Small Favor (Dresden Files 10)
by: Jim Butcher

This series just keeps getting better.  The entanglement levels of the various A & B plots become less exercises in plot trickery and more natural outgrowths of the world, yada yada.

This one picks up the Nevernever plot that started off in Winter Knight with the first of his 3 favors for Mab – here she calls in the second.  Again, to aid her works out to his benefit, but at the same time you get the clear feeling that something much bigger is going on with the Nevernever crew  in the background.  I wonder how long until we start seeing whatever that something is?  It could be another angle to the Black Council plot – several clues here point that way… but they could be herrings of a sunburnt hue.

The Denarians plot also picks back up, looping around towards the overarching series plot, as well as seeding the feel with more warring factions.  The various factions and their relationships to each other  a lot of balls to juggle and Butcher is doing it surprisingly well.

Oh, and our resident hopeless romantic (in the sense of “can’t have a relationship that’s not serious) finally goes on a date.  With a much, much older woman.  I’m curious where this one is going, especially since Harry has so many secrets that this other person probably shouldn’t, technically, find out about – and he’s been a decent guy so far with telling secrets to people who need to know them.

OH.  And this thing that’s been foreshadowed for I don’t know how many books now (5?) finally happens.  It involves a sword.   In a good way.

The thing with the goats is entertaining.

I really can’t recommend this series enough for fans of fantasy, supernatural, etc.  Or just someone looking for a fun read.

PS. I miss Lash.

FOUR STARS

The Weird of the White Wolf (Elric 3)
by: Michael Moorcock

Somehow I’m still amused to open my drawer at work to grab my lunch & lunch reading and see the word MOORCOCK in giant letters.  Nothing wrong with a little juvenile amusement, I suppose.

Anyway, yeah, as I implied above, reading this series feels like homework.  It’s amazingly poorly written, plotted, etc. by modern standards, yet it’s an undeniable classic – probably more due to its role in pushing fantasy out there to the masses than presenting an engaging story.

NOW.  In time-period context though… I can see how it would have been much more engaging.  Still, to read it through modern eyes… it’s difficult not to haul out a red pen and start marking stuff up.  There are no characters here, only people moving along preset lines.   The main character however is, somewhat aware of this – one of the more interesting angles to the series.  He does some things pretty much at random, and his commentary indicates that he’s aware he’s not exactly in control of things.  And he’s seeking out the hidden meaning behind all of it, almost like a meta-novel about a character unconsciously trying to break the 4th wall.  Maybe I’m reading a little too much into it, but Moorcock (no matter how poorly written these books are)  is a damn smart guy, and had specific intentions writing things, and that may have been one.  Who knows.

I can see the allure of these books for young boys (I see lots of stuff written about how people fell in love with these as kids – maybe if I had read them then I would have the same nostalgic love for them that I have for Fred Saberhagen’s Sword books that certain people seem to think are crap).  They are not difficult to read.  Most characters, even if they are supposed to have complicated motivations, act simply and predictably.  The hero has a crazy magic sword.  There are only 180 pages.  Each book is generally broken into 3 parts – each relatively separate, making it even easier to read.

I suppose it is also worth pointing out that this was one of the (or the?) earliest anti-heroes in fantasy.

Only for the die-hard, or the fantasy reader curious about his roots – of which I am both.

TWO STARS

Storm Front (Dresden files 1)
by: Jim Butcher

and

Fool Moon (Dresden files 2)
by: Jim Butcher

I’m just gonna review these two together since they seem to have the same strengths and weaknesses.

As predicted and hoped for, they delivered pretty much exactly what I expected.   In a good way. I wanted detective dude + magic, and that’s what I got.

Yes, both the titles are pretty bad.  And at one point in the second book he says “fool moon”.  Argh.

One thing I’m not particularly jazzed about is his portrayal of magic thus far.  It’s just a little too “bleh”.  It does get a little better and more fleshed out by the second… the whole “feel good” nature in which the MC describes his opinion of magic and its purpose just comes off as strange.

Also, these two (and the second book) fall prey to a certain kind of plot element that tends to annoy me (almost as much as poorly written kidnap & escape sequences): the thing where no one listens to the MC when they OBVIOUSLY know more about the subject in question (magic in this case).  Of course, hijinx ensue.

This is ok the first few times but… um, the longer a character remains ignorant, the more obnoxious this gets.  I’ve heard that the books start getting noticeably better with the third book and I wonder if climbing this hurdle is what allows that progress – and also if I’ll see it too. I have the third book here in my to-read pile, so we’ll see.

NOW, it looks like they’ve finally set up the character in question to woman-up and stop being so ignorant.  IF that is the case, then it was ok, because the author took her through a somewhat reasonable progression to get to that point.  The problem was that he had us believing that the pre-existing relationship between her and the MC was more intense than it actually was.  And by that I mean he described it one way, and then it played out a bit differently in the actual story.  Were I an editor, I would have suggested a change to his initial description of the relationship so readers like myself didn’t get so annoyed at her ignorance.

The slow-burn love triangle is interesting, if not telegraphed too.  Interesting in the way he’s presenting it, I guess.  The way the initial love interest is so easily distanced at the end of the second book seems a bit… easy to me.  Especially after she gets him the dope-ass jacket, right?  :P

Comment on the second book:  What are the odds of meeting all four (in this world) types of werewolves in the same escapade?  I’d guess ZERO.  It’s a stretch, even for fantasy.

Other random comment: It wouldn’t surprised me if the author were a practitioner, or fan, of some kind of “actual” magic.  He’s just a little too defensive, and paints certain things in a certain kind of light that just makes you wonder.

If you’re looking for something in this genre  – something a little less embarrassing to read in public than the sex/female fantasy oriented stuff that you tend to see filed under horror (I think I just figured out why some UF (urban fantasy) is filed in horror and some in fantasy…the serious shit must be in fantasy!)… I think you’ll like these books.

