Raven

• Rated 2 stars

“I've been looking forward to reading this book seeing as it's dystopia/post-apocalyptic and set in Australia. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations and I'm pretty sure that's not because I had high ones either.
It may have had an interesting premise, but that wasn't enough to save it. At times the writing style was a confusing, chaotic mess, filled with plenty of detail but lacking essential explanations to tie events together and when there was some much needed explanation (rarely given) it seemed to be thrown in apart from the event it was tied to, giving it a very disjointed feel.
Even so I kept pressing on in hope that something would happen to really grab me and add a missing element to the story but after reaching the half way point with nothing but further confusion and erraticism it felt like a waste of time.”

Raven wrote this review Tuesday, November 18 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“It’s rare I come across a book that I wish to read again. To me there are two different types of re-reading a book. One the type where you’ll read a book again at some later date, which goes without saying, especially when it’s a favourite book. It’s a common practice to read a favourite book more then once but it’s usually with other books being read in between. In this case I mean the second type; reading a book, finishing it only to want to read it again the second time straight afterwards. No picking up another novel and having a break from it or waiting for a period of time before revisiting that book again. That is the rarity for me and that’s the urge I have with The Name Of The Wind.
There’s more then one reason for that. First of all is the usual absorption with a story and not wanting to leave it’s world behind for any amount of time. You’ve fallen in love with the characters, the plot, the world if it’s a fantasy or alternate universe, the sayings, the unique names of places and people etc. Secondly for how the story is written, it’s style can lull you, it can whisk you away with it’s depth of detail and cleverness with words.
I find that the case with this book, it’s both reasons I wish to re-read it again, especially seeing as I’ve been so absorbed with it for several days running now and barely pulled my head out from between it’s covers to pay attention to the world around me.
It has a lovely attention to detail, a style I find refreshing and all in all it’s a very well written first novel.
”

Raven wrote this review Tuesday, November 18 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“I couldn’t bring myself to finish reading this book. With a hundred pages to go I realised that at some point I was reading but not really keeping track of what was going on. Reading it had become automatic. When I thought about it more I also realised that I didn’t care enough about the characters to force myself to read another 100 pages to find out what happens with them. I know I’m a tad sadomasochistic but I’m not that far on the masochistic side.
In the beginning I found this story quite depressing and on the verge of haunting but at some point it lost that feel and became emotionless for me. Must have been after the whole beach scene. I believe that scene was the only thing that actually kept me reading for so long. The knowledge that something disastrous was in there somewhere was constantly dangled like an elusive treat and then you finally reach it. That point is the pinnacle and there after it’s a rapid descent into lifelessness.
That’s what this story ended up feeling to me. Lifeless.
It reminded me of a lecturer who gives a long winded lecture in the same bored monotone, not because they want to but because they are told to and it’s the last thing they want to do. And that is what the story was when it comes down to it. A boring, emotionless, dull tale told in a lifeless monotone, which is a shame really because the idea had promise.

Such a waste.”

Raven wrote this review Thursday, October 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The Two Pearls Of Wisdom isn't your a-typical fantasy. Having an Oriental element it has been compared to Lian Hearn's Otori Series but I think, for the most part, that's where the similarity ends.

Usually stories like this make my blood boil. Actually any story with even a hint of female oppression is enough to it raise my ire. This being no exception because the main character is female pretending to be male (if she is found out she'll be killed), the story is set in a time and place where women have no real meaning or power and Eon is being ruled over by the people around her.

So that in itself was enough to make this an 'angry' novel for me. It also didn't help that I found it very predictable, and yet given all it's predictability it was actually quite a compelling read. I found it very hard to put down, thanks to it's flowing style and assortment of characters, mainly Eon/Eona who, in all her oppression, ended up with some back bone.

It also made a difference, in my opinion, that the main character was not physically perfect and that there was a transgender as well. I don't come a long many fantasy novels (if any) that has transgender individuals so I thought that was interesting and refreshing rather then the writer sticking to typical characters.

Then there were the dragons. Being of an Oriental back drop so too were the dragons, which I found refreshing.
There was the use of Chakras and Chi, although that wasn't the names they were given but if you know anything about that you'll recognise it. All that added to it's Oriental flavour.

As for this being a young adult novel, well it could pass for either young adult or a light adult read. Definitely a novel adults could read as well without any real complaint.”

Raven wrote this review Monday, October 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“It's not often I find it hard to rate a book but it happens and this turned out to be one of those books.
I gave it it's current rating although I wanted to give it more but it can't be more. The few reasons I want to give it more then what I did is 1. I like the vampire. I thought as a vampire with his lack of humanity it was apt, especially after reading a paranormal romance (urgh I hate that term) I wanted to read about a vampire that actually turned out to be vampirish, not romanticised and made human.
2. I love how Sunshine acted towards events. So many books where the character goes through certain experiences they seem to not always suffer shock like a real person would and, somehow, accept and embrace the transition too easily. When it came to Sunshine, I found the way the character was written with her reactions to be far more believable then other stories.
3. I had a hard time putting it down. I think that says a lot, especially when I've been having trouble getting into any book lately but with this one I had a hard time putting it down.
There's also the style which at times bothered me because I'm so used to waiting for a chapter to end to be able to go and do something but McKinley didn't do clearly defined chapters (there were breaks but that's not good enough for me), but on the other hand I feel it added to, not necessarily to the fluidity of it, but the continuity.
As for the fluidity, and the reasons why I couldn't bring myself to give it more then I did, I didn't feel it flowed much at all for all it's continuity. To me it read disjointedly. I felt there wasn't enough connecting detail between scenarios, as if the author thought it was fine to gloss over some areas or skip finer detail.
That and perhaps more detail about the world Sunshine lived in rather then waffling on about her and her heritage might have been nice. At least I would have liked more explanations for certain words and phrases because sometimes those certain words didn't always seem to fit in with the meaning I arrived at for them.
Maybe that's just me.
Otherwise it was a pretty good read to pass the time and I would recommend it for vampire nuts like myself seeing as, for me anyway, it turned out to have a proper portrayal of a vampire.”

