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xkrow's reviews
118 reviews
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
4.0
Though I've been aware of Homes for almost all of my conscious life (Adventures of Sherlock Homes is the first book I ever bought) I think I was quite too young (and immature with English) to engage with the enigmatic detective at a level needed. Still: his methods of deduction combined with the thrill of adventure were still enough to entice me. So, in a lot of ways, despite knowing Holmes for so long, Horowitz's The House of Silk marks my first real engagement with the literary Holmes (literally to exclude the modern films and television).
In that way, it was sometimes hard to reconcile my naive view of Holmes with this version, but ultimately I found it quite interesting. We are very much in the mind of Watson, getting his perspective on the matters that unfold in this dark tale, trying to piece together what exactly connects these seemingly unconnected pieces of the puzzle. Though the modern era (especially since the book has come out) has dulled the readers to one of the ultimate twists, it is still horrifying to imagine, and Horowitz does reserve another to satisfy. In the fashion of a good mystery narrative, I was able to deduce the truth but only moments before Holmes revealed it. In that way, I got the feeling of satisfaction while also realizing so many elements that I overlooked.
"Show Holmes a drop of water and he would deduce the existence of the Atlantic. Show it to me and I would look for a tap. That was the difference between us."
It was this ability to create this grander narrative, while still making each chapter engaging and to lay down Watson's voice, that made me really enjoy this book. The other element of this was the relationship between Watson and Holmes. It is readily apparent that Watson loved Sherlock as much as a friend can. There are parts of Sherlock's personality that annoy him, but who can truly say that isn't the case with their closest acquaintances? He so utterly admires his friend, ready to put himself in harm's way in order to protect "that great mind", to imagine him strumming his violin in his old age, playing for him . Beyond the mystery, its this relationship, captured beautifully by Horowitz.
To illustrate, an interaction between Watson and another character.
‘You swear?’
‘Yes.’
‘On what?’
‘On my marriage.’
‘Not good enough.’
‘On my friendship with Holmes.’
He nodded. ‘Now we understand each other.’
In that way, it was sometimes hard to reconcile my naive view of Holmes with this version, but ultimately I found it quite interesting. We are very much in the mind of Watson, getting his perspective on the matters that unfold in this dark tale, trying to piece together what exactly connects these seemingly unconnected pieces of the puzzle. Though the modern era (especially since the book has come out) has dulled the readers to one of the ultimate twists, it is still horrifying to imagine, and Horowitz does reserve another to satisfy. In the fashion of a good mystery narrative, I was able to deduce the truth but only moments before Holmes revealed it. In that way, I got the feeling of satisfaction while also realizing so many elements that I overlooked.
"Show Holmes a drop of water and he would deduce the existence of the Atlantic. Show it to me and I would look for a tap. That was the difference between us."
It was this ability to create this grander narrative, while still making each chapter engaging and to lay down Watson's voice, that made me really enjoy this book. The other element of this was the relationship between Watson and Holmes. It is readily apparent that Watson loved Sherlock as much as a friend can. There are parts of Sherlock's personality that annoy him, but who can truly say that isn't the case with their closest acquaintances? He so utterly admires his friend, ready to put himself in harm's way in order to protect "that great mind", to imagine him strumming his violin in his old age, playing for him . Beyond the mystery, its this relationship, captured beautifully by Horowitz.
To illustrate, an interaction between Watson and another character.
‘You swear?’
‘Yes.’
‘On what?’
‘On my marriage.’
‘Not good enough.’
‘On my friendship with Holmes.’
He nodded. ‘Now we understand each other.’
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Shards of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold
2.5
An interesting start leads to a muddling middle and an okay conclusion. Not dense enough to even carry this short length, in my opinion, and a bit confusingly written.
The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
4.5
With the Heroes, Abercrombie uses his characteristic wit and pessimism to comment on the absurdity of fighting a war over two hills about which no will give a fuck in the long scheme. There's no real advantage to the matter - it's simply the vehicle for asserting the Union's power and for Black Dow to show his strength.
The cast of character is heavier than usual, especially on the POV front. However, rather than feeling bloated, they each let us view the various angles of this conflict and map out a broader view. This was especially important given the limited timescale - only around three days - and keeping the reader engaged. Calder was a big standout here, but Gorst was also really compelling. Both people that have been put down by those around them showcasing their ability to make the best of the situation to come out higher (I admit, Pacey's performance for Gorst was a big factor in me liking him). The horror of war is shown through Beck's eyes and Craw's ever-dwindling crew. Shivers - I won't discuss him for fear of spoilers, but he was an anchor in any scene he appeared. You felt his presence.
I found the book to be quite different in the first half and the last. The former involved quite a bit of set-up, placing our characters in their positions, hammering our character goals and arcs, and was generally slower. I wasn't sure I was really loving it at that point, but the back half completely flipped that, as the character finally started making moves. The repeated multi-POV chapters were also really cool. Each tried to approach the concept a little differently, but were all really good.
