to the flow is Williams seeming manipulation of time and space. We aren't really able to even see real distances between places until far into the third installment when we start getting more detailed maps, but that's not even a major problem. (We don't see even semi-detailed maps of the landscape until late in the series. Williams continuously loses the reader by referring to places we have no idea of the location of. I personally think it's so he can mess with the time/space aspect of it without stepping on himself too much.) When Williams wants someone to be somewhere, they are there. I never actually took the time to sit down and figure it out, but it seemed like he cut off a lot of travel time at places, without even really mentioning it indirectly or anything. While i can understand eliminating uneventful stretches of time, you have to at least acknowledge that that time existed somehow, to keep your reader in the chronology of the story. Williams seems to be saying, "trust me, it works out, you don't need to know." But in my opinion, this detracts from the feel of the story.

The last portion of the story also comes upon you quite suddenly. Williams spends a lot of time building and building to it...and then it's over. It really seems rushed at the end, and i'm still not feeling like i've finished the story, just because he tries to wrap EVERYTHING up in the last say, 75-100 pages of the last book. You get the feeling he didn't quite know where he was going for most of the story...and then he suddenly figured it out and ended the story because that's where he was already. The ending to this middle-sized series is inadequate for the time investment you've already put into it.

In addition, i didn't think Williams did a very good with descriptions in general, and his "fight" sequences were awful, imo. He does describe places well, in the architecture and design at least, but characters weren't described well, and it was difficult to even see what actions he wanted them to do, or how their bodies were moving. Some of the fights i had to read more than once just to get the general idea of what was going on, and who was striking where. It's too vague for me, and too jerky. Characters seemed shallow, and he really only even tries to do character devlopment with Simon, the main character. Everyone else is fairly two-dimensional, save perhaps a few specific instances. Characters do die, but you don't really feel anything for them, despite Williams' attempts to show you grief with the characters.

I do think that Williams does have a fairly decent story, and he's quite good at coming up with new ideas for little beasties (see, diggers, or kilpa). Even so, i do feel as though much of Williams story is a rip-off of other sources. The main religion in the land is way too close to Christianity for Williams to have been even thinking that people would think anything else. If he's trying to make some comment on it, i missed it, but it's rather dissappointing, i'd say. Too much of his world is based directly off of the real world, without even a mixture. The language, physical appearance, history, society of the "Rimmersgard" people are blatantly Scandinavian. This isn't inventive to me. Again, maybe he intended it to be like that, either way, I didn't like it. If it's not based on our world directly, it seems lifted from Tolkien more or less. Disembodied arch-enemy, manipulation of another to give a lesser enemy, industry with the evil side, nature on the good side, Rohirrim are basically in this book, land sliding into the sea, "old" forest, palantir (in essence), i could go on. While you might say some of this is "standard," there's just too much of it for me to be comfortable.

In summary, this series was a decent story, but not great. Despite all i said, i did enjoy it, although i'd never do a reread. What you get out of this book isn't near to the time you put in it, no matter how fast you read. I felt as though Williams could have done a much better job explaning his story. I'd recommend it only to people who are serious about reading any and all fantasy they find. I wouldn't recommend it to the sometime fantasy reader, as they can definitely find much better fantasy series out there.

Also by Tad Williams:
Otherland Series
Book 1; City of Golden Shadow
Book 2; River of Blue Fire
Book 3; Mountain of Black Grass
Book 4; Sea of Silver Light

[Cloric the Cleric]

the movie is really just a visual aid for the book, i felt. it's the exact same story with things cut out. although i was a bit peeved that they left out the potions bit where hermione saves the day at the end when they're going to get the stone...



I actually kind of get that, really. It's one of those things. Hermione saved them from the plant, Ron did the Chess, and Harry did the key...Showing Hermione saving them twice, and Harry doing both the key AND the stone...it could have greatly overshadowed Ron, and, to a lesser extent, Harry.

[Fyrebloom]

This Book is a prequile to the Chonicals Trilogy of DragonLance, a Dungeons and Dragons Book.

