Book Review: Kellanved's Reach, by Ian C. Esslemont (Path of Ascendancy #3)

I think Malazan is perhaps the best fantasy series ever written. There isn't a series in fantasy quite like it. In fact, if there is such a thing as "War and Peace" for fantasy, then Malazan is probably it. Yet, Malazan is not the creative imagination of one man, but two; Steven Erikson, who authored the series' canon, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and Ian C. Esslemont, who authored 6 companion novels to Book of the Fallen, as well as a prequel trilogy called Path to Ascendancy.

Although these two authors are writing stories set in the same universe, but their books differ vastly from each other. While Steven Erikson is well known for his quality writing and philosophical depths, Ian C. Esslemont approached the storytelling in a way more traditional to the fantasy genre. Each author tells the Malazan story in his unique voice, and the result is spectacular.

Long time readers of my blogs would know that I am a big admirer of Erikson's Book of the Fallen series. I adore it for the characters, the stories, and most importantly its exploration for the problem of suffering. However, I never read Esslemont works until I picked up Dancer's Lament and Deadhouse Landing in 2017.

Dancer's Lament and Deadhouse Landing belong the cycle of Path to Ascendancy, it is a prequel trilogy to Erikson's Book of the Fallen series. The trilogy narrates the misadventures of Dancer and Kellanved, both are key players in Book of the Fallen series. I loved both books, but the wait for the concluding installment was 18 months long. When the final book, Kellanved's Reach, finally became available at the book seller's website it was like magic. I have high expectations for Kellanved's Reach because of my love for the first two books, and I am very happy to report that the book did not disappoint, although I think there are minor issues in its structures.

The story picked up from the end of Deadhouse Landing. Petty feuds and wars raged across the city states in Quon Tali. Meanwhile, our upstart mage and assassin, Kellanved and Dancer, now control the southern seas and the Malaz city, they are a power to be reckoned with. However, Kellanved could care less about the politics and the war strategies, because the little mage from Don Hon has his eyes set on an ancient flint spear and uncovering its ties to an Elder race of legends. His friend, Dancer, is sceptical and therefore reluctant about chasing after this myth about an army of dusts and bones. But the eccentric mage can be persistent, therefore the duo set out once again in another misadventure into the unknown, and their journey will pave the way to the birth of an empire.

I like Kellanved's Reach, it is a very good book. For those who have read Book of the Fallen this book has many Easter eggs and it also sets up the stage for the canon. This book is more true to the Malazan fashion where the story features dozens of characters and multiple plots. While one would expect such a complex story to be a sizable volume, yet Kellanved's Reach is curiously short, for the book is only 330 pages. I enjoyed the book, it is fast-paced and rich, but I couldn't help but feel the book was a bit rushed and another 100 pages would have improved the story expositions. As a result, while Kellanved's Reach is a good conclusion to Dancer and Kellanved's misadventures, but the two preceding volumes are better than this one by a notch.

The book features many characters. Some are newly introduced characters, and some returning characters from the previous books, and finally the book marks the entrance for some big players in the Book of the Fallen canon. For example (spoiler ahead) I was jumping up and down in excitement when Onos T''oolan appeared in the late chapters. However, I also feel that Esslemont should have explored each character more. I mean, I was disappointed that Dassem only has a minor role in this book. Furthermore, Dancer and Kellanved are almost like secondary characters themselves in this installment. All in all, while the characters in this book are as interesting and memorable as always, but I could not help but feel that book could have explored these characters a bit more, that the book feels rushed.

Every Malazan book finish with a "convergence" event, where the multiple plots and characters finally clash in a crescendo. Kellanved's Reach has the convergence event too, and it was spectacular. However, after the climax the story continued on for another 50 pages. While the last 50 pages tied up the loose ends for the subplots but it is, inevitably, anticlimactic It just feels like those last 50 pages are in the wrong place, they should have appeared before the convergence rather than after. This is yet another example where a lengthier book and more story expositions could have made Kellanved's Reach better.

