THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani

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The School for Good and Evil

by Soman Chainani

(Book 1)

Retellings of classic fairy tales have a history as long as gossip itself, and continue to be popular in pop culture. Among retellings is Soman Chainani's debut novel, The School for Good and Evil, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. In this hilarious novel, Chainani takes the generic, quasi-medieval setting of fairy tales and reinvents it to subvert countless fairy tale tropes while telling a story about friendship between two girls. 

Sophie and Agatha live in the village of Gavaldon, a generic fairy tale-esque village in the middle of some woods. Every year, on the eleventh night of the eleventh month, two children disappear. The legends say that a School Master kidnaps the children and takes them into a school where one of them learns Good and the other learns Evil. The children would eventually graduate into fairy tales as a hero and a villain. 

Sophie, the most beautiful girl in the village, has spent most of her life doing "good" deeds and primping herself to prepare to be kidnapped into the School for Good. Agatha, on the other hand, lives by a graveyard, wears black frocks, has a pet cat - looks as if she's perfect for the School for Evil.

However, when the kidnapping happens, the girls find that their purported paths have been switched - Agatha is a student of the School for Good while Sophie is thrown into the School for Evil. 

The School for Good and Evil challenges a lot of tropes introduced by fairy tales that a lot of us grow up accepting, such as that attributes such as ugliness, the color black, and dirtiness = evil, while attractiveness, the color white (and other pastels), and purity (pristine surroundings, pure intentions) = good. 

Chainani also questions the ideology of "goodness" and also our subjective connotations of what it means to "hurt" or "help" someone, and whether it's really so good to "give" something. The five rules that separate Good from Evil are:

1. The Evil attack. The Good defend. 
2. The Evil punish. The Good forgive. 
3. The Evil hurt. The Good help. 
4. The Evil take. The Good give. 
5. The Evil hate. The Good love. (page 157)

Take Rule 4 and apply it to the fate of Good animals who "help" Princesses:

"Animals love to help princesses for so many reasons!" said Princess Uma, stopping at the water's edge. "Because we sing pretty songs, because we give them shelter in the scary Woods, because they only wish they could be as beautiful and beloved as--"

"Wait."

Uma and the girls turned. Agatha held up the storybook's last page--a painting of the stag ripped to pieces by monsters as the princess escaped.

"How is that a happy ending?"

"If you aren't good enough to be a princess, then you're honored to die for one, of course," Uma smiled, as if she would learn this lesson soon enough. (page 130)

A lot of distinguishing between good and evil starts with the appearance, but the book also addresses deception (when a Good or Evil person is disguised as the other). Agatha struggles between the School's institutionally-enforced dichotomy between Good and Evil because she was placed in the School of Good, but her appearance and reclusive outward demeanor makes her appear as if she belongs with the School of Evil: 

"What if my face is Evil?"

Her teacher flinched at her tone.

"I'm far from home, I I've lost my only friend, everyone here hates me, and all I want is a way to find some kind of happy ending," Agatha said, red-hot. "But you can't even tell me the truth. My ending is not about what Good I do or what's inside me. It's about how I look." Spit flew out of her mouth.

"I never even had a chance." (page 372)

Despite this book being full of hilarious moments (mostly in which Sophie attempts to do Good deeds at school), it also contains some sincere moments of growth for Agatha's character, in which she emerges from beneath Sophie's flamboyant shadow and paves her own destiny. As her confidence increases, Agatha transforms from the reluctant sidekick to her own heroine, and also realizes that there are things in-between Good and Evil (page 423). 

Overall, this book helped me develop an appreciation for fairy tale villains for their flair and passion. With their contrasting personalities, Sophie and Agatha complement each other well as friends (and maybe frenemies). I absolutely loved the clever reinvention and subversion of fairy tale tropes in The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. 

I look forward to reading the second book, A World Without Princes, which actually came out this April. The third book, The Last Ever After, will be released on July 21, 2015. 