Overall, this was an amazing and unique entry into this series and has continued to establish Abercrombie as potentially my favourite Western fantasy author.
SERIES RANKING (Current)
1. Last Argument Of Kings (4.5/5)
2. The Heroes (4.5/5)
3. Before They Are Hanged (4/5)
4. Best Served Cold (4/5)
5. The Blade Itself (4/5)
The cast of character is heavier than usual, especially on the POV front. However, rather than feeling bloated, they each let us view the various angles of this conflict and map out a broader view. This was especially important given the limited timescale - only around three days - and keeping the reader engaged. Calder was a big standout here, but Gorst was also really compelling. Both people that have been put down by those around them showcasing their ability to make the best of the situation to come out higher (I admit, Pacey's performance for Gorst was a big factor in me liking him). The horror of war is shown through Beck's eyes and Craw's ever-dwindling crew. Shivers - I won't discuss him for fear of spoilers, but he was an anchor in any scene he appeared. You felt his presence.
I found the book to be quite different in the first half and the last. The former involved quite a bit of set-up, placing our characters in their positions, hammering our character goals and arcs, and was generally slower. I wasn't sure I was really loving it at that point, but the back half completely flipped that, as the character finally started making moves. The repeated multi-POV chapters were also really cool. Each tried to approach the concept a little differently, but were all really good.
Overall, this was an amazing and unique entry into this series and has continued to establish Abercrombie as potentially my favourite Western fantasy author.
SERIES RANKING (Current)
1. Last Argument Of Kings (4.5/5)
2. The Heroes (4.5/5)
3. Before They Are Hanged (4/5)
4. Best Served Cold (4/5)
5. The Blade Itself (4/5)
Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn
3.5
A good (but imo weaker) follow-up to the amazing first book. The plot here is a little more disjointed than the first - the characters are once again paired off and sent around the galaxy (you never really feel the time travelled) to do various political things. The main draw here is the search for the Katana fleet and I think the plot wraps around that nicely. There are some good twists here and there that keep the overall plot going, but I think the main reason why Zahn is really readable is his chapter structures. Almost everyone of them have a bite-sized story within them, wrapping up things and keeping others going. They also regularly give our characters problems to solve. They aren't always the strongest, but it does give the reader successive set-up and pay off that makes them keep going.
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
Its good! But, cracks are starting to show within this expansive series as this was my least favorite entry into Stormlight Archive.
The character work here is solid, but not the best. The flashback were definitely not as egregious as I've seen some people claim (I disliked many Dalinar and many Shallan flashbacks wayyyy more) but they are definitely... weak. Nothing too profound or revelatory is delivered through them, and we see enough of Venli's arc in the modern time that the flashbacks seem quite dull in comparison. Maybe its just me, but Eshonia is also not as compelling a character as Sanderson seems to think so. Put together, the two don't quite carry the weight. But at least they were short chapters! Kaladin was quite fun to follow here (as is the usual for me). His little spy action chapters were quite entertaining. His conclusion also got me teared up. Another highlight was Navani. I wasn't the biggest fan of the science-battle that contained a huge chunk of the middle: in a lot of ways, I didn't feel it was quite mysterious, or compelling, or unique enough to keep me interested on its own. But, I like Navani, and her perspective on things was illuminating and there is enough going on within the tower itself that I didn't fully feel the burden. It definitely handles its middle better than Oathbringer.
The plot here is, being honest, quite modest compared to the previous books. Sure, there is still the usual earth shattering (Roshar Shattering?) reveals, but its much more contained than the previous three. The major plot surrounding the tower is solid. The things going on with Dalinar around is less, but it also takes up much less page time. Almost everything happening in Shadesmar put me to sleep, not going to lie (exaggeration, but still). The conclusion to the saga quite emotions heavy, which is fine, but the way the plot was leading up was quite technical and a lot of time is spent working on the fine-balance of systems that are left behind in favor of emotion. I also think a lot of the questions and issues that were brought up were not adequately addressed. I did like the lore stuff that came from it - finally learning who Thaidakar is! - but overall it left me wanting (not in a good way).
However, complaints take up a lot more space cuz they're easier to make. This is still a solid book that (largely) carries its weight. I felt the interludes were the best here - all were of short length and contained to relevant things that didn't make just wish they would finish so I could get back to the "good stuff". The way the narrative weaves the character stories were also fun. There were a few things I was pleasantly surprised in how they turned out.
The character work here is solid, but not the best. The flashback were definitely not as egregious as I've seen some people claim (I disliked many Dalinar and many Shallan flashbacks wayyyy more) but they are definitely... weak. Nothing too profound or revelatory is delivered through them, and we see enough of Venli's arc in the modern time that the flashbacks seem quite dull in comparison. Maybe its just me, but Eshonia is also not as compelling a character as Sanderson seems to think so. Put together, the two don't quite carry the weight. But at least they were short chapters! Kaladin was quite fun to follow here (as is the usual for me). His little spy action chapters were quite entertaining. His conclusion also got me teared up. Another highlight was Navani. I wasn't the biggest fan of the science-battle that contained a huge chunk of the middle: in a lot of ways, I didn't feel it was quite mysterious, or compelling, or unique enough to keep me interested on its own. But, I like Navani, and her perspective on things was illuminating and there is enough going on within the tower itself that I didn't fully feel the burden. It definitely handles its middle better than Oathbringer.