In the end, Kellanved's Reach is still a very good book and a worthy installment to the Malzan saga. I had a great time reading it. But at the same time, the book feels rushed and it could have been better if Esslemont had written an additional 100 pages to better explore the characters and their stories. Therefore while I like Kellanved's Reach but I think it comes slight short of both Dancer's Lament and Deadhouse Landing. Having said this, Kellanved's Reach is still a great conclusion to the trilogy, and it is definitely worth reading if you are a fan of the Malazan series.

Book Review: The Labyrinth of the Spirits, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #4)

The enamouring story of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books concludes with The Labyrinth of the Spirits, this is the fourth installment in the series. I was dying to read this grand finale and the wait was excruciating, especially since the translation from Spanish into English took two years. The day the bookseller delivered the book to my doorstep I thought it was a trick. I opened the parcel and found a big book wrapped in a dust jacket as beautiful as it is inviting, it was almost as if the book was whispering into my ears: "Shall we begin"?

Synopsis:

In 1938, the Spanish Civil War took Alicia's parents from her and gave her an injury for life. Alicia was only nine years old. Twenty years later Alicia grew up to become a top investigator for Spain's secret police. Despite being good at her job, Alicia was weary and she wished to retire. Her boss, Leandro Montalvo, granted her retirement on one condition – she must solve the case about the strange disappearance of Spain's Minister of Culture, a man called Mauricio Valls.

Alicia travelled from Madrid to Barcelona with her partner, a big and experienced cop called Juan Manuel Vargras, to investigate this case. Their investigations uncovered a piece of bizarre but vital clue, a book called The Labyrinths of the Spirits, written by one Victor Mataix. The duo followed the clue and unearthed a terrifying secret tied to the Franco regime which also involved David Martin, Julian Carax, and the Sempere family.

My thoughts on this book:

The Labyrinth of the Spirits is a massive tome of 800 pages, but it reads like a piece of crime detective noir, fast-paced and thrilling. The book has numerous plots and sub-plots, but they are all connected to the central mystery, which was revealed one layer at a time like peeling off the onion skins. This is an intricate and beautiful story, you will want to loose yourself in this book and explore every corner of it. I was especially shocked and moved by the descriptions of life in Franco's regime. I mean, I have lived in the western world for the most of my life, and while in the western society there are a lot emphasis and stories about how communist states oppressed the life of its citizens, but there aren't many stories and emphasis about how the fascist regimes can be equally as oppressive. I wonder why? Perhaps it is because the West has made communism its only enemy so fascism is deemed more tolerable? But surely totalitarianism can go under any slogan, right? Anyway, I digress.

The book introduces a new protagonist, Alicia Gris, a femme fatale who wrestled with a wound she sustained from the Spanish Civil War, when she was still a little girl. Alicia's wound is both physical and emotional, and the book did an excellent job at translating how her wound shaped her into the person she was. I like Alicia, she and Fermin are my favorite characters in the series. Where Fermin has a good humour and roguish charms, Alicia is mysterious, seductive, but also subject to sympathy.

A host of characters appeared in this book alongside Alicia. Some characters, such as detective Vargras and Leandro, are new characters. These new characters are well fleshed out, I especially like Vargras, who is like a rugged bear, and his relationship dynamic to Alicia, one that bears resemblance to a father and and his daughter, was vividly portrayed. Meanwhile, many of our beloved characters from the previous entries returned in The Labyrinth of the Spirits; Daniel, Bea, Senor Sempere, Isaac, and of course, Fermin. This book continued their stories and then gave each a fitting conclusion. The book also rewarded the long time readers by finally revealing the fates of both David Martin and Julian Carax, who were the main characters in The Angel's Game and The Shadow of the Wind respectively. In other words, not only did The Labyrinth of the Spirits introduced a new protagonist and a new mystery, but it also tied up every story threads in the end, and the conclusion is beautiful yet bitter sweet. You will remember these characters long after you waved good bye to them.

The Labyrinth of the Spirits is the grand finale I have been waiting for, and it did not disappoint. In fact, the book exceeded my expectations. The Shadow of the Wind is my in my list of top 5 books of all time, and I like The Labyrinth of the Spirits as much as The Shadow of the Wind, so this is saying a lot about the love I have for this book. Now that I have read the entire series, I realized Zafon is a genius, because you can enter this literary maze from any book in the series, yet still reach the heart of it. I love this series. This is one I will revisit many times in the future.

(Re-read) Book Review: The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #3)

A number of my most beloved books, are about books. To name a few; The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. But my favorite of the lot is Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. The story is set in Barcelona in the early to the mid twentieth century, with a historical backdrop in turbulent times such as the Spanish Civil War and then General Franco's ultranationalists, fascist regime. It is a grand story about the lives of people who found themselves under the circumstances, it is a story of their struggles and loves. The series began with a stunner called The Shadow of the Wind, and it is followed by The Angel's Game, a fascinating meditation on the role of myths and the nature of beliefs. A couple of weeks ago I decided to revisit this series, and since then I have been loving the re-read experience. In the re-reads I discovered details which escaped my eyes previously, and I also came to appreciate the characters and the stories even more. My re-read has carried me to The Prisoner of Heaven, this is the third installment in the series, and it is also a direct sequel to The Shadow of the Wind.

Synopsis:

It was Christmas time and the year was 1957, white snow decorated Barcelona into a winter palace. For the Sempere family it was a time of joys and celebrations; Daniel and his wife Bea welcomed the arrival of a baby, while their best friend, Fermín Romero de Torres was finally tying the knot with a wonderful lady.

The mood of celebration, however,  evaporated on the day when a dark stranger stepped into the Sempere bookshop. This mysterious man brought with him a terrible old secret from the early days of General Franco's reign. The secret dragged Fermín and Daniel into a lethal game of exposing Barcelona's forbidden history, about a man known as the prisoner of heaven.

My thoughts about this book:

At 270 pages, The Prisoner of Heaven is a lot shorter than its two predecessors. The quality of writing in this book is top notch, and it is on par with the previous books. However, having read this book for the second time, I now see The Prisoner of Heaven more as a bridge to connect the previous books to the future story rather than a stand alone novel. Mind you, I still like The Prisoner of Heaven, yet I cannot help but feel the book is unable to stand on its own and it should have been a part of the next installment. This is especially since the book finished with a cliff hanger and it is quite short.

The Prisoner of Heaven took place in two different timelines; one is set in 1959, the other is set in 1941. In the 1959 timeline, the book reunited the readers with Daniel and Fermin, each is a fantastic character in his own way. Along the duo also marked the return of our beloved support characters, such as Bea, Isaac, Señor Sempere, and Bernada. Meanwhile, the plot set in the 1941 timeline shed some lights into the mystery of David Martin and some of Fermin's past life, and it will answer some of the remaining questions from The Angel's Game. The characters who appeared in both timelines are memorable and likable. However I would say Fermin stole the show with his remarkable wits, and his roguish yet honorable character.

There is a shocking reveal in The Prisoner of Heaven. I am currently half way through The Labyrinth of the Spirits (the concluding installment in the series), and from the hindsight I can see how The Prisoner of Heaven connects the previous two installments with the fourth installment into a grand story, while also keeping them stand-alone books. It is almost as if the whole series is a maze with multiple entries, and one can choose to venture into the maze from any entrance yet still reaching the heart of the maze. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a stunning piece of literature with lovable characters, a compelling story, and intricate worldbuilding. I feel as if Zafon wrote these books for me, and this is telling me that these books are very close to my heart, and I believe there are many kindred spirits out there who feel the same. I highly recommend The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series.

Stay tuned, next time I will review the final book in the series, The Labyrinth of the Spirits, a whopping tome of 800 pages.

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

My re-read for The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series took me to The Angel's Game. This is the 2^nd installment in the cycle. This book is a prequel to The Shadow of the Wind, and it differs to the previous book by a great deal. When I read this book two years ago I thought the ending was a bit confusing. It was too abstract, but I liked 80% of the book. This re-read has changed my opinion about the book, and I came away with an understanding of its significance in the entire series.

Synopsis:

In the vibrant city of Barcelona stood an abandoned tower house, its walls and bricks echoed with the memory of a tragic past. Meanwhile, David Martin, a budding novelist, took residence in this forsaken mansion and made a living by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym.

David was struggling with an impossible love, and he was also tormented by the memories of a troubled childhood. Not even his beloved 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:

The Angel's Game is a Faustian journey where the readers and the book's protagonist descend into a world of mystery and ambiguity. This is a story about the tragic consequence of love turning into obsessions, and I especially like the book's meditation on myths and the nature of belief systems, it is profound and thought provoking. Meanwhile, the story's theme reminded me of Dorian Gray and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, it blends mystery with romance, with splashes of horror in between.

The book is well written just like The Shadow of the Wind even though it is an English translation. In fact, the entire series was translated from Spanish into English by Lucia Graves. This opens the question whether if the excellent writings testify the skills of the author or the translator. A lady from my book club has a friend who can read Spanish, and according to her, the English translations are very faithful to the Spanish originals.

The worldbuilding in this book is superb. In this re-read, I took my time with the book and I noticed details which I didn't see before. Zafon's Barcelona is a living and breathing city with shadow-haunted mysteries and deep intrigues. Many secrets and plot twists were hidden in the story, but Zafon kept them close to his chest and revealed them very late in the book. There are multiple story threads in this book and the transitions were seamless. The Angel's Game introduced David Martin, a new protagonist who plays a central role (minor spoiler) in the rest of the series. The story narrates David's rise and fall in the literary world after he took on a strange contract to write an unusual book. The story kept me guessing whether if David's ordeal was supernatural or the product of his own imaginations, and there was a good tension between these two possibilities. Other than David, the book also introduced Isabella, a support character whose identity, when revealed in the end, will shock veteran readers of the series, while also setting up the premise for the follow-up story. This also means one can enter The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series from The Angel's Game instead of The Shadow of the Wind.

Out of all characters who appeared in the book I like Isabella the most. She is charming and her qualities left a deep impression on my mind. As for David, I feel sorry for this ill-fated novelist, especially since the ending left rooms for doubt whether if his ordeal wa a result of a mental illness or that of a supernatural encounter. I have already read the 3rd book, The Prisoner of Heaven, and I am currently reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits, which is the final installment in the series, I can see the ambiguous ending in The Angel's Game was intentional. I can also assure you, my gentle readers, that the next two books answer the mystery about David. Therefore if you are confused by the final chapter in The Angel's Game, then make sure to continue and read The Prisoner of Heaven.

I still prefer The Shadow of the Wind to The Angel's Game, but after this re-read I see the book in a different light. The first time I read The Angel's Game I liked 80% of it but I found the ending confusing. In this re-read I came to appreciate those 80% even more, and most importantly now I understand the ending was written in a manner, not only for the book to be a stand-alone story, but it is also a connecting piece to a grand narrative and the theme in the series, it is very clever and intricate. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a series for lovers of stories, and it is a place where I will revisit time and again in the future.

(Re-read) book review: The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1)

Two years ago I discovered a treasure called The Shadow of the Wind, it is a novel written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, an author from Spain whose talents extend into music compositions. The Shadow of the Wind was the first book in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, it is a gothic thriller set in the mid 20^th century Barcelona. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books became my close companion for many wintry nights, and I was spellbound by its mysteries which haunted the gothic buildings under the ashen sky. Three installments from the series were available at the time; The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven. I devoured all three novels in a month. I loved them.