Find out more about The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani:

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Audiobook: The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt #12)

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The Spine of the World

by R.A. Salvatore

(Paths of Darkness #2; Legend of Drizzt #12)

Before I read this book, I thought Wulfgar was a boring side character, maybe a copy of Conan the Barbarian, or the third corner to the love triangle between himself, Catti-Brie, and Drizzt. The Spine of the World changed my mind about Wulfgar - this book is about his path to redemption after being torn up by Errtu in more ways than one. The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore has become one of my favorite books in the Legend of Drizzt series.

The New Wulfgar: Dealing with Trauma

Wulfgar has returned from the clutches of Errtu, but he experiences a cognitive dissonance: his loved ones (Drizzt, Catti-Brie, Bruenor, and others) see him as the way he was, before being taken by Errtu and tortured for years. They expect him to be the same old Wulfgar that they once knew. That he once knew. However, Wulfgar can't identify with the man he once was, so he sets off on his own and gets a dead-end job as a bouncer in a bar. He drowns his fears, anxieties, and sorrows in alcohol funded by his new career as a bar bouncer.  He also makes friends with a rogue named Morik. 

There's a difference between understanding his angst on a distant, rational level, and experiencing the same angst in the form of surprise-PTSD-like flashbacks. Finally, I was able to connect to Wulfgar in a way that I hadn't been able to throughout the series - not only through his trauma, but in his redemption. Knowing that deep down, beneath the fear, was a person with good intentions. 

Meralda: Stuck in a Nasty Love Triangle

My initial reaction to the parallel story line about Meralda was one of perplexity. "Who the heck are these people?" I wondered. "Why should I care about them, and how will their paths intersect with that of Wulfgar's?" Meralda is a beautiful young peasant who is forced, by circumstances, to humor and marry a local lord for the sake of her mother, who is dying from what seems to be cancer. She loves another - Jaka, a handsome, local boy with a head of beautiful curls. 

I thought I knew where this was going. Lord Faringal came across as repulsive and moronic, with his odes of love to Meralda when he hadn't even spoken to her. "Oh," I figured. "Lord Faringal is the gross nobleman and Jaka is the poor lover." I rooted for the poor guy until I realized Jaka was a jackass. Meralda is trapped between two men, who are competing for different reasons: love (Faringal) and ego (Jaka). Ultimately, this parallel story turned out to be really good--I wanted it to be its own separate novel with Meralda as its heroine! 

Conclusion

The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore is about Wulfgar not being able to reconcile his old self (with Drizzt and friends) with his new self (post-Errtu), and fighting against traumas of the past. He tries to run from the past, but ultimately realizes that there is no way to deal with his emotions but to confront them. Meralda's parallel story was really cool too - I would love for her character to show up in more Forgotten Realms books.

My rating:

Thanks for reading!
Find out more about The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore:
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Audiobook: The Silent Blade by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt #11) - Narrated by Victor Bevine

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The Silent Blade

by R.A. Salvatore

(Legend of Drizzt #11)

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

In The Silent Blade by R.A. Salvatore, we see, once again, another lineup of old villains who've come back for a second (or third) chance to achieve their evil agendas: the Crystal Shard and Artemis Entreri. The novel switches between three different storylines--something I didn't mind, given the fact that each storyline follows a character with a distinct path. 

The Three Storylines

Once again, we continue the journeys of Drizzt and his friends and frenemies. Drizzt and his friends travel, as always, to save the world from evil. This time, the evil takes form in the return of the Crystal Shard to the hands of someone who can make its dreams for world domination come to fruition: Jarlaxle. It's great to see the crew reunited: Drizzt, Catti-Brie, Bruenor, Regis, and Wulfgar. 

The group is unsure of how to comfort Wulfgar. The seven-foot barbarian feels completely disconnected from the person he once was, prior to imprisonment and torture. Eventually, he sets out to do his own thing, hits up some bars and drowns his discomfort in booze, sex with short women, and fighting. Bartender offers him free booze, food, and a bed if he gets rid of troublemakers. Wulfgar finds a successful career in the bar as a professional brawler. 

