It’s Tuesday! A day late but not for lack of trying, yesterday I had a bad day at the office. But, well, that is behind me now so on to this week’s ramblings.
Books
I finished book three of The Sword of Truth series, Blood of the Fold. Again, the experience of reading this book for a second time but without the urge to skip pages to know what is going to happen has made this experience quite unique. I am enjoying the detailed and rich descriptions of these magical places as well as of the creatures that inhabit this massive world. I have also found some serious comedy hidden between the dialogues, especially between Richard and the Confessor, but more so with the clever Mord Sith. I have just started book 4, and I am looking forward to it.
I also finished book 12 of the Anita Blake series, Incubus Dreams and I really liked it. The direction the main characters are taking, mainly Anita and Jean-Claude are pretty consistent, that is one trait that I have loved about these books: they are consistent. Anita has gone through so much, not only mentally but physically, with her power growing and the with the marks affecting her powers, that if she would have stayed the same, then the series would not make much sense at all. Jean-Claude is, well, Jean-Claude, and he is still the one pulling the strings and not saying any more than he needs to. Nathaniel and Micah have become two very good, complex characters, one struggling to become what he thinks Anita wants him to become and the other simply is what he is. Richard is still in the out house for, I really don’t like him at all, and with each book my dislike is growing into something that resembles hate…lol.
I also began the first book of the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie names The Blade Itself. It has been a very good change of pace, and while I am only about half-way, one of the main characters, Logen Ninefingers is fast becoming one of my favorites. Let’s see hoe the rest of the book unfold and then we can discuss next week.
Series
I only had time for a quick Game of Thrones episode this week, but boy, it was a good one. I have a feeling that the resolution of the plot is not far begin and the downward spiral the Stark’s will suffer is about to begin.
In the immortal words of my good friend @Ynoz, in regards of Viserys…Worst, deal ever.
Games
Again, the little time I had this week to play was used up by Final Fantasy VII. I already have Cid and Vincent in my party and this time around I decided to play, mainly, with Cloud, Tifa and Vincent, although Aeries and Red XIII are also very part of the mix. I don’t know why, but I have never used Yuffie as part of the rotation. I already have the Tiny Bronco and have just finished Wutai’s first mission, so I will likely head down to the Golden Saucer and advance the plot line.
Now, very good news from the pen and paper Kingdome of role-play have come my way this week. A new table has formed and I can’t wait to get started. This Thursday we will begin with the character creation and our DM will have to get acquainted with the new rules of the 4th edition. (I think that the last time he played THACO was still all the rage.) I have a character that I have played on an off for the last 6 or 7 years. I have also played this toon in World of Warcraft where he became my favorite toon in the world. His name is Pentholas, and he is a Prince you, oh, and he can turn into a dog! The first toon I rolled was a Druid, and through the years, playing games like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, I always rolled a Druid, so I would like to say I that I feel right at home with this class. However, what I really want is to be part of a table that is constant and committed to the allotted times for our game, so that we can build a story that might take years to resolve, or even if its not years, at least long enough to introduce plot points and decision that our heroes will rue or celebrate at the nearest Tavern. I want some closure for Pentholas, I want him to be able to retire into his golden days and then break out a new character. But most of all, I just want to play D&D again with my friends.
Webcomic
This week I came across this wonderful of webcomics, called Weregeek. I just felt so…represented by the overall arc of the story, which I just could not resist.
http://www.weregeek.com/2011/05/31/
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Final Fantasy VII
Hello all! Today I want to talk about what I have been doing all week in terms of books, games and series.
Books
I will start of with my first love: books. If you have been following this blog, then you will now that I am rereading Terry Goodkind’s series of the Sword of Truth. This week I made a lot of progress on his third installment: Blood of the Fold. Like its predecessors, Blood of the Fold continues to tell the story of Richard and Kahlan as they have to face new threats that threaten to destroy everything they have worked for so far. I have been enjoying the series again more than I did when I first read them, because I am now engrossed in the whole story, not only in the continuation of Richard’s story. Again, I can not stress enough that if you like fantasy novels, the Sword of Truth series is a must read.