THREE AND A HALF STARS, EACH

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Elric of Melnibone (Elric 1)
by: Michael Moorcock

Ahh, Elric.  One of the classics of 70′s pre-epic fantasy.  It was pretty much what I expected.  Filled some folks would probably call “cardboard” characters – although interesting ones, I think – it is quite obviously a product of its times.  And I like that.

Things basically just flew by – I mean, it was only ~150 pages!  Yet the MC survives an assassination, befriends a few ancient elementals, retakes his throne, submits himself into the service of an ancient chaos god, loses his love, finds his love, chases the enemy into another realm, makes an ally, recovers an ancient and awesomely powerful sword, survives possession by said sword, realizes he and his enemy are <SPOILER>, <SPOILER> and some other junk…all at breakneck speed.

If you want to read a book, probably in one sitting, where shit just plain happens, 70′s fantasy is the place to go.  I think you have to have the right kind of tastes to enjoy this stuff – but I have that kind of taste.  In fact…one of my long term goals, if I ever make it to being a career author, is bringing back this type of fantasy & sci-fi.  I mean, new paperback are $8 now!  EIGHT freakin dollars son.  Of course, for that $8 you can get the new Neal Stephenson, also on my reading pile, which clocks in over 900 pages, or a Dresden book at 1/3 the length…so there are still page count bargains out there.

What was my point?  Oh yeah, someday I’d like to bring back $4 books – maybe in a format kind of like this.  Or, a split book (remember those?) for $4-6 which would have 2 150 page books by two different authors…  maybe crosspollinate some readership or some junk.  Annnnnnyway….

So yeah, I’ll continue reading the Elric books as I can find them.  I prefer original 70′s paperbacks, with those yellow pages and the old bookstore smell….ahh old bookstore smell.  I pretty much won’t buy reprints of stuff like this, defeats the whole purpose – plus, the modern formatting can also make them read kind of strange.  It’s like a mind game…the cover/page layout/size/paper type/lack of old bookstore smell all trick you into thinking you’re reading a modern book, then the story itself becomes a little jarring.  Or maybe it’s just me….

OH.  Right.

TWO AND A HALF STARS – it is what it is.

The season has slipped back into obnoxious up here in the Portland of the West (I’m not talking to you Portland, Maine!).  Freezing wind (not literally, yet), cold nights, and RAIN.  RAIN.  Yes, someday we will move and leave you far behind.   New Mexico?  Hawaii?  New England somewheresabouts?  Somewhere!  All we need is that perfect moneymaking job!  Like… being a writer.  That totally pays about $40k a year if you luck out and bust your ass.  Wait.  That’s not that much at all.  Doh!

…

There are no movies that look interesting to me because a) I rarely watch trailers and b) when would we have the time?  I suppose I should start netflixing all the stuff I’ve missed this year….right?  American Pie 12 here I come!

…

Marvel announced at least three big events so far for next year: Second Coming (X-Men event), DoomWar (seems Black Panther centric, but has X-men & FF members &…Deadpool.  Kay!),  and Siege – the final “ending” of the Dark Reign stuff and return to semi-normalcy with Cap/Thor/Iron Man Avengering around together again.

…

Books.  Books.  I haven’t read anything in a while.  I’m slowly working my way through a book of interviews with Michael Moorcock.  He’s been known to write a book in ?3? days I think it was.  Fucknutty!  Somehow I’ve made it to date without reading a single one of his books.  Cardinal sin, I KNOW.  I should be able to find some in old school paperback pretty cheap though, maybe I’ll do that after I finish (and start…) Name of the Wind.  I’m so afraid it will suck I haven’t touched it yet.

…

I haven’t tried to watch a single episode of Heroes since my failure to complete the first one.  Jen seems to be enjoying Flashforward though, and it seems moderately interesting.   I think, if it doesn’t go the way of X-Files/Lost?/Heroes etc. (ie dragging out the initial premise to Herculean lengths, then never resolving it satisfactorily because you’ve inserted so much bullhsit in there in the attempt to stretch it out to 7+ seasons) it sounds like it could be decent.  We had a conversation about the different things we’re willing to invest in a TV show – I’m much less willing to start watching any kind of ongoing show these days because I lack the confidence that TV writers have the balls to end something.  If a story is only meant to run 1-2 seasons, that’s all it should run!!  But, of course that runs completely counter to TV programming-think.

…

Nothing particularly new to me in the world of music.  I think I may like She & Him.  Still trying to decide. I like some of the songs, but I need to hear the whole album and I’m reticent to buy it without hearing the entire thing first.  I do dig the retro-50s vocal thing she’s doing though.  I like the sound, but not so much in its original context – amusing, yes?

I’m debating ordering Dear Leader‘s now album – it’s ex-Sheila Divine frontman Aaron Perrino’s current project.   They were a great band that I think was just hitting their stride when they vanished so hey, good luck with reincarnation.

I heard a rumor that Jawbox was going to be on some douchebag’s late night show.  That guy from SNL who couldn’t keep a straight face to save his life.  Can’t remember his name for some reason.  Crazy.

The Monsters of Folk album is ok.  Not ok enough for me to rush out and buy it, but ok.

…

Z has a selection of chorus lines he says now when he’s in the mood, inevitably going from one to the other.  “Beating like a hammer” (Metric), “It’s cold outside”, (classics), “hit the road jack/don’t come back no more” & a few others I’m brain farting on right now.  He usually knows 1-2 extra lines of the songs as well.  It’s freaking adorable.  He’s starting to get a little bit of melody going too.

…

I’m in one of those “everything bores me” phases right now, hoping it will end soon.   Could just be the seasonal doldrums.