Raven wrote this review Monday, August 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“The Lace Reader is a book I didn't really know what was about but one I'm glad I read. I found it to be so utterly engrossing, especially with Barry's writing style which is direct and brusque, making it literally a page turner. Which amazed me because for a style like that I don't expect to become so engrossed. In fact I'm not usually a speed reader but The Lace Reader is one of the very few books that I became so absorbed in I couldn't help but read it quickly.
I was taken by surprise with it. It wasn't predictable like I find so many books to be, it had lovely characters who were quirky but at the same time completely normal to me (might be because I'm slightly eccentric myself, who knows), and the ending literally took me by surprise itself. It was something I wasn't expecting and it made everything come together so perfectly especially as you can't help expecting something else and then it all gets turned on it's head.
I also love how it had little snippets of lace reading at the beginning of every chapter. I think that was a nice touch.”

Raven wrote this review Thursday, August 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Fantastic! I might be bias because I'm an Aussie who has hung around the places mentioned in the book and I loved the 90's but this book had me hooked by the first few pages.
By page three I had already laughed at some of it and by page six I had decided that I would have to read the rest of Jaivin's book after this one.
It's such a fun, fast paced novel that really packs a punch. The use of slang and innuendo's are hilarious and make for an even more entertaining read. It has a lot of sex, drugs and music and I think that's what so great about it, because even though it has aliens it represents the 90's subculture so well. Plus the Aussie slang makes it really refreshing, well for an Aussie, to read. I don't know how it would go over with someone outside of Australia though. You might want to get your hands on a slang dictionary just in case but I highly recommend it, given Jaivin's creative and amusing imagination.
”

Raven wrote this review Thursday, August 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Well I'm a tad disappointed, unfortunately. On one hand I loved the book because I love the series and the characters. The first part had me so hooked. The change of perspective in book/part 2 (Breaking dawn is done in three parts or three "books") was great and probably my most favourite part of the whole thing but there was something lacking come part 3.
Then there are some of the things that happened that I was not expecting. That had me stopping in disbelief, for the most part I found it hard to put down but unlike the other books in the series I found it easier to put down when I had to. At first I thought perhaps I was more disappointed from the book because the series had ended but after thinking on it for awhile I realise it's because of the book itself. For starters all the drama and intrigue seemed to be in the first half of the book or coming to a close at the end of part 2. Then there was waiting for something exceptional to happen with Bella. Sure something happened eventually but when it did I was left wondering "was that all?", which brings me to the last confrontation and well for all the build up and expectation I think it fell short.
I still love the book and enjoyed it as far as a good little read goes but it's nowhere near my favourite in the series. I think the best thing to do is, if you do read this book, to read it without high expectations (a bit hard for all the Twilight fans out there I'm sure).
”

Raven wrote this review Thursday, August 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I think this is a great continuation from the first novel and although I love all three at times this would have to be my favourite. The fact that it offers a new experience for the slaves to be in makes it seem far more brutal and far more interesting. I think it helps to add more depth and then there is the introduction of a new character and the story being told from their perspective as well as Beauty’s. I quite like the new perspective and seeing as it is a different slave to what Beauty is (a different type of slave) I think it adds a better dimension compared to the first but only in so far that it helps add more dimension to Beauty’s character.
Then there is the introduction to Laurent (my favourite character) and seeing as these books are so short and it’s really only feeling like it’s getting to the heart of it just as it ends I always get a bit upset at the ending because of it’s abruptness. In saying that I think it’s an abruptness that’s needed to continue the slaves growth, but still I like the brutality, mainly because I’ve found it to be a more colourful novel and even more detailed then the first.
”

Raven wrote this review Wednesday, July 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I can’t help comment/review this book from the perspective of someone who has read it before and has recently read it again.
As a whole I like to think of the trilogy like a flower. The first novel is the bud and then by the time you get to the end of the third novel it’s in full bloom.
Claiming starts of with innocent little Beauty being “awakened” by the Prince. I like how innocent Beauty is because as the reader you’re innocent to this new world she is introduced to as well, this being a fairy tale after all, and you get to warm up to it like she does as if this is the setting stage for what is to come. By the end of it Beauty is still innocent but she’s really only touched the surface and so has the book so the ending isn’t really all that surprising and I think the perfect prelude to the next one.
I highly recommend this for anyone into the SM genre or if you are an erotic lit reader but want some shock value then by all means read it. Mind you, if you’re narrow minded forget about it because the “shocks” (when I say shocks I mean for vanilla people) start right from the beginning and become more intense, imaginative and descriptive as the Rice delves further into the psychological factors of it.
”

Raven wrote this review Wednesday, July 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )