The Enchanted Castle
E. Nesbit
Wordsworth Editions
Fiction, YA Fantasy
**+ (Bad/Okay)
DESCRIPTION: The three English siblings Gerald, James, and Katherine usually summer with their cousin Betty at the family home in the countryside, where they can play and explore as proper children, far from the strict society rules of city life and boarding schools. But when Betty comes down with measles, they find themselves staying at Katherine's boarding school for the summer. With all the other girls gone home, it won't be so bad a summer holiday... and perhaps they can still find adventures. Their explorations lead them to a hidden cave and the lush gardens of a great castle, which they immediately declare to be enchanted. A sleeping princess who isn't what she seems, a troublesome magic ring, and a series of ill-worded wishes soon give the threesome a holiday they'll never forget!
This Wordsworth Classics edition, complete and unabridged, includes the original illustrations by H. R. Millar.
REVIEW: First published in 1907, this centenarian story shows just how far children's literature - and society in general - have come. The over-talkative narration dithers over, around, and behind the story as it follows three privileged English children more or less frittering away their summer holiday. There is no urgency, no enemy, no hardship, no wrong to be made right, no lesson for them to learn or consequences to face, as one would find in more modern stories. (Okay, I take that back. Once in a while, their adventures make them miss their tea. That's a fairly serious prospect for any child in any era.) Of course not. They're wealthy English children; they own the world, after all, and the world darned well owes them a pleasantly diverting (yet none too trying) magical adventure to fill an otherwise dreary summer away from home. In Nesbit's time, I suppose, simply being schoolchildren on holiday provided sufficient motive power to drive a plot. Anyone of lower classes, lesser education, or (Heavens forfend) less-than-alabaster skin color is brushed aside with casual backhanded insults and stereotyping. Nesbit's audience likely would have thought as little of the slights and slurs as she herself did - she clearly never considered the possibility that such individuals might read this book - but to modern eyes they glare. But it's unfair to blame her for being a product of her society... even if some of the language probably makes this book unfit for modern elementary school libraries. Looking past that, Nesbit concocts some truly imaginative moments, with a garden full of living statues and hidden wonders within the castle. The girls - Katherine and Mabel, the erstwhile "sleeping princess" - show a fair bit of pluck for their era, and manage to not be deadweight. I also liked the old-school illustrations by Millar; there's just something about a nicely-executed ink illustration that adds an extra touch of magic to any story. Considering how long ago this book was written, I might have been willing to give the story the benefit of the doubt with an Okay rating, but the ending sank that hope. (No spoilers here, but it somehow managed to make an already-pointless story even more pointless... an astounding feat which probably should be rewarded with a star all on its own, but won't be.) At the end of the day, The Enchanted Castle is an occasionally whimsical, mostly tedious window into the fictional expectations of a (thankfully) bygone era.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Well of Ascension (Brandon Sanderson)
The Well of Ascension
(The Mistborn trilogy, Book 2)
Brandon Sanderson
Tor
Fiction, Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: The Lord Ruler lies dead, His thousand-year reign over the Final Empire ended at last. In the capital city of Luthadel, the surviving members of the revolution's central crew, along with the idealistic young nobleman Elend Venture, struggle to establish a free government, where the once-enslaved skaa have equal rights and a voice in their own lives... only to find two enemy armies on their doorstep and a third on the way. When the Lord Ruler fell, the powerful noble houses who thrived under His regime wasted no time grasping for more power. Capturing the Final Empire's capital - not to mention the legendary stash of the rare metal atium said to be hidden within Luthadel's walls - would be a jewel in any would-be emperor's crown. Not only does Elend have to deal with threats from without, but turmoil and political backstabbing already threaten to topple his government from within... aided by plants and spies from the invaders beyond the city walls, and a traitor who has infiltrated the very heart of the crew.
