Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Roger Zelazny's  Chronicles of Amber (Corwin Cycle). The Short of It Plot:  Amber, a parallel realm to ours, is in a state of turmoil. Fantasy hijinks ensue.  Page Count:  Nine Princes in Amber: 175 The Guns of Avalon: 223 Sign of the Unicorn: 192 The Hand of Oberon: 188 The Courts of Chaos: 189 Award: None, but Book 6 (which begins the next quintet) won. Worth a read : Yes. Primary Driver:  ( Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail (Unsure...) Technobabble:  Fantasy Babble - yes Review:  Delightful fantasy. Wildly unpredictable, charming protagonist, neat world. A deftly handled update to the standard sword and sorcery formula. Clearly written with tropes in mind, and uses them (or subverts them) to excellent effect. This is not an impactful read; it is not profound, or deeply thought-provoking, or anything else. It is instead a perfectly streamlined snack, and as such it is one of the best. The Medi...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Gene Wolfe's Soldier of the Mist. The Short of It Plot:  Latro forgets everything: he must keep a close record on a scroll. Even his meetings with gods.  Page Count:  335 Award:  1987 Locus Fantasy Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot, World, or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail Technobabble:  Nah. Review:  A lot of fun elements that do not quite gel. All of the basic elements of story are good: interesting cast of characters, particularly the cameos from different gods; cool settings as we wander through ancient Greece; generally good pacing. It is the central conceit of this book that makes it hard to read: it feels like 20% of the text is Latro either being informed or informing others that his memory does not work. It gets exhausting - and while the rest of this is better than competent, it's not enjoyable. Also, Wolfe's terrible at ending books. The Medium of It Spoiler Free Gene Wolfe is an exce...