The most imfamous of the Heros of the Lance, Raislin Majere has always been a mystery. We learn much of him in the both the Chonicals Trilogy and the Legends Trilogy, but we never learn about his life growing up or what happened during the Test. This story chronicals his early life from age 6 til just after his test in the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth (approx. 4 years before the companions reunite in the beginning of Dragons or Autumn Twilight).

This book is an EXCELLENT read. I have always loved Raistlin and this book really gives perspective to his behavior and personality. It was a quick read as all of Weis's books are and quite fun. Not only do you see Raistlin as a young unbroken man, but you also learn of the other companions as they grow up in tree town of Solace. I Highly Recomend this book!

*****

[Amos]

ooh, i remember reading that book a couple of years ago. i loved reading about raistlins' past, but it really was too short. but it was still pretty good. i think there may be a sequel to it as well if i remember correctly (but i probably don't) :)

[Apoc]

The Iliad by Homer - Penguin Classics translation by E.V. Rieu


"Look at me. I am the son of a great man. A goddess was my mother. Yet death and inexorable destiny are waiting for me."- Achilles

Homers Iliad tells the story of the darkest episode of the Trojan War. At its centre is Achilles, the greatest warrior of the greeks, and his refusal to fight after being humiliated by his leader Agamemnon.

The book begins with the greek army besieging the Trojan town, Ilium. The war is already in its tenth year. The war is being fought over Helen the wife of Agamemnons brother Meneleus who fell in love with Paris of Ilium.

The huge scope of this books battles are breathtaking as are the speeches given by are hero's and supposed villains, I say "supposed" as in actual fact there are no true villains, Hector of Troy is a great man as are some of his men, though Paris started all the fuss he isn't an evil person and on the greeks side Agamemnon has his faults but he recognises them and repents, they all have there reasons for fighting.

The gods play a huge part in this story, some interactions and arguments had me laughing out loud. They have there sides (Greek-Athene, Hera, Poseidan) and (Trojan-Apollo, Ares and Aphrodite) and poor Zeus is stuck in the middle of the many bickering gods especially his wife Hera.

People who think they know the Iliad, but haven't read it will get a surprise as I did, No Trojan horse for one- I thought that was one of the stories most famous points but it isn't there.

I think a good summary will be that the story is about Achilles' rage and Hectors bravery. Good men fighting on opposite sides.

An absolutely brilliant read. :D

[dark fuschia]

Well this is book four in the notorious "Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter" series and I devoured it as hungrily as a werewolf in a feeding frenzy. Yes, I admit I had a laugh at this series when I first heard of it "I don't date vampires, I kill them." it's main character cheesily proclaims in the blurb... well look who's laughing now; Laurel K. Hamilton, all the way to the bank. Her writing is childish, inconsistant, violent, gratuitous and sexy as hell, and we love it! The world she's created is an enticing and exciting escape from everyday life, a world where vampires have been partially integrated into everyday society and everyone knows of their existance. And not only are there vampires, there's a menagerie of shapeshifters, crooked cops, sexy strippers, immortal gods, deadly assasins and best of all, the gun toting, dead raising, bad ass Anita. What can I say about this character? She's not that complicated, she's just a chick with a complex about being short who likes to stay tough and do her job. It just so happens that her job is to raise the dead and assist in preternatural crime investigation. "The Lunatic Cafe" finds Anita drawn even further into the world of shapeshifters as it turns out her new boyfriend just happens to be a werewolf. There's the inevitable murder mystery and soon she finds herself tangled in a world of pack hierarchy, bloodlust, witch curses and most terrifying at all, the modern dating scene. My advice: read these books one at a time, don't sit down and read all 11 in a week, cos then you risk overload, and this series is just far too much fun for that.

[Anita Blake]

Well, I finally got book 10 of the Wheel of Time for Christmas, and i devoured it in a giant gulp over the holidays, as is my most unfortunate fashion, as the next book in the series probably won't come out for another bajillion years.

I held off on reading this book for a long time because of dismal reviews from other fans, but perhaps because my expectations had been drastically lowered, I found that i really enjoyed it.

Now, plot-wise, not a lot happens in the book, and by the time you hit the 10th book of the series, you'd think that a good author would have most of his character development worked out, and would move into the plot. Right.

