It has been a while since I have reviewed a book here, and I have read a few recently so I thought a round up was in order. For those of
you who don’t know, I read mostly science fiction and fantasy for pleasure although I occasionally throw something else in there to mix things up. I also read what most book stores would label “spiritual growth”.
I want to make a quick plug for the science fiction and fantasy books I read. Many people are immediately turned off by books in this genre. I think that these feelings stem from exposure to movies in this genre. These movies tend to be narratively underdeveloped or sci-fi/magic overpowered leaving character development and story in the dust. It also leaves viewers who are interested in story and character and not interested in how a phaser works with a bad taste in their mouth. If you haven’t given books with the label of “fantasy” or “sci-fi” a try you really should. If you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings films (these are fantasy films done right in my opinion) you will probably enjoy a good book from these genres. Try a book called Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Wonderful book.
If you are interested in a more extensive listing of the books I have read check out Shelfari. This is a great site to keep up with your books and see what others have to say about them. Enough of my blabbering; on to the reviews!
Heaven – Randy Alcorn
This is the second book I have read from Mr. Alcorn. The first was Deadline, a fiction suspense/mystery novel, and I would highly recommend that you look that one up. Heaven is a non-fiction work that attempts to make us aware of what we can expect in heaven through the lens of scripture. I think it succeeds greatly.
The driving force behind Alcorn’s writing is preparation. He makes the case that many believers in Christ don’t know all that much about Heaven. I have to admit that I really didn’t. It is not something that gets a great deal of focus in seminary so it doesn’t get much attention afterwards. Alcorn points out, though, that we would not plan a trip to Mars without training the astronaughts going about what to expect there. Knowing what to expect there would change how they planned for it here as well as providing them a goal to shoot for.
In the same way we need to prepare ourselves for Heaven by knowing as much as we can about what to expect there. The Bible really does speak quite a bit about heaven so there is much we can learn. Not only will this help us gain an eternal perspective that is so elusive while we are here on earth, it will encourage us to prepare for it by attempting to bring others with us.
With this premise, Alcorn begins to unfold different scriptural truths about heaven. Every claim he makes is backed up by scripture. He also encourages his readers to call him to account if they find something they believe is not the truth.
This book really is a great read but it is a bit hard (very heavy and meaty). It is an effective way to refocus on what is really important: our (and other’s) eternity with Christ.
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Ender in Exile – Orson Scott Card
This is the direct sequel to the book I mentioned above, Ender’s Game. Ender’s Game was published in the 70’s and several sequels followed it but there was a gap between them. This book fills that gap. Since we know what comes before and after this book I would have expected so big surprises but I was wrong. Card does a great job of “bridging the gap” while at the same time giving us an engaging story that ties up some of the loose ends left by other books in the “Enderverse”. I would recommend reading Ender’s Game first if you haven’t. If you have read it and enjoyed it then you should give Ender in Exile a try.
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Hood & Scarlet – Stephen R Lawhead
These are actually two separate books (the first two in a trilogy) but I will review them as one. This is a wonderful retelling of the Robin Hood legend. Lawhead makes the case in an appendix to the book that even though many of the myths we have heard about Robin Hood before take place in England, he believes that the roots of those myths can be traced back to Celtic stories. So he sets this telling in historical Wales when it was under control of the Normans. This telling is not nearly as idealized as some of the ones of recent memory. It feels very real and gritty, much as I can imagine living in those times would be.
The first book, Hood, is told from the third person point of view which is good for introducing us the people and places dealt with in the trilogy but the second book, Scarlet, switches to the first person. In this book we get inside the head of Will Scarlet as he is giving his story to a monk while he is in prison so most of it is told as a series of flashbacks.
If you are looking for a book that has a historical feel and gives a great retelling of a well known legend then you should read this trilogy. I have not read the third book (Tuck) yet but all of the reviews I have read have been very positive.
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The Name of the Wind – Pat Rothfuss
This is the debut book for this author and let me tell you, it is great. It is one of the most well-written books I have ever read. You can tell the author is very careful with his words. The book begins by introducing a man with a mysterious and famous past. A scribe who has been searching for this man finds him and thus begins our tale. It is told mostly in flashbacks with a few interludes from the present that remind us of where we are.
If you have read my reviews before you will know that I am not big on revealing the plots of books and I won’t do it here. Just know that this is a character driven book and the characters are very convincing and good. It is one of those books that you forget you are reading and feel more like you are experiencing it.
This is a book that would easily fit into my top ten. Well worth every minute of reading. Probably the best way I can think of to recommend this book is to tell you that after purchasing and reading the paperback I sought out a hardback copy. Here is why. When I find a book that I really enjoy and I know will get lots of use (either by me or others I will allow to borrow it, or even my kids someday) I try to find a hardback copy so it will last. This is one I want to last.
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Assassins Apprentice – Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb is an author I have been wanting to read for a while and I think I picked the right book to start with. Assassin’s Apprentice begins the Farseer trilogy which is the story of young Fitz, illegitimate son of the heir to the throne. He has his problems but he also has his uses (as an assassin. shhhhh……don’t tell!)
The pacing of this story is somewhat slower than most of the books I read but this is because of the detail put into the characters and their social/political interaction. In this case, slower is better. I was fortunate enough to find books two and three at Half Price books recently so I will get to finish the trilogy soon. I will let you know if the last two books fulfill the promise of the first.
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Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson
Ever since discovering Sanderson’s Elantris last year I have been a huge fan. I ate up Elantris and his Mistborn trilogy and was ready for more but I would have to wait until June. I waited and it was worth it.
I will tell you that I would not consider this book “kid friendly”. There is nothing explicit in the book but there is an issue of “producing an heir” and the discussions that will come with that.
One of Sanderson’s greatest skills is coming up with magic system and world that fit so well together that it feels real. This book is another excellent example of this. Some of the elements of the world are a bit underdeveloped. For example, one of the main plot points the characters are trying to achieve is to keep two counties from going to war. So much of the story takes place in one that by the end of the book we don’t really remember much about the other one, and it is the underdog, the one the characters were trying to save.
The characters are another strong point in this book. One in particular was quite enjoyable. In the book, one of the countries is governed by people who have died but return and are worshiped as “gods”. Lightsong is one of the Returned, the kicker is, he doesn’t believe in his own divinity. This makes for some great, hilarious dialogue. I was reading in bed one night and laughed loud enough to wake up my wife. The other characters are just was well developed and fun to read.
One of Sanderson’s other strengths is his plot twists. As usual, they are clever, unexpected, but make complete sense after they happen. They don’t feel contrived at all. I don’t read a book looking for the twists because I like to be just as shocked as the characters. It’s more fun this way for me. But they are clever enough that even if you looked you wouldn’t see them all.
Something that did detract some for me was the lack of resolution at the end. The main plots are resolved but it felt that there was some more story that could be told to finish some of the side plots. This is not a reason to skip the book, just a small complaint. I do know that the author likes to leave a few things out there to make the reader feel like the story continues even after the book ends. In the long run I think I will appreciate this. I have also read that the author plans on doing more books in this world so it will be nice for him to have something to tie into this one with.
I am already a Brandon Sanderson fan and this book just adds to my enjoyment of his writing. He is currently one of my favorite authors and there isn’t a book he has written that I couldn’t recommend. Fortunate for me and the rest of his readers he is a quick writer so we won’t have to wait too long for his next book.
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