Fantasy:
Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green
I came to this book via the second book in this series with a completely different set of cast and I think I prefer the next book better because it’s more my cup of tea in term of the genre blending in fantasy with mystery (I actually thought of re-reading it to test whether I will like it as much as the very time). I do think I like it overall with its cliche-bending start and an overall light, clipping pace though the ending felt a little set up for lack of a better word. So I recommend this as great light reading if that’s your cup of tea.
Twilight of the Gods by Scott Oden
The portrayal of Griminir and the lore around the kaunr are all excellent but because I personally don’t feel for Disa at all, I feel like this is being diluted by her having such a large role in the book. I’m also not personally enamoured of prophecies but I’ve got nothing to complain about for this book. Overall, a solid book. And I’m still intending to read book 3, hoping for a satisfying conclusion to the Griminir trilogy.
Children of the Black Sun trilogy by Jo Spurrier
I was intrigued by the blurb of book 1 so I picked this up but I had no intention of necessarily following this series (those days were gone). Book 1 was solid but I wasn’t particularly into the characters. However, it was set up as that you simply had to go on to the next book. So I did that and I got into the characters more. Now, here I had a choice, there wasn’t a real compulsion for me to follow the series to its conclusion so I went and read the blurb for the third book and that decided me. Overall, I would say this is a trilogy where the stakes for characters kept on escalating (I mean, most series do but I think this one does this visibly for me).
This trilogy contains a bit of disturbing stuff to do with torture (including rape) but there wasn’t actually anything graphic, just stuff mentioned in passing. That didn’t bother me even though I mostly read adult fantasy without these, just putting it up here as FYI for everyone.
The Sarantine Mosaic duology by Guy Kavriel Kay
I had wanted to read Fionavar Tapestry but it was only available in audiobook format which I have not converted to since I always imagine I might have difficulty with understanding (I had listened to part of a short story on audio with little problem given the slow pace of word enunciation but I remain in doubt about a full length work, could be personal bias also, I much prefer reading words as opposed to listening). Anyway, long story short, this series is what I had picked up instead.
I am currently reading book 1 so a full review is pending in December. Hard to say much about it at this point.
Mystery:
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
This book has got all the elements I like about a thriller- a fast pace, plot driven, frequent twists and character stakes that you can get behind. I was actually drawn in because I was curious about Da Vinci Code but I thought I would test the water with this. Now that I know what I’m in, I will definitely go on to the others of this series.
Da Vinci’s Code by Dan Brown
I was not actually feeling a little trepidation about this book when I realised it started a brand new female character alongside Robert Langdon- I had a deja vu of this being turned into a Hollywood film series where in each film he ‘hooks up’ with a different girl. I was happy that the book was primarily about the ‘case’ rather than personal relationships but (spoiler alert: it did eventually head towards the direction I feared).
Anyway, this book still does not disappoint if a fast pace, riddles and twists are your game in mystery.
Moonlake's Fiction Space 