While Elend and the others struggle to maintain control of Luthadel, the Mistborn girl Vin - former street thief, slayer of the Lord Ruler, beloved of Elend, pupil and heir to the legendary Kelsier, whose death has taken on holy overtones already in the minds of the liberated skaa - faces more disturbing troubles. A mysterious Mistborn assassin stalks the city streets, making her question her own allegiances. Strange powers reshape and strengthen the nocturnal mists that blanket the empire. And a force calls to her, possibly from the legendary Well of Ascension. The terrible events that led to the Lord Ruler's rise to power a thousand years ago seem to be repeating themselves - which means that the Deepness, a deadly entity He is said to have slain, may once again walk the world. Vin is determined to save the people of Luthadel, but how is she supposed to defeat the monster when she has no idea what it is?
REVIEW: Starting up not long after the events of Mistborn (the first book in the trilogy, reviewed here), this book follows through on the promise and the perils brought about by the fall of the corrupt Lord Ruler's regime. Idealists must temper their dreams with reality, and believers start to question their faith. More information comes to light about the thousand-year-old enigma of the Hero of Ages, a once-good man whose legacy somehow became the tyrannical Lord Ruler after unleashing the powers of the Well of Ascension. Between politics and studies, Allomancers fill the night with metal-fueled fights and bloody battles. For the most part, I found this a worthy sequel. My main complaint is that it felt too long. Sanderson keeps squeezing in more information, more twists, and more troubles, creating a whole second climax after the fairly traumatic (and very finale-like) siege of Luthadel. As a reader, I started suffering combat fatigue, wondering just how much more I was going to have to endure before hitting the end of the book. Having come this far, I expect I'll track down the third volume sometime soon, but I think I'll let my reading backlog thin out before then; I'm still mentally burned out after that final slog.
(The Mistborn trilogy, Book 2)
Brandon Sanderson
Tor
Fiction, Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: The Lord Ruler lies dead, His thousand-year reign over the Final Empire ended at last. In the capital city of Luthadel, the surviving members of the revolution's central crew, along with the idealistic young nobleman Elend Venture, struggle to establish a free government, where the once-enslaved skaa have equal rights and a voice in their own lives... only to find two enemy armies on their doorstep and a third on the way. When the Lord Ruler fell, the powerful noble houses who thrived under His regime wasted no time grasping for more power. Capturing the Final Empire's capital - not to mention the legendary stash of the rare metal atium said to be hidden within Luthadel's walls - would be a jewel in any would-be emperor's crown. Not only does Elend have to deal with threats from without, but turmoil and political backstabbing already threaten to topple his government from within... aided by plants and spies from the invaders beyond the city walls, and a traitor who has infiltrated the very heart of the crew.
While Elend and the others struggle to maintain control of Luthadel, the Mistborn girl Vin - former street thief, slayer of the Lord Ruler, beloved of Elend, pupil and heir to the legendary Kelsier, whose death has taken on holy overtones already in the minds of the liberated skaa - faces more disturbing troubles. A mysterious Mistborn assassin stalks the city streets, making her question her own allegiances. Strange powers reshape and strengthen the nocturnal mists that blanket the empire. And a force calls to her, possibly from the legendary Well of Ascension. The terrible events that led to the Lord Ruler's rise to power a thousand years ago seem to be repeating themselves - which means that the Deepness, a deadly entity He is said to have slain, may once again walk the world. Vin is determined to save the people of Luthadel, but how is she supposed to defeat the monster when she has no idea what it is?
