Ahira's Hangar

I am reading a duology by Jaqueline Carey called The Sundering. The two books in the duology are called Banewreaker and Godslayer. I am 14 chapters into the first of the two books.

Its sort of hard to describe, but it is definately very far away from her better known Kushiel trilogy, which had been set in an alternate France called Terre d'Ange.

The best way I can think of to describe it is a seriously twisted story of godlike beings, heavily inspired by Tolkien's Sil.

The godlike beings go to war with each other, and create different races of beings such as an elven race, humans, dwarves, and a race sort of like mountain trolls. One is like a goddess of love and mercy, another a godddess of plants, etc. But unlike the Syl, there is no clear cut good spirits and bad spirits.

Depending on which character's point of view you are reading, either side on the war is all that is righteous and the other side evil...so you're not really sure which side you should even be rooting for...

It is what the Sil might have been had Morgoth been a much more sympathetic character with genuine grievances against an autocratic and cruel leader...


edited for my usual spelling problems

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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 10/28/05 8:41 pm
</i>

The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl by Tim Pratt





My interview this week:

Took a brief break from the Carey duology this evening to do my annual Halloween read of Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October. I absolutely love that little book, and I always read it at least once every October. Tonight, after spending a glorious fall day outside, was the night.

For those who are not familiar with it, it rocks~!

Tomorrow it will be back to the war of the gods in Carey's The Sundering. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 10/28/05 8:42 pm
</i>

I have finally moved on to the second book in Carey's The Sundering duology...Godslayer.

This really is an extremely twisted take on Tolkien's Sil. It points out the dangers of religious fanatacism, and that one person's truth is another's lie and vice versa. Both sides of this war of the gods by proxy races are willing and able to commit atrocities, and feel fully justified in doing so -- all while pointing out the evils of the other side along the way, while never looking in the mirror or realizing that their deeds are every bit as bad.

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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 10/28/05 8:43 pm
</i>

Viriconium. I'm going to try and hurry and finish it over the weekend.

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" 'You see, I don't believe in Todd. I think Todd exists only in your minds.'
'You take that back!'
'Where is your Todd now?' *laughs evilly*"<i></i>

Last night I curled up with the latest book by Tamora Pierce, The Will of the Empress. She has a four book YA series called Circle of Magic which is quite good. She has a follow up series to that called The Circle Opens, which is technically YA, but rather dark for that age group.

The first series tells the story of four misfit youngsters of a variety of races, economic, and cultural backgrounds who each holds an odd form of magic. They must learn how to be friends, as well as how to be mages. The second series tells of them as mid-teens, separated and taken on long journeys by their teachers (well, three of them are), where they encounter a lot of darkness and evil.

This new book tells of the four when they are brought back together as older teens/new adults. The four have experienced great evil (one of them, in fact, suffers from active PTSD) and that affects their previous close relationships. They must meet new challenges, and learn how to accept each other and themselves as adults...

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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

I've been looking for light reads, in anticipation of the Martin signing and finally getting my hands on A Feast For Crows next week.

So I thought I'd get caught up on Jordan's Wheel of Time. i read the little prequel novel A New Spring and am more than halfway done with Knife of Dreams.

Reading Jordan is like panning for gold. You have to go through a ton of bad stuff to get the goodies. Its sort of frustrating, because the guy can write individual scenes as good as anything out there by anyone. But you have to wade through hundreds of pages of descriptions of dresses and petulant female behavior and female-on-female spankings to get to the good stuff. Luckily this book does have some good stuff. The chapters with Mat and Tuon have been a delight. And the Golden Crane chapter might be the finest he has produced since Dumai Wells. Heart tugging. Brought tears to my eyes. Redeemed Nynaeve as a character once and for all. I don't want to get too spoilery, though, so I will shut up now. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

Miéville's Iron Council.

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" 'You see, I don't believe in Todd. I think Todd exists only in your minds.'
'You take that back!'
'Where is your Todd now?' *laughs evilly*"<i></i>

Lately I've been rereading Dean Koontz's Watchers, in between reading chapters in a big, thick history of France.

I know Watchers is no literary masterpiece, but I do enjoy it. And Einstein (not the scientist, but named after him) is a great character. Sometimes its cool to read or reread something just because you enjoy it. I have a tendency to read too many angsty deep books, and therefore sometimes its important for me to just read something for fun. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

Recently read:

His Majesty's Dragon (called Tremeraire in U.K.), by Naomi Novik (kicks off a new trlogy begining and ending in 2006)

Dusk by Tim Lebbon, a start of a duology by horor writer Tim Lebbon's intro offering of fantasy which I was underwhelemd by (coming out in January)

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana i typical Umberto Eco excellence - a wonderful look into the relatioship of invidual and culture.

Currently reading The Thousandfold Thought, by R. Scott Bkkaer, this is theconcluding installment of the Prince of Nothing Trilogy. I'm 200 pages in and I think my prediction that this will be the epic fantasy's greatest completed series in 25 years is looking golden.








My interview this week:

I am waiting for that third Bakker book to go into general release next month, and then I hope to read that trilogy. I have heard some pretty good things about it. I thought I would wait until the trilogy was complete, as I am in the middle of so many incomplete series at the moment.

I am reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens right now. I had posted that down in general literature, but it could certainly count as a fantasy as well. It's a classic I have seen on stage and on film many times, but have never read. I am enjoying it. I had forgotten about how much Dickens likes to play with words and the sound of words. It's fun. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

I always liked Watchers (that book mislead me to read too much Koontz). Just finished Memories of Ice, and I'm dying to get a hold of The Thousandfold Thought. Might pick up Feast for Crows after that.
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I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two" <i></i>

I hope to try both Erickson and Bakker in the new year. I will probably tackle Bakker first, for the simple reason that his trilogy will soon be complete.

For whatever reason, lately I've been reading more general novels than anything. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

The Thosuandfold Thought is stunningly powerful - like it or not - it will create a stir.

Currently finishing up Daniel Abraham's debut A Shadow in Summer, a damn good start to a new series.





My interview this week:

Abraham's debut? I've met him at the last 3 BuboniCons in Albq. Is it his fantasy debut? I thought he'd written other stuff, Sci-Fi perhaps?

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Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>