alternate identity « What CeciM Reads

The Black Throne, by Fred Saberhagen and Roger Zelazny

pros: the authors; the story idea; story moves along quickly; twist on magic and parallel worlds; explanations for some of Poe’s elements in poems, like the tapping and the raven and the cask of Amontillado

cons: sketchy details; seems hastily written; not familiar with Poe’s body of work; resolution was weak

misc: Edgar Allan Poe; alcoholic; alcohol; ghost ship; sea voyage; balloon voyage; vortex; plague; dwarf; orangutang; zombie in wine box; very small wineglasses; sandcastle; alchemy
ISBN 0743435796; 288pp; pub. 2002
Amazon link

September 19, 2007 Posted by cecim | action, All book reviews, alternate identity, children, dark, fantasy, fast-paced, historical setting, magic, mercenaries/soldiers, mystery, necromancy, parallel worlds, sea or sea creatures, strong female, violence, zombies | Leave a comment

Tithe, by Holly Black

pros: original heroine and viewpoint; realistic characters; good core dilemma; good question about what constitutes good or evil individually and in context; Roiben; the plot; Lutie

cons: very dark; Kaye’s life is a mess; Kaye’s family; Corny’s situation; general desperate, hopeless feel; the betrayal by the solitary fey

misc: acorn note; kelpie/puka; carousel horse; changelings; cigarettes; samhain; sacrifice; pixie: Spike; Gristle; Thistlewitch

ISBN 0689867042; 336pp; pub. 2004
Amazon link

September 8, 2007 Posted by cecim | All book reviews, alternate identity, antihero, children, dark, faeries, fantasy, fast-paced, graphic violence, homosexuality, horses, magic, motherhood/parenting, romance, sexual content, shapeshifting, strong female, transformation, violence | Leave a comment

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

pros: very funny, fast-paced; Locke’s early exploits; Chains; great characters; truly hateful bad guys; lots of gray areas; still lots of mystery even after it’s done; this works as an adventure, mystery, or fantasy; fate of the Berangias twins; the sharks; the con; the Spider and the Salvoras

cons: we never meet Sabetha; fate of the twins and Bug; the net worth of Locke and Jean at the end

misc: Capa Raza; Grey King; Thiefmaker; bondmage; Falconer; the contrarequialla; shifting revels; Midnighters; Gentlemen Bastards

ISBN 055358894X; 752pp; pub. 2007

Amazon link

August 14, 2007 Posted by cecim | action, All book reviews, alternate identity, animals, castles/royalty, children, dark, fantasy, fast-paced, graphic violence, horses, humor, magic, magical beasts - bad, mercenaries/soldiers, mystery, religion, runaway or hiding out, sea or sea creatures, sexual content, strong female, urban setting | Leave a comment

The Knight, by Gene Wolfe

pros: Gylf; interesting characters and settings; some interesting dilemmas; good portrayal of a boy in a man’s body–consistent throughout; duology rather than long series

cons: meandering account with many detours; constant references to common knowledge reader doesn’t share; contrived situations; cliffhanger

Part One of the Wizard Knight series

ISBN 0765347016; 544 pp; 2005 (reprint)

The Knight on Amazon

July 5, 2007 Posted by cecim | action, All book reviews, alternate identity, amnesia, animals, castles/royalty, cats, children, dark, dogs, dragons, elves, fantasy, giants, graphic violence, horses, ice or snow, knights/medieval, lyrical style, magic, magical beasts - bad, mercenaries/soldiers, mystery, parallel worlds, quest, sea or sea creatures, series/trilogy, small town/rural, sword and sorcery, transformation, trolls, orcs, goblins, etc. | Leave a comment

Brief reviews with keyword categories

Click on a particular category name to see books I’ve read that have that element. Click on “All Book Reviews” for a listing of all reviews. The pros and cons are notes to myself and should be read with that caveat in mind.

As a voracious reader, I have read so many books I am finally forgetting critical details—like whether or not I’ve read a book before, or the title and author. These posts are my online database so I can keep track of what I am reading and maybe I will be able to use the categories to cross-reference and help jog my memory.

As time goes by, I will be adding references to books in my library or favorites from past reading. There should be links back to Amazon in case a viewer wants to buy a particular book or read user reviews. I try to link to the specific binding that I read, but this isn’t always possible.