Artemis Entreri, still suffering from a blow to his ego after two defeats by Drizzt, paces restlessly through Calimport and reenters the underground politics of the seedy city. Entreri meets Dwahvel, leader of a halfling guild. He had always defined himself by his physical fighting skills, but now that Entreri's been defeated, he feels empty...and he wants another rematch. Yeah. Okay. 

This isn't the first time Salvatore has split up a novel between several characters. The paths of our favorite characters converge towards the end, creating a sense of cohesion that was missing at the beginning of The Silent Blade. 

Human Characters Get More Opportunities to Grow and Change, Not Drizzt

Artemis Entreri is a flawed man--troubled, and struggling against his own weakness. And also, less predictable. Unlike Drizzt, who has always been "good", each choice that Entreri changes as a character after he's forced to reevaluate his values. While not quite likable, Wulfgar's struggles are less predictable, because he too is deviating from the typical Mary Sue sort of path. He's a broken man. 

The human characters beside Drizzt are allowed to transform more, perhaps because of their shorter life spans. At heart, Drizzt's is "good", and that's all he ever has been. His character has also become a lot more Mary Sue than back in The Crystal Shard, where Drizzt was depicted as a bloodthirsty swordsman. We know that it's not so much "growth" as it is a different rewriting of his character to be more tender and "good" because the prequels, which were written later, depicted Drizzt as a person who's always been good. However, there are mysteries in Drizzt's life. At the end, Jarlaxle reveals a juicy tidbit about how he came to know Drizzt. 

While sometimes it may seem like Entreri serves as a foil to Drizzt, sometimes it feels like the other way around--Drizzt serves as a foil to the human characters, who evolve, change, soften or harden their hearts depending on the circumstances. 

Audio Narration

I only started listening to the audiobooks after book 10, so this is the first time I've heard Bevine's interpretation of Artemis Entreri's voice. Not bad. Cold, calculating, but not hoarse or anything extraordinary, which is pretty much in character. Overall, Victor Bevine does a good job narrating this novel. His voice is engaging and expressive, pulling me into the story as I drive to and from work each day. 

Conclusion

The Silent Blade by R.A. Salvatore, narrated by Victor Bevine was a good read (or "listen", since I had listened to it by audiobook). I like where this arc is going. Wulfgar's rough life in the spine of the world opens up an opportunity to explore a different part of the world of Faerun. 

My rating: 4.5/5 (rounded to 5)

Find out more about The Silent Blade by R.A. Salvatore:

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***

See my review of: 

Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt #10), Audiobook narrated by Victor Bevine

Audiobook: PASSAGE TO DAWN by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt #10), Narrated by Victor Bevine

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Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore
(Legend of Drizzt #10, Legacy of the Drow #4)
Narrated by Victor Bevine

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore was the first audiobook that I've ever finished out of my own accord. The listening experience was amazing, as it starts out with Drizzt and Cattibrie on a ship six years after the previous novel, and Victor Bevine conveys soulfully Drizzt's sense of wonder at the vastness of the world as he looks out into the sea. 

Victor Bevine's Narration of Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore

Bevine's voices for the characters are fun. I love the voices for Cattibrie, the succubus, and that hag on the island. I giggled when he impersonated the succubus torturing Errtu's prisoner at the beginning as she purred, "Do not, my lover." If I ever become a succubus, whether by radioactive poisoning or by a lot of plastic surgery, I'd want my voice to drip with that much seductive nectar. 

Bevine is a master of the inflection of the voice. I think he has successfully layered additional nuance and meanings to the novel by making the characters and their lines come alive. Drizzt's voice is also great. When I read the books in this series with my eyeballs, I always connected deeply with Drizzt's thoughtful memoirs at the beginning of each section. When listening to Bevine's narration of Drizzt's thoughts, I felt that same level of connection with the character, if not more. 