I am also reading Laurel K. Hamilton’s Incubus Dreams, the 12th book in the Anita Blake series. I have to admit that these books have an addictive quality about them that only manifests itself when the book is about halfway through. Before that, the books are good and interesting, the plot is developing as well as the story, but once I peek into the bottom of my iBook reader and I see that I am about to the begin the halfway point, I have to take a deep breath and decide whether I can pull an all nighter reading the rest of the book or to live to sleep another day. The endings are just relentless, manic and fantastic fun! She also has a knack of presenting us with the most unreal, out of the park, situations that are just right to the plot, and that you can actually believe for the character, an uncommon trait in books dealing with the supernatural. I love Anita, but I have to say that my already strained relationship with Richard is reaching its breaking point. Grrr…
I will be reading Mercedes Lackey’s second book of her Mage Wars Trilogy, The White Gryphon. The first book, titled The Black Gryphon was a pleasant surprise for me. I had wanted to take a plunge into Lackey’s wide and alluring fantasy world for a long time, and sometimes with great anticipation comes great disillusion, but not in this case. Now, it is worth to note that this is book a prequel to her universe and is co-written with Larry Dixon, but I was more interested in discovering whether I was going to like the world, the characters, rather than the story. So far so good!
Games
Now, I have also been playing a number on games, mostly on my PC although I did dust off my Mass Effect copy for the XBOX 360.
I have been a fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since my very good friend @dragonlord77 introduced to the series. I remember that we played FF II and FF III and I just loved it, not simply because it is a very good RPG, but because it had a beautiful story. After awhile, my early console ways were nothing to write home about, I found that PC gaming suited me a little bit better, and titles like Sim City, Civilization, King’s Quest IV, Alpha Centauri, Caesar III, Pharaoh, Empire Earth, etc…began to dominate my time. I only used consoles for sports games, mainly the Madden Series.
When Final Fantasy came out for the PlayStation, I decided to wait, I did not want to buy a PlayStation only to play that one game, so I waited for the PC version, but later on ended buying the console and the game as well. Without a doubt in my mind, Final Fantasy VII is my favorite game of all times. It has everything I want an RPG game to have, a complex and sound story, beautiful music, epic cut scenes, jaw dropping revelations and tear jerking moments. I usually don’t cry in movies (ok, Dobby’s death marked my life both in the book and in the film, I admit it), but I cry like a little girl every time I see Nanaki howling at the moon in memory of his valiant father, or when Aeris, yes the beautiful Aeris dies…(sorry about the spoilers, but the game has been out since 1998!) The PC game was full of glitches and errors, one in particular made my life a living hell: all the videos were played upside down because I was playing in a laptop. Oh, and we had the infamous Chocobo Races glitch where you could not compete in the races, or the Yuffie glitch where you were stuck in her house once she imprisoned you. None of that mattered as soon as the patches were made available and I was able to play the game. That first time, when you have absolutely no idea of where to go, or what to do, the feeling of having to talk to every NPC that stood or ran around town, and encountering frustrating monsters (Midgar Zolom ring a bell?) the story simply took my hand and led me into this impossibly large world, where characters are constantly undergoing changes in their behavior simply because the story leads you to those life breaking moments. The graphic details and the music simply rounded out a game that would become my number one franchise. I usually play it once a year, once every two years if I am hooked on WoW, and I am embarking on the adventure yet again.
To me, the game changed the way RPG’s were made from then on, and the culmination of the traditional RPG game, Dragon Age: Origins is a fairly good testament of what Square had in mind with FFVII. If you have not played it, please do so, give yourselves a chance to be surprised :D
I am also playing, when I have the time, Fallout 3. I have progressed quite a bit, focusing more in the side quests than in the main quest, but the map is so big and filled with dangers that the oppressive feeling of survival is there and is real. I am not saying that it is not fun, because it is, but it wears me out to travel to a new location and have to really look around in order not to get jumped by any of the mutant creatures that roam the wilds.
Yesterday, in the spirit of another good friend @fbarajasm, #RetroGaming is in full swing within my community of friends. I have chosen to play Chrono Trigger, another Square title, and for what I have been able to see, it obviously has a FF feel to it, although the reviews of the story and of the game itself are quite encouraging.
Series
Well, I have only seen episodes of my guilty pleasure series Deadliest Catch, I have only been watching Game of Thrones. After the series is over I will dedicate week, if not months (okay I am exaggerating a bit) to the series because it is simply AWESOME!!! I really can’t believe how well the series is going and how much I am liking it, even with some of the changes presented, it still feels like the books, which is odd and exhilarating at the same time.
