Book Review: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn

 

“It is said that a picture can say a thousand words. Well, so can a thousand words. They are the keys by which we can unlock new and amazing worlds, some of which ascend beyond the imagination, and it all begins on the first page.” – BookNerd

 

Greeting Fellow BookNerds,

I know that my last post was rather heavy, but in light of all of the horrible stuff that’s been happening recently,  I felt unyielding need to say something. Hopefully, amidst my chaotic ramblings, at least some of you were able to take something away from it.

Okay, let’s set aside the heavy stuff for now, and get back to something that, even in the worst of times, can still fill our hearts with joy: books!

I’m admittedly embarrassed at how long it has taken me to finally finish the Thrawn Trilogy, but the deed has been done, and I find myself very satisfied with how this particular storyline was tied up.

Star Wars: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn

The one thing that has remained consistently good throughout these three books is Zahn’s ability to capture the personas of our beloved characters through his mastery of the English language. It truly feels like this is where their lives would have gone had the original star wars movie saga continued.

To sum up what happens in this book without giving too much away, Master C’baoth, who is very clearly not in his right mind, is willing to use any means to get his hands on Leia and her two children, in the hopes of turning them to his side and training them how to use the force as a tool to control and conquer. This does not sit well with Luke, who first encountered C’baoth on Jomark in book two, and new almost right away that this was not a man he wanted anything to do with.

Mara Jade, who until now has been hell bent on striking down Luke with her Lightsaber, has become an unlikely ally. What’s more, we finally learn the truth behind her connection to the Emperor, who has remained a constant presence in her life since his demise. Han, as you can imagine, isn’t overly pleased with the idea of having her tag along, but he shares similar sentiments about Threepio, and he still manages to put up with our beloved droid. Besides, she’s their only hope in getting to Wayland, the source of a deadly weapon which, if allowed, could prove to be one of the greatest threats to the New Republic, possibly even the entire universe.

Leia senses danger on the horizon, involving her brother as usual, who will face off against his worst enemy… but who could that possibly be? Don’t worry, I won’t give away the answer, but I will say that it genuinely surprised me.

So, that’s the gist of it. I tried my best to avoid any spoilers for those of you who haven’t read it yet. As for my personal opinion on the book, for the most part I was pleased with its conclusion. I do feel like the final battle between **** and **** could have been a little more dramatic, but that’s just based on my own preferences. It just kind of felt like it started and ended rather abruptly, but I suppose you could say that it’s more realistic when done that way.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the third installment of their journey. It includes all of our favourite characters, as well as a few new ones whom I have grown quite attached to, like the mischievous Karrde and Grand Admiral Thrawn who, despite being on the side of the imperials, is surprisingly likeable, not to mention very clever and witty. It’s just further proof of how great of a writer Zahn is, if he’s able to create a likeable villain.

One of my favourite aspects of the star wars universe is being introduced to new races and creatures from other planets. That was the only thing that kept me watching the newer star wars movies, despite their crappy dialogue and cheesy acting… well, that, and Ewan McGregor of course. They could not have chosen anyone better to take on the role of Obi – Wan Kenobi. One of my favourite creatures was the giant green one from the second movie that looked kind of like a praying mantis. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for creatures that are composed of various parts of other creatures… and I just realized now how strange that actually sounds. Doesn’t stop it from being true though.

Anywho, there aren’t a lot of new creatures in this series, but the ones they do have are fascinating, like the ysalamiri, who are surrounded by a kind of invisible bubble in which the force cannot be used. As you can imagine, this posses quite a few problems for every Jedi, regardless of which of the force they’re on. I would love to see a picture of what they look like. In my mind, I kind of imagine them to be something like a sloth, but I could be WAY off. As for new races, Luke and the gang end up working alongside the Noghri, a relationship which had a bit of a rocky start [you’ll find out when you read the series] but I guess that could be said about any relationship. I never was able to create a very clear picture of what these guys looked like, but I would love to hear what you guys were able to make of them. They’re a race of alien beings who, for most of the story, you’re never quite sure which side they’re on. In the third book, however, you find out the horrible things that the Empire had done to them, making their actions and attitude a lot more understandable.

