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Tag Archives: 4 stars

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

22 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, 5 stars, Fantasy, Fiction, Patrick Rothfuss

A few years back I read a book that changed my perspective of the fantasy genre.  I’ve enjoyed stories of swords, sorcery, orcs and heroic quests for a long time now.  But for me, after you get past Tolkien’s seminal work, the rest of the stories tend to devolve into the same old story of an unlikely hero, a great evil, an impossible task, and eventual victory. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  There are any number of ways where that tried and true formula can turn into a very enjoyable book.  That’s why I keep reading fantasy.  Rothfuss, though, with his debut novel of The Name of the Wind, and the recent sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear, has found a way to take a sweeping epic and turn it into something infinitely more intimate.

Kvothe, our flame haired protagonist, trouper, hero and innkeeper has led an exciting, yet short life.  When the book opens, we find him assuming the mantle of a mild mannered innkeeper. He works very hard to hide who he is. And who he happens to be is a legend in his own time. Everyone knows of and tells stories of Kvothe.

In an interesting storytelling device, a man named The Chronicler has tracked Kvothe down and convinced him to have his story recorded. To set the record straight, so to speak.  Thus begins a masterful tale of tales.  Over the course of three days, Kvothe will set down how he became a master magician, the smartest kid at the University at a time when most children have not thought of attending school yet, slayed a dragon, outsmarted a Queen of the Fae, killed a king and started a war.  Yet when Kvothe tells it, you can see how a simple story can become a legend. He isn’t humanities only hope from a Dark Lord. Rather, he’s a kid driven to find an answer to a question. With an indomitable will, he makes things happen.

While I enjoy the story that Kvothe is telling, and innumerable stories that are told to him or by him to other characters during his recounting, it is not the story that draws me to these books.  In the end, you can still boil this down to unlikely hero, a great evil, an impossible task, and eventual victory. Or so it seems two books into what appears to be a trilogy.

No, rather it is Rothfuss’ masterful grasp of the language and the art of telling a story.  His description of Kvothe playing music can move you to tears.  You will feel Kvothe’s triumphs and defeats.  You will read pages of description of arcane magics and systems of science in a make believe land, and later try to replicate it yourself fully expecting it to work in our world.

One last superlative for this book. I reread the first book in 3 wonderful days. I picked up the 1000 page sequel and had it done in under a week. I typically read before bed and fall asleep within 30 minutes. Instead, hours later, I would still be reading. I had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep lest my job suffer. And even then, I felt myself fully immersed in the world he created even when I was not reading.  It’s that good.

As for Rothfuss, I am a fan of the man as much as the writing. His Worldbuilders fund raising drive has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, which he has been kind enough to match. His blog is all sorts of witty and funny. Check him out. http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com

The Name of the Wind: 4.5
The Wise Man’s Fear: 5

You need to buy this book and read it. It’s #1 on the New York Times Bestseller’s list as of today (3/21/2011)

Buy it Now at Amazon

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Decision Points by George Bush

17 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, Non-Fiction, On Books

I find it hard to credit anything the press has to say about any person, especially someone as polarizing as the President of the United States of America. The vehemence that the political milieu generates started in this country long before the present day filled with tweets, buzz, blogs, and the twenty four hour news cycle. Back when John Adams was Vice President and the man many wanted to be King, George Washington, was the first President, political opponents and the press said any number of horrible things about Washington. Is any of that remembered now? If it is, it is usually met with scorn. Who could say something bad about Washington?

George W. Bush is not George Washington, let’s get that out in the open. I never thought he was quite the buffoon the media made him out to be, but then again, it’s hard to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to media coverage. I was looking forward to hearing from W in his own words, and in his book, Decision Points, I was not disappointed.

W. breaks his presidency, and some decisions prior to his term, into a few of the most important decisions he made, such as Day of Fire, War Footing, Afghanistan, Katrina, Iraq, and Financial Crisis. He breaks down the situation he was faced with, the possible choices, and the reason for his final decision with clarity, facts, and a humble, self deprecating humor.

If you don’t like W, I don’t think Decision Points will make you like him more. What I think it can do is help you understand the sheer volume of decisions, the heavy consequences of each choice, and the reason for his choices. W. had a lot of bad things thrown his way that he didn’t have any control over, and made the best decisions he could with the information that he had at the time. I can’t imagine any of us wanted to lead the country through 9/11, Hurrican Katrina, or the financial meltdown at the end of his presidency.

He isn’t afraid to lay the blame for a situation where he thinks it belongs, even when the blame falls to him. He readily admits the mistakes he made, but also explains why he made the choices he did. We won’t all agree with the choices he came to, but I know I can’t fault him for making the tough, unpopular calls that no one else would have made. That’s what a leader does.

I strongly recommend this book. For a guy who avoids politics, it was refreshing to see what went into the decisions that the media would so egregiously blow out of proportion. I was also happy to see that on many issues I had heard of, the end result was very positive. The positive portion is what you’ll miss if you just watch CNN.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Summer Reading – 2010

22 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, Bernard Cornwell, Dresden Files, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Jim Butcher, R.A. Salvatore, Roman Empire, Romans, Wizards

It’s been a busy summer of devouring books as fast as I can; so fast that I couldn’t get a review written of each of them. So, instead, here’s a rapid fire list of what rocked and what was as dull as a rock.
Books that Rocked:

Outliers: The Story Of Success – Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell is always an interesting read. His ability to find connections in places where they aren’t expected is uncanny.  In Outliers, you will learn that where and when we are born have a large influence on our future.

 

 

 

 

Time to Hunt – Stephen Hunter
I’ve read a few of the Bob Lee Swagger novels, and this one is the best so far.  Go back in time to Bob’s harrowing escapades in Vietnam, and learn why they call him “The Hammer”.

 

 

 

 

The Dresden Files

  • Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6) – Jim Butcher
  • Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, book 7) – Jim Butcher
  • Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8 ) – Jim Butcher
  • White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) – Jim Butcher
  • Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) – Jim Butcher
  • Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) – Jim Butcher

Yup, it’s been a summer of Jim Butcher. I’m not surprised. Harry Dresden is a perfect lead character. He’s filled with doubt and weaknesses, but always has enough steely resolve and powerful magic to pull himself out of the tightest places.  Each book is better than the last, and I can only hope that Butcher keeps kicking them out.

 

The Night Angel Trilogy

  • The Way of Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Shadow’s Edge (Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Beyond the Shadows – Brent Weeks

The Night Angel Trilogy was an interesting fantasy series. It focused on a young boy who wants to escape his danger our and hopeless life as an orphan.  He gets himself apprenticed to the greatest assassin of the land and ends up having a drastic influence on the world while defeating a great evil.  Yup, that sounds like just about every fantasy series out there.  Great characters and interesting plot twists make this a worthwhile read.

 
The First Law

  • The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Before They Are Hanged (The First Law: Book Two) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Last Argument of Kings (First Law: Book Three) – Joe Abercrombie

Other than the Butcher books, this was my favorite series of the summer.  The story was full of intrigue and plotting, but what was interesting is that for all the machinations of man, there was a handful of demi-gods running around pulling the strings that no one really believed in.  Couple that with a half dozen morally gray heroes and heroines and you’ve got a formula for a great read.  Each chapter switches to a different hero’s perspective, and Abercrombie was able to make it so you instantly know which character you are with.

 
The State of the Union – Brad Thor
An interesting thriller that explores what would happen if Russia was playing possum and only pretended to lose the Cold War.  Think Tom Clancy crossed with Dan Brown.

 

 

 

 

As interesting as rocks

Daemons are Forever (Secret Histories, Book 2) – Simon R. Green
Loved the first book for its sheer volume of fantastical creatues.  The follow up fell flat for me.

The Orc King: Transitions, Book I – R.A. Salvatore
Salvatore has dozens of great books starring the dark elf, Drizzt Do’urden.  As he has progressed, the books have taken on a morally preachy timbre. I love the action, but could do without the sermons.