So, @Reskiebak and @prikzilla catch up!
Now for the love of Aeris, sign up and leave a comment!
Books
I will start of with my first love: books. If you have been following this blog, then you will now that I am rereading Terry Goodkind’s series of the Sword of Truth. This week I made a lot of progress on his third installment: Blood of the Fold. Like its predecessors, Blood of the Fold continues to tell the story of Richard and Kahlan as they have to face new threats that threaten to destroy everything they have worked for so far. I have been enjoying the series again more than I did when I first read them, because I am now engrossed in the whole story, not only in the continuation of Richard’s story. Again, I can not stress enough that if you like fantasy novels, the Sword of Truth series is a must read.
I am also reading Laurel K. Hamilton’s Incubus Dreams, the 12th book in the Anita Blake series. I have to admit that these books have an addictive quality about them that only manifests itself when the book is about halfway through. Before that, the books are good and interesting, the plot is developing as well as the story, but once I peek into the bottom of my iBook reader and I see that I am about to the begin the halfway point, I have to take a deep breath and decide whether I can pull an all nighter reading the rest of the book or to live to sleep another day. The endings are just relentless, manic and fantastic fun! She also has a knack of presenting us with the most unreal, out of the park, situations that are just right to the plot, and that you can actually believe for the character, an uncommon trait in books dealing with the supernatural. I love Anita, but I have to say that my already strained relationship with Richard is reaching its breaking point. Grrr…
I will be reading Mercedes Lackey’s second book of her Mage Wars Trilogy, The White Gryphon. The first book, titled The Black Gryphon was a pleasant surprise for me. I had wanted to take a plunge into Lackey’s wide and alluring fantasy world for a long time, and sometimes with great anticipation comes great disillusion, but not in this case. Now, it is worth to note that this is book a prequel to her universe and is co-written with Larry Dixon, but I was more interested in discovering whether I was going to like the world, the characters, rather than the story. So far so good!
Games
Now, I have also been playing a number on games, mostly on my PC although I did dust off my Mass Effect copy for the XBOX 360.
I have been a fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since my very good friend @dragonlord77 introduced to the series. I remember that we played FF II and FF III and I just loved it, not simply because it is a very good RPG, but because it had a beautiful story. After awhile, my early console ways were nothing to write home about, I found that PC gaming suited me a little bit better, and titles like Sim City, Civilization, King’s Quest IV, Alpha Centauri, Caesar III, Pharaoh, Empire Earth, etc…began to dominate my time. I only used consoles for sports games, mainly the Madden Series.
When Final Fantasy came out for the PlayStation, I decided to wait, I did not want to buy a PlayStation only to play that one game, so I waited for the PC version, but later on ended buying the console and the game as well. Without a doubt in my mind, Final Fantasy VII is my favorite game of all times. It has everything I want an RPG game to have, a complex and sound story, beautiful music, epic cut scenes, jaw dropping revelations and tear jerking moments. I usually don’t cry in movies (ok, Dobby’s death marked my life both in the book and in the film, I admit it), but I cry like a little girl every time I see Nanaki howling at the moon in memory of his valiant father, or when Aeris, yes the beautiful Aeris dies…(sorry about the spoilers, but the game has been out since 1998!) The PC game was full of glitches and errors, one in particular made my life a living hell: all the videos were played upside down because I was playing in a laptop. Oh, and we had the infamous Chocobo Races glitch where you could not compete in the races, or the Yuffie glitch where you were stuck in her house once she imprisoned you. None of that mattered as soon as the patches were made available and I was able to play the game. That first time, when you have absolutely no idea of where to go, or what to do, the feeling of having to talk to every NPC that stood or ran around town, and encountering frustrating monsters (Midgar Zolom ring a bell?) the story simply took my hand and led me into this impossibly large world, where characters are constantly undergoing changes in their behavior simply because the story leads you to those life breaking moments. The graphic details and the music simply rounded out a game that would become my number one franchise. I usually play it once a year, once every two years if I am hooked on WoW, and I am embarking on the adventure yet again.
