Tag Archives: fantasy

The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter by David Colbert

Posted by melydia on July 31, 2009 None comments

The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter by David Colbert: The name is somewhat misleading; this is a cute mini-encyclopedia of the real mythological roots of many aspects of the Harry Potter books. While I didn’t learn a whole heck of a lot of new information, I would definitely recommend this book to any Harry Potter fan, especially younger ones. The writing is friendly without being dumbed down, the articles are short but concise, and the breadth of information is impressive. If nothing else, it instilled in me a renewed interest in mythology, and the extensive bibliography and notes provide a good jumping-off point for further research.

On note: the copy I read was written between the releases of Goblet Of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, and thus is it full of spoilers from the first four books and contains a sprinkling of (sometimes misguided) predictions for the latter three volumes. There is a revised version, but I don’t know if it covers the entire series. Keep that in mind when reading.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Eight by Katherine Neville

Posted by melydia on July 30, 2009 1 comments

The Eight by Katherine Neville: This is my second time reading this book and it was amazing all over again. Like all of Neville’s novels, two stories are interweaved: one in the present (in this case, the 1970’s) and one in the past (late 18th century). Two women, a computer expert and nun, attempt each in their respective time periods to unravel the mystery behind a powerful and much-coveted ancient chess set, the Montglane Service. This book is full of action and romance, suspense and memorable characters. The number of famous historical figures who show up does border on the absurd, but I was too busy having a good time to nitpick. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Side note for those who’ve read the book: my sister was in love with Solarin, but my heart belongs to Nim. :)

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Out of the Fallout by Veronica A. Mullen

Posted by melydia on May 18, 2009 None comments

Out of the Fallout by Veronica A. Mullen: Self-published novels are, in general, self-indulgent and extremely hard to follow. Luckily, Out of the Fallout is an exception to this rule. It is rife with typographical and grammatical errors, but if you can look past that you’ll find a surprisingly engaging story. The plot is rather complex, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the chemical and biological weapons of the last war caused unexpected psychic abilities in a large portion of the population. Jason and Michelle, however, are two of the extremely rare “natural” psychics. They live at The Psychic Research Center, a cross between a school and a laboratory for juvenile victims of the psychic virus, where children are kept apart from the “normal” population in order to be studied and to learn to control their newfound abilities. Jason and Michelle, though prized by the scientists as test subjects, are ostracized by the rest of the children. Michelle’s unusual behavior – in response to spending her formative years held hostage by a serial killer – makes her even more of a target. The story chronicles their lives over several years, from teenagers to adults, as Jason struggles to find normalcy and Michelle withdraws ever more deeply into herself. The ending completely lost me – the random forays into Greek mythology, the unexplained bird creature, the bizarre dreams, the abrupt conclusion – but otherwise I enjoyed this one. If another edition ever comes out – one where the second half of the book is as detailed and engrossing as the first – I will certainly pick it up. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for Mullen’s future works.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Posted by melydia on May 15, 2009 3 comments

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman: A far more detailed and extensive alternate universe than I’ve seen in a while. I can’t decide what time period it’s supposed to take place in, as there are guns and telephones and arrows and zeppelins. Perhaps it’s a sort of steampunk. Anyway, every person has a daemon, which is in the form of an animal, and is more or less their soul. Scholars have discovered a new elementary particle, referred to as “Dust,” and it is causing quite a stir. When Lyra’s best friend Roger is kidnapped by the mysterious Gobblers, she and her daemon must journey north to rescue him. Lyra is a charming, if brash, little girl and the characters she meets are marvelous. I really enjoyed this one, and am a little sad I can’t rush off to read the next in the series, as the ending leads right into it.

I came into this expecting something somewhat controversial but didn’t really find anything. I can almost see the bristling of the Catholic Church over this – except at the very beginning of the book there is mention of Pope John Calvin, implying that the Church of this book doesn’t particularly resemble the real one. But oh well, some people get quite bored unless they have something to be offended by.

The original title of this book was Northern Lights, which is far more fitting, as the item to which I assume the title is referring is not a compass at all. Publishers are funny things.

Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson

Posted by melydia on May 11, 2009 None comments

Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson: Simply delightful. I am a longtime fan of the Moomins, a collection of unusual-looking critters whose calm and pleasing outlook on life is a pure joy to read. This time around, a flood washes through Moominvalley, forcing the Moomins to find a new home in a floating theater (though they don’t know what a theater is). The humor is gentle but fun. I can’t wait to read more of Jansson’s books, including the comic strip collections.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Posted by melydia on May 1, 2009 None comments

The Once and Future King by T.H. White: I thought I’d read this for a class in high school, but I know now that I did not. This lengthy tome is actually four books in one. “The Sword in the Stone,” which inspired the Disney film of the same name, is the charming story of Arthur’s childhood with Sir Ector, Kay, Merlyn, and the rest. Easily my favorite of the four. Next is “The Queen of Air and Darkness,” which introduces the Gaelic Orkney clan, headed by Morgause. It’s probably the funniest book, between the silliness of King Pellinore’s lovesickness and the darker humor of the Orkney sons’ desperate attempts to get their mother’s attention. “The Ill-Made Knight” was my least favorite. It’s all about Lancelot and his unending angst. “The Candle in the Wind” more or less wraps up the Lancelot story, with a sometimes irritating amount of commentary on how much better everything and everyone was back in those days. I wish the story could have gone all the way through Arthur’s death and successor, but by and large I could see why this is considered one of the quintessential books on Arthurian Legend. I could spot the inspiration for many other works, from Excalibur to Monty Python’s Holy Grail. If you’re a fan of Arthur, I would definitely recommend reading. If you only have a passing interest, just read “The Sword in the Stone.” It’s delightful.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Posted by melydia on April 12, 2009 1 comments

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Boy finds dragon egg, dragon hatches, boy goes on grand adventure. Actually, boy spends most of book fleeing for his life, when suddenly a random Big Battle is tacked on the end to add some sort of climax, with a convenient deus ex machina to tie things up and make way for the sequel. It’s not that it’s poorly written, just utterly generic. Now, if I didn’t like fantasy stereotypes I wouldn’t read fantasy, but I was even able to pick out specific universes from which much of the stuff was cribbed (McCaffrey’s Pern, Tolkien’s Middle Earth, etc.). All in all, pretty forgettable. A young newcomer to fantasy might enjoy this, but a fans of the genre will find nothing new here.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron

Posted by melydia on April 1, 2009 None comments

The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron: With the exception of Mary Stewart’s novels, almost none of the Arthurian canon documents Merlin’s life prior to advising King Vortigern as an adult. This novel attempts to fill that gap. Our story begins with Emrys and a woman who claims to be his mother washing onto the shores of Wales. Emrys remembers absolutely nothing before this event, though it is clear that he is very different from the other boys of the village. Slowly he discovers magical powers that both tantalize and terrify him. It’s a pleasant, fairly light read, with interesting characters and legends. There isn’t much in the way of unexpected plot twists, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Posted by melydia on November 26, 2008 3 comments

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: Now here is a story for literature buffs. Thursday Next works as a kind of literary detective in a world gone mad for books. Kids trade character cards, author homes are top tourist destinations, and (my personal favorite) some theaters put on a regular performance of Richard III a la Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with audience participation. That last had me giggling. The story is clever and the characters amusing, but I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it had I read the prerequisite novels. Specifically having read Jane Eyre and Martin Chuzzlewit would have helped immensely, but even just a penchant for 18th century literature (Dickens, Bronte, Austin, et al) would have been a huge advantage. After all, it is for those fans that this story was really written. Though there is a whole series of Thursday Next books, I think my next Fforde book will probably be one of his fairy tale retellings. I already know those stories.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Posted by melydia on September 15, 2008 None comments

Nation by Terry Pratchett: A tidal wave wipes out the entire population of the island, leaving only two people: the native Mau, who was in a canoe at the time, and the English girl Daphne, who was on a ship that plowed into the island. What begins as tragedy turns into a story of hope and laughter. Refugees from neighboring islands trickle in, and slowly the Nation is reborn. Though this was not half as funny as the back cover promised, it was a fun read and brought up some interesting questions and religion and science. The epilogue, however, felt unnecessary. It did nothing for the story and made the ending seem somehow less satisfying. But otherwise it’s a fine story.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

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