I could go on for hours about all of the stuff I loved about this series, but I don’t want to risk spoiling anything for anyone. I’ll just finish by saying that it had a very satisfying ending, and the series overall was very true to the Star Wars we have all come to know and love. As always, I would love to hear what you guys have to say about it, so don’t be shy and leave your thoughts in the comments below or on my blogs Facebook page, and until next time, keep on reading 🙂

Cheers,

BookNerd

 

Book Review: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

“It is said that a picture can say a thousand words. Well, so can a thousand words. They are the keys by which we can unlock new and amazing worlds, some of which ascend beyond the imagination, and it all begins on the first page.” – BookNerd

Greetings Fellow BookNerds,

First off, for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you were all able to enjoy it with your friend, family and loved ones, with lots of good food and anything else you do to make the occasion truly special.

Secondly, a reminder that there are only a couple weeks left until Nanowrimo, so if you haven’t registered your story online yet, you might want to add it to the top of your to do list. For those of you who don’t know what this is, in brief, the National Novel Writing Month is an event which comes around once a year in November, and it’s a chance for aspiring writers to finally yank out that idea for a story they’ve had stuck in their heads forever and get it down on paper… or on your laptop, whichever way you choose to write. For more information, visit www.nanowrimo.org.

Now, down to business. When I first picked up The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, I had zero expectations, mainly because I have actually never heard of this book before. I have been a diehard Neil Gaiman fan for a long time, but I’ve only actually read Good Omens, which was a collaborative work between him and Terry Pratchett. I had yet to read something that was purely his own, and so this book was my first taste of that. My first impression… bewildering.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

Memory is a funny thing. It is often the case that two people will recall the same event in very different ways. Who knows why this happens, but it can make for some very interesting conversations as you continue to grow and share your life stories, which seem to change just a little bit with each telling.

So what if something happened to you, something that couldn’t possibly have happened, and yet you would swear up and down until the day you died that it did?

This seven year old boy, with a boundless imagination and who loves to lose himself in a good book – much like many of us, I’m sure – lived through the seemingly impossible, a monumental event which may could very well have caused the whole world to disappear, and yet he is the only one who remembers… well, him and the Hempstocks.

It is a story rife with wonder and fear, with magic and darkness, and it’s all brought together seemlessly by Gaiman’s uncanny ability to string together the english language in new and unexpected ways. He pits you against some of your worst childhood fears, but not without leaving a light of hope glowing at the end of the tunnel.

This book explores the boundaries between what we can rationally accept, and that which is beyond the comprehension of most, both of which are witnessed through the eyes of a child who, like most children, possesses an open mind and an eagerness to explore the strange and the bizarre, which is exactly what he finds. Or I suppose it would be more accurate to say that it finds him, in the form of Lettie Hempstock.

Lettie’s an eleven year old girl who isn’t actually eleven, and not really a human girl either. But that doesn’t matter to our protagonist, who only see’s a friend whom he could trust with his life. And thus, their adventure together began, taking us on a journey where nothing is as it seems; where a pond can be an ocean, and an eleven year old girl can be as old as time itself.

You will gasp, cry, cringe and smile as Gaiman invites you to see the world through the eyes of a child, and through the mind of the elderly man who used to be that child so many years ago. As a boy, he found a sense of courage and determination that he never knew was there before, and a world which existed outside his books that was both wonderful and terrifying. His life would never be the same ever again, but only if he can remember…

It truly was a delight to read. It was shorter than most of the books I’m used to reading, and yet he managed to fit so much in that small space. It kind of felt like a very mature children’s book, in that it got to the point quickly instead of dragging it out with lengthy, detailed descriptions of every little thing, and yet the content itself was very deep and complex, but without going too far over your head. It’s beautiful, and made me tear up a couple of times, which is something books rarely make me do.