To me, the game changed the way RPG’s were made from then on, and the culmination of the traditional RPG game, Dragon Age: Origins is a fairly good testament of what Square had in mind with FFVII. If you have not played it, please do so, give yourselves a chance to be surprised :D
I am also playing, when I have the time, Fallout 3. I have progressed quite a bit, focusing more in the side quests than in the main quest, but the map is so big and filled with dangers that the oppressive feeling of survival is there and is real. I am not saying that it is not fun, because it is, but it wears me out to travel to a new location and have to really look around in order not to get jumped by any of the mutant creatures that roam the wilds.
Yesterday, in the spirit of another good friend @fbarajasm, #RetroGaming is in full swing within my community of friends. I have chosen to play Chrono Trigger, another Square title, and for what I have been able to see, it obviously has a FF feel to it, although the reviews of the story and of the game itself are quite encouraging.
Series
Well, I have only seen episodes of my guilty pleasure series Deadliest Catch, I have only been watching Game of Thrones. After the series is over I will dedicate week, if not months (okay I am exaggerating a bit) to the series because it is simply AWESOME!!! I really can’t believe how well the series is going and how much I am liking it, even with some of the changes presented, it still feels like the books, which is odd and exhilarating at the same time.
So, @Reskiebak and @prikzilla catch up!
Now for the love of Aeris, sign up and leave a comment!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Series and web comics
Hello all, yes it is me, and yes it is Monday. Don't look at me, I am as surprised as you are. Without further ado, let's get this week's post going.
Las time I ranted a bit, well, maybe a lot, about the TV series The Legend of the Seeker. Today, I want to talk about two series in particular that have gotten it right in so many ways, that I am just one of those bitter old fools, expecting the series to fail so that order may be restored in my twisted, twisted world.
Game of Thrones.
Where to begin? There a very few series that change the way we view TV, with all the good and bad that may come from it, but GoT is one that will undoubtedly raise the expectation of fantasy themed programs. The production is impressive and massive. The sets are beautiful and do not look like sets at all. The characters were casted just right and it is written and directed as it should be. I literally feel that I am patrolling the Wall with Jon Snow or drinking my ale, listening to the bird's chirp, while the King entertains a few wenches, in King's Landing.
Whole some elements of the books cannot be translated onto the screen, and while the dire wolves appearances have been nothing more than cameos, I feel that essence of the story has remained untouched.
While the book is not your ordinary fantasy series, I think that the series is also not your ordinary fantasy either. The fantastical elements are there, yes, but they do not overpower the story or the scenery. The Wall is impressive but it is not too impressive, not too fake.
Oh, and I luv me some Tyrion!
Overall, once the remaining 5 episodes have aired, we can have a lengthy discussion about our impressions of the finished product, but so far, I am loving every minute of it.
Camelot.
This was another series that had me as an excited skeptic. It has been a pleasant surprise to find a very well structured, written and scripted series, where Merlin steals the show and Morgana steals the thunder. Arthur is...well...meh...I have not cared too much for the character but well, Arthur is depicted as being an emotionally challenged young man with a sudden increase in wealth and power.
What has really carried the series, at least in my mind, is the breathtaking settings and the oppressive lighting the show employs to tell the story. I am looking forward for next week's episode as well.
I wanted to share with you a few of the web comics that I thoroughly enjoy. Feel free to leave me some links of your favorite web comics as well.
http://leasticoulddo.com/
http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/
http://lfgcomic.com/
Sorry for the short post, but I have a full week of work. I will try to comment more on the other series I am reading and on the progress I am making in the Sword of Truth saga.
Enjoy!
Las time I ranted a bit, well, maybe a lot, about the TV series The Legend of the Seeker. Today, I want to talk about two series in particular that have gotten it right in so many ways, that I am just one of those bitter old fools, expecting the series to fail so that order may be restored in my twisted, twisted world.
Game of Thrones.
Where to begin? There a very few series that change the way we view TV, with all the good and bad that may come from it, but GoT is one that will undoubtedly raise the expectation of fantasy themed programs. The production is impressive and massive. The sets are beautiful and do not look like sets at all. The characters were casted just right and it is written and directed as it should be. I literally feel that I am patrolling the Wall with Jon Snow or drinking my ale, listening to the bird's chirp, while the King entertains a few wenches, in King's Landing.
Whole some elements of the books cannot be translated onto the screen, and while the dire wolves appearances have been nothing more than cameos, I feel that essence of the story has remained untouched.
