The Walking Dead Vol. 3 Safety Behind Bars (30/10/14)

Once again really interesting story progression. I find it really interesting to compare and notice the plot elements that differ in the TV show to this graphic novel series. It has been really hard to displace the feeling I have for the TV show characters and how they come across in this novels. Carol’s character is one that I have been finding it hard to come to grips with. However I am still so early on in the overall story that I am sure my opinion will change as the characters develop. So in this issue they have been clearing out the prison and trying to work out if this could be a safe place to live after leaving Hershel’s farm at the end of the second volume. Ricks group have to try and live side by side with the group of prisoners they find camped out in the prison cafeteria but then stuff begins to go wrong in this place they thought was safe. Due to this they have to set their own code to live by which shows how their world is changing with every passing day.

As always the drawings are so good and the story flows so well. It is so easy to read and become absorbed into this world that is changing all the characters personalities. I still stand by the main story being how people adapt to this changing world rather than it being about zombies. They are just a catalyst to bring out peoples raw behaviours when put into dire situations.

The Walking Dead: Vol. 2 Miles Behind Us (28/10/14)

So finally carrying on with the walking dead graphic novels. Since getting my iPad I have had a resurgence in desire to read graphic novels as it is much easier to read than on my kindle. So, the second volume continues where the last ended. Rick and the group are dealing with the aftermath of Shane’s death before deciding to move their camp, hoping to find somewhere safer to settle down. They are still at this time hopeful that this is going to all blow over. We have some new character additions with Tyreese and his daughter Julie along with her boyfriend Chris as well as the group coming across Hershel’s farm. If you are a fan of the TV show, as I am, it was odd to see a slightly different family group at the farm.

Over all the story is still engaging and moving forward this is still the early stages of the crisis and most people are still hoping that they will be saved soon. It will be interesting carrying on to see where the characters drawn the line and realise they are not going to be rescued. A really good point is addressed in this issue, about how this crisis is changing people. That people are being pushed to commit acts they would not normally contemplate. However the interesting aspect is how the characters deal with this change in themselves. How some people are not concerned about what they have done or why they did it, but they are worried about how they feel about it.

I am looking forward to carrying on and luckily as I have come to reading these novels so late there are many for me to sink my teeth into.

Graceling (25/10/14)

Finally got round to reviewing my most recent read. Graceling is the first book in the Graceling Realm Trilogy, it is also my first experience of Kristin Cashore. I must say that when I started this book I definitely felt like the author had very little imagination, at least in regards to the naming of the Kingdoms (Nander, Estill, Sunder, Wester and Middluns). I literally rolled my eyes at this poor attempt to rename north, south, east, etc. Personally I found it hard to take seriously and nearly made me put the book down. Luckily this is one of the only things that bothered me. The rest of the book, the concept, characters and plot were all really good and I easily found myself routing for the characters.

This is a fantasy world were Gracelings are known by their differently coloured eyes. Their Graces can show themselves in any number of ways some could be graced with cooking skills, numeracy whilst others have graces for fighting. Enter the main character Katsa, who is being used by her Uncle Randa the King of the Middluns. All Gracelings are owned by their kings and are used by them unless their graces are not that important or useful. Katsa is unfortunate that her Grace is exceptional. She is almost unbeatable in a fight, is skilled at archery and sword fighting and can kill a man before he realises what is happening. But Katsa is unwilling to be just a hired hand, used to deal out Randa’s often unfair idea of justice. So she has formed a secret council, a network of people who aim to help those who cannot help themselves and deal out a better form of justice where they can. All under the noses of the kings from all the kingdoms. It is on one of these very missions that Katsa rescues a Lienid, Prince Tealiff, and runs into another Graceling with exceptional skills. After knocking him out, and leaving him at the castle she has rescued Prince Tealiff from Katsa is surprised when he turns up at her home and turns out to be Prince Tealiffs grandson, known to everyone as Po. After the Po tree of lienid whose leaves grown silver and gold to match Prince Po’s eyes. Together to two embark on a mission which changes who Katsa believes she can be.

I completely loved the character of Po. Personally, I wish the author didn’t have so much against marriage, because I just feel like their love story was lacking something. Some sort of final closure, especially since I have found out these characters are not even to be used in the other books. I loved the way Po was able to bring out the best in Katsa and but I would have liked to have seen more of Po developing from Katsa influence. Because she most definitely had an influence on him. This is a very fine YA fantasy with the only negative being some odd and awkward naming of places and characters was a very enjoyable read. The views of the author on marriage and women’s independence does come through pretty strongly, with no wavering of the opinion. This for me was too strong for the story, I am not saying it needed to turn into an all mighty lovey dovey fest, but, there may have been some value in creating a symbiotic relationship were they are both equal in the relationship and committed without getting married. It sort of felt, if not said, that one day she would just pack up and move on and he needed to be ready to except that. Taken at face value I did enjoy this book just felt some of the themes came on a little strong for my liking.

After Before (20/10/14)

I received After Before, a while ago as a first reads book. I started it a while ago, but have recently repacked it up and became completely engrossed by it. The pause in reading this book was not based on how engaging I found this book. But rather I was focused on other books I was reading. Once I dedicated my time to this book however, I couldn’t stop. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking out it, and actually about a point of history I didn’t know about, or at least didn’t know a lot about.

The book focuses on three women, who through chance are pulled into each others lives. There is Vera, newly engaged and newly discovering her faith in god. Her fiancé Luke, a devote Christian is helping her to change her life for the better, to move forward and overcome her past. But there is so much more to her past than she has told Luke and she finds it impossible to move on and become better while she still hold onto these secrets.  Luke is Vera’s link to Lynn, his mother, who has found out she has terminal cancer and has to relinquish her control on the life. As she comes to terms with her illness and what will be her untimely death she relives elements of her life that she resents and was unable to achieve because of the choices she made. Vera tries to help care for Lynn, but the two cannot come to terms with each other and so Emily, originally from Rwanda, is brought in to care for Lynn. Emily is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, and has not come to terms with all that she has seen, or what was done to her. She drifts through her life never wanting to remember her past but forever at its whim. The story flits back and forth through the present and the past for each of the three women. All with different stories but all in pain and unable to let go.

I found Emily’s story the most interesting, I could have read a book just about her and how she learns to deal with the horrible event that has overtaken her life. Her flash backs are so well written, graphic in places, but dignified to the history that these people have to live with. We hear a lot about the injustice and the horror of the holocaust, which happened in the Second World War. But learning about the Rwandan Genocide through Emily’s 12 year old eyes really touched me. I could feel the fear building, know what was to happen but having to control over it. Knowing that the people who were yesterday your friends are no longer that.

This is a brilliantly written book about forgiveness. That without forgiveness, whether that is for yourself, through god, or for other people, that you will not be able to move on and truly live. Would highly recommend it is however not a light-hearted or emotionally easy read.

The Traitor Queen (09/10/14)

The Traitor Queen gripped me straight away, I did have a couple of pages where I was slightly confused but that was more to do with it having been a very long time between me reading this book and the previous books. However it didn’t take long for it all to come back, and for me to remember what was happening, who was who and what I thought was going to happen. Throughout the book I felt so connected to all the characters, even those I hadn’t previously liked.

As this is the last part of a sequel trilogy there were a number of characters to follow. Obviously Black Magician Sonea, who was the main character in the previous trilogy still has an important role and is travelling to Sachaka for diplomatic purposes, accompanied by Lord Regin. Lord Regin and Sonea’s relationship had developed greatly over the six books and I have to say I liked where his story lead to, from being a horrible, manipulative, spoilt character to a dignified, understanding and very likeable character. There is also Lord Lorkin, Sonea son, who has returned to the Sachakan capital after living a number of months with the Traitors, the outlaw band of black magicians that live in the mountains of Sachaka. He has had to leave Tyvara, the woman he has fallen in love with and doesn’t know if he will see her again. He knows at some point he will have to choose between her and the traitors and his home in the allied lands. Also back home is Lilia, Anyi, Cery and Gol who are undertaking in a completed different story line that is equally dramatic and important to the development of allied lands. All the characters storylines climax in devastating amazing ways.

As this was the end of long series if you include both trilogies I have been able to see full character developments, share their losses, see how that has changed them. This has been a brilliant series and one I have enjoyed immensely. I will say I think over all I preferred the first trilogy more, but only because I felt it was more raw and emotional. This trilogy, using the same character base, I found that I connected most with the characters I already knew and never truly warmed to new additions. However it was nice to be able to see these characters I knew grow up and change. Would highly recommend, if you enjoyed other YA books like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Tales of the Otori etc; I would imagine you would love the original series and this one.

Jurassic Park (02/10/14)

Jurassic Park is the first book in a two part saga written by Michael Crichton, it become one of the most iconic films of the 90’s. Those who have seen the film know that the story revolves around a biotechnology company experimenting with genetics and DNA reconstruction to create dinosaurs in the modern world. On an island off of Costa Rica, these Dinosaurs are being contained in what is being heralded as the zoo of the future. The scientists have managed through DNA extraction and reconstruction to produce 15 different species of extinct Dinosaurs. To test out the park some renowned academics including Dr Grant, palaeontology, Dr Sattler, palaeobotany and Ian Malcom a chaos theory mathematician, are invited to the park. This obviously ambitious leap in technology and questionable ethics runs into some trouble and obviously this has catastrophic consequences.

Never, have I ever, put off reading a book so much as this one. At the very beginning of the year I decided to randomly choose books to read to really push me out of my comfort zone. But, every time I looked at this list I had created I would choose something else. I was avoiding this book, not only because the film was so iconic to my childhood but also I didn’t know if it would be the sort of book I would enjoy to read.

All I can say is, bravo. This book was brilliant. I honestly didn’t want it to end. I loved everything. I didn’t even mind Malcoms rants on chaos theory, I actually rather enjoyed them and found them thought provoking. I really liked that it was close enough to the film that I could follow what I already knew. But there is so much more to this story. There are obviously fictional elements included regarding the behaviour and activities related to the dinosaurs, but there was obviously a lot of research undertaking when the book was written so I believe the artistic license is warranted. I loved the differences and I will definitely now read the sequel and these books will be placed into my exclusive re-read rotation.