Agincourt: A Novel – Bernard Cornwell
A book about my favorite historical battle?  Count me in.  I can’t remember now why this was bad or good, and I guess that’s enough to say about it. However, Cornwell typically hits the mark and I would not hesitate to recommend him.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy – Robert V. S. Redick
The whole book takes place on a boat.  There’s some interesting characters, but I didn’t really get into it.

Sharpe’s Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805 (Richard Sharpe’s Adventure Series #4) – Bernard Cornwell
I really enjoy the Sharpe series, and I’m going to keep reading them. This book wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t that great either.

Soldier of Rome: The Sacrovir Revolt: A Novel of the Twentieth Legion During the Rebellion of Sacrovir and Florus – James Mace
I really wanted to like this series, but it is entirely too dry for me.  I guess I’ll find a different Roman era series to read.

That’s 21 books read since March, not too shabby. Luckily, most of them have been good, including 3 series: The Night Angel Trilogy, The First Law, and The Dresden Files. Get some!

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Duma Key and Under the Dome by Stephen King

26 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, On Books, Stephen King

I went to San Francisco a couple of months ago and to Washington D.C. at the beginning of May. In both instances, I picked up a Stephen King book to tide me over for the trip. In San Francisco it was Under the Dome on my Kindle. In D.C., I had forgotten the book I was reading at home, and picked up a hardcover of Duma Key at Barnes and Noble for $6.98.

Both books are similar and both are excellent reads. King has always been one of my favorite authors, from Needful Things and Pet Cemetery, to The Dark Tower series, which ranks right up there with The Lord of the Rings for me.

King did not disappoint with either book. Perhaps they aren’t for every reader, but they hit the spot for me.  The books are long on words and on detail, but not always long on plot.  With Duma Key, the thrust of the story didn’t really start until the 400th page.  But it made sense and I was more than OK with it, I thought it was perfect.  King has a rare gift for drawing a reader in with the mundane. He makes the ordinary extraordinary.

Under the Dome presents a simple and unnatural premise. What would happen to a town if it was suddenly completely cut off from the rest of the world?  In the story, an invisible dome crashes down around a small town in Maine.  King makes it seem like something that happens every day, and commences to follow the inhabitants of the town as their world shrinks and the good and evil in ordinary people is magnified.

Duma Key follows a man trying to rebuild his life after a catastrophic accident. He ends up on a small island in Florida, where he begins to paint.  His paintings are good, perhaps even better than good.  And they are powerful.  Edgar Freemantle meets a few people on the island that he befriends and the mystery, magic, and evil that exists in Duma Key unfolds before them.  King accomplishes almost the opposite in this book. He makes the extraordinary seem ordinary.  He also has a penchant for targeted one-liners at the end of his paragraphs that foreshadow a horrible event and compels you to continue.

He is the King of the foreshadow.

Both books are excellent and get a 4 out of 5

p.s. – Read them on a Kindle!  The books are huge and aren’t great for reading in bed. Also, with a Kindle, it’s much more difficult to jump to the end of the next page and find out what is going to happen. I seem to do it all of the time!

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John Adams by David McCullough

05 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, History, Non-Fiction, On Books

This is the second book I’ve read by McCullough.  I enjoyed his work in 1776, and I enjoyed John Adams even more.  This book is a fascinating and enjoyable read about the second President of the United States.

Adams played a pivotal role in the first two sessions of the Continental Congress, debated fiercely for a declaration of independence, and was instrumental in most of the major decisions made before and after the Declaration, including naming George Washington as the commanding officer for the war.

He wrote extensively, as did his family, and luckily, most of the communication survives.  McCullough masterfully mixes in words that Abigail (his wife) and John wrote to each other and to their family to flesh out the literary portrait of his life.

Here are a few quick John Adams highlights:

  • Adams wrote the Massachusetts Constitution
  • Adams wrote extensively on the role of government
  • He travelled more extensively than any of his peers, making two trips across the Atlantic.
  • He worked with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in France to establish a peace treaty with the British that ended the Revolutionary War.
  • He was the first American diplomat in the Netherlands, where he secured a much needed loan from the Dutch.
  • He was the first American diplomat to England after the war ended.
  • He was responsible for the creation of the American Navy, correctly surmising that naval strength was the path to security at home and respect abroad.
  • Adams was the first Vice President of the country
  • Adams was the Second President of the country

The one item that I found most fascinating about the entire Adams’ saga was revealed not long after Washington became President.  It would seem to me that after the amazing accomplishment of winning Independence from England, that everyone would be on the same side and pulling the same rope to secure success for the fledgling country.  Surely the dissonance and infighting of our current system did not exist at the founding of the country!

And yet it did, and in some ways was even more ridiculous.  Two parties emerged, the Federalists and anti-Federalists, and a newspaper sprouted up for each group spouting off ridiculous, inflammatory, derogatory half-truths and fallacies.  It was pretty amazing to see the lengths the groups would go to in order to discredit the other group and revere themselves. Even the patron saint of Unites States Liberty, George Washington, was not immune to their attacks.  And great personas such as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were behind the scenes exhorting their peers and the papers to greater heights of infamy.

Reading the book, I have become more convinced that reaching common sense decisions on large topics is not possible.  There will always be vocal dissenters willing to spread misinformation for their own goals and gains.

I highly recommend you read this book. It is a great history of our country and will give you a new perspective on the political tomfoolery that is taking place today.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – it is not a 5 only because a book like this isn’t easy to pick up and read over and over again.

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Princeps Fury and First Lords Fury by Jim Butcher

27 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, Fantasy, Jim Butcher

I powered through the last two books in Butcher’s Codex Alera on my Kindle.  It took my just 3 days to read them all; I guess that is what happens on a rainy weekend with a couple of great books.

If you haven’t read the rest of my reviews for this series, do a search for “Jim Butcher” on the site and you’ll find them.  Butcher isn’t breaking a lot of new ground in this series, but as I’ve said about his writing in numerous other reviews, he makes the story fun.

The final two books are fought against the Vord as they spread quickly and violently throughout the planet.  Old enemies across the world have to ally with each other in order to face a great threat.  Through the destruction, new friendships form and a new way of life emerges.

The only problem I had with the last two books is that the enemy becomes so powerful, no one can overcome it. It ends up being the planet itself that finds a way to destroy it. I think Butcher may have made things a little too desperate and had to resort to a bit of a trick to wrap it all up.  I’ll give Butcher this, though, he setup the possibility for this ending from the first book. So it was a trick, but one that was available to him from the first.

All in all, there aren’t many six or more book series that is really excellent from start to finish.  Stephen King’s Dark Tower is another that springs to mind.

Rating:  4 out of 5

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Review of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

13 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, Fantasy, Neil Gaiman, On Books

Tired of the fantasy scene? Need a break from the standard interpretations of heros, wizards, and Dark Lords? Check out Neil Gaiman’s stories. He seamlessly integrates the modern and mundane with some of the most intriguing fantasy elements I’ve encountered in a long history of fantasy book readings.

In Neverwhere, Gaiman explores what happens when people fall between the cracks of the world and end up forgotten by the World Above and find themselves in the fantastical realm of the Underground. There are heroes and villains in the Underground, and a plot afoot to control the universe.

My favorite characters were Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar – the time traveling, immortal assassins with loquacious wit and deadly abilities. They were humorous and frightening at the same time.

I’m not going to delve farther into characters or plot for you. If you want something with wit, humor, imagination, and adventure, then go read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (What’s this?)

Buy this book at Amazon.com!

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Black Light by Stephen Hunter

16 Tuesday Mar 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, On Books

Bob Lee Swagger is a man of few words, granite-like stillness, and complete calm. Even when pursued by the baddest of men, he finds a way to become the hunter and bring the fight to his enemies.

I’ve read two previous books starring Bob Lee Swagger, Point of Impact and The 47th Samurai. I enjoyed both of those books by Stephen Hunter, and I can say the same thing for Black Light.