While the book is not your ordinary fantasy series, I think that the series is also not your ordinary fantasy either. The fantastical elements are there, yes, but they do not overpower the story or the scenery. The Wall is impressive but it is not too impressive, not too fake.
Oh, and I luv me some Tyrion!
Overall, once the remaining 5 episodes have aired, we can have a lengthy discussion about our impressions of the finished product, but so far, I am loving every minute of it.
Camelot.
This was another series that had me as an excited skeptic. It has been a pleasant surprise to find a very well structured, written and scripted series, where Merlin steals the show and Morgana steals the thunder. Arthur is...well...meh...I have not cared too much for the character but well, Arthur is depicted as being an emotionally challenged young man with a sudden increase in wealth and power.
What has really carried the series, at least in my mind, is the breathtaking settings and the oppressive lighting the show employs to tell the story. I am looking forward for next week's episode as well.
I wanted to share with you a few of the web comics that I thoroughly enjoy. Feel free to leave me some links of your favorite web comics as well.
http://leasticoulddo.com/
http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/
http://lfgcomic.com/
Sorry for the short post, but I have a full week of work. I will try to comment more on the other series I am reading and on the progress I am making in the Sword of Truth saga.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Book, Series and Games
Hello all! Only two days late this time! I’m improving. Today, I wanted to delve deeper into my personal preferences hobby-wise, aside from reading and writing, both of which I don’t take lightly at all.
Regarding books, I only had time and attention for one: Wizard’s First Rule. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I read a book for the first time I tend to skim what I deem to be minor details- which of course are not- to get into the resolution of the plot line a lot quicker. Thus, I usually remember the story as a whole, but not all the details, and that is why I like to re-read many of the books I enjoyed. With this one, it was no exception. I enjoyed the book more because I already knew how it ended and was in no hurry to get there. And, like usual, it was a completely different experience for me. I remember that I liked the book, not that I loved it. I love it now. I had forgotten those tiny details that make a great book great and not simply good: it is witty, funny, tragic, well written, strong characters, mysterious, etc. I simply loved the book.
Now, with the intent of reading the Sword of Truth series again, I wanted to see the TV series that was made based on the books, because I am enjoying the Game of Thrones series as much as I enjoyed the books, and I enjoyed the books a LOT.
I can’t understand what the Sword of Truth series wanted to do in the first place. To call a series loosely based on an author’s work is not carte blanche to destroy the world created by said author and do over the world using the director’s and writer’s discretion. No, in my book that is called a crime.
You see, I understand that a book and a miniseries or movies are two completely different mediums, and that a story sometimes needs to be trimmed or slightly changed in order to comply with the visual and time restraints the medium demands. However, as I have said on numerous occasions to my very patient friends, one can omit certain parts of the story, leaving the whole intact, or one can butcher the whole using the banner of artistic license.
Thus, we have that the Lord of the Rings, as movies are great, glorious and epic, but they, at least in my eyes, are not a representation of Lord of the Rings, the books. The movies are merely based on the books and then are completed using Peter Jackson’s version. I mean, Galadriel was played by Cate Blanchett, enough said, her feet are bigger that Frodo´s for God’s sake! And don’t get me started on the whole shattering of Gandalf’s staff nonsense or the fact that Arwen, played by Liv Tyler, actually appeared on the movie and performed heroic acts.
And don’t even get me started on the adaptation made to Ann Rice’s Vampire novels because I begin to weep. Well, I could only stomach the Sword of Truth first episode, well, half of it really, before turning off my TV in disgust and storming out of the house to smoke. Why would you destroy the whole plot of the book, specially the beginning, when it makes no freaking sense to do so? They changed the relationship between the characters and ended up trying to invent more ways to get them closer by inventing more stupid lies and scenes. WHO in the nine hells came up with the script? I mean, the guys or gals obviously hated the book because they could not use the well structured and logical storyline already offered to them. No, they had to do their own thing.
Rant is over, for now.
So, in terms of series, I am enjoying quite a few them, beginning with Fringe, Battlestar Galactica Season 1, Firefly, NCIS Season 7, Sanctuary Season 1, Dollhouse Season 1, Deadliest Catch Season 7, Camelot, The Borgias and Game of Thrones. I will discuss my impression of each series during the week or in next week’s entry. Suffice to say that I FRACKING love me some Starbuck and that Tyrion Lannister is my favorite character so far.
