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Book #24 – The Slow Regard of Silent Things, by Patrick Rothfuss

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Alright folks, batten down the hatches, I’m going rogue!

Okay, not really, but I AM jumping ahead. I can’t wait…seriously…it’s not happening on this one folks. I know my last review was book #17, but I seriously just finished book #24 in my year of reading, and I can’t put off talking about it…especially since there is a Worldbuilder’s Indiegogo campaign going on for JUST THIS WEEK! Geeks Doing Good FTW!

Patrick Rothfuss has been warming my heart all over this year.  His short little novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things certainly is no different. I know, I know. The diehard fans all cried a little when it came out..”What?! It’s NOT Kvothe?! It’s not BOOK THREE?!!! GAH!”  Still, most fans are also excited just to have more of Rothfuss’ work, and personally, this novella is just a treasure trove of joy. Plus, the artwork by Nate Taylor is not to be missed.

First of all, you need to know, obviously this book has almost nothing to do with the main storyline of The Kingkiller Chronicles.  It’s a short character development piece on Auri, one of the more mysterious, odd characters of the series and also one of Rothfuss’ favorites (and mine). He doesn’t hide the fact that this is very different. He’s not shy about the fact that he knows his fans are impatient for book three.  In fact, in his introduction he seems to almost warn people away in a, “be ready, you may not like it, but I like it…and these other people like it…so here it is…maybe you’ll like it” kind of way.  I’ve seen the reviews, I’ve heard the mixed reception.  In fact, two of my friends who read Rothfuss way before me each had what were probably common reactions. One basically said “It’s okay, but come on, just write the next damn book!”  The other, “It’s not what I expected, it’s alright, but you…you’ll love it.”

He. Was. Correct.

I’ve loved Auri from her first introduction. A story entirely her’s is long overdue, at least for my wandering, word heavy, poetry hungry mind.  Rothfuss weaves his magic in a strange yet simple third person narrative of Auri’s life in The Underthing.  Auri is preparing for a visit with Kvothe (rather, for a visit with him).  She has seven days until his arrival, and the Rothfuss invites the reader to follow along, to discover how Auri fills her days, the challenges she faces, how she survives, and simply, to experience a taste of how she sees things and really lives them.

Is she a bit off-kilter? Yes. Is the Underthing a beautiful dream-home. No. Does this story have a typical plot structure (beginning, middle, end…etc.). Also, NO.  Does it work. YES.  Auri seems to dance through life, not let it drag her down. And yet, this dancing is not always lighthearted or safe or even a dance of joy. It is something like dancing on the edge of the darkness, living in that space between dream and awake…where you don’t know which way you would rather turn.  Auri lives constantly in that space, and Rothfuss creates that space here. From what I’ve seen,Taylor’s artwork also helps to flesh out this almost-shadow reality where Auri seems to gleam and glint in her own light. Yes, like many of my books, I listened to the audio (I’ll get there in a moment).  But, I’ve already broken down and ordered my own (autographed) edition…yes, I really do love it that much.

However, getting to the audiobook, it honestly probably couldn’t be better! Of course, it helps that it is read by none other than Rothfuss himself (though Nick Podehl reads both The Name of the Wind & Wise Man’s Fear and I am kind of in love with him as a reader… seriously…I just purchased my fourth book with him as the narrator).  Usually, I am hesitant of author readings. Sometimes they are amazing (this is a case in point), but let’s be honest, to make an audio book come alive, sometimes there also needs to be a level of distance from the creator.  In this case, Rothfuss’ love of Auri shines through, and he makes the 3.5 hour audiobook an incredible experience where the poetry simple slips in and out even more clearly! It might also be that he just has a great reading voice (despite the second thoughts he expresses on his blog).  I actually wonder if some people who couldn’t handle reading this book would do better listening to it. The words and phrasing are so fluid that the book almost begs to be heard.

If you haven’t gotten it by now, I have a love for beautiful words and phrases and poetic sensibilities…and strangeness.

I can’t recommend this book enough (though, yes, you might not like it). Even if you haven’t read the other books, you may find yourself gloriously surprised here.  The Slow Regard of Silent Things stands alone as its own little work of art.  Jason Heller over at NPR sums it up nicely:

“Slow Regard is its own defense, a charming, lyrical meditation on the meaning of home: how we define it, how we carry it with us, and how we deal with the lure and fear of what lies beyond.”

Whether you are a fan or not, I urge you to go look at the Geeks Doing Good 2015 Campaign on Indiegogo. Three days in, and they’ve already raised over $100,000 for Heifer International. Rothfuss has declared it “The Year of the Gear“ in honor of Auri and The Slow Regard of Silent Things (it makes sense if you read the book).  There are all sorts of lovely wonderful things, and it’s all for a good cause.  I’m trying not to dump my entire wallet over there actually…because yes…I am having an obsessive moment.

“When all the world was a palimpsest, it was a perfect palindrome.” ~The Slow Regard of Silent Things, by Patrick Rothfuss.

Book #15 Circle of Reign – by Jacob Cooper

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I’ve been putting off doing this review on purpose.  This is one of those books I kind of hated at first, but by the end, I had to admit it had some good moments. Still, this might be the first review here where I’m not 90%+ positive in my reaction (maybe not even 50%).

That being said, let’s get down to it…

Circle of Reign, is Jacob Cooper’s first novel.  If you want the summary follow the link. It’s a bit too much for me to really explain concisely.  When I picked it up on Audible (it was a Daily Deal), I was intrigued by the concept of a new epic fantasy utilizing Light & Dark in a new way, and I had no idea it was a self published work.  I hold nothing against self published works, they simply aren’t my first choice when looking for books.  The reviews are generally glowing, and the first hour or so of listening was really exciting!  And then…it went downhill.

