Wolf Who Rules, by Wen Spencer
pros: sequel to Tinker; we learn more about Elvish society and the importance of their presence near Pittsburg; we learn a lot more about Windwolf and his household; the friction between human society and the elves; Tinker’s evolving personality; the dream elements; the dragons; the Tengu; this one is a lot more complex than Tinker; good action, believable situations and characters; Tinker’s evolving relationship with Pony and Stormsong; the political situations; the paparazzi and the elves’ reaction; Pony and Stormsong; Tinker’s reaction when watching The Wizard of Oz movie.
cons: Nathan’s fate; Esme’s role; Lain doesn’t appear very much; Tooloo’s role is in question
misc: Oni; Tengu; Riki; quantum physics; ghostland; Alice in Wonderland; Wizard of Oz; Vicereine
ISBN 1416520554; 368pp; pub. 2006
Amazon link
Eccentric Circles, by Rebecca Lickiss
pros: likable characters; Grandma Dickerson; the books; the fairies; the holes in reality; the explanation of how Lord of the Rings made life so much better in fairy because Tolkein’s descriptions were better (“real” world fiction consensus of fairies/elves, etc., determines reality in fairy)
cons: felt more like an outline than a finished story; Aelvarim was a little silly; ending doesn’t work for me, it felt contrived and repetitive; the whole issue of their silly names comes up a lot but it never goes anywhere – was there a point, or was it just a way to justify a heroine named Piper Pied?
misc: Never After is much, much better; bookstore; funeral; inheritance; back door to fairy; wedding dress; wizard
ISBN 0441008283; 224pp; pub. 2001
Amazon link
Bedlam Boys, by Ellen Guon
pros: familiar characters, tells us about Kayla’s beginning as a healer; from Baen’s free library; prequel to Bedlam’s bard series with Mercedes Lackey; Elizabet and her grandmother; the ogress and Elizabet’s explanation that follows
cons: portrayal of gang members seemed naive; Kayla had some very foolish moments; Kayla seems to forget her previously tight friends very easily
misc: Chicano gangs; LA; crystal figurines; ghosts; foster care/system
ISBN 0671721771; 304pp; pub 1993
Amazon link
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
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SPOILER WARNING!
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pros: it’s more of Harry; it’s resolution, finally; doesn’t coddle the reader – bad things happen; Snape, after all; Neville; Ron; the final resolution wasn’t exactly what I was expecting; the house elves; mobilized Hogwarts
cons: the very last part could have been left out and story would have been more powerful for me; so many deaths; the Malfoys don’t get destroyed; the wrong heroes get most of the glory; Dobby’s fate; how did Neville get the sword?
ISBN 0545010225; 2007
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)
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