In terms of games I am now playing Guild Wars, hoping to get a few characters to level 20 before GW2 hits the stores, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect and Final Fantasy VII.
I am reading Stone of Tears, book two of the Sword of Truth series and I am enjoying it as well.
See ya next week!
Regarding books, I only had time and attention for one: Wizard’s First Rule. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I read a book for the first time I tend to skim what I deem to be minor details- which of course are not- to get into the resolution of the plot line a lot quicker. Thus, I usually remember the story as a whole, but not all the details, and that is why I like to re-read many of the books I enjoyed. With this one, it was no exception. I enjoyed the book more because I already knew how it ended and was in no hurry to get there. And, like usual, it was a completely different experience for me. I remember that I liked the book, not that I loved it. I love it now. I had forgotten those tiny details that make a great book great and not simply good: it is witty, funny, tragic, well written, strong characters, mysterious, etc. I simply loved the book.
Now, with the intent of reading the Sword of Truth series again, I wanted to see the TV series that was made based on the books, because I am enjoying the Game of Thrones series as much as I enjoyed the books, and I enjoyed the books a LOT.
I can’t understand what the Sword of Truth series wanted to do in the first place. To call a series loosely based on an author’s work is not carte blanche to destroy the world created by said author and do over the world using the director’s and writer’s discretion. No, in my book that is called a crime.
You see, I understand that a book and a miniseries or movies are two completely different mediums, and that a story sometimes needs to be trimmed or slightly changed in order to comply with the visual and time restraints the medium demands. However, as I have said on numerous occasions to my very patient friends, one can omit certain parts of the story, leaving the whole intact, or one can butcher the whole using the banner of artistic license.
Thus, we have that the Lord of the Rings, as movies are great, glorious and epic, but they, at least in my eyes, are not a representation of Lord of the Rings, the books. The movies are merely based on the books and then are completed using Peter Jackson’s version. I mean, Galadriel was played by Cate Blanchett, enough said, her feet are bigger that Frodo´s for God’s sake! And don’t get me started on the whole shattering of Gandalf’s staff nonsense or the fact that Arwen, played by Liv Tyler, actually appeared on the movie and performed heroic acts.
And don’t even get me started on the adaptation made to Ann Rice’s Vampire novels because I begin to weep. Well, I could only stomach the Sword of Truth first episode, well, half of it really, before turning off my TV in disgust and storming out of the house to smoke. Why would you destroy the whole plot of the book, specially the beginning, when it makes no freaking sense to do so? They changed the relationship between the characters and ended up trying to invent more ways to get them closer by inventing more stupid lies and scenes. WHO in the nine hells came up with the script? I mean, the guys or gals obviously hated the book because they could not use the well structured and logical storyline already offered to them. No, they had to do their own thing.
Rant is over, for now.
So, in terms of series, I am enjoying quite a few them, beginning with Fringe, Battlestar Galactica Season 1, Firefly, NCIS Season 7, Sanctuary Season 1, Dollhouse Season 1, Deadliest Catch Season 7, Camelot, The Borgias and Game of Thrones. I will discuss my impression of each series during the week or in next week’s entry. Suffice to say that I FRACKING love me some Starbuck and that Tyrion Lannister is my favorite character so far.
In terms of games I am now playing Guild Wars, hoping to get a few characters to level 20 before GW2 hits the stores, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect and Final Fantasy VII.
I am reading Stone of Tears, book two of the Sword of Truth series and I am enjoying it as well.
See ya next week!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Books, round 2
Yes, I know I am late, but again, I will still try to update this site weekly and I will obviously try to do a better job than what I am doing right now.
Anyway, it has been a busy week in terms of books, series and movies I have seen over the past couple of weeks so on to the details.
Books
I finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised about the book as a whole. The pace and the story are fast and to the point and the way the author mixed the historical data with his own is very well accomplished. It is one of those books that will creep up on you and is over before you know it. I highly recommend it.
I also finished two more books in the Cyberpunk category, both written by Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash and the Diamond Age.
Snow Crash is a must read if you are new to the Cyberpunk genre because it embodies everything the genre stands for. It is fast and furious and although sometimes it does get a bit tricky to follow all of the words and terms that are thrown at you, the depth of the characters and the overall story arch are worth it.
