Tag: 2008

Vellum: The Book of All Hours

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Vellum: The Book of All Hours
Hal Duncan
Fantasy
1 star
463 pages

profanity, obscenity, blasphemy, all these were what this book centered around. Humans become angels, the top angel became god, was overthrown. Angels, demons, whatever, are unkin. And a war wages between them all. The Vellum is under all, the “true reality” that can be rewritten.

This book was very non-linear, almost like the author was on an acid trip or smoking pot when he wrote this. Duncan gloried in profanity and homosexuality, and a refusal to “choose” sides in a divine war. And it was just so full of emptiness, hopelessness and despair. Who would want that kind of world view? Ugh.

Eternity

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Eternity
Eon #2
Greg Bear
SF
2 stars
346 pages

the sequel to Eon. Not nearly as interesting. Lots of junk about the future affecting the past to cause itself. Explored what humanity might become. Why does it seem that most evolutionistic authors assume that we will all become some sort of group mind meld? More likely we will kill ourselves off first. I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as Eon.

Eon

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Eon
Eon #1
Greg Bear
SF
3 stars
412 pages

humanity discovers an “alien” artifact in orbit around our world. Turns out to be from an alternate future in which the world almost destroyed itself. It appearing heightens tension between the Russians and the Americans and sets off what is called “The Death”, the world almost destroying itself. Lots of humanity going digital. Assumes that that is possible. A pretty cool read. Lots of action with the Russians trying to take over the artifact. Bear wrote well, unlike his starwars stuff. He should stick to straight scifi.

At the Back of the North Wind

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At the Back of the North Wind
George MacDonald
childrens classic
3 stars
292 pages

a little boy gets to know the North Wind, which is basically an angel of death for children. Sees the world, has adventures with his family, and then goes to the Back of the North Wind at the end of the book, which means he died.

Can’t say I really understood this very well. Filled with poems, songs, etc that I just skipped over. In essence, it seems to be a story about a little boy who dies. But it wasn’t really sad.

Emo Me

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The Void,
the awful void within.
Consuming me,
the emptiness consuming all.

Darkness,
despair overwhelming.
Light, faltering.
Massive nothingness in us all

Not to bad, wouldn’t you say? I was actually kind of down when I started, but when I actually read it, I started laughing. What a bunch of pretentious phooey. That’s what emo is all about after all, wallowing selfishly in ones own pathetic nature without trying to change it.

Hahahahaa. I feel better now 🙂

FRUITS BASKET 19 & 20

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FRUITS BASKET 19 & 20
Natsuki Takaya
manga

blah, blah. Kyo confesses he could have saved Tohru’s mom but didn’t. Tohru continues to look for a cure to the bond, which basically consists of her moaning about how unworthy she is. I just read these books without remembering a thing from 18. To many people who look alike and act alike. Everytime I am like “Ok, who is THIS character again?”. Bleh.

Elminster: In Myth Drannor

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Elminster: In Myth Drannor
Forgotten Realms: Elminster #2
Ed Greenwood
fantasy
1 star
378 pages

Elminster goes to the Elven kingdom to learn lots of magic and help the elves open up their kingdom. Almost all the elves want to kill him so he ends up spending 20+ years apprenticing to some unknown elven sorcerer. Everything works out in the end with one elvenhouse swearing eternal vengeance against him, so as to make room for more books 😉 Blase writing but a good time killer. Light.

Hero of Ages

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Hero of Ages
Mistborn #3
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy
4 stars
572 pages

the conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy.

The power Vin released was Ruin. It was a force opposed by Preservation. Preservation made humans with some ruin so as to get an edge on Ruin. Ruin was trying to destroy the world, period. Preservation gave up its sentience to imprison Ruin. Vin freed Ruin in Well of Ascension but joined the mists and took on Preservations power. Fought with, and joined with, Ruin. Sazed took both those powers and became The Hero of Ages, basically a god watching over the world. Vin is no more and Elend dies to, so no loose ends. The story ends with Sazed fixing the world and keeping it safe for the remnant of humanity saved by the Lord Ruler’s foresight.

Definitely didn’t take the direction I thought it would, but it was good none the less. Hope Sanderson does a good job on Memories of Light, the final Wheel of Time book.