Book Thoughts - A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
published 1999
1009 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead . . . victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky—a comet the color of blood and flame—six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard’s son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King’s Landing. Robert’s two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.

A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside.
Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.

My thoughts:

October 29 - This is the second book in the series, and does feel a bit like a "connector" novel- lots of people getting to the places they need to be for the BIG SCENE that hasn't quite happened yet. All of Martin's fascinating characters are back, and he introduces us to even more - my husband tells me to get used to the new character thing, as it apparently happens in all the novels. I am already amazed that Martin can keep everyone straight in his own head.

Because there is so much traveling around, this second novel doesn't have quite the same "holy cow I have to keep reading to see what happens next" aspect that was such a part of the first one, and the war machinations are just not that exciting for me. However, I am loving the new insights Martin is giving us into his characters, and the way he infuses both good and bad into each. I know Theon is a bad guy, but Martin allows me to feel sympathetic toward his anyway by showing me how he has been displaced and marginalized all his life. I know Tyrion is a Lannister, and the Lannisters are evil, but then he helps Sansa and works against Cersei, and I start to like him despite myself. Joffrey is still a horrible little brat, but everyone else has such depth. I can't imagine how much the characters are going to live and breath for me as I read farther and farther in the series.

November 12 - Okay, scratch that - wow, does a lot of stuff happen at the end of this novel! Still quite a bit of warring, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit to skimming quite a bit of that. But my goodness, I did not expect the last several chapters. Every time I think I can see what's coming, Martin throws the story in a completely different way. It sure makes for great reading!

One of the things I think he does so well is allow the reader to view so many varying perspectives - we see individual characters' perspectives, as each chapter is told from a separate point of view. The war and upheaval are very different things to Arya and Tyrion, for example. Then he broadens out, and reminds us of the many things that have occurred that half of the characters don't even know about yet - their perspectives are much smaller than ours, because of their distance or proximity to certain events. And then, in the back of our minds, there is the nagging suspicion that all these wars and intrigues and struggles probably won't even matter anyway, because what in the world is coming over The Wall? And what will happen when the dragons arrive? The scope of Martin's storytelling is quite amazing, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I would love to tell everyone I know to read this series, but I suspect that unless you are a fan of the genre this won't be for you. You should definitely not read this novel until you've read the first in the series - this is not a series to take out of order! My husband is on book 5, and tells me the next novel (A Storm of Swords) is even better - I can't wait!

Finished: 11/12/11
Source: my shelves
MPAA rating: R - violence, death, war, etc.
My rating: 9/10

Book Thoughts - Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
audiobook - narrated by Will Wheaton
published 2005
audiobook release date 12-7-10

Synopsis from publisher:

The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster.
My thoughts:

1. I can listen to audiobooks on my Kindle?? Life just got a little bit better.

2. Apparently John Scalzi wrote this novel for "practice". I would imagine that makes struggling writers want to punch him, just a little.

3. How can a novel that is one part Jerry Maguire, one part Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and narrated by Wesley Crusher go wrong? It can't.

Agent to the Stars was just plain fun. I listened to most of it on my commutes to and from work, and often didn't want to go inside because I was having too much fun. In true Scalzi form, there are moments of serious emotion, and moments of philosophical introspection, but this more than any of his novels was complete entertainment. As the story reached its inevitable conclusion - and, truly, how else could it end? - I really didn't want it to be over. I would love to see this story portrayed in a visual medium of some kind - perhaps as an HBO or AMC series, since we have seen how well they do book-to-tv translations. These characters found a spot in my heart, and I'd love to walk another chapter with them.

Since I'm not terribly seasoned as an audiobook listener or reviewer, I don't yet know how Will Wheaton compares to other narrators, but I thought he was absolutely perfect for this novel. He was able to give each character his or her own voice, while still maintaining the tone of the overall story. He had me laughing out loud as he delivered Scalzi's sarcastic, pure-hearted Joshua. His timing and phrasing felt exactly right for the story he had to tell.

I cannot tell you how excited I am that I am able to read audiobooks on my Kindle! We have a subscription to Audible.com, and my library also allows me to check out audiobooks, so I am very excited about this new adventure in my reading life. If you have recommendations, I would love to hear them! I know a couple of bloggers who regularly read and review audiobooks, so you can bet I will be scouring their blogs for good stuff.

Finished: 10-13-11
Source: audible.com
MPAA rating: R for language and adult situations
My rating: 8/10

Book Thoughts - Carry Yourself Back To Me by Deborah Reed

Carry Yourself Back To Me by Deborah Reed
published 9/20/11
316 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Famed alt-country artist Annie Walsh has more than enough reason to sing her version of the blues, including a broken heart, a stalled career, and a troubled family. Annie seeks refuge from an upended love affair with her producer, Owen Pettybone, by sequestering herself at home with her old dog Detour, surrounded by a lush Florida tangelo grove. Soon, however, this quiet, small town existence comes crashing down around her. A violent murder connected to her brother Calder threatens to tear her family apart, and forces Annie to shore up her loyalties and uproot profound disappointments from her distant past. The evidence stacks against Calder, compounded by his lifelong affliction with Tourette Syndrome that causes some in the community to unjustly cast aspersions on the soundness of his mind. As the circumstances converge to challenge lifetime ties and forge unexpected new bonds, this soulful, stirring novel shifts its narrative from an imperiled and ever-changing present, where each hour brings an unforeseen and unwelcome piece of news, to the poignant childhood days of first allegiances and life-altering loss.

My thoughts:

September 30 - I've just finished the first section of this novel, and it has been a thoughtful read. There is a blurb on the front of my copy that calls it "...suspenseful, entertaining, and psychologically complex..", and so far I agree with two out of three. I am definitely intrigued by the situation the author has created, and the characters and their motivations are certainly complex. I don't know that I would yet describe it as entertaining, however - it has been rather bleak, with nobody happy in their lives or decisions. I very much like the writing, and Reed does an excellent job of evoking a sense of emotion as she describes a scene. I am very much drawn up into the story of Calder and Annie.

"She's never seen such silvery white clouds. Driftwood in the sky. Her eyes water from the bitter wind, and now the lake, the whole pastoral scene is distorted, as if looking through a fisheye lens. She blinks away tears. The frosty air hums like an E flat. Maybe this is how it feels before a snowfall." (p. 81)

October 2 - Just finished section 2, and my heart is aching. This novel of people caught in the consequences of bad choices, devastated by the results of loving too much, is quietly insinuating itself into my thoughts. The first chapter of section two, where the author foreshadows the falling apart of Annie's family, is incredibly poignant. Meeting this family when it was happy only makes their eventual distance from each other more painful. The author captured me with her story in that chapter, and turned what could have been just an okay read into something that is truly memorable.

October 6 - So, there was just the slightest bit of intensity lost after that remarkable second section, but I still feel like the novel ended well, with just the right amount of loss and redemption. The young Annie anvovd Calder continued to have more draw for me, perhaps because I could imagine what their lives might have been. Perhaps that's the reason this novel had the impact it did for me - the author was able to show exactly what kinds of people her characters could have been, the very slight distance by which happiness eluded them. It is a melancholy story, and the author certainly succeeded in evoking that mood.

I found her style of writing to be lovely - she used words in ways that surprised me, but fit perfectly to create her scene. Nothing in the novel felt like a cliche', and when I had the sense that I knew what was about to happen, it was only because it seemed like that was the only possible choice.

"Something has died in the center of her, hallowed out and blown away like powdery chalk. She starts to say his name but can't. It's no longer in the place she keeps it." (p. 240)

This novel felt like a good fall read - a curl-up-in-a-blanket type book. It was a satisfying read for me - well crafted, with strong characters and a complex set of circumstances. If you are looking for a novel with some substance for your next read, I would give this one a try.

Finished: 10/6/11
Source: review copy from publisher - thank you!
MPAA rating: R for violence, language, and sexual situations
My rating: 8/10