Because there are so many male characters in the book, sometimes the voices of the human males, especially if they're from the same background (region, occupation, industry, etc), blend in with each other. Fortunately, the cast for this novel is wide and varied. 

The only voice I didn't like was probably Errtu's voice. Errtu's a balor, so he's supposed to be super frightening and inhuman-sounding. Bevine's rendition of the powerful demon's voice makes me visualize raspy and decrepit old men rather than a mighty balor tanar'ri. 

My Thoughts on the Story

Story-wise, Passage to Dawn was the fourth and last book in the Legacy of the Drow sub-series. I usually have a bit of trouble getting into Salvatore's novels when there are lots of minor characters in the beginning. By the end of the book, we reunite with two characters that we haven't seen in a long time. 

I was glad to be done with the annoying Errtu arc. The sort of "I'll be back for you!" villains make me yawn. This is the Forgotten Realms, not a Saturday morning cartoon show. 

Other visitors to the narrative include the prematurely-aged priest Cadderly, who apparently has his own series of books. I had only met him later on when Entreri met Cadderly. Also, Harkle Harpell, the ever-clumsy but knowledgeable mage, shows up and holds a flashy magic contest with a ship mage. We also see what comes of the barbarian tribe that invaded Ten Towns a few decades ago.

The scenes that reveal the rich dynamics between characters held my attention better than the action scenes, which I can follow better by text. R.A. Salvatore can write amazing action scenes, but sometimes they get excessive, especially when they're between minor characters instead of a major show-down between our favorite characters and their main enemies. 

Overall

Overall, I enjoyed Victor Bevine's narration of Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore. His soothing, yet enthusiastic voice is a delight to follow by ear. Bevine's interpretation of the dialogue imbues the colorful characters in this book with life and personality. The novel itself has its great moments of character development, and it broadens the world by following the same restless spirit of adventure that Drizzt shares with his friends. 

My rating: 4/5 stars (4.5 for narration, 3.5 for story) 

Light of Lorelei by Jen Minkman (Tales of Skylge #2)

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Light of Lorelei

by Jen Minkman

(Tales of Skylge #2)

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Tales of Skylge series, it's a dystopian fantasy series set on an island in which Sirens (merfolk) regularly pull haplessly enchanted island people towards the sea with their eerie music, where they tear them apart and consume their life force. 

Light of Lorelei continues the island's story from the first novel, Sound of Sirens (see my review). 

Aska is an orphan who is doomed to serve in a convent for the rest of her life because she is the offspring of a taboo relationship between Skylger and Current/Anglian individuals. The aftermath of a vicious siren attack on the convent leads Aska to find the truth behind the Sirens and the ruling class (Currents) of the island. 

St. Brendan's Fire has always been used to repel the Sirens, or so Aska was taught. However, the Sirens' reaction from the use of St. Brendan's Fire leads her to doubt its true purpose...

Aska has to decide whether to help the Skylger rebels conduct their research of the mysterious tower of St. Brendan's Fire. She meets a mysterious and handsome fisherman who starts turning up in places she goes. She also meets two young people who ask her to help them find the truth about St. Brendan's Fire. 

I came into the novel a bit confused, leaping from Enna and Royce's dramatic ending in Sound of Sirens into Aska's life in the convent. I also thought Aska might have been the daughter of Enna and Royce, except Aska's father was a Skylger. However, this was settled later in the novel.

The convent shows a different side of the island of Skylge, which I really enjoyed seeing. Because Aska's job at the convent is to serve the community and protect it from the siren's songs (by using the church's own hymns), Aska is able to see the island's events in a larger perspective. Because of her life as an outcast, Aska is a bit resentful, even if she is somewhat resigned to her station in life. 

She escapes from convent life by sneaking out to take evening walks, during which she meets Tjalling, a mysterious fisherman...who starts popping up wherever she goes. I was afraid Aska's relationship with Tjalling would be too similar to Enna-Royce, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

Actually, this novel surprised me many times.

There are so many twists and mind-boggling revelations in Light of Lorelei. I'd start thinking the story would go a certain way, and then--nope!--it'd head right into another direction, each time deepening my understanding of who the Sirens are and what their relationship to Skylge is. I really loved finding out about the Sirens and the truths behind the way things were on the island, particularly how the Currents have maintained their power over the Skylgers for so long. And Aska's true identity. 

I wish I could reveal more but that'd be spoiling too much. ;) Let's just say that this novel strikes a delicious balance between revealing the magical secrets of Skylge, the further development of the characters, and the fate of the Skylger-Anglian co-existence. 

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Find out more about Light of Lorelei by Jen Minkman (Tales of Skylge #2):

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Tales of Skylge:

1. Sound of Sirens

2. Light of Lorelei (this)

Sound of Sirens by Jen Minkman (Tales of Skylge #1)

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Sound of Sirens

by Jen Minkman

(Tales of Skylge #1)

After reading Jen Minkman's The Island series, I was stunned by how different this novel is in comparison to the ones in her former series, possibly because in this novel, possibly because Minkman draws inspiration from the history of her home country, the Netherlands. Sound of Sirens is well written, and while it took a while to set up, I loved the characters and the cultural and geographical details incorporated throughout the book.  

Sound of Sirens takes place in an island in which two groups of people live: the Currents and the Skylgers. The Currents are the rich ruling class who came from across the sea, while Skylgers are natives to the island. Electricity exists, but the Currents hoard it. The island is surrounded by mysterious merfolk whose siren calls lead hypnotized island folk to their watery doom. It seems that neither Currents nor Skylgers are immune to the call of the Siren. 

Enna, the Skygler main character, is the daughter of a woman who died after heeding the Siren's call. After her brother who returned from a long voyage gives her an LP that can only be played by electric devices, she befriends a Current guy named Royce. Who's hot. And popular with the girls. And somehow indifferent to all except Enna.

Thus begins a taboo Skygler-Current relationship, meanwhile Enna learns more about the monopoly that the Currents hold over electricity, and that there is more to the history of the island of Skylge than what was taught in history class.

Sometimes Enna comes close to falling into what I consider the "Bella Complex" in which she considers herself plain compared to Royce, and Royce is such a girl magnet that it's a wonder he doesn't sparkle in the sunlight.

However, she is not a Bella, because she's curious and passionate about the larger politics of the island. She doesn't want to hide or even defend herself from the scary politics; she wants to change the bigger picture--proactively. She wants to learn more about the history. She is proud of her Skylger culture and language, which is slowly disappearing beneath the Current rule.

The language in this book is simplistic and minimalist, and compared to her other series, Minkman writes with more familiarity about the details of Skylge because she is drawing ideas from her home country this time. It took some time to set up the world and its conflicts, but not too long. Once the island of Skylge was established, I wanted to find out how far Enna would go to discover the truths of the island, and how far the Currents would go to protect the status quo.

I can't wait to read the sequel!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars

Tales of Skylge:

1. Sound of Sirens (this)

2. Light of Lorelei 

Review: Bentwhistle the Dragon: A Threat from the Past by Paul Cude

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A few months ago, the author Paul Cude contacted me to review his two books: Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Past (Book 1) and Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Chilling Revelation (Book 2). I took a look at the book blurb that he included and was super excited about the idea of an underground dragon society co-existing with modern human life on the surface. 

Book blurb for Bentwhistle the Dragon in a Threat from the Past: 

Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Past is an adventure story children and adults alike will love, about the present day world in which dragons disguised as humans have infiltrated the human race at almost every level, to guide and protect them. Three young dragons in their human guises become caught up in an evil plot to steal a precious commodity, vital to the dragon community. How will the reluctant hero and his friends fare against an enemy of his race from far in the past? 

Fascinating insights into the dragon world are interspersed throughout the book. Ever wondered how dragons travel below ground at almost the speed of sound? Or how they use magical mantras to transform their giant bodies into convincing human shapes? 

In an action packed adventure that features both human and dragon team sports, you’ll get a dragon-like perspective on human social issues and insight into what to do if you meet a giant spider grinning at you when you’re wearing nothing but your smile! You’d be flamin’ mad to miss it.

The narration reveals a lot of insight into the daily life of dragons living on the surface. Many concepts introduced in this novel are unique in terms of the general portrayal of our favorite mythical lizards. Here, dragons can shift forms between human and dragons. Younger dragons grow up in nurseries in which they learn to shift between their forms. They have communal telepathic abilities that allow them to retrieve and read a daily newspaper in their minds, similar to the way we use Wi-Fi. I like the idea of a technologically advanced dragon society, and of course, there are older dragons who are more uncomfortable with surface life and think that humans still drive wagons and carriages. They even have their own sports culture, which is fascinating and the dynamics reminds me of Quidditch. 

I love how well-developed and original the world is, but all the emphasis on world-building ultimately takes away from the plot and character development. The main thrust of the plot is the mystery of Mr. Mason's malicious presence in Peter Bentwhistle's workplace. Following a sudden death of a dragon (which is extremely rare in dragon society), Peter begins to notice a lot of strange things happening in his workplace, along with the introduction of Mason, a mysterious figure who seems to have a strong influence over Peter's normally-benign boss, Mr. Garrett. As a result of escalating suspicions about Mr. Mason's motives, Peter begins to investigate what Mason really wants...

Pacing is a big issue in this novel, mostly because there is so much world building that it slows down the plot, even though the mystery is quite intriguing. The world is clearly huge and complex, but I think it would be a lot better to condense the story so that it's driven more by plot or Peter's mission. There are many chapters about Peter's daily life before or after work, as well as several long anecdotes about Peter's past that, at most, have only tenuous connections to the main plot. About 40% into the book, the plot lost its momentum as it began to meander into daily life, games, and routines, and this continued until I was 80% finished with the novel. I found myself losing interest with the characters and the plot for the middle part of the story. 

Ultimately, the story sacrifices plot, pacing, and character development in favor of world building. I love the world of dragons and their super-fast subways, but the characters don't grab my interest enough for me to continue reading in this series. The sense of urgency regarding Mason disappears in the middle (besides his odd appearances and insulting behavior towards Peter) and doesn't come back until towards the end, and so I had to struggle to finish the novel. 

My rating: 

Find out more about Bentwhistle the Dragon: A Threat from the Past by Paul Cude:

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ROAD OF THE PATRIARCH by R.A. Salvatore

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Road of the Patriarch 

(Sellswords Trilogy #3)

by R.A. Salvatore

Pairing an intense, usually objective-driven character with a flamboyant, slightly reckless character leads to a lot of adventures that wouldn't otherwise happen, especially on the part of Artemis Entreri. I was intrigued by his character when he appeared in the Drizzt series as the noble dark elf's relentless adversary. What else was there to his character, I wondered. I was curious about the sort of past that would create a lone individual who prefers to identify himself with his weapon skills than other attributes. 

I'm not the only Artemis fangirl.
Credit: Yoski

Among the books in The Sellswords trilogy, this one is the juiciest in terms of getting to know Entreri's past. The novel begins with a teaser into his childhood but it doesn't resurface until the latter half of the novel. The first half focuses more on Jarlaxle's imperialistic antics, which drive the story forward but feel a bit pointless and cumbersome in Road of the Patriarch. Despite all the action scenes during Gareth's invasion of Entreri's "castle", I was actually pretty bored with this part and didn't really see how it was necessary, aside from Jarlaxle's pet project getting them kicked out of the land. However, it was cool to see Entreri face off against the well-intentioned King Gareth in a philosophical debate about righteous claims to kinghood. 

Entreri's decision to pursue his "ghosts" is an impulsive decision, influenced by the magical flute that Jarlaxle encourages him to play. My issue with the magical flute is that it's an obvious plot device to inject character development into a character that's tough as a rock. It felt a bit too artificial and easy, and I felt that since the catalyst for Entreri's emotional growth was a physical objected, the effects would only last so long before it was either taken away from him or smashed. 

I can understand the benefits of having a static character, and it looks like Salvatore wanted to keep Entreri from becoming a completely different person. A lot of readers like the character for the way he is--ruthless, smart, and with a potential for tenderness buried somewhere within. And granted, he's in his forties--by now, his personality and life views are set firmly as opposed to the way it'd be for a youth unsure of his role in the world. 

Vaasa, by MaverikElf

In the latter half of the novel, we get to see a closeup of Memnon, the town that Artemis grew up in. The descriptions of the unchanging state of poverty and ignorance in the town created a vivid image in my mind, as well as a sense of indignation at the religious cleric who exploited these qualities of the poor to take their gold in return for "prayers". The closure that Entreri pursued in his hometown ended in a satisfactory way for me. 

Betray, by Yoski

Ultimately, I thought this was a great conclusion to the trilogy. The imperialistic ventures into Gareth's realm weren't the most interesting to me because none of the minor characters were that eye catching besides Gareth and his moral dilemma. Jarlaxle's manipulative schemes make things a lot more interesting (and occasionally infuriatingly complicated) than they would be with Entreri's tendency to pursue objectives directly. I loved the exploration of Entreri's past and getting to know what he hides from. Jarlaxle and Entreri cross roads (separately) in R.A. Salvatore's newer series, the Neverwinter Saga. 

My rating:

Road of the Patriarch 

(Sellswords Trilogy #3)

by R.A. Salvatore

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Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

One thing that I noticed was that despite all the kiddie trailers and marketing to children, a lot of the kids in the theater were actually pretty restless during the movie, particularly during some of the more poignant scenes.

Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent (2014)

I'm attracted to anti-heroes and certain spin-offs, so when I saw the trailer for this movie, I was instantly hooked. Maleficent is a Disney, live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story (and its 1959 Disney animation) from the perspective of the villain.

Review: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WAR CRIMES by Christie Golden

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I meant to read this slowly, I really did. I had a final exam the next day, and like it happens every quarter, I always crack up a "fun book" right before an exam. Not that it hurt me so much in the end--this brief vacation into Azeroth may have preserved my sanity for the following day. I savored it the night before the exam in between reviewing flashcards, and then right after I finished the exam early, I went to the college cafe and read through the novel. IT FELT SO GOOD.

Anyway, my procrastination aside, War Crimes is the thirteenth book in the World of Warcraft novel franchise, transitioning us from the Mists of Pandaria expansion to Warlords of Draenor. Lore-wise, this takes place after the the Siege of Orgrimmar, after the Alliance, Horde, and Pandaren have united to defeat Garrosh after he has poisoned the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, a place that was not even open to the world until recently. 

Before and After: Vale of Eternal Blossoms
(Credit: Tenton Hammer)

...And this is why the Horde can't have nice things.

Book Review: THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by David Daglish (The Half-Orcs #1)

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The Weight of Blood
by David Daglish
(The Half-Orcs #1)
Published: 2010
Genre: Dark Fantasy

What first drew me to this book was the intriguing cover with the two half-orc brothers lurking along the edge of a camp. The second attraction was the fact that this series is about half-orcs, not something I think about too often - most of the cute YA fantasy novels I've been reading tend to feature half-human, half-fae or half-elven main characters. The third thing was that the ebook is free on Amazon (also free on Nook, if that's how you roll) and has decent reviews. Being the cheapster that I am, the freebie status cemented my interest.

Book Review: THE WISDOM OF THE SHIRE by Noble Smith

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The Wisdom of the Shire

by Noble Smith

Published: October 29, 2013
Genres: Nonfiction / Philosophy / Self Help / Secondary Source

A self help book based on Tolkien's philosophies in his works on Middle-earth, Wisdom of the Shire is a wonderful guide on living the simple and fulfilling lives of Hobbits. It's a short work - you can finish it in a day if you like, but I chose to read it slowly over the course of a month to make it last. 

