The Avid reader - March 2011

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

Stephen King is a genius. The pure number of books he has written is evidence of that. Even after the man is dead, we’re going to find completed manuscripts. I am not a huge fan of horror, but the man has my immense respect. You would think that I would love a story written by King that had a strong fantasy element. The Eyes of the Dragon takes a long time to get into. The style is of an external storyteller talking directly to you like he was speaking to you. He’s also a storyteller who does not tell a chronologically logical story. It starts with King Roland being dead, his son Peter in jail for his murder, and the second son Thomas on the throne. It then goes back and talks about Roland in younger times, and his wife, and the court magician Flagg who is the root of all evil in the story. Even this flashback style is not in a real chronological story. It really was like having someone tell you a story, and then say, “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about this” for several chapters in a row. Eventually, the story did catch me, and the story rolled forward easily with only a few chronological hiccups. Once you got all the backstory, the novel was quite engrossing. I give ‘Eyes’ a B-.

· Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

The fourth book of the Belgariod series is another fun read. This is the book that really straightens out the mystery of who Garion actually is, and what his true role is. The first half of the book covers his discoveries and fills in the details of his past. We also see more development in both Belgarath and Silk as Garion sneaks off to face a dark god by himself. The second half of the book is told from CeNedra’s point of view. We get past her selfishness, and she really starts coming into her own. She still regresses on occasion, but she is able to admit she loves Garion, and is willing to do almost anything for him. I enjoy this series, and the characters continue to flow believably. I give Castle of Wizardry an A.

How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling your Soul by Caroll Michels

I generally don’t read too many non-fiction books, but I thought it was time for me to take a look at this one, especially since I’ll be starting my own business for art and animation. While I have many talents, I don’t think running a business is one of them. It is going to take intense work on my part to get something up and going, and keeping track of things. This book is very similar to many of the ‘own your own business’ books that I have read, as well as similar to many ‘self-help’ books. It starts with creating an artist’s statement, and has good hints on portfolios, pubic relations, and grants. The one thing I know I need to get out of my head is the image of the ‘starving artist,’ which is part of what made me chicken out 25 years ago from pursuing these dreams. There are some important ideas in here, and I know I’m just beginning to absorb them. I’ll give ‘Artist’ a B at this point. I may raise or lower it based on how much I’m able to absorb as I go along.

Saint Camber by Katherine Kurtz

Chronologically the second book of Katherine Kurtz’s deryni series, although the fifth one written, it deals with the aftermath of yanking a confirmed monk out of his cloister and into the throne his genetics say he should have. Cinhil, the king, blamed Camber and his deryni people for ruining his life. Cinhil believes he is cursed because he was unfaithful to his priestly vows and has had children. He becomes more and more erratic throughout the series, one moment being a vengeful king, the next a mournful ex-priest. His racism and hatred of the deryni people starts coming out as well, although the friendship of one deryni, Allister Cullin, keeps him from becoming a raving racist. When Cullin is killed, however, Camber realizes that, for the connection to the throne to continue, Cullin would have to live, even if it meant Camber had to die. Camber cast a spell and took Cullin’s appearance and place. At different times, Camber appeared in while in transition, leading to the belief that Camber was a Saint, sent to help the king and the land. Despite his wishes, Camber is canonized. There is a lot intrigue going through St. Camber, and a lot of careful treading between factions. Overall, Saint Camber is a pretty good read, although it feels inconsistent due to the duality of Cinhil. I give Saint Camber a B.

Enchanters Endgame by David Eddings

I believe I have said this before, but I love this series. This book reestablishes Garion as the central character by sending him into enemy territory, trying to sneak across Yar Nadrak and the equivalent of the Bering Straight to get close to the dark god Torak. During this trip he is shanghaied into the enemy army (which lets Silk mention how inappropriate it was for the king of the other side to join the enemy army), freed and re-captured to meet the Nadrak king, and then witness a war of devils. There are some wonderful moments of humor and irony mixed into the action. The middle part of the book follows CeNedra as her army invades the central Angarak country of Thull Mardu. She finds herself trapped between two armies that are bigger than hers, and while her army manages to escape thanks to the Nadrak king, she, Polgara, Durnik, and Errand are captured. The book culminates in a battle between the Rivan King and the dark god. The book is very satisfying, the characters engaging, and the pacing is quite good. I enjoy the Belgariod five book series immensely and highly recommend it. I give Enchanter’s Endgame an A.

X-Wing: Isard’s Revenge

When I started his book, I had a reaction of ‘why are they writing this?’ The X-Wing books had tied things up with Isaard several books back. Once I got past the immediate reaction, I delved into the book. It was interesting reading the end of the Thrawn War from the point of view of Rogue Squadron, and then transitioning directly into the unfinished business of the Isard plot of her prisoners, including Jan Dodonna, who was the white bearded gentleman at the end of the original Star Wars movie. The characters continued to be well developed, and we begin to see the real beginnings of Corran Horn, one of the Rogue Pilots, who will eventually become one of the new Jedi Knights. The book is full of betrayals by the Imperial forces both on each other and on the Rogues. Even though I don’t know how necessary the novel truly was, it did blend well from the previous series and helps build towards an expanded New Republic and a New Jedi Order. Overall, it was enjoyable, and I give ‘Isaard’s Revenge’ a solid B.