However the series was incomplete. At the time, the English translation for the fourth and the final volume was still in the works. Therefore I was forced into an agonizing wait until recently, when the English translation for the final book is finally available. While I was waiting for the trusty bookseller to ship the fourth novel to my home, I decided to revisit the series, beginning from the very first book. This is my first time re-reading a book, and having read The Shadow of the Wind, my favorite book, for the second time, I can testify that re-reading your favorite book is like visiting an old friend.

Synopsis:

The story took place in Barcelona and the year was 1945. The city was recovering from the bleeding wounds of the Spanish Civil War. It was a misty morning, and on the street a father and a son walked hand in hand. The father, an antiquarian book dealer, was taking his son, Daniel, to a secret place known as The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Young Daniel mourned the loss of his mother, but among the sea of forgotten books he found 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 a shadowy individual had set himself on a quest to destroying every book written by Julián. As a result, the book in Daniel's possession was one of the last surviving books penned by Julián Carax.

Who was hiding in the shadow and destroying Julián's books? And why? Daniel's search for the books of his favorite author might awaken Barcelona's dark secret.

My thoughts on the book:

My 2^nd visit to The Shadow of the Wind made me realize the joys of re-reading a book. This time, I was in no hurry to discover the plot, and so I made new discoveries about this beloved novel. Furthermore, I could better envision the book's world and its characters, and I noticed some humors and quirks which escaped me previously. This time I greeted the characters as if they are my old friends, and together we treaded the labyrinthine streets of Barcelona to relive this story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind.

Zafon wrote beautifully, and in this re-read I came to appreciate his writings even more. Although it has been 2 years since I read the book, but I still have memories about the major plot twists and reveals, and this allowed me to view the story's structure from a high level. I came to appreciate the intricate and the seamless way in which the multiple story threads were put together. In my spare time I engage in a number of hobbies, but I forgot about my other hobbies when I was reading The Shadow of the Wind. Just like the last time, this book hooked me in the moment I read its opening paragraph. Who needs a TV when you can read a book as good as this?

I let out a sigh of content when I closed the last page of the book. I was eager to re-read the next installment, The Angel's Game, but I also decided to myself that not only will I start to re-read more books, but this is also not my last visit to The Shadow of the Wind.

Book Review: The Hard Way by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #10)

Jack Reacher sits in a cafe. He likes the coffee here. It is his new favorite place in New York. Reacher watched a man cross the neon-lit street and drove a Mercedes away. A few minutes later, a stranger walked into the cafe and asked Reacher to describe the driver's face. The stranger, the man, spoke with a British accent and Jack figured he had military trainings. Probably ex-special force. Probably ex-SAS.

Why would someone like that be interested in the driver and the car? The strange ordeal seized Reacher's attentions. The stranger, the ex-SAS guy, took Reacher to see his boss, one Edward Lane. It turned out that Lane runs a mercenary band for hire and he is pretty rich. All that $$$ also made Lane a target. Someone kidnapped his beautiful wife and stepdaughter. The ransom, one million dollars.

Lane offered Reacher a job; find Lane's wife and stepdaughter and he would reward Reacher handsomely. But there is a catch – no cops.

Reacher may be one hella hunter but the case has little clues, so this time he has to do it the hard way.

The Hard Way is the 10^th installment in Lee Child's super duper thriller series. It is about a man called Jack Reacher. The series needs little introduction because it has sold over 100 million books. Let's just say like many others I am a fan of these books. Meanwhile, if you haven't read Jack Reacher and you like action thrillers, then do yourself a favor and check out a book called Killing Floor.

The Hard Way is a very good addition to the series. This one is a bit different to Lee Child's other books. The highlight in this book is Jack Reacher's ability as a crime-busting detective than an one man army. This also means there is little fight scenes in The Hard Way. The book consists mostly of Jack Reacher searching for clues and piecing the puzzles together. It is a full on detective noir. One would have expected this book to be slower than Reacher's other adventures. Surprisingly the story in The Hard Way is fast paced, there are many unexpected twists and the story is suspenseful.

However The Hard Way is not a one man show. A cast of supporting characters appeared alongside Reacher and each had a unique and important role in the plot. I cannot say too much about the supporting characters without revealing some spoilers, but in this book the characters' motives were believable, and as the story unfolded some of them really surprised me.

Lee Child wrote The Hard Way in his signature style; the writings are hard boiled, punctual, and he used short sentences. The story is set in New York, and the writings painted a noirsh tone to the world and its characters. When I was reading this book, it felt as if I was watching a detective movie set in the night time of a buzzing metropolitan. This is a refreshing change to the series, considering other Jack Reacher books were often set in rural US towns.

The Hard Way is a very good thriller novel. It is easily in my list of top 5 Jack Reacher books just after Killing Floor, Gone Tomorrow and Worth Dying For. If you like Jack Reacher books then you cannot afford to miss this one out. On the other hand, if you are a newcomer to Jack Reacher's journey to dispense justice, then The Hard Way might be a good place to start.

A Book Review: Boomerang, by Michael Lewis

For many people, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 is a fresh memory. It has only been a decade since the day we learned there is no such thing as "too big to fail". 

GFC 2008 was a spectacular disaster, and today the world is still feeling the pains. What caused it? We know the culprit in the US was the subprime home loans. But what about in the other parts of the world? Why was the Greek government close to bankruptcy? Why did the real estate market in Ireland tumble? Why did the banks in Iceland fall down like dominos? Why did the German government have to rescue their banks? And perhaps most importantly, what is the lesson to learn from all of this, and will history repeat itself, only this time on a bigger scale?

In December my book club read Boomerang, by Michael Lewis. If you haven't heard of Michael Lewis, then perhaps you have heard of the 2015 movie, The Big Short. The movie was based on one of his previous books (a non-fiction book of the same name). Boomerang is a continuation from The Big Short, where Michael Lewis extended his investigations to the international waters, and unveiling what went on behind the curtains of those countries hit hardest by GFC 2008, namely; Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Germany, and then finally, the US.

In this book, Michael Lewis detailed how debt was the common denominator behind the economic downfalls in every country, but there is also a great diversity in the manner each country spent their cheaply borrowed credits. Between 2002 and 2008, it became very easy to borrow money. In Iceland, the entire country turned into a giant hedge fund, where the bankers used the money to engage in aggressive acquisitions of foreign assets, which they bought and sold at grossly inflated prices. In Greece, the government wasted the loans on a mass spending spree, thus dragging down the banks with their public debts. In Ireland, the loans fueled a construction frenzy, in which they built an oversupply of homes and sold them at hyper inflated prices. The German bankers, meanwhile, purchased mountains of subprime loans from the US and bonds issued by Greece, all the while thinking those were "risk free investments". Finally, in the US, they incurred mass public and private debts because people wanted to live above their means.

Boomerang described how each country spent their loans and created the economic bubbles, each in their unique ways. The author attributed the diversity of money spending to the national cultures. Some people criticized the author for cultural stereotype. I am not a scholar in this field, so I don't know the role of national cultures in these affairs. However, I do think there is a common theme behind it all – GFC 2008 was a result of people wanting to live above their means, and sacrificing long term interests and common good in exchange for short term gains.

Boomerang is funny, but it is also scary. The stuff that people did was nothing short of incredible, in a bad way. You would have expected to find this sort of stories in satires and parodies like Discworld, but not in the real life! Yet, the stuff mentioned in this book is our recent history. Truth, is indeed stranger than fiction! This is why the book is also scary. I mean, take a look around, and start paying attentions to news in the financial world, does it look like the world has learned the lesson?

I highly recommend Boomerang.