The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 
I was tempted to give this one 5 stars, but there were still a few things that held me back. I think I was most excited to finally get closure on most of the annoying side plots that just seemed to drag on needlessly, and to see some positive movement in the main plotlines.  

The parts that kept this from being a 5 for me were most anything dealing with Rand. His character has just been getting frustratingly darker and darker, leaving you feeling pretty hopeless and depressed. They did finally move toward redemption for his character, but it remains to be seen where they go from there.  

Mat's story arc seemed unnecessary, at best, but we shall see what his next step is and whether the major character reveal (my favorite part of this book) has something do with the reasoning behind that arc. 

As far as Sanderson's style in taking over for Jordan, I think it was a very good choice. It seemed to me that having a new writer helped bring some new life to many of the characters and stories. I actually found myself enjoying certain characters more than I had previously and even laughing out loud at some of the more light-hearted moments.  

All in all, I am very excited to see where the next 2 books go as they move toward the resolution. View all my reviews >>

Les Miserables

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's tough to summarize everything about this book. Not just because it is over 1400 pages, or because it took me nearly 15 years to finally finish the darn thing, but also because it is not just simply a novel. The story and the characters are incredible, but this book is so much more than that. It is Victor Hugo's masterpiece of the French people. He uses one of the greatest redemptive stories ever told as a platform to expound on his understanding of his nation. He takes many tangents on the history, economics, sociology, and ethos of France. It makes the story so much bigger than the struggle between the characters, it is about the soul of a people.  

That said, the reason I read this book and enjoyed it is because of the characters. My first impression of the story was from seeing the musical version (which I love), but even in that modern opera, many of the characters are given short shrift. Jean Valjean is well explored, and Javert's back story is briefly mentioned, but many of the other characters are barely glimpsed. And in the film version many characters disappear altogether. But Hugo's characters are so rich. Marius is so much more than a French Romeo to Cosette's Juliet. He is a passionate, intelligent man with a strong moral compass, but still young enough to be an idealist. Cosette is not as developed as a character, but much of that is because she is still young and naive, and she represents purity and light to Valjean. To delve her much more would ruin her place in his eyes. Then there are the Thenardiers. This whole family of criminals and miscreants who, while trying to exploit or destroy those around them, seem only to be able to help the main characters. And two of them wind up being the noblest of characters.

The way these characters interact and struggle with each other is fascinating in and of itself, but then you add the historical and factual aspects that Hugo incorporates, and the story just leaps off the page at you. I have to admit that some of his tangents were difficult to get through and some of the details overwhelmed me at times, but I think much of that is because I am not as familiar with the history of France (though I did pick up my encyclopedia to look up some more info) and I do not know the city of Paris as a citizen would. Yet, despite these handicaps, I still found much of his writing fascinating. All in all, this is probably my favorite story for so many reasons. I highly recommend it to anyone. And don't be daunted by the size. It actually breaks up into smaller reads quite well. View all my reviews >>

A Brief Review

The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald


rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very enjoyable collection of MacDonald's shorter works. Publishing them in chronological order allows you to see the progression of his work throughout his life. Be sure to read his essay at the beginning entitled The Fantastic Imagination. It is extremely helpful to understand his views and ideas about fantasy stories. It helps you to grasp some of the deeper meanings, while also giving you permission to just enjoy the stories for what they are. Any fan of fantasy (especially C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein who were big fans) should be sure to give this a read.


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