Fantasy – Page 7 – Nonfiction and Nonsense

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

This book is almost non-stop action. There are multiple battles, main characters constantly separating to complete tasks and then meeting up at designated locations to join forces, and endless secretive plots planned out and put into effect by former assassin for hire turned hopeful future queen of Terrasen, Aelin. Also, there are several budding romantic relationships that come to fruition or are set up to possibly occur in the next two books. There are plot twists, multiple enemies, and tragedies that make you groan in frustration with the unfairness and suffering of the people that have to endure them.

While I did enjoy the book a great deal, the entire time I was reading I was wondering when we would get a chapter from Chaol and Nesryn’s perspective. When I reached the halfway point I started to think that there wouldn’t be any of their storyline laid out here, and I was correct. Then, knowing that the next book in the series is the only one that does not have a picture of Aelin on the cover, I am predicting that book will narrate what occurs on the southern continent during the events of Empire of Storms. I am very eager to see what happens to the now imprisoned Aelin but I have been missing Chaol and I want to see what blossoms between him and Nesryn. When we last heard from them in Queen of Shadows they seemed to have admitted that they were interested in transitioning from a guarded friendship built on a previously casual intimate relationship they had a few years ago to a serious romantic relationship. I want to power through the next book so that I can read the final book in this series, but I also want to take my time and enjoy the story. As soon as I am finished with this entry I will be picking up the next book, Tower of Dawn.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Fiction

The next three fiction books I read are probably going to be the last three books in the Throne of Glass series, because I am incredibly excited and impatient to see how the rest of this story goes. The book was well named, as the majority of the story follows Aelin working towards her goals through missions and business transactions in the grimy underground and alleyways of Rifthold both on her own and with the rebels.

I finally became slightly interested in the Thirteen of the Blackbeak clan after a few moments between Manon and her second, Asterin. I usually grudgingly read through all the chapters in her perspective because I found their emotions, those usually being limited to anger and violence, to be so boring. They start to show some individuality finally as they question authority. I am kind of interested to see what path their story takes.

There are a lot of huge story changing events that occur in this book, one being that a major character dies. I certainly did not expect this individual to die until the final book, which leaves me to wonder what kinds of challenges the protagonists are going to have to face in order to destroy the true face behind the evil. It seems like a lot of them have already been through almost too much, it makes you wonder how much more of a beating in both the physical and emotional sense can some of them take. It’s going to be hard to keep up my practice of trying to alternate nonfiction reads with fiction ones if the next book, Empire of Storms, is as thrilling as this book was.

The Lost World by Michael Crichton

Fiction

Another week has gone by and I still haven’t finished the book I started two weeks ago. I feel like no one is going to believe that I have actually finished the book once I do, and that I will have made the review up. If it wasn’t for a sudden onset of abdominal pain and an emergency room visit over the weekend, I believe that I would have been able to focus and get through it. Due to anxiety and discomfort, I needed to read something entertaining to try and keep my mind off things while I waited in my hospital bed. I grabbed The Lost World from my pile before I drove to the hospital.

I had nothing else to do but read while I sat in the emergency department for four hours, but I was not only reading to pass the time, I was reading because the story was excellent. A character that was supposed to have died in Jurassic Park was surprisingly still alive. I actually said “what…”, as I was completely flabbergasted that I was finding myself reading a passage from their point of view. I am glad that this character wasn’t dead, I really enjoyed them in print and in the films. There are several new characters in this sequel, and you will recognize some of them if you have seen the movies. You will also notice that some of the characters are combined into one, or that personality aspects of certain characters are given to several different ones in the film adaptation. Besides enjoying the characters, the plot itself is rich and philosophical as it explores the great debate of all the questions and concerns regarding genetic exploration.

At the end of the book I longed for more, but sadly the author passed away at a relatively young age. I don’t know if he was planning on these books being part of a trilogy, but it definitely could have been explored. In the future, I plan on reading through the entire Michael Crichton collection; he has enough sci-fi books to keep me, or anyone else, going for a long time.

Into the Flame by Christina Dodd

Fiction

I was supposed to have finished a book on sociology for this week’s review, but it is taking me longer to read than I originally thought (I’ll explain more next week). So instead this week I have finished reading the fourth book in the Darkness Chosen series, Into the Flame.

So I made a few predictions about some plot points in the book and I was wrong about the Wilder daughter, sort of. Although she does not initially find the fourth icon she does end up bringing it back to the family. The fourth son is technically the one who finds it, but like all the other Varinski men he cannot touch it. He manages to remove it from its hiding place by wrapping it up, and after he has hidden it Firebird finds it and brings it to the family home. I also had this idea that the fourth son was possibly an illegitimate son of Konstantine’s from before he ran away with Zorana, but I was wrong about that too.

The series ends nicely, it’s a happy ending with a massacre preceding it. Overall, it’s a decent series, not nearly one of the best ones that I’ve ever read, but I might be willing to read at least the second and third books again. If you’re looking for an easy read, something to take for a day by the pool, you can choose any one of these books, you can finish one in a day.

Into the Shadow by Christina Dodd

Fiction

I was able to read the third book in the Darkness Chosen series over this past week and it was just as good as the previous book, Touch of Darkness. The plot is kind of similar to the last book, as we follow the story of the third brother, Adrik, and his love interest, Karen, who are far from their homes and the rest of the Wilder family who are back in the states. Now that I have enjoyed two out of the three books in this series, I am optimistic that I will enjoy the fourth, which I already have ready to go in my to read pile on my dresser. I have a feeling that I know who the fourth son is, the prophecy is so far coming true as it was told, and while I originally thought that maybe the Wilder daughter would step in and find the fourth icon, I don’t think it’s going to turn out that way. There is another man that I can’t wait to be introduced to.

I am currently reading a very interesting book on a topic in sociology, but if I manage to finish it early, I think the fourth and final book in this series could be my bonus Friday blog next week.