dancingdane's reviews
711 reviews

good story about the meaning/purpose of life and euthanasia.

Very quick read. Cute story about what cats get up to when they leave the confines of our homes. But mostly fluff and fun.

fun book. reminiscent of AS Byatt's Possession, which is one of my all time faves. This wasn't quite up to Byatt's standards, but that's a hard level to reach. One thing that kept bugging me was that we knew things the characters didn't, so when Claire kept going off on the wrong thoughts, I wanted to scream at her that's not what happened, until I remembered that she didn't know. But it was still a fun, engrossing read.

The author's note explains how much of the details are fictional, but she was looking for plausibility. I wasn't sure throughout how "plausible" the story line of two young women flying to France during WWII really was, but the story I'd engaging enough that those questions ultimately weren't distracting.

I don't know how much to reveal here without giving spoilers, but suffice it to say that the story odd told in two different voices. It's pretty amazingly fine, and the verite reveals itself slowly through the course of the book. I was sad to see it end because I just kept hoping that the revelations would continue.

Interesting. Don't know if it's post-apocalyptic, or alternate universe. The Californias have declared their independence from the USA, and are ruled by the Hierarch, a man made of magic. Daniel, supposed to have been killed 10 years ago, finds himself in a position to regain the sword his magician father died before completing. A tale of thievery, betrayal, treachery, love, loyalty. It's not The Princess Bride, but it's not too far away.

I think the first book was my favorite, with this one a close second. The plotlines were a little more cohesive, and we get some fun new characters here. I'm glad to know there are more coming in the series, though it is developing a running "big bad," which I sometimes begin to resent. You know, in many series, the first couple of books are discrete episodes until the publisher decides the series is worthwhile, then the author turns the series into what he/she originally wanted which is larger and more complex. I like the discrete structure because he books are easy to read and move on without worrying about what's coming next (which is particularly difficult when the books aren't even out yet). On the other hand, the larger framework adds a certain gravitas to the series that you can't get with quicker episodes. But I'm still liking where we're going here.

I wish i remembered "The 12 Dancing Princesses" better. As a story on it's own, this one was quite engaging with the magic castle, and the King and his daughters both learning from their experiences. Because I haven't recently read the original story, I can't comment on its effectiveness as a reworking.

If you like Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book," you'll like this one. While the main story is about Liesl and a ghost called Po, there are multiple stories that all intertwine. I loved every second of this book.