B. Mertz

mysterious, authentic, beautiful

Revisado: 12-09-18

This book harkens back to Gaelic folklore and has a real sense of mystery and beauty in it. In terms of deeply exploring the relationship between humans and the Fae/Elves/Sidhe, this book is really the true master work in fantasy literature.

in short, this piece follows a few generations of humans in a small kingdom that borders an ancient eld forest. when the world of men is broken by chaos and war, the gods and fair folk of the forest may be their only salvation, or perhaps their undoing. dark and ancient things live beneath the mountains.

we've all seen the fantasy tropes and we all know about elves and magic and cold iron and the like. but rather than feeling like a rehash of the old tropes, the Dreaming Tree really feels like it digs deep into the past of folkloric fantasy and has such a sense of wonder and beauty in it. the writing is absolutely exquisite and the narrator is perfect.

I have read dozens of fantasy books. this one is not only Cherry's best work, but one of the finest books in the genre. if anyone tells you that fantasy is childish or not literary or too predictable, this book is the perfect counter argument. a masterpiece of prose. hearing this audio version is like visiting an old Gaelic storyteller and hearing an authentic ancient tale of the fair folk. it just sings. I love it.

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just as good as everyone says.

Revisado: 03-29-17

I'm always skeptical of books that get popular. I don't follow book fads. I waited ten years to read Harry Potter. maybe that's foolish. But this book lives up to the hype. Awesome.

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Epic

Revisado: 10-27-15

this band of brothers story is one of the greatest epic fantasies I have ever read, and I have read many. deep, powerful writing and not as grotesquely violent as I was expecting from the cover and title. narration is good but the narrator doesn't act out the voices much so you need to pay attention to know who is speaking. this book is gripping, engaging, and stands head and shoulders above most of its contemporaries. Brilliant!

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Adverb's Apprentice, Book 1

Revisado: 06-27-13

in "On Writing," Stephen King describes adverbs as "dandelions" in the lawn of your writing, where one or two is pretty but too many turns your yard into a tangle of weeds.

In "Ruins of Gorlan," Flanagan uses adverbs in almost every dialogue attribution. Awkward ones, too. "She smiled brilliantly," "he said encouragingly," "he said cryptically," and my favorite, "he sighed resignedly."

If you don't mind that every earnest statement is said "earnestly" and every smile is done "winningly" or "prettily," you'll be okay.

We meet our hero Will on the day before his choosing day. Just like a hundred other YA books. All of his friends have painfully obvious vocations, all of their stereotyped talents aligned neatly in a row so that Will is the only character with teenage angst and confusion about his future.

Cooks are fat, warriors are strong, scribes are skinny and mouselike. Rangers are dark and mysterious. They enter the room "mysteriously."

This is that fantasy manuscript you tried to write when you were a sophomore in high school, where you gave up after you realized in chapter 4 that everything was a cliche and your writing was not refined enough yet.

In the choosing ceremony at the beginning, each craft master looks at a child "thoughtfully" and then accepts each child stereotyped to match their craft. The kids don't need to prove they have any particular type of skill, they're just picked, in grand regal ceremony, at a glance. Except for Will, because he's too small, and because he's the main character.

That's how far I made it: one hour. The story is probably charming and the characters might be likable, but I have to shrug my shoulders "resignedly," and shake my head "contemptuously," because the writing just isn't strong. It reads like a first draft.

In other news, Keating narrates this very "charmingly," and if you're looking for a stereotypical fantasy romp, this might be it.

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Heavy

Revisado: 08-26-12

This piece is profoundly sad and deeply intelligent. At the time I was experiencing this audiobook I was also working on a Rachmaninoff piece, and I felt the darkness, spirituality, angst, and philosophy of these great Russian works.

I believe that Raskolnikov is one of the most deeply realized characters in literature. The hopeless, brilliant, desperate spiral of events in this novel show human nature at its most vile and most beautiful. This book, which is also read masterfully, is an absolute must for anyone reading the classics.

From spending a couple of months with it on my commute to work, I'll have to admit it put me in a pretty serious and heavy frame of mind. If you're the type who's deeply influenced by what you read, make sure to take care of yourself during this one. You might need some fresh air every now and then.

A beautiful masterpiece.

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An exploration of faith and humanity

Revisado: 09-05-11

A thoughtful, deep, engaging exploration of the human condition. Even abridged, it feels long, launching into seemingly endless reverie about the role of the church or the reason evil exists in the world. But by the time I got to the end of this book, I was profoundly moved. This is a work of art. If you have the fortitude to make it through this whole piece, there is a lot of powerful insight here. Also, for a text that is mostly pretty ponderous and wordy, the last third of it has a fair amount of action and I found myself surprised at how excited I was getting. The court scene at the end is absolute literary genius. I'll be honest. I started this book thinking it would be too boring to get through. By the end, I was fighting back tears. An unforgettable story, brilliantly narrated. I need to buy the paper copy because there are some quotes I need to highlight and put up on my wall.

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Bring popcorn and soda

Revisado: 09-05-11

This is like one of those action flicks that's a little on the corny side so you're almost embarrassed that you like it so much, but can't stop watching anyway. Bring out the popcorn. No, we're not re-writing the scifi genre. Space navies and space marines pitted against impossible odds, being chased across the galaxy. Explosions. Concise, well-written action that keeps the story moving at an irresistible pace. I gave this book five stars because it knows its role and plays it near perfection. Straight-ahead military scifi. Fun, riveting, gets right to the point, and makes for a fun and entertaining read. This book isn't going to make you question the meaning and motivations of humanity. This isn't Asimov. But let me tell you, this is a really fun ride. Enjoy.

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An absolute knockout

Revisado: 09-05-11

I couldn't possibly recommend this book highly enough. To anyone who reads sf/fantasy, especially someone getting a little weary of all the tired old archetypes, this book is a breath of fresh air and a good kick in the teeth. Lovable characters, a brilliantly-crafted magic system, a plot that starts simple and gets unexpectedly deep and intricate. And few things make me happier than a book that's the first in a series, yet has a completely satisfying ending. In a genre overcrowded with elves, dragons, and recently vampires, Final Empire stands out as one of the most imaginative and exciting books I've read in years. Brandon Sanderson has completely restored my faith in the fantasy genre. This book is too unique for a good comparison. Just check it out. Really. I had such a good time with this one I could hardly focus on real life. Treat yourself. Pick this one up. You won't regret it.

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Solid Fantasy Title

Revisado: 09-05-11

This book has great pacing, lots of action, and an engaging interplay between the hunters and the hunted. The magic is believable, the characters are likable, and Reading's narration is excellent.

One of the evil characters is impossibly, one-dimensionally evil, and most of the good guys are faultless. The only other downside is a somewhat drawn-out battle scene that gets a little unnecessarily violent at times. All in all this is pretty standard fantasy fare, but coherent, well-written, tight, highly engaging, and has a completely satisfying ending, especially for the first in a series.

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Informative but not gripping

Revisado: 06-02-11

People who like history textbooks will likely enjoy this audiobook. At first I found it very intriguing and fascinating, mostly well-written, and fond of Lars Brownworth "just your average history guy" kind of delivery in his reading.

As time went on I found my mind wandering and my interest flagging. I would fade out and come back thinking, "which one is king now? Which general is this?" Although it has good moments, as an audiobook this was not particularly entertaining. I don't at all regret the time spent on it, but I'll stick with books covering fewer centuries of history.

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