Book Review: "Fool's Quest" by Robin Hobb

(Fitz & The Fool #2)
My Rating:  5/5

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Plot Tease

After nearly killing his oldest friend, the Fool, and finding his daughter stolen away by those who were once targeting the Fool, FitzChivarly Farseer is out for blood. And who better to wreak havoc than a highly trained and deadly former royal assassin?

Fitz might have let his skills go fallow over his years of peace, but such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten. And nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose... 

Book Review

The story of Fitz and The Fool picks back up exactly where it left off in Fool's Assassin, standing on the edge of a knife, searching for a way out.

Prophet and Catalyst have definitely gotten themselves into a messy place, and ultimately I wasn't sure how Robin Hobb could manage to guide us out of it. But Fool's Quest is full of surprises and dramatic moments that don't disappoint.

Book Review: "Fool's Assassin" by Robin Hobb

(Fitz & The Fool #1)
My Rating:  5/5

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Plot Tease

FitzChivalry—royal bastard and former king’s assassin—has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire.

Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside. At least, until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past . . . and his future. 

Book Review

So I sat down to write this review, and all I could think was: "Oh my dear Sa I can't even Robin Hobb," along with "What are you doing to me and my heart"

When I heard that Robin Hobb would pick up Fitz's story once more after 11 years of silence, I have to admit I was floored. In so many ways. There was excitement, of course, and a sheer feeling of incredulity that the story of Fitz and Fool wasn't over. Along with that, though, was fear. Fear that all of my hopes and dreams would be crushed when this long-awaited next installment was published, and that I would have to watch in horror as my favorite characters suffered heartache and pain.

Well anyone who know Fitz knows that we can't escape any of these books without a little heartache - but oh boy was I in for a wild, unexpected ride when I finally got my hands on Fool's Assassin.

Book Review: "Book Thief" by Markus Zuzak

My Rating: 

Why? While this is certainly not a classic 'fantasy' book, Zuzak tells an incredibly touching story from a very unique character perspective. It's a great mix of the fantastic and history.
Cost: New $4.17/Used $1.49 (Available on Kindle and Nook.)

Buy The Book Thief at Amazon.com

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Plot Tease

It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...

Set during World War II in Germany, this book is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist—books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

Full Book Review

While "The Book Thief" is not your typical 'fantasy' book, I think it can still fall into the genre. Zuzak takes an incredibly unique narrative perspective: the point-of-view of Death in Nazi Germany. Think about that for a second.

Book Review: "Assassin's Quest" by Robin Hobb

(Farseer #3)
My Rating: 
Why? Robin Hobb writes deep, realistic characters that go on a classic fantasy fiction quest anyone can enjoy. Her writing style and themes set her apart from most other fantasy fiction authors.
Cost: New $7.19/Used $0.01 (Available on Kindle and Nook.)

Buy Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb on Amazon.

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Plot Tease

FitzChivalry confronts his destiny as the catalyst who holds the fate of the kingdom of the Six Duchies...and the world itself. King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz—or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin. Only Verity's return—or the heir his princess carries—can save the Six Duchies.

But Fitz will not wait. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him—currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was before.

Full Book Review

You guys. Robin Hobb. She is my favorite fantasy fiction author by far at this point, followed closely only by Martin and Tolkien. The last half of this book totally blew me away. All that aside, I still have a bone to pick about Assassin's Quest in this book review. 

Book Review: "Royal Assassin" by Robin Hobb

(Farseer #2)

My Rating: 

Why? Robin Hobb's book shows a depth of character and realism that fantasy books don't usually have, while telling a classic story that will pull you in!

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Plot Tease

Young Fitz has just survived his first perilous mission as an assassin. But the cost has been high, and a brush with death has left him little more than a cripple. But love and events of terrible urgency soon draw him back to the court of the Six Duchies. Meanwhile, the terrible Red-Ship Raiders have renewed their vicious attacks on the coast. The kingdom is also under attack from within, as plotting and treachery threaten the throne of the ailing King Shrewd. In this time of great danger, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands - and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice. 

Full Book Review

Somehow, Robin Hobb manages to write books different from all other fantasy books (Disclaimer: ...that I have read to date!). Fitz is one character in a cast of many who are all incredibly detailed and constantly developing. This entire series so far is on my top fantasy books list, for sure. 

At the end of the last novel, Fitz was barely hanging on to life. When you open Royal Assassin, you'll find a character that is about to become a man. His sense of responsibility is on the verge of collapse at first, but his relationships at home are threatened and he finds his footing. Fitz finally finds a real sense of maturity, despite all his personal failings.

Book Review: "Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb

(Farseer #1)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court. He is an outcast to all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who had him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill - a mind-bending talent - and the darker knowledge of a child raised with hounds and rejected by his family.

Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And although some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

Book Review

If you haven't read Robin Hobb before, let me just tell you right now that you need to read this book. Assassin's Apprentice is the beginning of something big in fantasy. This book and these characters have a realistic edge to them, even amid the magic, that is incredibly enthralling. I don't even know how to pin it down for you. It just feels different.

To be totally blunt, this series has become my standard. I compare all other fantasy books to these ones. It's because of the characters. 

Book Review: "A Clash of Kings" by George R. R. Martin

(A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease

A comet the color of blood cuts across the sky. The two great leaders who enforced the peace are dead, victims of treachery. Now, across the realms, chaos reigns. Six factions war for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne.

Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. A princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest hearts.

FAIR WARNING: This book is not for children. 17+ recommended. The series is on HBO for a reason. 

Book Review

If you want more Game of Thrones, this book will not disappoint. It really feels like Martin just continues to take everything to the next level in this book, adding classical fantasy elements like magic, dragons and the undead to his already expansive world. It would be crazy to try and talk about all the amazing characters in the book - because you'd better believe he keeps the old ones and adds even more. So, instead I'm going to focus on a few that I feel are really great in Clash of Kings, and how they are developing.

Daenerys Targaryen is unique because she is somewhat separated from all the intrigue surrounding the Iron Throne, even though she is a major part of it. The more you read, the more you love her. Martin is definitely not afraid to showcase strong women. While she was still growing up in the first book, Clash of Kings has her walking out of fire as the Mother of Dragons. 

Book Review: "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin

(A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning  and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall.

At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

FAIR WARNING: This book is not for children. I would not recommend anyone under 18 read this without great discretion. It deals with many adult themes and Martin is graphic.

Book Review
This book - this series - is seriously a character gold mine in fantasy. There are 10+ main characters, and Martin is a master. This mix of viewpoints never feels clumsy or overwhelming. I've found that the characters are varied enought to each appeal to a different sort of reader, which is brilliant. Backstabbing and betrayal abound and you're left wondering if anyone really has integrity in this world. (In humanity?) No one is safe.

Book Review: "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

(Series: Chaos Walking #1)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming stream of Noise. Just before the birthday that will make him a man Todd and his dog, Manchee stumble upon an area of complete silence. In a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden - a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Book Review
The Knife of Never Letting Go feels really unique straight from the beginning. Ness' writing style in this book is stream of consciousness and Todd is a pervasive, sometimes overwhelming character. That, combined with the fact that the other people on this world are telepathic, makes it a very vivid, fast paced story.

Before I review the main characters, I have to tell you about Ben and Cillian, Todd's adoptive parents. These two are really only in the book for a few chapters at the most, but man. Talk about bravery and love.

Book Review: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Jonah's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Book Review
The Giver is definitely thought-provoking. When the dystopian environment is introduced, you get this weird feeling. Something isn't quite right behind the curtain, even though what you're seeing isn't necessarily 'strange'. Lowry captures that uncanny sense perfectly and simply.

Jonah is very kind, and adheres to the community rules: no lying, use precise words, stay with your assigned parter, and take pills to suppress Stirrings (love, emotions), among others. The Giver literally brings color into the mundane community world. He is the only surviving human that knows anything about emotions, pain or love of any kind. He is the only person who has memories of humanity as it was before.

Book Review: "The End of the Whole Mess" Short Story by Stephen King

(Short Story in an Anthology)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Bobby Fornoy, the genius younger brother of the story's narrator Howard, discovers that the water in the small Texas town of La Plata contains a chemical that suppresses the agressive side of human nature. Tormented by the cruelty of humanity with nuclear war imminent, Bobby works to put a stop to it all. But his pursuit of world peace turns deadly when an unexpected complication comes to light.

Book Review
The End of the Whole Mess (EotWM) is one of the first works by Stephen King that I have read. The characters in it affected me more than nearly any other short story I've ever reviewed. Within the first few lines, Howard makes it clear that together the brothers doomed most of humanity, and that he doesn't have much time left to live.

The narrative is an attempt to explain what his brother wanted, down to his last shaking breaths. I can count on one hand the number of times I have honestly cried for a character. The Fornoy's are on that list.

Book Review: "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula Le Guin

(Series: Hainish Cycle)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Genly Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to Winter, a lost, stray world. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own culture and prejudices and those that he encounters. On a planet where people are of no gender—or both—this is a broad gulf indeed...

Book Review
Left Hand of Darkness (LHoD) is now one of my favorite scifi books of the 20th century. It initially appears to be a typical encounter-the-aliens book, but you will be surprised. The characters are gripping, managing to blur stereotypical gender images in an amazingly realistic way.

The main character is Human,  but his contact throughout the novel is a Gethenian named Estraven. S/he is a layered personality with a poignant history: both of which reveal themselves over time. The reader is given pieces and clues, but denied the full picture until literally the last pages of the book and then it hits you like a ton of bricks. Estraven stole my heart. I want to cry and smile and ALL THE EMOTIONS.