You’ve probably noticed that I only gave it 4 stars. Well, I really liked it, and I don’t really have anything bad to say about it, but it’s not the kind of book that I would go out of my way to read. It’s a great book to read before going to bed, but I wouldn’t take it with me wherever I go, which is something I do with books that I just can’t put down. In short, I really liked it, but I didn’t love it, but don’t let my opinion deter you from reading it. I really did enjoy it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it, for those of you who have read it also.

So, get yourself signed up for Nanowrimo, grab a copy of The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, and until next time, keep on reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd   

Book Review: A Mistborn Novel Book #3 – The Hero of Ages

“It is said that a picture can say a thousand words. Well, so can a thousand words. They are the keys by which we can unlock new and amazing worlds, some of which ascend beyond the imagination, and it all begins on the first page.” – BookNerd

Greetings Fellow BookNerds,

I just want to start by saying that I have never experienced such a thought provoking and emotionally overwhelming from reading books before. I mean, sure, a tear or two may have squeezed their way out after reading each of the later harry potter books – you know, the ones where somebody dies in each one – but those were a reaction to isolated events. Reading Mistborn was entirely different: you felt every emotion they felt, you experienced their every pain, and when faced with a life altering decision, you were damn near convinced that it could have an impact on your reality as well. That’s the kind of writer Sanderson is: he doesn’t just pull you into the book, he pulls your entire world into it, a rare talent that I heartily applaud.

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW. I WILL TRY MY BEST TO AVOID THEM, BUT JUST IN CASE, CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!** 

The Hero of Ages: A Mistborn Novel by Brandon Sanderson

The world is ending. It is a terrible truth that many citizens still refuse to believe, but the signs are there: the ground is nearly invisible beneath the sea of ash, buildings are falling victim to the quaking of the earth, people are growing ever more fearful of the mists, and there last hope to fix it all turned out to be the worst mistake they could have possibly made.

Elend, king turned emperor, is doing his best to bring as many people as he can under Luthadel’s protection, but resources are already being stretched thin, and there are new dangers lurking on the horizon. However, since their visit to the Well of Ascension, Elend feels a renewed confidence that he can do so much more, not to mention no longer having to rely on Vin to play the role of bodyguard.

Vin is still doing what she does best; following her instincts to decide the best course of action, but even she is beginning to doubt herself; after all, in her attempt to save the world, she inadvertently did the one thing that could lead it to its inevitable doom. Self doubt and hopelessness seem to be going around quite a bit in this point in the story, especially for dear old Sazed, who seems to have lost all faith in the religions he had striven so hard to commit to memory for future generations to benefit from, as he continues to reel from the aftermath of the battle against the Kolloss.

The Hero of Ages is where it all ends, but of course just like every Sanderson book, the question of what will ultimately befall our beloved characters remains unanswered until the very last page. It almost feels like the purpose of the books is to try and see if you can figure out what’s going to happen before they figure it out, which has proven next to impossible for me. This time, I was actually able to figure out one of the key plot points before it was revealed, for which I felt rather proud of myself when faced with Sanderson’s writing genius.

I must confess, I almost didn’t finish the series. After what happened to Kelsier in the first novel, I just didn’t think it would be worth my time to continue through the other two. I mean, Kel was my favourite character, and then he had to have THAT happen to him. But in the end, Kelsier’s fate served a very important purpose to the overall story, and I am incredibly thankful that I was able to carry on. After all, by the second book, I had fallen in love with a number of other characters, most notably Breeze.

Every book needs at least some comedic relief, and in this series, it comes in the form of Breeze. I feel like he is one of the few characters who remains at least somewhat optimistic throughout the entire series, ignoring that one moment of paralyzing fear he experiences during the Kolloss battle in the second book. Other than that, he’s always been the one to make others problems his business, offering encouragement in the form of his characteristic witty remarks.