The Diamond Age was, and will be, one of those books that change your life. I still cannot explain it and I won’t delve into the story so as not to write any spoilers, but the world it depicts and the struggles and triumphs of the characters are simply superb. The story is solid and engrossing and all I can say is that you need to get this book ASAP!
I wrapped up Cerulean Sins as well, and even though the Anita Blake series gets weirder and raunchier with each new book of the series, it is also true that Anita Blake, for all of us vampire novel fans, is well rounded and complex character that evolves through the series. The descriptions of past events or of personality traits are annoying and unnecessary, and she also tends to wrap the story up in a couple of chapters before the end of the book, but all in all it is another good book of the series.
I also finished Debt of Bones, a novella written by Terry Goodkind, author of the fabled The Sword of Truth series. Through the years, I have developed a strange relationship with Goodkind’s work, being able to read one or two books per year, and then go a year or so before continuing. I love his world and his characters, but the stories are complex and tiresome for me, so I tend to need a break from his work. However, I intend to read the complete series beginning today with my re-reading of Wizard’s First Rule. Thus, I started this monumental task by reading the novella that takes place before the events of the first book and it was pretty good, a solid reminder of what lies ahead.
It is no wonder that I have not finished Drizzt’s Sojourn novel, because it is, at least for me, one of the hardest to digest from the whole series. Usually, the Drizzt we get to read is jaded and handles rejection as a true veteran, but in this trilogy the more naïve Drow still breaks my heart. I will see if I can finish it this week.
I am also beginning the following books:
Anathema- Neal Stephenson
Wizard’s First Rule- Terry Goodkind
Incubus Dreams- Laurel K. Hamilton
The Dracula Tape- Fred Saberhagen
Next week, I want to include another section not necessarily related to books only. I have been watching a lot of series and, well, there are things I need to get out of my system :D
Enjoy your week!
Anyway, it has been a busy week in terms of books, series and movies I have seen over the past couple of weeks so on to the details.
Books
I finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised about the book as a whole. The pace and the story are fast and to the point and the way the author mixed the historical data with his own is very well accomplished. It is one of those books that will creep up on you and is over before you know it. I highly recommend it.
I also finished two more books in the Cyberpunk category, both written by Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash and the Diamond Age.
Snow Crash is a must read if you are new to the Cyberpunk genre because it embodies everything the genre stands for. It is fast and furious and although sometimes it does get a bit tricky to follow all of the words and terms that are thrown at you, the depth of the characters and the overall story arch are worth it.
The Diamond Age was, and will be, one of those books that change your life. I still cannot explain it and I won’t delve into the story so as not to write any spoilers, but the world it depicts and the struggles and triumphs of the characters are simply superb. The story is solid and engrossing and all I can say is that you need to get this book ASAP!
I wrapped up Cerulean Sins as well, and even though the Anita Blake series gets weirder and raunchier with each new book of the series, it is also true that Anita Blake, for all of us vampire novel fans, is well rounded and complex character that evolves through the series. The descriptions of past events or of personality traits are annoying and unnecessary, and she also tends to wrap the story up in a couple of chapters before the end of the book, but all in all it is another good book of the series.
I also finished Debt of Bones, a novella written by Terry Goodkind, author of the fabled The Sword of Truth series. Through the years, I have developed a strange relationship with Goodkind’s work, being able to read one or two books per year, and then go a year or so before continuing. I love his world and his characters, but the stories are complex and tiresome for me, so I tend to need a break from his work. However, I intend to read the complete series beginning today with my re-reading of Wizard’s First Rule. Thus, I started this monumental task by reading the novella that takes place before the events of the first book and it was pretty good, a solid reminder of what lies ahead.
It is no wonder that I have not finished Drizzt’s Sojourn novel, because it is, at least for me, one of the hardest to digest from the whole series. Usually, the Drizzt we get to read is jaded and handles rejection as a true veteran, but in this trilogy the more naïve Drow still breaks my heart. I will see if I can finish it this week.
I am also beginning the following books:
Anathema- Neal Stephenson
Wizard’s First Rule- Terry Goodkind
Incubus Dreams- Laurel K. Hamilton
The Dracula Tape- Fred Saberhagen
Next week, I want to include another section not necessarily related to books only. I have been watching a lot of series and, well, there are things I need to get out of my system :D
Enjoy your week!
