A Book Review: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #2)

In The Angel's Game, Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón continued his gothic tale for The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This mystery novel, set in Barcelona, is a prequel to the international best-seller, The Shadow of the Wind. I read The Shadow of the Wind a couple of weeks ago and I loved every page in it. I ventured into The Angel's Game with a high expectation. The result? I opine, while The Angel's Game is an excellent novel but it came slightly short of the high bar set by The Shadow of the Wind.

Synopsis:

In the vibrant city of Barcelona stood an abandoned tower house, its walls and bricks echoed with the memory of its owner's death. Meanwhile, David Martin, a budding novelist, took residence in this forsaken mansion and made a living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym.

The recollections of a troubled childhood tormented David, and he also struggled with an impossible love. Soon, not even his books could shelter him from the onslaught of despair. When David's world reached the point of collapse, he received an invitation from a French publisher, Andreas Corelli, to write a book so powerful that can change hearts and minds.

My thoughts on this book:

In The Angel's Game, Zafón wrote as beautifully as in The Shadow of the Wind. This book was written in Spanish and translated into English by Lucia Graves, who did a sterling job at translating the book. Every sentence was pleasurable to read. Zafón described Barcelona vividly. The writings painted the city with a vibe that highlighted the story's themes; mysterious, gothic, yet lively. Furthermore, Zafón also gave each character a well-rounded portrayal. Meanwhile, the first person narrative took us (the readers) on a Faustian journey with David Martin, who is the protagonist in the book.

In The Shadow of the Wind, the author used flashbacks to unveil the answers to the mysteries. The Angel's Game, on the other hand, told the story differently. This book took on a more traditional approach for mystery storytelling; it kept the answers hidden until the last few chapters. In other words, in The Shadow of the Wind, you sit back and the book will give you all the information. Whereas in The Angel's Game, Zafón kept the final piece of the puzzle very close to his chest, only to be revealed at the story's conclusion. While this book shared some similarities with the works from Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens, but I believe Zafón is in his own league. The is a story about undying love and meditations on religion, but it also reflected the themes from the likes of Dorian Gray and Faust. I enjoyed thinking, and reading, about the symbolisms in this book. This is a stimulating read.

It suffices to say, I had a love affair with the first 80% of the book. The story's climax was full of twists and turns. However, this is also where I would subtract a few points from the book; while the story concluded in a most unexpected, thought-provoking manner, but I thought it was... overly ambiguous. Admittedly, when I finished this book, I could not fully grasp the meaning of its ending. Therefore, I took it to the internet and put more thoughts into it, only then did the ending started to make sense to me. Some readers may enjoy this sort of ending, while others may find it slightly frustrating. What exactly is the ending in this book? I will let the would-be readers discover it for themselves. However, if you do (or, have) read The Angel's Game, then I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on what the ending means.

The Angel's Game is indeed a worthy prequel to The Shadow of the Wind. I am adding Carlos Ruiz Zafón to my list of favorite authors. I recommend this book, not only to those who are fond of mystery and gothic novels, but to anyone who loves a good book.

A Book Review: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #6)

In 1988, Macbeth and Hamlet had a baby in Discworld; the result, is a comedy called Wyrd Sisters. This book is the 6^th installment in Terry Pracehtt's Discworld series. Wyrd Sisters is witty and humorous, and it might even put a few smiles on Shakespeare's face if he could read it.

Synopsis:

In a castle chamber, the moonlight wrestled against the darkness to produce the ghostly silhouette of a man, who stood in a deafening silence and whisphered: "Is this a dagger which I see before me?"

A few minutes later, a dagger buried itself into the king and his body thumped against the stone floor. On that night, the kingdom of Lancre began to wobble. Now, it is up to three witches from the moor, the Wyrd Sisters, who usually meet up on Tuesday nights, to put the rightful king on the thone.

My thoughts on this book:

I had more fun reading Wyrd Sisters than Equal Rites. This little book is clever and entertaining. I was smiling and grinning at the Shakespearean references in this book, and my English teacher from highschool would be proud to know that I did not give back those classes to her. The story commented on the political system of monarchy, the phenomenon of theatre, and other moral values. But I particularly enjoyed the parts in the book that parodied the classical fairy tales. One cannot separate fairy tales from magic, so let's talk for a while, the role of magic in Wyrd Sisters.

There are two types of portrayal for magic in Discworld books. The first portrayal is where young men go to an university to receive a degree in magic. While they learn magic in great details but they are also restricted to their chosen discipline, all the while they refuse to acknowledge authorities in the same field. I believe this is a comment on the social sector of education and research in our world. The second portrayal for magic is the raw and the natural magic, and it can cause inanimate objects to think and walk, as if the nature itself is a character in the story that may intervene and resolve conflicts. In Wyrd Sisters, the spotlight was cast on this second portrayal for magic and I found this underlying theme fascinating and thought provoking.

Granny Weatherwax returned in Wyrd Sisters, but this book also introduced us to two more witches; Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. I like these two characters. The constant bickering between Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg was particularly enjoyable to read; the dialogues were humorous. Meanwhile, this book also entailed a subplot of romance involving Magrat Garlick, and it added heart to the story.

Wyrd Sisters is the second book featuring the witches of Discworld. So far, I am enjoying these books more than the Rincewind/wizard books. To me, these books, casting the witches as the protagonists, have better writings and more interesting themes than those about the wizards. However, whether if I would end up liking the Witches books as much as I did with The City Watch, Moist Von Lipwig, and Ancient Civilization books, that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Wyrd Sisters has a humorous and hearty story and I recommend it to book lovers.

A Book Review: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #3)

Equal Rites is the 3^rd installment in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. While its two predecessors, The Color of Magic, and The LightFantastic, were straight parodies of the Sword and Sorcery genre, Equal Rites marked a beginning for the Discworld books to start exploring topical issues, issues that are relevant to our world.

Synopsis:

Drum Billet, a wizard, was about to kick the bucket. He must pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of the eighth son. Such is the wizardary way in Discworld. In a small town called Bad Ass, Drum finally found a baby who could inherit the staff. He quickly handed the staff to the baby's parents just before Death (literally) tapped on his shoulder. Whew, transaction complete!

Or is it?

Well, there is just is a small problem; in his haste, Drum Billet forgot to check the newborn's sex. Years later, a little girl would come knocking at Granny Weatherwax's door and ask, "can I be a wizard?"

My thoughts on this book:

Equal Rites is the 3^rd installment in Discworld, but I think this is the point where the series really came to life. The first two books in Discworld, The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic, were straight parodies of the fantasy troupes. Those two books were funny and charming in their own ways, but they were also disjointed and lacking directions. But with Equal Rite, Sir Terry sent a powerful message to the world, that fantasy can be much, much more. This book has a direction, at its core is the theme about equality. The story of a little girl tugging at a wizard's robe and asking why women can't be wizards, I think this is something that can resonate with everybody.

The writings in Equal Rites saw improvements over the previous books. In particular, the narratives are more coherent than the first two books in Discworld. There are still a few places where the narratives did not clarify how it moved from point A to point B, but on the whole, Equal Rites doesn't have the randomness that was felt in the previous books. The dialogues were witty, and the banters added charisma to the book. Meanwhle, the characters in this book are funny and likable. I especially like Granny Weatherwax, who was harsh but wise. She is a very impressive character.

A slight let down in this book, for me, is its finale. Throughout the book, it was building up to a big show down. But the ending didn't really live up to the expectations and it felt like an anti-climax. As a result, while Equal Rites is a wonderous book with great characters and a powerful theme, but I wouldn't say it is in the same league as Small Gods, The City Watch series, and Going Postal. This does mean, however, if by this point you are a new comer to the Disc, then you have plenty to look forward to in the future books.

A Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1)

“Books are mirrors; you only see in them what you already have inside you”

     

         - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

What was the first book that found its way into your heart?

Many many years ago, a younger me read a fantasy trilogy, about a dark elf named Drizzt Do'Urden. Like staring into a mirror, I saw myself in Drizzt, his was a story about finding an identity among racial discriminations and self doubts. After reading Drizzt's tale, my heart became so full but I could not describe it in words. The Dark Elf trilogy found its way into my heart and it made me a reader. Over the years, my literary tastes have expanded and evolved, but Drizzt remains an old friend who still occupies a special place in my heart. It is some kind of magic.

Last week, I felt this magic again when I read The Shadow of the Wind. This mystery novel, written by Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón, told a story of love, hatred, and the lost dreams. It is a beautiful book and it left a deep mark on me.

Synopsis:

The story took place in Barcelona and the year was 1945. The city was mending from the wounds it suffered in the Spanish Civil War. On a misty street, a father and a son walked hand in hand. The father, an antiquarian book dealer, was taking his son, Daniel, to a secretive place known as The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Young Daniel was mourning the loss of his mother, but in the sea of forgotten books he would find his solace – a mysterious book titled The Shadow of the Wind, written by a little-known author, Julián Carax.

Daniel became fascinated with Julián. He searched for more of Julián's works, only to discover that someone was destroying every copy of books written by Julián. Meanwhile, the book in Daniel's possession might just be the last surviving work written by Julián Carax.

Who was hiding in the shadow and destroying Julián's books? And why? Soon, a boy's search for the books of his favorite author would awaken, Barcelona's dark secret.

My thoughts about this book:

Is Gothic novel dead? The Shadow of the Wind will prove to you, the Gothic enterprise of the 19^th century is still alive and kicking. This book is wild, it is dark, and it is about the art of reading. Within its pages you will find a story within a story, of tragic love and gruesome murders, and it took place in a noirish depiction of the mid 20^th century Barcelona.

“A doomed romance and murders in the shadows? Isn't this a bit over the top?”

Perhaps so, but under Zafón's beautiful prose and elaborate plotting, this book turned into an unputdownable masterpiece. The moment I opened the book, the time disappeared. The black inks on the white pages, they transported me to a different world. Over the course of the next 500 pages I met characters who became my friends. I came to know and care for them. I shared their loves, hopes, and griefs. Their losses became my losses, and their joys cheered my heart. At the end of the book, I sighed and pondered at the things that could have been, but would never be, or still to be – the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind.

I highly recommend The Shadow of the Wind. If a book has yet to find its way into your heart, then this book could be the one.

A Book Review: The Wire in the Blood by Val McDermid

This August, my book club is reading The Wire in the Blood. This is a crime thriller written by Val McDermid. It is also the second book in a best-selling series featuring two criminal profilers; Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordon. A Google search indicated, that these books were adapted into a TV series too. Admittedly, I have never heard of of this series or its author until now, but I do like a good story about heroic detectives solving blood-chilling murders. I was feeling excited when the librarian handed this novel to me at the book club meeting. I read this book over the course of 5 days, but I have a mixed reaction to this book.

Synopsis:

Are all serial killers insane?

Criminal profilers, Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordon, are about to discover the answer to this question, the hard way.

Across the UK, dozens of teenage girls have vanished without any trace. The legal authorities are convinced, that these girls were runaways. But a budding detective, Shaz Bowman, suspected the otherwise. Shaz, a student of Dr. Hill's, proposed a theory so wild that not even her own teacher believed her.

When Shaz' mutilated body was discovered in her own apartment, however, Tony Hill had a change of mind. Maybe, Shaz was on to something and that's why the murderer killed her dead. Tony and Carol followed the clues to investigate the case, only to finding themselves become preys to a ruthless yet brilliant killer.

My thoughts on this book:

I have a mixed reaction about this book. I like the story because it is strung with tension. But on the other hand, I also found the pace in this book too slow, and its plot is unfocused. This book counts to 530 pages, but it spent the first 200 pages to establish the characters and their backgrounds. The first half of the book was dragged out. Once the story launched from the ground, what followed was 300 pages worth of suspense. I particularly enjoyed the middle book, where the story placed a heavy emphasis on the detective works. However, I dislike the ending of this book. It felt like a rushed conclusion. I am not sure if the author intended this book to end at a cliff hanger, or perhaps it is a setup for a sequel. Without spoiling the story, it suffices to say, to me this book feels unfinished.

Tony Hill and Carol Jordon made a pair of likable protagonists. I had a lot of fun reading about Tony Hill's approach at tackling the crime. This book also made an attempt at a romantic subplot involving our two protagonists, but I found the romance somewhat dim and flat. Meanwhile, the antagonist, the serial killer, he added most of the thrills to The Wire in the Blood. He is a frightening character, whose ruthless and cold-blooded behaviors threatened every character in this book with a real sense of danger.

Here I need to mention, The Wire in the Blood is very violent. Certain scenes in this book depicted gores and bodily mutilations in graphic details that may disturb sensitive readers. I do not think the author was glorifying the violence and the gores. I think the author used the violence to add weights to the horrifying nature of the crimes. However, if you have a low tolerance for gores and violence, then you may wish to approach this book with caution.

Despite the several issues I have against this book, I did enjoy The Wire in the Blood. If you can pass the long, tiring first half of the book, then you may discover a good detective story, full of suspense and tension, in the second half. The ending was disappointing, but the journey was good. Should the opportunities arise, I would be keen to read more books in this series.

A Book Review: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #37)

Today I am reviewing Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. This book is the 37^th installment in the beloved Discworld series. It is also one of the very last books written by Sir Terry before he passed away in 2015. But take a look at this book's cover. What do you think it is about? If you guessed this book is about football, then you are right. The question, is Unseen Academicals only about football? Well, the important thing about football is that it is not about football; just like the important thing about a Discworld novel is not about fantasy. This means, while Unseen Academicals is literally, fantasy football, but it is also much, much more.

So we have fantasy, a parody about football, and a reflection about life. I should be enjoying this book, right? Not quite. I would say, Unseen Academicals, together with Eric, are two of my least favorite Discworld novels. Before I discuss this book, however, let me provide a synopsis.

Synopsis:

On the cobbled streets of Ankk Morpork reside a football culture that is not very “cultured”. Why? It is because football translates to pushing and shoving to the Morporkians both on and off the field. This is why the city needs a new type of football; fast, with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when players dropped them on the ground.

Hang on, did you say pointy hats? That is right. To kickstart the game, the wizards at Unseen University must emerge victorious from the first football match without using magics. Ha, but wizards without magics are just a bunch of old men with long beards, so in a game of foot-the-ball, they will surely end up getting slaughtered, right? Not so fast! The wizards have yet to reveal their secret weapons; a street urchin with an amazing talent for kicking a tin can, a cook with a recipe for making mouth-watering pies, a beautiful but dim young woman who might just be the greatest model ever, and a mysterious man called Mr. Nutt who knows others better than himself.

Four ordinary people teaming up with a bunch of old academics to play a football game. The outcome may just be life-changing and entering Ankh Morpork's annual for sporting events. Mark it down, this team is called Unseen Academicals.

My thoughts on this book:

Unseen Acacemicsls is witty and humorous. Underneath this “fantasy” football comedy is a heart warming story about self-image and self-identity. The wizards tickled my funny bone with their eccentricity and oddness. Meanwhile, I was very fond of the four main protagonists in this book. Unseen Academicals is set in a fantasy world, but its story and characters are about real life issues in our world. In this case, each of the four protagonists embodied a challenge to real things in our world, from stereotypes, prejudices, the fashion industry, and sports as religion.

While Unseen Academicals' theme and humors are worthy of praise, but I don't like this book as much as other Discworld novels. I struggled in the first 200 pages, because it was very slow at establishing its background and the characters. The story remained unfocused from the middle book and all the way to the end. The transitions between POV characters were often poor, thereby disrupting the story's momentum. To me, Unseen Academicals felt like a book that was stuck to the second gear, and I struggled to follow through the story.

Having said this, we must remember, when Terry Pratchett wrote this book he was already ill with Alzheimer's. Perhaps the better way to treat Unseen Academicals, is to examining its meanings, and then looking at how this book explored the issues that matter in our own society. This book is worth a read. And it dawned on me, while this book touched some serious topics in our cultures, but it still made me laugh heartily. Our world, like Discworld, are full of unsung heroes, the small folks, who take on life and all its challenges with goodwill and brevity. So, while the world may not be full of sunshine and rainbow, but every time I read a Discworld novel, it makes me realize that things are only appearing so grim because I am blinded to the good stuff sitting right next to me. 

Until the next time, happy reading!

A Book Review: Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp

Cold Counsel, written by Chris Sharp, is an epic fantasy novel with a troll as the protagonist.

Huh? Did you say a troll is the protagonist in this book? Are you trolling? No, I am not trolling, but a lot of goblins in this book got “trolled”, big time! 

