The Wise Man's Fear

Title: The Wise Man's Fear
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011

Recommendation: If you haven't read The Name of the Wind, read it first, otherwise you don't need my recommendation to know that you want to read this book.
Rating: 10/10

Summary: Kvothe continues to narrate the tale of his adventures at the University and abroad.

Reactions: I've been waiting to get my hands on The Wise Man's Fear for a really long time, but the experience of reading the book made up for the wait. The book itself is quite beautiful. DAW didn't shortchange the book, the pages in the tome feel thin and silky to touch, but strong at the same time. I am really glad I've got the physical copy instead of buying it on Kindle.

The book begins with Kvothe continuing with his studies and intrigues at the University until he leaves for an adventure that takes him much farther than he expects and gains him a wide variety of experiences. I'll give a small spoiler in saying that some of those experiences are sexual and I almost feel like that chapter is reminiscent of Jacqueline Carey's work, though not nearly as explicit.

The beauty of this book is in its language, its flowing story, its absorbing surrounding, and its relationship developments. It's a long book and I enjoyed it from beginning to the end, the plot moved along at the pace that kept me interested, but the book had space to create the atmosphere and suck me into the story.

I didn't want the book to end, but eventually it had to. I rather liked how well many of the story plot lines were tied up towards the end of the book. Not to say that there isn't a cliffhanger, but the ending was satisfying. That will help me wait for the third book in the series.

And to leave you with a quote from the book:

There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Title: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Author: Stieg Larsson
Series: Millenium Trilogy, book 3
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2010 (US)

Recommendation: Vivid. Gritty. Intense. Will not disappoint.
Rating: 10/10

Summary: Lisbeth Salander and her father Zalachenko are both brought to the hospital in critical state. Blomkvist and other friends of Lisbeth group together to prove her innocence at the upcoming trial, while a group at Sapo, Swedish secret police works very hard to cover their tracks and send Salander back to a mental institution. Who will prevail?

Reactions: I have been looking forward to this book ever since reading the first two books of this trilogy in February. There are many ways to describe this book, but disappointing isn't one of them. In fact, Larsson makes a come back and I would call this the strongest book of the whole series.

For one, the ends get wrapped up to my satisfaction, but at the same time the plot doesn't sizzle out early the way it happened in book one of the series. My only disappointment is that there aren't any more books with the same characters I grew to enjoy so much.

There are a few new players in this book, but mostly we see the characters we've met before. There are large parts of the book devoted to Mikael Blomkvist, Lisbeth Salander, Erika Berger and other major players we've met in The Girl Who Played With Fire. Their interactions with each other and the connected whole they create in this book made for very fun reading.

The plot follows the steps of two factions. One faction trying to tell the truth about Lisbeth, and The Section who are trying to clean up after themselves and Zalachenko. There are a few unexpected twists and turns the story takes early in the book that I very much enjoyed. There are several major surprises towards the end of the book as well. I had trouble putting the book down and finished all the reading within a couple evenings of reading late.

Overall, I really wish I could pick up more books by Stieg Larsson, but sadly this is all there is. I do encourage everyone to pick up this book or the first book in the series if you haven't read it yet. Stieg Larsson will blow you away.

The Shadow of the Wind

Title: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2001 (in Spanish)

Recommendation: A treat for anyone who loves books. Buy it. Read it.
Rating: 10/10

Summary: It's 1945 in Barcelona, and Daniel is 10 when his father first takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There on his first visit he can choose a book, one he will adopt and keep alive in his heart for the duration of his life. Little does Daniel know how The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax is going to twine itself into his future.

Reactions: The reason I bought this book was an excellent review of it that I've read a while ago. Still The Shadow of the Wind exceeded my expectations. It's one of those books that just pulls you in, plunges you into its world, makes you worry, laugh, and cry. I read it late into the night and woke up thinking about each morning. It is completely engrossing.

A number of things make this novel outstanding. First is language. It's hard to tell in translated books whether it's the writing or the translation mastery that make the book what it is. Perhaps it's the combination of both. Either way the language is very lyrical, it conveys the mood exactly without being overly ornamental. It's easy to read, but it's not simplistic.

Second, I fell in love with the characters. Daniel is growing up in post-war Barcelona, his love of books, his friendships and his loves are so real and touching at the same time. Fermin, a friend Daniel makes, is courageous, funny, loyal, smart without being in any way perfect. And finally, Julian Carax, a mysterious enigma of an author who disappeared years ago and whose character we slowly learn through the narration of others.

To top it off, there is mystery, adventure, love, grief, and some humour. The plot weaves itself in an intricate fashion, tying threads of characters together into an exquisite fabric. There is a passage at the start of The Shadow of the Wind which draws out Daniel's experience of reading The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. It's a good example of the language, the plot of the book, and my feelings towards The Shadow of the Wind:

As it unfolded, the structure of the story began to remind me of one of those Russian dolls that contain innumerable ever-smaller dolls within. Step by step the narrative split into a thousand stories, as if it had entered a gallery of mirrors, its identity fragmented into endless reflections. The minutes and hours glided by as in a dream. When the cathedral bells tolled midnight, I barely heard them. Under the warm light cast by the reading lamp, I was plunged into a new world of images and sensations, peopled by characters who seemed as real to me as my room. Page after page I let the spell of the story and its world take me over, until the breath of dawn touched my window and my tired eyes slid over the last page.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Definitely the best I've read this year.

The Candidate

Title: The Candidate
Author: Jack McDevitt
Genre: Science fiction, short story
Published: 2006
Url: http://crypticinc.books.officelive.com/shortstory.aspx

Rating: 10/10

Thoughts: Jack McDevitt is a pretty famous name in science fiction and since I've read and enjoyed a couple of his novels I jumped at the chance to read one of his short stories for free. The story is quite short, only a few pages; yet it manages to convey the idea and finish with a bang. The premise of the story is that an AI of George Washington enters U.S. presidential elections. Some basic knowledge of American politics is required, but it's a fun read even if you don't follow politics much. Very much recommended.

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate

Title: The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
Author: Ted Chiang
Published: The Subterranean Press, 2007

Genre: Science Fiction, short story
Url: http://podcast.starshipsofa.com/podcast/Ted_Chiang_The_Merchant_and_the_Alchemists_Gate.mp3 (Read by James Campanella)
Unfortunately the full-text got taken down, I am glad I saved a copy.

Rating: 10/10

Thoughts: I loved this story! I am not surprised it has won both Hugo Award for Best Novelette and Nebula Award for Best Novelette in 2008. The story is lyrical, poignant, and at the same time examines the questions of time travel and human nature.

The premise of the story is that a man in Baghdad discovers a shop at the back of which there is a gate that will allow one to travel 20 years into the future. Before the main character makes up his decision on whether he wants to try the gate, the shopkeeper tells several tales of other people who have done the journey previously.

The whole story is told in the Arabian Nights style, the images are very vivid and the conclusion is satisfying without being predictable. I can't recommend it enough!