octavia_cade's Reviews (2.64k)

This is very well-written, and I liked the in-depth politics, the sense of machination that's always lurking in the background. That being said, I think it's a story I admire in an objective sense rather than a story I feel something for, and that is primarily to do with the characters. They are nearly all mildly unpleasant, and I didn't warm to any of them. The romance, especially, suffered because I actively disliked Alec, and wasn't invested in St. Vier enough to even wish him shot of that whiny millstone.

Not quite as good as the last one. I continue to really enjoy Lirael and the Disreputable Dog, and there seems to me much less of Sam in Abhorsen so that's a bonus. On the other hand, it seemed like it all wrapped up quite quickly - not an easy victory, but certainly much easier than I was expecting. I didn't feel any real sense of threat towards the end... in a way this book reminds me of the first in the series in that I'm just not feeling emotionally connected to it. It's clever, and I enjoyed the material at the end on making the bells, and Lirael's trip into death, but apart from her and Dog the rest could all die and I would be largely indifferent I think.

I read and reviewed all three books in this trilogy separately, so this is really just for my own records. Both Sabriel and Abhorsen I rated as three stars, and for much the same reason. I liked the world building - I found the whole thing with the bells particularly interesting - but I couldn't seem to connect emotionally with either book, and that was largely because of the characters, I think. Sabriel, Touchstone, and their children do nothing for me.

As far as I'm concerned, book number two, Lirael, was the absolute stand-out of the series. I really enjoyed it, and it earned four stars from me. I love Lirael, I love the Disresputable Dog, and I especially loved the Clayr library (I could read a whole book about that library! was sorry when she left it). I did not love Sam, not one bit, but even his presence didn't drag down everything that made the book so much fun.

Averaging out, it's three stars for the series.

I found this much more enjoyable than the first in the series, and that is primarily to do with Lirael herself. And the library that she works in... who doesn't love a library full of books and creepy things? To be honest, I find the Clayr as a whole more compelling than the Abhorsen or royal lines, and though it was clear to me very early on what Lirael's role would come to be, I still enjoyed seeing her get there.

I did not enjoy Sam. Every time the book switched perspectives to this spoilt, whiny little brat the story became instantly less enjoyable. I am no longer surprised at his sister's attitude towards him - he's damn lucky Ellimere never pushed him off a building! Better for everyone if she did. The point where I lost all hope for him was when, knowing his friend was in danger, he decided to take the longer, more dangerous route (instead of the quick safe river voyage) to get to said friend, simply because the long way had an inn with jellied eels that he wanted to try. Go die in a fire, Sameth. No-one will miss you, and your very presence is dragging down an awesome character.

He single-handedly nearly dropped this review from four stars to three, but what saves it (barely) is the text doesn't fall over itself making excuses for him.

I've been rereading this series (one of my favourites as a kid) and I was wondering a little, before I started, if I'd love it as much as an adult, and I do. That said, I don't think Pearl is as good as the other two. It doesn't have quite the level of atmosphere as book 1, or the same level of wonder and colour as book 2, but it's still pretty fantastic. There's a lot about it to love: I love that the romance goes so very badly, I love the focus on women and female friendship and power, on mothers and daughters and sisters - pretty much all the main characters are women at this point, apart from Irrylath, and he's the least compelling of the lot, lol.

I read and reviewed the books in this trilogy separately, so this is really just for my own records. I LOVE this series. I loved it as a kid and I love it as an adult. Darkangel, my favourite of the three as a child, got five stars from me for the creepy central relationship with an absolutely sane protagonist who understands both justice and mercy. A Gathering of Gargoyles, also five stars, is I think my favourite as an adult, because of the depth of imagery in it, the colour and wonder and beauty and sheer weight of marvellous imagination. The Pearl of the Soul of the World earned four stars - it's not quite as good as its predecessors but there's still a lot about it to love, and I really enjoyed how it ended.

Overall, it averages out to five stars for the series. Only LOTR has ever earned that from me series-wise (probably no real surprise, given that what ultimately triumphs over evil in both is compassion: Frodo's for Gollum, and Aeriel's for the darkangel).

Highly enjoyable read, chronicling the life of a gay oyster girl who briefly becomes a success on the stage before her world turns to custard. The characterisation, I thought, was mostly excellent - Kitty is particularly believable - and I appreciate that it doesn't sink into over-sentimentality. On that note, I really love the ending, and how it doesn't fall into the trope where the first and most consuming romance is always the best. The relationship between Nan and Florence is built in another way entirely, and I liked Florence so I'm glad she wasn't thrown over.

I do think the story sagged a bit, became a bit less believable, in the middle. I didn't find the whole Diana stretch particularly convincing; the story and the characters seem much more credible when they're in working class neighbourhoods. Waters captures those very well, whereas her depictions of wealthier communities seemed far more stereotypical and one-note.

This is such an odd little book, but the more I read of it, the more charmed and excited I was. I think in places it verges on being too smugly obscure, but the exploration of science and poetry, and how each informs the other and draws from multiple sources, is genuinely delightful.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Lo's related book Ash, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read - albeit one that reminded me very much of Meredith Ann Pierce's The Pearl of the Soul of the World.

Huntress is one of those rare books in which I like nearly all the characters - with the notable exception of the villain, of course! Most of all I liked Kaede, especially the resolution of her relationship with Taisin (I particularly liked that for both girls there was more to life than romance). As with Ash, I enjoyed the world-building, but I thought the ending was a little thin, both in the conflict with Elowen and in the judgement of the unicorn. It all seemed a trifle easy... I got more of a sense of genuine threat from the accident on the glacier, for instance.

Well, it's short. And from a distance it's an interesting text - a forerunner of modern science fiction, a utopia devised by a 17th century woman, and there are odd parts of it that are genuinely entertaining. (The magpie, parrot, and jackdaw men trying to prove via syllogism that politicians are or aren't "knaves" and the totally disgusted reaction of the Empress to their logical tangle made me laugh out loud.) Most of it, however, is pedantic in the extreme and a bit of a bore, and the magpie-like tendencies of the author are on full display, going on and on and bloody on about jewels. Look, I get it, they're shiny and you love them, but move on already! Less jewels and more paragraphs would have improved this immeasurably, but probably not enough to bump it up to three stars if I'm honest.

I've read it. I can honestly say that I've read it. I doubt I'll be reading it again.