REVIEW: Starting up not long after the events of Mistborn (the first book in the trilogy, reviewed here), this book follows through on the promise and the perils brought about by the fall of the corrupt Lord Ruler's regime. Idealists must temper their dreams with reality, and believers start to question their faith. More information comes to light about the thousand-year-old enigma of the Hero of Ages, a once-good man whose legacy somehow became the tyrannical Lord Ruler after unleashing the powers of the Well of Ascension. Between politics and studies, Allomancers fill the night with metal-fueled fights and bloody battles. For the most part, I found this a worthy sequel. My main complaint is that it felt too long. Sanderson keeps squeezing in more information, more twists, and more troubles, creating a whole second climax after the fairly traumatic (and very finale-like) siege of Luthadel. As a reader, I started suffering combat fatigue, wondering just how much more I was going to have to endure before hitting the end of the book. Having come this far, I expect I'll track down the third volume sometime soon, but I think I'll let my reading backlog thin out before then; I'm still mentally burned out after that final slog.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Golem's Eye (Jonathan Stroud)
The Golem's Eye
(The Bartimaeus trilogy, Book 2)
Jonathan Stroud
Miramax Books
Fiction, YA Fantasy
***** (Great)
DESCRIPTION: The boy magician Nathaniel, now officially John Mandrake, has risen far since his involvement in the theft and retrieval of the powerful Amulet of Samarkand. A favorite of the Prime Minister, his talent and ambition have put him on a fast track to a high-level career as a rising star in the great British Empire... and, naturally, earned him no end of enemies and rivals just waiting for the fourteen-year-old prodigy to slip up.
When a sudden, devastating attack strikes in the very heart of London, suspicion naturally falls on the Resistance, a terrorist group responsible for petty thefts and strikes on magician targets throughout the city. But Mandrake disagrees; the scale of destruction is much too large, the power involved too great for mere commoners to handle. To conduct his investigation - one which may make or break his promising young career - he is forced to turn to an assistant he once vowed never to summon again. A sarcastic, recalcitrant demon that managed to learn his birth name, and thus has a measure of power over the boy... none other than the five-thousand-year-old djinni, Bartimaeus.
REVIEW: This is one of those series that almost makes me want to throw in the towel on my own writing efforts. (Almost...) Stroud continues to build a well-devised alternate world, where a Britain built on slavery (of demons and, in more subtle forms, of non-magical humans) thirsts for global conquest. As part of the establishment, Nathaniel/John works tireless to preserve what he sees as the natural order of things, incapable of understanding the Resistance or the often-rebellious natures of his own bound spirit servants. Bartimaeus, with his trademark wit, watches events unfold with a somewhat fatalistic detatchment, save when he's ordered to involve himself on Mandrake's behalf; he's seen civilizations rise and fall for millenia, and considers such fleeting matters of the material world no real business of his own... an attitude he starts to question through the course of the book. Stroud adds another voice to the cast with Kitty, a commoner girl mentioned briefly in Book 1, who offers a glimpse into the heart of the Resistance and the often-counterproductive efforts of its members. Their stories meet in a tale of oppression, intrigue, and plenty of action, all enlivened by sharp writing and clever humor. I can't wait to start the third volume, which beckons from my reading pile even as I type.
(The Bartimaeus trilogy, Book 2)
Jonathan Stroud
Miramax Books
Fiction, YA Fantasy
***** (Great)
DESCRIPTION: The boy magician Nathaniel, now officially John Mandrake, has risen far since his involvement in the theft and retrieval of the powerful Amulet of Samarkand. A favorite of the Prime Minister, his talent and ambition have put him on a fast track to a high-level career as a rising star in the great British Empire... and, naturally, earned him no end of enemies and rivals just waiting for the fourteen-year-old prodigy to slip up.
When a sudden, devastating attack strikes in the very heart of London, suspicion naturally falls on the Resistance, a terrorist group responsible for petty thefts and strikes on magician targets throughout the city. But Mandrake disagrees; the scale of destruction is much too large, the power involved too great for mere commoners to handle. To conduct his investigation - one which may make or break his promising young career - he is forced to turn to an assistant he once vowed never to summon again. A sarcastic, recalcitrant demon that managed to learn his birth name, and thus has a measure of power over the boy... none other than the five-thousand-year-old djinni, Bartimaeus.
