Saturday, April 28, 2012

Review: Mockingjay


Mockingjay
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is a fine conclusion to the Hunger Games series. The readability remains high and the pace, breakneck.

The Hunger Games still stands as one of the few genuinely thrilling books I've ever read. So much so that I delayed reading the sequels for like 2 years because I didn't want to subject myself to that kind of emotional toil. Now that I've finished the entire series, I'm very glad I finally returned to it, even though neither of the last two books carried the same punch.

For one thing, the scenery is starting show some holes. Like for example, why the capitol would be filled with death traps. I know it makes for a more exciting climax, and ties everything in with the hunger games theme, but....really? a city full of death traps? I'm not buying it. Likewise, even the underlying tension level suffers a little bit. For the vast majority of this book, the major source of tension in this book is Peeta's safety. This works great for the first half of the book, when he's a captive of the capitol and we keep seeing glimpses of him on TV, and great for the last third of the book where he's damaged and unstable and trapped against his will in a war zone. But for the middle 6th when he's safe and sound in District 13? It kind of kills the momentum which in these books is the greatest of sins.

As for the ending, I had to think about it for a while, but I ultimately decided that I liked it very much*. It's sad, messy, and unsettling, and diminishes the characters, but, of course, this is what happens when you fight a war, even one that desperately needs fighting.

Bottom line? The Hunger Games books are excellent! Well worth your time and their universal praise and popularity.

*I'm not talking about the team gale/peeta discussion. I think it's been fairly clear that Katniss was going to end up with Peeta (assuming he and Katniss were both to survive) from about half way through the first book.



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Friday, April 20, 2012

Review: Catching Fire


Catching Fire
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Say one thing for Suzanne Collins, she writes incredibly addictive stuff. Much like the Hunger Games before it, this book was down-right un-put-down-able. And frankly, after some of the crap I've been reading lately, that alone is a relief and enough to guarantee this book a positive review.

Apart from the pace and quality of the writing, though, everything about Catching Fire is weaker than the Hunger Games. The plot is down right stupid. The following contains massive spoilers: Really Snow, you decide that the 75th hunger games is going to feature winners from previous games and you don't expect either that the populace is going to turn against you or that the tributes (most of whom have known each other for years) are going to plot something against you? How did you get to be president again? cause it wasn't brains, buddy...

Likewise, the actual hunger games in the book are kind of weak. They don't take up all that many pages of the book, which is good, because I was bored with the whole idea by the time we get there (and I think maybe Ms. Collins was too). But on the other hand, since so little time is spent in the arena we don't get nearly the same emotional attachment to the other tributes and hence their gruesome deaths are much less affecting.

As for the climax, I'm fine with the book ending abruptly. It sets up good momentum to carry the reader into the next book, but the leadup to the dramatic ending could have used 10 more good pages of set up. I knew I was coming to the end of the book from the dwindling number of pages remaining, but from the text, there was seemingly no change of momentum until SUDDENLY BIG FINISH!

Still, the resting momentum of these books is beyond breathless, so count this one as recommended.










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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon


Throne of the Crescent Moon
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I've read a number of Saladin Ahmed's essays on genre fiction. In fact the reason I bumped this book to the top of my lengthy book queue was his Big Idea essay (for John Scalzi's Whatever). I really like the things Saladin Ahmed has to say about the genre.

Too bad I didn't much care for his actual genre writing. The action is dull with no engaging set pieces, and barely serviceable choreography. The whole setting was, in general, a little thin. Adoullah is, apparently, the last ghul hunter, and as we see in the novel, Ghul's have the potential to do some serious damage. You'd think someone would notice, "hey, we've only got one of these left...we'd better get a fresh batch of recruits."

There are some good points. Adoullah and Raseed are both fairly engaging, and I the Falcon Prince effectively steals his scenes as he's supposed to. I thought the climax was effectively handled, especially for these characters, and I very much enjoyed the awkward, fumbling, and wholly believable relationship between Raseed and Zamia.

As for the good, that's about it.

The biggest problem in the novel is that there is just no plot momentum in the middle third of the book. Two new main characters are introduced and they get most of the POV in this section, and frankly the were perhaps the most boring and unimaginative alchemists and magicians I've ever stumbled across in fantasy fiction.

So, as you've gathered, I was very disappointed with this book. Ahmed has potential, and I hope he either improves upon his weaknesses or plays more to his strengths in his future volumes.



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