The plot here is, being honest, quite modest compared to the previous books. Sure, there is still the usual earth shattering (Roshar Shattering?) reveals, but its much more contained than the previous three. The major plot surrounding the tower is solid. The things going on with Dalinar around is less, but it also takes up much less page time. Almost everything happening in Shadesmar put me to sleep, not going to lie (exaggeration, but still). The conclusion to the saga quite emotions heavy, which is fine, but the way the plot was leading up was quite technical and a lot of time is spent working on the fine-balance of systems that are left behind in favor of emotion. I also think a lot of the questions and issues that were brought up were not adequately addressed. I did like the lore stuff that came from it - finally learning who Thaidakar is! - but overall it left me wanting (not in a good way).
However, complaints take up a lot more space cuz they're easier to make. This is still a solid book that (largely) carries its weight. I felt the interludes were the best here - all were of short length and contained to relevant things that didn't make just wish they would finish so I could get back to the "good stuff". The way the narrative weaves the character stories were also fun. There were a few things I was pleasantly surprised in how they turned out.
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson
3.0
Fun, but nothing much beyond, though I do like Rysn wayyyy more than Lift
Livesuit by James S.A. Corey
4.0
That was depressing as hell. The time dilatation discussions, about war on this giant scale, what it means to live past people who you grew up with, was all great. The major story and its telling of how war changes someone, the wounds that are carried within the body, even when they are "healed", how it becomes impossible to separate the person from their experience was neat. I think the novella serves its purpose really well and confirms a few Mercy of Gods theories.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
3.5
A combo of whelming and underwhelming experiences with many of the aspects within the book, but still a good time throughout.
The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones
An excellent and engaging dive into the period of history roughly spanning the fifteenth century, from Henry V all the way to Henry VIII (and a whole lot in between). Constituting a break-down in political stability following a weak Henry VI, the book traces the various battles and people that make up the so-called "Wars of the Roses", a dynastical fight for the throne of England that saw the "fall" and "rise" of various houses.
Jones' subtle use of adjectives adds a good bit of humor throughout the book, but it also reinforces that this is a subjective view and should be perceived as such. Adding to this, there are also some gaps in the story as presented. I was familiar with Richard III, but got some whiplash at his swift transformation from a seemingly magnanimous and loyal brother to a ruthless and kin slaying king. There are some pieces like this lost when compressing this century long conflict into three hundred and forty pages.
It was also interesting to see the security state of England change throughout the years., From Henry VI's lax rule to Henry VII and Henry VIII's paranoid security state that also saw a transformation in England's relation with the Pope and Catholicism.
It is also key to note - as Jones does - that the reason the wars ended was largely because there was practically no one left to kill. Henry VIII killed the last of the rivals that could claim royal blood, to the point the enemies had to rely on pretenders to make their schemes. Gone is the charade of divine rule, of descending from the original conquerors. Henry Tudor (Henry VII) may be so far removed from the line of succession that his rule only became viable on the back of decades of death and destruction.
4.0
"How many men, in the name of God immortal, have you killed?" wrote Reginald Pole, raging at Henry for the judicial murder of his mother. The answer was simple: enough.
An excellent and engaging dive into the period of history roughly spanning the fifteenth century, from Henry V all the way to Henry VIII (and a whole lot in between). Constituting a break-down in political stability following a weak Henry VI, the book traces the various battles and people that make up the so-called "Wars of the Roses", a dynastical fight for the throne of England that saw the "fall" and "rise" of various houses.
Jones' subtle use of adjectives adds a good bit of humor throughout the book, but it also reinforces that this is a subjective view and should be perceived as such. Adding to this, there are also some gaps in the story as presented. I was familiar with Richard III, but got some whiplash at his swift transformation from a seemingly magnanimous and loyal brother to a ruthless and kin slaying king. There are some pieces like this lost when compressing this century long conflict into three hundred and forty pages.
It was also interesting to see the security state of England change throughout the years., From Henry VI's lax rule to Henry VII and Henry VIII's paranoid security state that also saw a transformation in England's relation with the Pope and Catholicism.
It is also key to note - as Jones does - that the reason the wars ended was largely because there was practically no one left to kill. Henry VIII killed the last of the rivals that could claim royal blood, to the point the enemies had to rely on pretenders to make their schemes. Gone is the charade of divine rule, of descending from the original conquerors. Henry Tudor (Henry VII) may be so far removed from the line of succession that his rule only became viable on the back of decades of death and destruction.