This book takes place after Point of Impact, but well before 47th Samurai. Bob is coaxed from the quiet family life that he has carved out for himself, to go back to his hometown in Arkansas. A writer wants to do a book about Bob’s father, Earl, and the night he was murdered. Bob reluctantly agrees, but soon finds that the murder was much more than an arrest gone awry. The night of Earl’s murder resonates forty years later, and involves the CIA, night vision snipers, an Arkansas crime boss, and a Presidential hopeful.

Hunter rights a tight, technically sound novel. He has a number of great battles, a dose of mystery, and a dash of humor. And in the end, there’s a reveal that pretty well took me by surprise.

The Bob Lee Swagger novels have been a hit for me so far, and I plan on reading more of them as soon as I can.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (What’s this?)

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Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher

09 Tuesday Mar 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, Jim Butcher, Kindle, On Books

I just finished reading Captain’s Fury (ok, so I actually wrote that on January 17th, but I’m trying to pace these posts out a bit for you :), which is the fourth installment of the Codex Alera. I downloaded it on Friday to my new Kindle. Early Sunday morning, I finished it. Yup, it was that good. I’m sorely tempted to get the next two in the series, take a couple of vacation days, and have the series done by next week.

Jim Butcher has crafted a marvelous world set in what appears to be the Roman era, except this time things are a little more fantastical, since the Alerans have a sort of magic they call Furycraft. Everyone does, that is except Tavi, the story’s main hero. In the previous book, Cursor’s Fury, that had begun to change. In this book, we find out all the reasons why.

The fulcrum of the story remains simple. Tavi is in a tough spot. He must find a way to get out of it. He has some great friends that help him. Bad people want to kill him.

If you have read fantasy, you have read it before. That’s where Butcher comes in. He keeps the story fresh. It is funny. It is intense. It is dark. It is merciless. It is kind. It is sad. It is happy. It is all the shades of gray in between. I don’t know how he does it, but I’m impressed and I can’t wait to finish the series.

Butcher is quickly becoming my favorite author. I have now read eight of his books, and I have been entertained by each of them. There are another five of his books on my shelf right now, and I definitely will be buying the other two books in this series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (What’s This?)

Oh. This is the first book I read on my Kindle. That was pretty cool. Read my Kindle review here.

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Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden

02 Tuesday Mar 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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4 stars, Historical Fiction, On Books

Bones of the Hills is the third book in Iggulden’s sweeping epic of the rise of Genghis and the Mongols. In Birth of an Empire, Iggulden traces Genghis’ rise from an outlawed boy to the uniting of the Mongol tribes. It was a great book and a promising start to what should have been an excellent trilogy.

In the second book, Lords of the Bow, the story started to unravel for me. I read the book on the heels of finishing Birth of an Empire. Looking back, perhaps I wasn’t prepared for the change in tone from following Genghis very intimately, to viewing the entire Mongol nation from a distance. The scope of the story changed, and I wasn’t that impressed. In it, the Mongols invade China and destroy hundreds of cities.

I took my time getting to the third book. I wanted to finish the series, but I was concerned that it was going to be more like the second book than it was like the first. In that, I was correct. It didn’t follow just Genghis like it did in the first. It did follow his sons, brothers, and top generals, though. Perhaps it was the time away from the first book in the series that made it more enjoyable in the third than in the first. Or perhaps it was the invigorating battle scenes and intricate discussions of Mongol tactics and their ability to change the rules of war when presented with challenges.

Whatever it was, it worked. I was captivated by this book from the first page and had trouble setting it down at night. A few scenes stand out as memorable: A cavalry chase across hundreds of miles in the dead of night, a mano y tiger fight to the death, and a scene of loyalty and sadness involving a wayward son of Genghis that was surprising, merciless and heartbreaking all at the same time. This book truly showed why Genghis was feared throughout the world. His army was mobile, fast, and devoid of mercy.

If you like historical fiction, you will be a fan of the Genghis series that Iggulden has crafted. The first and third books are truly memorable. I wasn’t a big fan of the middle book, but I may have to go back and revisit it. Maybe I missed something.

Rating: 4 out of 5  (What’s This?)

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