elzbethmrgn's Reviews (667)

This is probably the first audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton where I think he is actually suited to the task, because this is short snippets of fun science rather than a dramatic production.

I enjoyed the short snippets of fun science, too. Short enough chapters to listen to a few while doing household chores. I pretty much treated it like a podcast. While the audio version lacks the fun of Randall Munroe's drawings to go alongside the text, the lack doesn't detract, and I found the science easier to follow by having it read to me rather than trying to read it myself.

(I also have the dead-tree version in the house, because my husband doesn't like audio books and I knew he'd like this, so I have the pictures anyway.)

Oh god, there was an end to this book after all.

Not that it was bad, and in fact I did enjoy the first three quarters. Except for all the fat-shaming, which I'm putting down to the book being a product of its time and the boys doing the fat-shaming being young men, (and the fact that Jorden can't change his ways now) but ugh. Gross.

The last quarter dragged on for an eternity. I do not care about the girls in Tanchico, no matter how much I do like them.

I think I need a break from Randland.

I was worried about re-reading these books, simply because I love them. I was worried they would not hold up to a more critical re-read as an adult, and because of my disappointment with Pierce's latest book [b:Battle Magic|8306725|Battle Magic (Circle Reforged, #3)|Tamora Pierce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352504621s/8306725.jpg|13155766]. But, having bought Kindle versions (my dead-tree ones are falling apart), I had to justify the money by at least reading them once.
The first of the Alanna quartet is pitched at a younger age than the rest, and it's noticeable, especially in light of the other books later written in this world. But, sins are forgiven because I love it, and it's still a quick read, like a comfy blanket of old friends.

I read this simply because I'd just finished [b:Persuasion|2156|Persuasion|Jane Austen|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1385172413s/2156.jpg|2534720] and this had been sitting on my Kindle for several years without being touched. I've not read or seen an adaption of it before, and I can see I didn't miss out on much. It is obviously Austen's first published work. The minutiae of the social life of teenage girls in the late 18th and early 19th Century is fascinating, but is pretty much the only redeeming feature of this book which lacks depth, going on for far too long and saying not much. While Marianne, the youngest of the two Dashwood sisters, gains sense to moderate her sensibility (after heartbreak), the main character Elinor doesn't appear to gain any sensibility to temper her sense.

It wasn't enough to hold my attention for long, until I reached the point where I decided I may as well just get it over with, but it also didn't suck enough to abandon it completely. Disappointing overall but leaves me with only one Austen unread, so I can tick that off the list of things to do before I die.

This short story of Zuzana and Mik's first date is just completely adorable. All the squee and mushy feelings you expect from the boy-meets-girl part of the YA novel.

Jane Austen with magic. Except a little heavy on the Austen: all characters seem to be lifted straight from Austen's works, except in only two dimensions. The mother with the poor nerves, the sister who doesn't care about her impropriety, the heartless cad who leads the sister into impropriety. The depth Austen gives these stereotypes is missing here.

Having said that, it was an enjoyable light read. I've read a bit of Austen lately so this fit right in, and I *love* the idea of glamour being a 'feminine art' alongside drawing and music as a way for a young lady to display her accomplishments in order to secure a husband. And Austen never had such a good chase scene.

Spoilery? Yeah.

For a series that started out with Maerad and her being The One, the sections of this book that focused on her brother were much more interesting, with much more warmth and movement: I don't mind a bit of road trip in my stories.

Croggon still manages to hit all the fantasy tropes without being self-conscious about it: without too much effort Hem saves someone he loves from an incurable disease, Maerad suddenly works out how to defeat the Elemental that held her captive for a good chunk of [b:The Riddle|393145|The Riddle (The Books of Pellinor, #2)|Alison Croggon|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1360170670s/393145.jpg|858967], and then they meet up and save the world. Pretty much as I expected it to go, but I still found myself skimming Maerad's parts in order to get back to Hem and Saliman.

Although it's written as a 'look what historians dug up, we don't know the full story', I want to know what happened to the bad guys who were human? Did they puff off into smoke and ash like The Nameless One? Are the Elementals still there? How did the events of the book affect the other people Maerad met in the second book? Too many un-wrapped up threads.

The worst part, and this is petty, is that there was no payoff on the Maerad/Cadvan story. All the cliches were in place, down to the third party telling Maerad that Cadvan is in love with her (DUH), while she (obviously) freaks out and decides that he's not so bad. And then the end, when she's done saving the world and nearly dies but of course doesn't, THERE IS NO KISS. Well, there's a kiss, told in flashback. There's no acknowledgement of a relationship - there is no conversation between them at all. It's hardly fair to come through four books of fantasy cliche and then the one that I don't really mind doesn't get played out at all.