In the Stacks

Well, the short version is that the first book of "The Orphan's Tales" has blown me away.

I've come to expect nothing less of Cat Valente but I am still always surprised at how emotionally attached I get to her books. My full review can be found under the link.

All the fans will hate me for this but, my god, this book was bad. Full review is hidden under the title.

THE GOOD: A great idea and a thrilling beginning.
THE BAD: Every character is of unnatural beauty, the language is clunky, there are logical mistakes galore, the romance is revolting, the plot gets dropped mid-book. Plus, cliffhanger (for those who care what happens).
THE VERDICT: Not recommended. Dear YA authors. Not every story needs a forced romance, especially between an old man and a teenage girl. Age is not just about how old you look, it is about experience and maturity. This was a pretty terrible book.

RATING: 2,5/10 – Terrible

For a full review, click the title above.

Here's the short version:

THE GOOD: A well-told, hilarious glance into the life of Tina Fey. Not a single boring moment and no whiny biography stuff.
THE BAD: It was very short and, given the issues Fey talks about occasionally, it wouldn’t have hurt to go more in depth.
BONUS: The audio clip of “Palin and Clinton” on SNL that was cut into the audiobook.
THE VERDICT: Recommended to everybody who likes Tina Fey. Simple as that.

RATING: 8/10 – Excellent fun

My full review can be found at SFF Book Review.

THE GOOD: A funny, light tale with every word in its place, great characters and a wonderful ending.

THE BAD: The characters were somewhat distant, some side characters deserved more screen time. Plotwise a bit forgettable in the end.

THE VERDICT: Recommended for everyone who wants something different than you average epic fantasy. This is a perfect book for a cozy afternoon, spent with trickster gods, objects controlling chaos, creatures with indigo skin, and one woman in the middle of it all.

RATING: 7,5/10 -  Very good

My full review can be read at SFF Book Review.

Here's the short version.

THE GOOD: Incredible characters, fast-paced action, emotional levels to everything the characters do, and a world that begs to be explored more.

THE BAD: It was too short. The Stalk’s story arc was the only one that really suffered from the abrupt ending point, but I would have liked more in general.

BONUS: Lying cat. Also, The Stalk. That bitch is straight out of my nightmares.

THE VERDICT: If you haven’t guessed yet, I am going to recommend this book to everyone. It’s a fast-paced science fiction odyssey with Romeo and Juliet bickering along the way and super creepy creatures lurking in the dark. It is fun, it is original, and the art is beautiful. Go out and get it (or maybe wait until the second paperback comes out so you don’t have to suffer like me…)

RATING: 9/10  – Pretty close to perfection

My full review can be found over at SFF Book Review.

As someone who came to the book only having heard the musical CD (yeah, i actually still bought that one on CD), I was positively surprised at the adult tone that Maguire has. This is not a children's book and it has little in common with the colorfull, cute version of Oz we know from our childhood movie/literature classics.I preferred this dark, political version of the land and I enjoyed every page of gritty, sinister intrigue as well as the sexual undertones. If you've only seen the musical: Prepare for something very different, less comic but no less enjoyable.

My full review is over here.

This book started out very promising, only to do lots of little things wrong along the way and disappoint with a predictable, lukewarm ending.

Wow! Brandon Sanderson really is as good as everybody says.

My full review can be found at SFF Book Review.

Brandon Sanderson is a star, there is no doubt about that. He knows how to write a story that is so gripping it will make you go "just one more chapter" until you're done. There are a few moments to catch your breath but when Vin's story isn't full of action and intrigue, the characters' growth and development makes it impossible to put the book down.I devoured this chunky novel in a couple of days and started immediately with book 2. The world is fresh and original, if not exactly happy, the magic system - and you know there is a great one when Sanderson is involved - completely blew me away. It took a while to hit me but when you read that scene where Kelsier, the cocky master thief who stole my heart right away, uses Allomancy for the first time, you'll know why everybody raves about it.Sanderson did pretty much everything right. He gives us epic fantasy with almost none of the tropes, he puts a spin on recognisable things but surprises us with new ideas every other chapter. The only negative point I could bring up is that - for my personal enjoyment - I could have used more descriptions of surroundings. And maybe less use of the word "maladroitly". Seriously, Brandon, you seem to like that word. :)As you can tell, excitement and general awe completely outweigh these minor qualms. Which is why I will put this book into the hands of anybody who calls himself a fantasy reader. Must read!