REVIEW: This is one of those series that almost makes me want to throw in the towel on my own writing efforts. (Almost...) Stroud continues to build a well-devised alternate world, where a Britain built on slavery (of demons and, in more subtle forms, of non-magical humans) thirsts for global conquest. As part of the establishment, Nathaniel/John works tireless to preserve what he sees as the natural order of things, incapable of understanding the Resistance or the often-rebellious natures of his own bound spirit servants. Bartimaeus, with his trademark wit, watches events unfold with a somewhat fatalistic detatchment, save when he's ordered to involve himself on Mandrake's behalf; he's seen civilizations rise and fall for millenia, and considers such fleeting matters of the material world no real business of his own... an attitude he starts to question through the course of the book. Stroud adds another voice to the cast with Kitty, a commoner girl mentioned briefly in Book 1, who offers a glimpse into the heart of the Resistance and the often-counterproductive efforts of its members. Their stories meet in a tale of oppression, intrigue, and plenty of action, all enlivened by sharp writing and clever humor. I can't wait to start the third volume, which beckons from my reading pile even as I type.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Drawing Visual Illusions (Natalie Sirett)
Drawing Visual Illusions
Natalie Sirett
Metro Books
Nonfiction, YA? Art
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Visual arts are, in and of themselves, illusions: marks on flat surfaces, masquerading as faces, figures, and all manner of things. Some images do more than pretend to be something else. Through tricks of perspective and composition, they become something visually impossible - endless loops of staircases, shapes melding and metamorphosing, eye-twisting images that refuse to be interpreted in just one way. This book examines famous examples of visual illusions and explains how to make them yourself.
REVIEW: I found this in the Last Chance bin at Barnes & Noble, and figured it looked different (and cheap) enough to be worth a read. Sirett starts out with a quick overview of materials for artistic exercises throughout the book... perhaps too quick of an overview. She then covers many basic ideas that make illusion art work, examining images by popular illusionary artists from M.C. Escher to Salvadore Dali as well as her own works. The exercises themselves - of which there were fewer than implied by the introduction and jacket blurb - tend to gloss over important steps of construction, which she seems to consider irrelevant (a gross miscalculation when dealing with illusions that depend on realism.) Toward the end, Sirett wanders completely off topic to play with pen and ink techniques of little relevance to the stated concept of optical illusions. I learned just enough here to add the extra half-mark to an Okay rating. As bargain buys go, it wasn't terrible, but it would've been better with a stronger focus and more detailed exercises.
Natalie Sirett
Metro Books
Nonfiction, YA? Art
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Visual arts are, in and of themselves, illusions: marks on flat surfaces, masquerading as faces, figures, and all manner of things. Some images do more than pretend to be something else. Through tricks of perspective and composition, they become something visually impossible - endless loops of staircases, shapes melding and metamorphosing, eye-twisting images that refuse to be interpreted in just one way. This book examines famous examples of visual illusions and explains how to make them yourself.
REVIEW: I found this in the Last Chance bin at Barnes & Noble, and figured it looked different (and cheap) enough to be worth a read. Sirett starts out with a quick overview of materials for artistic exercises throughout the book... perhaps too quick of an overview. She then covers many basic ideas that make illusion art work, examining images by popular illusionary artists from M.C. Escher to Salvadore Dali as well as her own works. The exercises themselves - of which there were fewer than implied by the introduction and jacket blurb - tend to gloss over important steps of construction, which she seems to consider irrelevant (a gross miscalculation when dealing with illusions that depend on realism.) Toward the end, Sirett wanders completely off topic to play with pen and ink techniques of little relevance to the stated concept of optical illusions. I learned just enough here to add the extra half-mark to an Okay rating. As bargain buys go, it wasn't terrible, but it would've been better with a stronger focus and more detailed exercises.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
May Site Update, Reviews Archived
Been a while, but I managed to update Brightdreamer Books.
The previous seven reviews have now been archived and cross-linked, and I rotated the Random Recommendations page.
Enjoy!
The previous seven reviews have now been archived and cross-linked, and I rotated the Random Recommendations page.
Enjoy!
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