Crossroads of Twilight begins a little bit before Winter's Heart ends, which, plot-wise, means that the book it at a daed stand-still. The main problem, and greatest draw, to this series, is that there are so many characters, and so many sub-plots, that a lot of stuff gets whisked over in some novels. In the past, main characters have been entirely ommitted from a book in favor of going into greater detail with different characters. When you have nearly a dozen "main" characters, this can get very convoluted very quickly.

What I liked about CoT was that it got me caught up with what characters have been doing in their absense from other plots. It really felt more like a game of cath-up than an actual story book. Like i dropped by to visit Robert Jordan and he yakked my ear off for a few days gossiping. It gave me the feeling that something big is going to have to happen soon, that this is the calm before the storm. I certainly hope so. Because if not, this series is going to go down in history as the longest fantasy soap-opera in history.

For the most part i found myself absorbed and entertained by what i was reading, with one major exception, which is an entire section devoted to some whiny claimant to the throne of Andor, a character who has thus far been mentioned, but has never been an integral part of the story by any means, and will most likely never be given another chapter of POV. It was senseles, pointless, and boring to make me read the thoughts of this woman. Now, perhaps if she had done something interesting, like stamp in and declare Andor as hers, but no, she just sits there dithering and whining and thinking and scheming. Yes, RJ, we know. Nobility schemes for power. Nobody is what they seem. You got that across beautifully in the first 9 books.... GIVE IT A BLOODY REST ALREADY!

One other thing i noticed is that Robert Jordan has gone through a lot of maids recently. It's the only reason i can think of for no less then three (3!) characters to repeat incessantly that getting along with your servant is a chore and a duty that rich people have. We read it the first time. Having 2 other characters think the exact same thought, word for word doesn't make it clearer, it makes it annoying.

At any rate, i did enjoy reading CoT, though i wished it were about twice as long and managed to propel the story forward in the slightest.

i give it a 7.5 out of 10. :)

[Apoc]

Across The Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn is truly a masterpeace of beauty, honour, love and fate.

Very much based on the ancient japenese codes of honour and ways, this truly great first book of the series kept me engrossed for two days of almost constant reading.

To be a stealth assassin in a world on the verge of war between good and evil warlords. Forbidden love, revenge and divided loyalties. This is truly a brilliantly moving tale told with great passion.

8/10

[Kindred]

This is the 5th book in his Dark Tower series. I am an avid Stephen King fan and this book was no disappointment. A lot of people don't care for this series because it's not his old horror genre. Although it took me forever to finish reading it due to schedules, it kept me enthralled. I won't give much away but I do have to say for Stephen King fans, this is a must read. The way he has started tying in 'threads' to a bunch of his old old old stuff is really cool.

All in all, A+. I give it 9/10.

[sir archely]

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

Publisher: TOR, 2003
Pages: 700 including glossary
Genre: Fantasy
Price on cover: $29.95 (US) (hardcover)


In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger...

Well, i recently reread CoT. I probably would have reread it sooner, had i not disliked it so much. As a loyal fan of the WoT series in general, i've followed the series from the very beginning to now. Most of my other books are worn and torn, and my EotW is in more than one place at once. I fear, however, that CoT never will be. After my initial read, i wanted nothing more than to buy the other half of this book. You know, the half where something happens. I think i'm going to have to wait until the next one comes out to do so, however.

I have a few problems with this book. Firstly, i must admit that it does do an admirable job of setting things up. But that seems to be all it does. A book should have the buildup... but also include some sort of climax and resolution. This would be more appropriately titled CoT, part I. With part II being the next half book in the series.

The fact that it's really only the setup portion of a book wouldn't be so bad, if not for the fact that Jordan wastes SO much wordage on useless things. As a reader, i feel as though my intelligence was insulted by the number of times he feels it necessary to go back over something to explain it. I can understand that for a book that's maybe second in the series, people might be picking it up unknowingly, maybe they've forgotten something, that's great. But this is the TENTH book in the series. Jordan needs to realize that he's writing to a group of people who have read thousands of pages of this one series already, and stop with the explanations. If someone doesn't get it by now, well then, let them be. Not to mention that i found him explaining the same thing more than once in the book. Along with this wasted space should go the useless descriptions. There is a certain point at which enhancing the setting becomes painting eyes on the fly. Jordan has crossed that point with this book.