Ok, jokes aside, take a look at the book's cover. Can you see that bad-ass, tusked warrior standing there and holding a mean-looking ax? That, is the protagonist in Cold Counsel and he is a troll.

The news for Cold Counsel arrived at the shore of my reading domain, on a barge of internet review articles. It gained a top spot on my list for “to be read books”, because it looked like my cup of tea. Last Friday, The Book Depository delivered this tale of blood and thunder to my mail box. I devoured this book in a gusto and loved every page of it. I highly recommend Cold Counsel, but I believe a certain type of audience will especially appreciate this book. What type of audience? My review will discuss this question. Meanwhile, here is a synopsis for the book.

Synopsis:

It was a dreadful day, a raging storm besieged the mountain, and the chief of the Blood Claw Clan welcomed his son into the world. Everyone agreed, there was something unusual about this newborn. Perhaps, his strangeness flows from the fiery gleam in his small black eyes, a pair of eyes that opened the window to blood and fury. They named him Slud, Bringer of Troubles.

Baby Slud's presence changed his father, who united his fellow trolls and took the mountain from the goblins. The elves, however, were unnerved by the return of the lesser giants. They stormed the mountain with twenty thousand warriors, wiping off the trolls from the face of the earth.

But the elves missed two trolls.

Among the smoldering fire and the crimson deaths, an old witch from Ironwood carried baby Slud away before the elven blade could touch him. In the two decades that followed, the old hag molded Slud into an instrument of one purpose - revenge.

My thoughts on this book:

Let me present a checklist to you. If your literary taste matches this checklist, then you will probably love Cold Counsel as much as I did.

If you like:

• Grimdark fantasy
• Conan the Cimmerian
• Norse mythology
• Morally ambiguous characters
• A revenge/heist story
• A story with a wicked sense of humor
• Bloody and thunderous battles
• A troll for the protagonist

Then you will love this book.

This is not to say Cold Counsel is perfect. While every character in this book is pure awesome, but I would have liked to see more character development. Otherwise, when I finished Cold Counsel, I let out a sigh of contentment. Among the sea of fantasy books, Cold Counsel is a rare breed. Why? Not only is this a self-contained story with no loose end, but it is also short, only 270 pages in length.

Seriously, in an age when most fantasy books are 600+ pages, and in serials, where will you find a fast-paced, compact, and self-contained story like Cold Counsel? This book is built with the savage economy of a desert wolf; in a surprisingly short length, the author jampacked the book with a hella of an adventure, vast and epic. Its worldbuilding draws heavily from Norse mythology, with a perspective from the monsters and the creatures that stalked the night. It offers an interesting, and alternative take on the classical mythology – what if the struggles were never about good vs. evil, but that of power and influence?

Slud takes on the centre stage of the story. As a troll, Slud has the brawn, a lot of it, but he is also surprisingly resourceful and intelligent. The combination of his qualities made him a force of nature. Slud reminds me of Conan the Cimmerian, the kind of guys you don't want to mess with. They are neither good nor evil, they do things because it needs to be taken care of, and they will fight anyone who stands in their way, be it a god or a monster. Other than Slud, Cold Counsel also features a cast of intriguing characters; a witch/hag, an (almost) unkillable goblin warrior, and a giant wolf who is also the descendant of Fenrir, the bane of Odin. I particularly liked the goblin warrior, the dialogues between Slud and him often made me grin from ear to ear, it is wicked and humorous. Let me put it this way, the cast in Cold Counsel is like the medieval, fantasy equivalent of Suicide Squad.

When I closed this book, the sound of battle and clashing steels receded in my head, but I wanted more stories about Slud and his band of cutthroats. On Goodreads, I asked the author if there will be a sequel. Mr. Sharp replied, he is planning and hoping for a sequel (a trilogy, in fact). However, his sales numbers are currently a bit light so there is no surety. Therefore, if you like Grimdark fantasy, then make sure to check out Cold Counsel and give this book some support. Spread the words.

I highly recommend this book.

P.S. Some reviews have complained about Slud's dialogues for being unintelligible. The author confirmed, he intended Slud to sounding like a pirate. When I was reading this book, I read out Slud's dialogues, loud, in the deep, guttural voice of an orc but with an accent of a pirate. The result? It was great fun! Try it out.