Don’t get me wrong, Cooper does create a complex new world.  He introduces a magic system and land that I do want to learn more about, but I’m just not sold on it.

First, as another reviewer put it, he’s just begging for an editor.  I just listened to the audio, so I didn’t see grammatical errors, but he occasionally uses words that just sound fancy and don’t fit.  Now, I have a decent vocabulary and I like a solid, complex vocabulary in books.  What Cooper does here makes it sound like he is honestly just trying too hard.  He also falls into the trap of creating a language…without creating a language. He includes complicated made up words and immediately explains them with the English. Yes this can be done effectively, but here it feels clunky and forced. Again, I attribute this to just trying too hard.

Second, character development is almost non-existent.  There is a brief effort with the two main characters, but I don’t feel like Cooper thinks of them as breathing creations, which characters should be to any author.

Third, the book tries to be as political as other major epic fantasy series, without actually bothering to delve into the politics much.  Everything feels skimmed, brushed, but never explored.  I saw a positive review that compares this book to Brandon Sanderson “except less nerdy and more gritty.”  Well, it’s grittier because it is rougher in both language and especially political plot…and can’t pull off the finesse of Sanderson or George R.R. Martin. Cooper definitely is influenced by the two of these authors.  However, Sanderson and Martin are all about complex plots, twists, political intrigue, and world disaster.  Cooper attempts to pull on these elements, but doesn’t quite succeed.

Still, I can’t be all negative. Though it took me a long time to force myself to read, by the last third of the novel, I didn’t want to put it down. Yes, part of that was because I knew I was nearing the end, but I also got wrapped up in the action.  Here Cooper starts to hint at a larger mythology, and he starts to build a battle scene that could rival other epic fantasy battles.  In the end, I felt like it was a let down and a bit predictable. I am curious to see what happens next, but if he doesn’t get an editor or a mentor on his writing style, I don’t know if I can put myself through another book.  It’s actually sad because Cooper really has the basic blocks to what promises to be a great concept/world/story.  The execution is just lacking.  However, I’m glad other people have latched onto it. His creativity certainly needs to be lauded even if he isn’t very polished.  I hope he improves and succeeds eventually, but I do suggest you go into the book only if you can look past the rougher edges.

And that’s all I’ve got!

Book #14 – Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

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So I finished this book about a month ago at this point…I really need to start writing these reviews quicker so I can be more thorough! As it is, it isn’t difficult to appreciate the beauty and guidance of Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.  I was introduced to Lamott’s work, specifically this one, back in my Master’s Degree program, by the wonderful Dr. Barbara Price.  Though we read pieces, we never read the entire book, and when focusing on how to teach writing to others, it isn’t necessary to read the entire memoir.  However, I do recommend it.

Bird by Bird is exactly what it states: part instructional guide for the would be writer, and part memoir.  Several parts are easily quotable: snippets to pull out and put on an embroidered pillow, or an internet meme.  But there is really marrow beneath this fragile bones.  Lamott is a gloriously funny writer, willing to bare her pains and mistakes and successes so that her readers may learn from them.  Through her experiences, the reader discovers insight to the self as well as the page.

I wish I hadn’t waited so long to write this review. I also wish I had a physical copy of the book (something I”ll remedy) since I read this through an audiobook.  This is the type of book I would scribble endlessly in the margins, dogearing the most important pages, and sending poignant sections to those around me.  It made me want to write more and provided the tools to start (which I promptly ignored if you can tell from my semi-absence on this blog).  Still, I’m glad I listened to it.  I’m going to use it as my occasional “self-help” book..something for a bit of motivation and inspiration.

Thanks Anne Lamott. I promise to do better by you, even if it isn’t by much. Thank you for your words.

Book #13 – Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

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I’ve been keeping up with all my reading, honest…just not the blogging portion.  I finished Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1), by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, about a month ago, so really this review will be short because I should’ve probably written it right away…woe is me.

If you like supernatural, southern, high school romance, young adult, paranormal fiction (yes, really ALL those descriptors are needed) than this one is for you. Ethan Wate is a high school basketball player in a small southern town where he feels his life wasting away, even more so after the death of his mother and with his father eternally locked in his study. All of that changes when Lena Duchannes moves into town. The niece of the town recluse, she is odd, in all the wrong ways for small town life but all the right ways for Ethan. The pair quickly bonds despite the entire town fighting to keep them apart. Of course it helps that they pair have been dreaming of each other since before they ever met, and they can has each other’s thoughts.

However, Lena is not mortal. She is a Caster (basically magical/witch/spellcaster/powerful/generic supernatural being), and on her 16th birthday, she will be turned either good or evil…. Light or Dark.

From there, you can guess where the story goes: young love, lots of obstacles, a mystery, a family curse, attempting to control one’s own destiny, etc. Basically, Beautiful Creatures is your typical YA supernatural romance including some of my least favorite YA stereotypes such as the girl in need of rescuing, the mean girl, and the secretly smart jock. However, it does have a few things that make it stand apart. For instance, Ethan is the narrator. Having the male lead narrate is rare in the female driven supernatural YA world. Garcia and Stohl make him a credible voice in their universe. In fact, most of their characters, the main ones at least, are well written and believable. The story, while not entirely unique, is still interesting with a few fun twists.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with excitement. I also don’t have an urgent desire to read the rest of the series. I might pick them up one day….