Book Review: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: ASHBRINGER by Micky Neilson, Tony Washington, and Ludo Lullabi

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World of Warcraft: Ashbringer

by Micky Neilson (author), Tony Washington (illustrator), and Ludo Lullabi (illustrator)

Published: June 9, 2009

Genres: Comics / Fantasy / World of Warcraft

Read this one on my tablet - the colors are gorgeous!

NEWS: World of Warcraft: War Crimes by Christie Golden

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Hey all! A teaser has been posted on the Amazon page for Christie Golden's upcoming World of Warcraft: War Crimes. 

This novel, in which Garrosh is charged with the crimes that have been committed beneath his power, is intended to transition the lore between the expansions Mists of Pandaria and Warlords of Draenor. During the trial, the Bronze dragonflight will use their powers to give the audience a close-up flashback vision of what Garrosh did. 

Christie Golden has stated that she takes some of the ideas for the war crimes from research into our world history (Earth, that is). Here's her response to someone who criticized her for borrowing from the war violence in our own histories:

Book Review: CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas

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Crown of Midnight 

by Sarah J. Maas

(Throne of Glass #2)

Published: 2013, Bloomsbury USA

Genre: YA / Fantasy

For the sake of not spoiling anything, I'll try to focus on my reactions. As the sequel to Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight has a much more satisfying story with a less-contrived plot. The competition structure of the story with its intriguing subplots in the first book had felt contrived - there's none of that here. Crown of Midnight is filled with plot twists, betrayals, and mysteries that keep me with the story.. 

But I had to take an two-month-long hiatus when I hit the middle of the book.

Why, you ask? 

Book Review: THE POWER OF THE RING: THE SPIRITUAL VISION BEHIND THE LORD OF THE RINGS AND THE HOBBIT by Stratford Caldecott

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The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

by Stratford Caldecott

Published/Edition: 2012, Crossroad Publishing Company

Genre: Non-Fiction / Religion / Literature / Fantasy / Secondary Source

(For the short version of my review, see the bottom.)

I consider The Power of the Ring a great secondary source to commentary and analysis on Tolkien's works from a strongly Catholic perspective, but the biggest issue I have with this book is the misleading phrase in the title: "The Spiritual Vision." Now, this was probably not the fault of Caldecott but more likely an attempt by the publisher to sell the book to a wider audience. 

The word "spiritual" is often tacked onto Christian literature, but the word also applies to other elements (from Buddhism to Cherokee philosophy), and so I came into the pages expecting to get a good coverage of the spiritual backgrounds and origins that went into Tolkien's work, including both the Christian and the pagan. 

Book Overview: Studying THE SILMARILLION By J.R.R. Tolkien

This meme characterizes my experience with this tome.

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre(s): Fictional history / Fantasy / Literature

Well. It took me five whole weeks to finish The Silmarillion, which is halfway into the quarter. Yes, I had fallen back on readings.

My friends, especially those of you who love Middle Earth, here's some advice in terms of how you approach this book: you don't just read The Silmarillion; you study it like a history textbook written from the perspective of the Elves. There are multiple names for characters due to the varying languages of the world.

Book Review: SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Volume 2)

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Saga (Volume 2) by Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (artist)

Genres: Comics / Fantasy / Romance / Sci-Fi

I'm going to start by saying that I am in no way immersed in the comic book world. As someone who can probably count all the graphic novels she has read with the fingers of both her hands, I've barely dipped my toes into the waters of the giant ocean of ink, paint, and other media. Most of the comics I've read were introduced to me by a friend who works in a bookstore, Saga included. Since I'm not a collector, I usually wait until the comics I love have been collected into a trade volume. Saga (Vol. 2) was gifted to me by this special friend, and it's taken me at least six months to get to reading it. Yay!

Speculation: World of Warcraft: War Crimes by Christie Golden

Warning: Spoilers

The official cover hasn't been released yet, but there has been talk about the next World of Warcraft novel, War Crimes, which will be written by Christie Golden. 

Release date: June 3, 2014