I came away from Red Rising already impressed by the scope of the world that Pierce Brown was beginning to build - Golden Son blew me away. The universI came away from Red Rising already impressed by the scope of the world that Pierce Brown was beginning to build - Golden Son blew me away. The universe of the Red Rising Trilogy is gloriously expanded in this second installment, and feels all too real - petty political turmoil, violent greed, and endless ambition. Darrow's character, compelling from the very first page of the first book, grows and changes, and is everything that the narrator of a story should be. The supporting cast of characters - some new, others old favorites from Red Rising - are each complex and unique and are never merely archetypal cardboard cut-outs thrown in to complete the background. I do not read much dystopian literature, mainly because it does not typically interest me and a great deal of it is filled with cliches, tropes, and cookie-cutter plots that are simply recast with new characters and slightly different settings. Red Rising stood apart from the beginning, but Golden Son puts this series in the category of truly spectacular literature. To lump this in with its logical peers (Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent, etc.) is an insult to the work of this master storyteller and architect. I expect incredible things from Morning Star.........more
I love the Jungle Book, and I love Neil Gaiman's writing, so I went into this book with extremely high expectations and enthusiasm. I underestimated tI love the Jungle Book, and I love Neil Gaiman's writing, so I went into this book with extremely high expectations and enthusiasm. I underestimated this book. When I first heard about it, I thought that it was an incredibly clever idea - a graveyard instead of a jungle, ghosts instead of wild animals. I expected something very inventive, clever, and original. And it certainly was all of those things. What I was not prepared for was how emotionally invested I would be in these characters. Only Neil Gaiman could write a story which makes you feel more sympathy for the dead than for the living, a story where the thought of a young boy abandoning his graveyard home for the world of the living is utterly terrifying. Nobody Owens is a sympathetic hero and his family of spirits and creatures of the night is utterly endearing and truly magical. I highly recommend this book, to young and old alike, and truly cannot praise it highly enough....more
America is a melting pot of cultures, languages and traditions. People of many backgrounds and beliefs have learned to coexist - and so have the gods America is a melting pot of cultures, languages and traditions. People of many backgrounds and beliefs have learned to coexist - and so have the gods that they brought with them. And, if co-existing and competing with other gods is not hard enough, they must now contend with new and authentically American Gods......media, technology, consumerism. This dark story of self-discovery is filled with as much fantastical imagery as bleak reality. Through an impossible story about gods and men, Gaiman tells a story that is unmistakably human, and far more terrifying for that reason. This master storyteller makes the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary ordinary. I would highly recommend this book to fiction and non-fiction readers alike as it transcends genre and contemplates humanity and belief through the deceptively simple guise of telling a fantasy story. ...more
I rarely add books to my "Favorites" shelf, but this made the list the moment I read the last word. This book is EVERYTHING a Peter Pan retelling shouI rarely add books to my "Favorites" shelf, but this made the list the moment I read the last word. This book is EVERYTHING a Peter Pan retelling should be. I am an avid lover of Peter Pan, the original as well as its many interpretations. A retelling must bring something new or different to a tale but remain, in some basic way, true to its source material. And Alias Hook does this brilliantly. This book expands on and explores the universe created by J. M. Barrie so beautifully and believably. It allows you to examine a well-known tale from another perspective without taking away from the original. It does not seek to make a hero out of Hook by making Pan a demon, rather, it takes a closer look at the implications, motivations, and many gray areas that Barrie himself alluded to. Barrie never suggested Pan was perfect, angelic, or all-good. And if Pan is not entirely good, Hook cannot be entirely evil. This book was so true to its source material, true to the characters created by Barrie, and yet told a completely new story. I enjoyed every page and have nothing but praise for the work Jensen has done. Highly recommend. ...more
I have always loved the story of Peter Pan - every adaptation, every telling, every movie, every play. It has always been the definition of magic, innI have always loved the story of Peter Pan - every adaptation, every telling, every movie, every play. It has always been the definition of magic, innocence, and child-like wonder. Having read the actual story (finally) the only problem I had was forcing myself to read such familiar lines as though they were new. Trying to experience them for the first time. And, in so doing, I was blown away by the sheer originality of J. M. Barrie's story. For myself, and for everyone who has grown up with this story, it isn't a story as much as it is simply a fact. It exists as an idea apart from literature or theater. Peter Pan is a symbol more than a story. But the story, has its own magic. Barrie truly understood the essence of what childish innocence is and that, in my opinion, is why this story has stood the test of time. However else the world around us may change, what never alters is the wonder with which a child encounters the world, the complete faith with which they whole-heartedly believe in anything and everything, and the selfishness that comes with such a care-free existence. To be forever young is beautiful, and Peter Pan is a romantic notion for that reason. Yet Barrie does not forget to remind us that to be so care-free is also to be care-less. Peter is free, and wild, and filled with wonder. But he cannot feel empathy or sorrow, because to feel those things would be to grow up. Such innocence has a cruel kind of beauty which Barrie captures to perfection. I have always loved this story. Now, I truly admire and respect it. ...more
This book is everything that I love about Neil Gaiman's writing. The story is deceptive in its simplicity, as it deftly forces the reader to question This book is everything that I love about Neil Gaiman's writing. The story is deceptive in its simplicity, as it deftly forces the reader to question the nature of memory, of perception, and of reality - all while calmly telling one of the most engaging and captivating stories ever written. Highly recommend to anyone that loves Gaiman's writing, or to anyone who simply loves a well told tale....more
When I began reading it I soon found that I could not put it down and that my life would never be the same again... I picked this up at a bargain book When I began reading it I soon found that I could not put it down and that my life would never be the same again... I picked this up at a bargain book store because the cover was intriguing, but I had never heard of it before. I began reading it on the bus on my way to and from work and every day I missed my stops. When I had about fifty pages left, I walked into my house and stood in the middle of the kitchen just reading, because I could not put it down. This is THE best fantasy book that I have ever read and recommend to anyone and everyone that will listen. The story itself, while engaging and somewhat unique is not what makes this book so incredible, so no review or book jacket could do it justice. The magic of this book is in Rothfuss' prose. The telling of this story is so immersive, so descriptive, so insightful, and so musical that the reader is enraptured. At the end of a chapter, I would sometimes realize that not much had happened in those pages to move the story along, and yet I had been completely absorbed by every page. Even if you don't love or read fantasy, the story-telling is so incomparable that it would be enjoyed by anyone that loves the written word. ...more
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