fiction

Review: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil

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The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved loved loved this hilarious graphic novel, and then the end left me flat. I hate those poignant, leave-you-hanging, no closure endings that are supposed to be all philosophical and crap. Bleh. There is no resolution and I hate that!

The artwork is beautifully detailed, but still gives this impression of space on every page. It really draws your attention to these little changes and reflects the mood of the story perfectly!

I adore the writing style, the prose and almost poetry, that makes every word count. It’s just perfection!
The plot is hilarious and the weird and wild things going on just put the characters into stark relief before this background of a war between chaos and order.

I was laughing and weirded out and thoroughly enjoyed it…. except for the end.

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Book Review: Assassin’s Quest

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Assassin's Quest
Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This final book in the trilogy broke my heart. I have the worst book hangover! My emotions are all over the place!
I was so surprised by the turn that the story took, and the massive scope of the lives of the characters. It all starts out so simple and then everything is changed and the whole world turns upside down. Masterful writing! So many plots threads that came together in unexpected ways, and I was in complete suspense wondering what wild thing could possible happen next!
(I won’t really say anything else about the plot, because it would be spoilers.)

My characters! Oh, my own darling characters! Fitz, Nighteyes, the Fool, Kettricken and Verity, and so many other beautiful supporting characters… I love them all. My heart is wrung into pieces for them. I feel like they are MY people, real people in my heart. I connected so strongly with each of them, and was utterly immersed in their stories.

I love it when you are reading a book and you completely forget that it’s a book. This story became real for me, and the hours flew by while I was inside Fitz’s world.
I can’t wait to read more of Robin Hobb!

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Review: The Comedy of Errors

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The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two sets of twin baby brothers are cast adrift in a storm and wash up on shore in separate cities. When they are grown, they meet up again, not knowing of the others’ existence, and mistaken identities abound! One man’s wife mistakes him for his twin, and some creditors apply to the wrong twin for payment. The servants are totally confused, because they keep receiving conflicting commands from their masters.

While there are lots of hilarious situations, mix-ups, and puns and jokes galore, the plot is very straight forward with no surprises, and that made me a bit bored. It’s a very short play with a small cast of characters. It’s comedic fluff with not much of a story to it.

Maybe I’m just not in the mood for comedic fluff right now. Maybe if I saw it performed, it would be funnier, and I would enjoy it more. Reading a play is never the same as the real thing.

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Review: Royal Assassin

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Royal Assassin
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love every single thing about this book! The storytelling is so masterful that I feel like these are real events and real people. I have all these emotions rolling around in my heart, and I’m still completely immersed in the Farseer world.

Fitz is the perfect main character. I can’t even explain to you how much I adore this person! He’s doing his assassin thing, and plotting and spying and fighting; but he’s also trying to have his own life, and keep his relationships with friends and family intact through all the upheaval.

The evil Red Ships are attacking the coast, and Fitz is caught up in the battles, with a unique perspective since he knows most of the undercurrent of politics and scheming that is going on. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hugo is an orphan child, living and working in a grand train station in Paris. He is the son of a clockmaker, and loves to tinker with mechanical things. He meets a bitter old man and a bookish little girl, and finds that he is not the only one struggling to make sense of his past losses.

This is a story told partly in words, partly in pictures, and with reference to the beginnings of the motion picture. It amazes me how the story encompasses so many mediums!
It’s a melancholy story about loss and heartbreak, but also about finding a family of your own and owning your past. Continue reading →

Review: Redwall: The Graphic Novel

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Redwall: The Graphic Novel
Redwall: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Moore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Matthias Mouse, whose home is being attacked by the evil rat Cluny the Scourge, is on a quest to recover the legendary sword of Martin of Redwall, so that he can meet Cluny in battle. There are riddles and secret passageways, old enemies and unexpected friends, and of course, several mighty battle scenes!

I adore the full novel, Redwall, so seeing it in graphic form was exciting! There is so much more depth to the story that couldn’t be included in this format, but it still managed to fit most everything in there, although it feels a bit rushed. Continue reading →