There is an admiration i have for an author who can tell much with just a few words. Crossroads of Twilight makes me doubt Jordan's skill as an author, not only in of itself, but the lengthening part it plays in the series. This is the stagnant pool of the series, providing no motion, only a passage to the next exciting rapid. Though there are undercurrents, they are few and far between, and provide little entertainment for the faithful WoT follower. Only a read to go for if you feel you need to finish the story, and even then, i'd guess you could skip it and read the next book without too much confusion.


Other books by Robert Jordan:
The WoT Series

...that's enough, i suppose.

[Amos]

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke.

It took me just three days, between sleeping and working to finish this near-800 page epic of a story, so totally immersed in it that i hadn't the will to leave. It is easily one of the best works of fantasy I have ever read, probably the best, and I'm not the only one who says so. On the back of the book there is a single endorsement for this authors first novel, by the infamous Neil Gaiman who declares it to be "Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years." Whether or not you are a fan of Gaiman, his word carries a lot of weight in the fantasy arena, and a comment like this can't be in any way disregarded. Myself being a fan I thoguht it best if I surveyed the book with a cynical eye instead of simply accepting his word as gospel, but a short way into the book I forgot and just loved unquestioningly instead. In the end I found only one potential factor that some readers might have a problem with, but I'll get to that in a sec.

First, the story itself. The book is set in early nineteenth century England, and to some degree is historically factual. Throughout the book we witness historical events such as the battle of Waterloo, and encounter famous persons of the time like King George, Lord Byron (notorious poet) and the Duke of Wellington (defeater of Napoleon). But mostly, especially the "past", it's made up stuff. Centuries before the tale is set the north part of England was ruled by the Raven King, the greatest magician to have ever lived. He left, however, after a three-hundred year rule, and shortly after magic in England began to decline. The story focuses on two people, so-called modern magicians, intent on returning magic to England, the brilliant Jonathan Strange and his teacher, the reclusive Mr. Norrell.

The book as a whole reads kind of as a historical novel. There are footnotes, and the author even references herself once or twice. As such there are few "action sequences", this being the one minor complaint which a person might have. I didn't care myself, the book isn't lacking anything from not having them and wouldn't suit them anyway. Everything is told so superbly that chances are you wont even notice until you're done, if at all.

Right from the beginning the language of the book is very distinct. It's very flowing, mildly archaic, and full of humour both droll and wit. Subtle variations in spelling add character, along with the repetition of sayings and other tidbits such as Fairie names, which are always the combintaion of two words (i.e Drawlight). It's very well done, and a defining aspect of the novel.

The book tends to focus on ideas more than characters I think. More specifically, ideas about magic. Magic pervades every corner of the novel, especially the often hilarious footnotes. Tales of Faerie, the Raven King, spells, magicians abound and give the book a very magical feel. It really does seem as though you are reading a historical novel about the magical past of England.

But to say the novel focuses on ideas more than characters does not mean the characters lack anything in themselves. Far from it. The reclusive Mr. Norrell is exactly that, an old man who locks himself away with his books and shows all the expected side effects of disassociation. But you love him all the same. You'll love Jonathan Strange, the morally ambiguous Drawlight and Lascelle, the mad King Henry, the enchanted Stephen and his wild, repugnant, magical, sinister enchanter. You'll love them all no matter what they do, because, as you'll find, the real character in the book is the author herself. Susanna is as pervasive as the magic and more-so, everything about it seems to be an extension of her own character. I haven't met her obviously, nor heard her speak or know bugger all about her; but I don't need to. The entire book is clearly writ by a funny, clever, elegant, dark, living breathing magician who has infused herself into her writing and had a fun time doing it. It reeks of character, and in that it feels very personable. Or I think that's the word. Maybe it's personal.

This is a must-read book. Absolutely positively must-read. If you don't you'll die feeling unfulfilled. There's so much more I could say; I could write pages just about the footnotes, but it's best you find a copy if you haven't already and get on with reading an undeniable masterpiece.

10!+/10