Another one of my favourite characters was Tensoon. I think the only issue I had with him was trying to figure out what his voice should sound like whenever I read his dialogue, because one moment he would have the growly voice of a wolf hound, and then the next moment he’s supposed to have a more human voice, but seeing as he never had a human form before becoming a dog, I had no idea what his human voice was supposed to be. Really, though, I absolutely loved Tensoon, and I can assure you that it has nothing to do with my love for furry, four legged canines 🙂

I could easily go through every single character and the hundreds of reasons why they’re awesome, but for those of you who haven’t read the books yet, I shouldn’t deny you the fun of discovering them for yourselves. Going back to the novel at hand, however, I would just like to say that I LOVED the ending. I won’t say whether it was happy or sad, but I will say that everything was tied up so well in the end, leaving little if any loose ends. Usually, when I get to the end of a series, I wish they would write another book so that the story wouldn’t end so soon. With Mistborn, I had no such thoughts. The ending was damn near perfect, that anything more would feel unnecessary.

An epic adventure, which delves into questions of love, destiny, faith, religion, politics, philosophy, and the greatest question of all: how would you face the ending of the world?

I would love to hear what you guys have to say about the book, and the entire series for that matter, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below or on my blogs facebook page. I hope you liked this weeks review, and until next time, keep on reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd   

Book Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green

“It is said that a picture can say a thousand words. Well, so can a thousand words. They are the keys by which we can unlock new and amazing worlds, some of which ascend beyond the imagination, and it all begins on the first page.” – BookNerd

Greetings Fellow BookNerds,

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new book review! I have been looking forward to reading this book for a VERY long time, ever since I finished reading Paper Towns what feels like ages ago now. Looking For Alaska was his first, the book that launched a thousand more… okay, maybe not quite THAT many, but it certainly paved the way for what I have no doubt will achieve the same level of memorability as those classic novels from decades ago that we continue to study in school today.

Going into this book, I tried very hard to avoid any online spoilers, and surprisingly enough I was successful, considering I follow John Green and his brother Hank on Youtube [it’s so hard to put that in words that doesn’t make one sound like a stalker] . This means that I had absolutely no idea of what to expect going in, and I can honestly say, it exceeded my expectations coming out.

  Looking For Alaska by John Green

How he lived his life then, and how he will continue to live it in the future have changed drastically for Miles “Pudge” Halter. He started off as a teenage boy who ended up celebrating the day he was born with his parents, on account of his friends list being somewhat empty. He was tall, not exactly the athletic type, and his greatest talent was his ability to remember the last words of those who had died. His life, for lack of a better word, was mundane. Uneventful, even… that is, until he started hi first day at Culver Creek Preparatory High School, the beginning of his journey towards a Great Perhaps.

What I always love about John Green’s books is that he manages to create characters that are easy to relate to, and are so real that you can almost picture them sitting beside you as you read their part of the story. I also love how he manages to shine a light on both the ugliness and the beauty of life, and you can’t help but accept them both because they make up both sides of the same truth; that life is both ugly and beautiful, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

Alaska Young understands this truth only too well, which is why she has chosen to live her life on the precipice between life and the Great Perhaps. At first, it seems like it’s going to be your typical romance story: boy moves to new school, boy meets beautiful girl, boy immediately falls in love with beautiful girl, boy wins heart of beautiful girl and they live their life happily ever after as boy and beautiful girl. Well, that definitely ain’t this story. Instead, it’s more like boy pines after girl he knows he can’t have, and it doesn’t help that her unpredictable nature sometimes gives him false hope that there could be something more.

But this is not a love story. I mean, it is, but at the same time, it’s not. It’s about finding friendship in unlikely people, pushing boundaries to find what lies beyond the mundane, eating fried burritos, and that we most always keep searching for a Great Perhaps. It’s also about uncovering the mystery that is Alaska Young, trying to understand why she does what she does, and what this labyrinth is that she seems to be trapped in. This is a novel that will captivate you from beginning to end, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you start asking yourself about the meaning of life when you’re finished.

I hope very much that this one will be the next one to follow in the footsteps of The Fault In Our Stars and Papertowns by making its way to the big screen. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but until that time comes, I’ll just have to keep nose in the books so I can continue offering up more recommendations for all of you wonderful followers.

Keep On Reading!

BookNerd 

Book Review: A Mistborn Novel Book #2 – The Well of Ascension

“I read to live and I live to read. That’s my circle of life.”

Greetings Fellow BookNerds!

Yet another summer has come and gone, yet as we lament its passing, we can still look back upon those months with fond memories of the books we read, and look forward to the books we still have yet to enjoy in the months to come. For many of us, this will prove to be a challenge, as some of us will be returning to school, others getting back to work, and the sunny beach weather will gradually transform into the chilly snow globe that is Canada’s more natural state. But remember, time as we know it was created long ago from the human need to organize an otherwise chaotic world, so even in the chaos that is our daily lives, we have the power to use that time to our advantage. Now, before I ramble on for too long, let’s get to the review!

A Mistborn Novel #2: The Well of Ascension

By Brandon Sanderson

The first book was amazing. I had a hard time putting it down for even a second. I didn’t think it would even be possible for Sanderson to write anything that would top it… and yet, somehow he did it. The Well of Ascension is a brilliant masterpiece, and I’m not just saying that either. I don’t know how he does it, but right up until the very end of the book, I honestly had no idea what was going to happen. I was even sure to read it very closely, to see if I could pick out any of the subtle hints that would give me the answers to some of the major plot points, yet every time I found my mind being blown by something that should have been obvious, yet somehow wasn’t.

 

**Warning: The remainder of this review may contain some spoilers, although I will do my best to be as discreet as possible with regards to any major plot points.**

The second book takes place a year after Vin killed the Lord Ruler, which may have brought freedom for the many skaa who had been oppressed by his rule, but it also through them into chaos. With the Lord Ruler, they at least knew what to expect in life, and what was expected of them. Now, they were without direction, and to make matters worse, certain noblemen have taken it open themselves to try and put themselves in the Lord Rulers place. Elend Venture, however, has a different idea in mind.

Now the new king of Luthadel, he seeks to create a government that will give the people the power to affect their own change. He has big ambitions, and even bigger ideals, but unfortunately, neither the skaa or the noblemen are ready or willing to go along with it. Most of Kelsier’s crew are still warming up to him, not used to taking orders from a nobleman, and Vin is doing her best to act as Elend’s bodyguard, while at the same time trying to deal with a lot of her own problems, most notably of which is the mysterious thumping that fills her head night and day.

Politics, assassins, betrayals, mind games, prophecies, a complicated romance, a plot riddled with unexpected twists and turns, combined with some of your favourite characters from the first books and some new faces you quickly grow to love, and with a dash of Sanderson’s uncontainable wit, and you’ve got a book that someone will have to tear from your hands to get you to stop reading it. It’s really hard to put my feelings for this book into words that would do it justice. You’re just going to have to read it to understand… no pressure or anything 🙂

Now, no book is perfect, and I tried to find something about it that I could pick on… but there was nothing. I mean sure, he killed off some of the characters I really liked, and he threw in all these little hints that I felt I should have noticed after the fact, but those are just some of the things that mark him as a great writer. No one wants to read an obvious story. The obvious has already been done. We want to be thrown for a loop, taken on a completely unique journey where the possibilities truly feel infinite, and that’s exactly what Sanderson delivers.

To learn more about The Mistborn Trilogy, and other Sanderson novels, you can visit his website at www.brandonsanderson.com . If you’ve already read the book, I’d love to hear what you have to say about it. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below or on the blogs facebook page, and as always, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd