but a nice example of Jasper Fforde's incredibly creative writing style
347213
This was a lovely continuation of the story line.  A little rushed at the end, but a nice example of Jasper Fforde's incredibly creative writing style.  I can honestly say I haven't found anyone else with his technique and as I've said before, I'd read the phone book if Jasper Fforde wrote it!
2519556
This is a wonderful story and I think a lot of that has to to with Jandy Nelson's unique writing style. I don't think I've read anything quite like it. The way she writes what the teenagers feel and think, for example is perfect. She communicates not only what they are going through but how they are processing everything in a typically teenage way of not having the right words or enough life experience to express, understand or process what they feel is true but.... My sentence right there shows the difficulty of expressing with wonderful words what a teenager feels - because there aren't words. It's the same thing with art. How do you express with words, how art makes you feel? People try bit we blunder (hence the clich&eacute; "a picture is worth 1,000 words).  If you're a plot driven kind of person, this may not be your cup of tea, although it surely does have a plot that keeps you guessing, there are many books with that. It is Nelson's ability to communicate the intangible, artistic, creative elements of the character's lives that sets it apart. I think it should be required reading in school, if for no other reason than to expose teenagers to her unique writing style and to experience characters going through the strange and confusing pov most teens can relate to.
4803661
At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of this. The style is frenetic; the language a sort of souped-up Cockney with flashes of literary dazzle like fireworks going off amid the fast-paced, gritty street patter. It is not, as another reviewer has said, a thriller in the ordinary sense of the term. There is action, yes - plenty of it, in fact - and part of it is set in the criminal underworld of two countries, but the overall effect is more literary than these elements seem to suggest: the characters matter as much, if not more, than the plot itself. It's really a sort of modern-age moral fable, told with great lashings of dark humour and witty dialogue. I've seen it compared to this and that - Layer Cake and Elmore Leonard; Fear and Loathing and Irvine Welsh - but it's really quite unlike anything I've read before, and I suppose that's why it took me a while to settle into it. The writing certainly grabs you by the throat, but the story plays with your expectations in more ways than one. So if you like to be surprised, and if you want to read something totally fresh and original, then this is probably a book for you. By about a quarter of the way through, I was completely won over. It's the kind of novel I'll probably want to re-read some day. It's exciting as a story, but exciting as literature, too. I'm definitely looking forward to Mr Gould's next book.
2541593
This review first appeared on Whymsy Likes Books.

This story is a quick, nontaxing read with a high level of silliness.  Again Mr. Fforde proves himself a master wordsmith with colorful writing and an imagination that knows no bounds.  He weaves his stories together so they are never straight forward or entirely predictable, keeping the attention of his readers.  I particularly liked his bit about some wizards having the ability to make remote suggestion or sending ideas and that it was banned once it was found out they used it to promote talentless boy bands.  As usual his characters are well rounded, the world is fleshed out and quirky and everything is up to the high level I have come to expect from Mr. Fforde.

For the full review and others visit whymsylikesbooks dot blogspot dot com
4326143
A review copy was provided for an honest review.  The Sorcery Code is an interesting amalgamation of fantasy and romance. It reminds me of a twisted version of Weird Science. If you're familiar with the movie than the Sorcery Code has a similar idea. Though they are totally separate works, its connection actually drew me in instead of turned me away. What I liked a lot about this novel is that the writing is beautifully descriptive, it unleashes complex information but elaborates on it in the most simple of terms. I think being able to keep up with everything that's going on is severely important in fantasy because you don't ever want to feel lost, and this story unraveled one step at a time.

 Blaise is a skilled sorcerer who has been cast from society after he leaves the Sorcery Council. He holds beliefs that everyone should be able to use magic even those without an aptitude for sorcery. In Koldun Sorcerers are all-powerful, wealthy, and privileged while anyone who isn't a wizard are less fortunate. Commoners are afforded none of the same prestige and most are poor. Blaise decides to rectify this problem by inventing a magical object that any individual can use, powers or not. Instead of an inanimate item he accidentally creates a womana beautiful, unclothed one at that. She's everything he could have hoped for and more but she's still his magical creation. Danger makes its way into the picture when other sorcerers learn of his abomination and they seek to destroy her.

The Sorcery Code is told through various perspectives, which could have easily been disasterous if it weren't for the smooth transition and the chapters titled with each POV. I really enjoyed reading from four different angles (though I normally prefer just one). You get Blaise & Gala, and Augusta and Barson. Each character is engaging when examined on their own. Gala is a genius but she's in some ways like an innocent child. From the very second she is brought into existence she is curious, bright, and bursting with life. She wants to experience everything being alive offers. It's at that moment Blaise realizes he might not be able to control this woman any more than anyone else could control him. I really liked Gala because she's so incredible and at times baffling to other characters. Blaise is excited for the unexpected way in which she enters his life but a little nervous about where their relationship is heading, and he's focused on reminding Gala of her purposenot that she wants to listen. The perceived villain of the story is Augusta, a powerful sorceress who doesn't want things to change. Being able to understand her side of things made her seem less like the bad guy and just clearly misunderstood. Augusta's lover, Barson, (which is what he's referred as often) is a military leader and is also seen on the wrong side of things.

There was a couple of things that bugged me. As skillfully composed as the story is it had a bunch of recycled information. It's easy to overlook but once you notice the pattern it becomes somewhat of an annoyance. The second was Blaise and Gala's narrative felt less exciting than Augusta and Barson's which I feel is backwards seeing as it should have been the other way around. Other than those things I loved what I read.

The Sorcery Code is a spellbinding fantasy novel with a marvelous concept. Sure it has the Weird Science (brilliant guy creates his ideal woman and magically makes her real) theme going on but it's carried out in new way. I thought the entire breakdown of science and math to form spells was excellent. The world is well-built, the characters are cool, and there is an ample amount of entertainment. Warning: the cliffhanger at the end will make you want the next book. Fantasy readers will love The Sorcery Code!
1861028
This was really an excellent example of what Barker can achieve in an epic-length novel. It combines elements of horror, fantasy and romance in such a powerful and compelling way. The major plot device, a mysterious carpet known as the Fugue, is itself an interesting metaphor, I think, that works on many different levels. An entire, magnificent, hidden world lies trapped away in this seemingly mundane object of craft; a world of fantastic, magical beings known as the Seerkind. The fate of their world, as well as the power that it holds, becomes the motor force for the action that unfolds. Barker generally provides an imaginative bestiary in the majority of his work, but Weaveworld's was exceptionally horrifying and exquisite. Unlike other reviewers, I found the understated ending to be entirely called for: the conflict is over, the Seerkind's world is destroyed, but its trace manifests itself in a final exuberant expression in the human world. The book ends up being something of a parable on the human need for myth, symbol and imagination; though disenchantment seems to drain and devalue these things within our lives, as long as their objects can be imagined, so Barker entreats, they do not need to be lost. I'll add a corollary to that, in praise of Barker's genius here: as long as there are authors and artists with the power to give birth to these sorts of visions, as well as the inclination to create them, human beings need not lose touch with the idea that our lives as individual selves, however complex and individuated they may become, are all born from the murky, rich, beautiful past of symbol, image, and myth.
4290489
I picked up The Eyre Affair on a whim... and couldn't put it down. Jasper Fforde has created a delightful and unexpected world where fiction and reality blur.  The book itself has a uniquely English humor - of the kind that you find in books like "Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy."  This is the perfect summer read for someone who is looking for a refreshing and clever book for the beach.
3622922
First Among Sequels is the fifth novel in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The narration starts in 2002, some fourteen years after Something Rotten. Thursday, now 52 and feeling her age, is working at Acme Carpets, Spec Ops having been disbanded soon after the Commonsense Party came to power. Her sixteen-year-old son, Friday, destined to lead the ChronoGuard and save the world, is a typically teenage smelly, grunty bedslug. Landen and Thursday have two daughters, Tuesday and Jenny, and Landen writes at home whilst Thursday secretly runs her own Spec Ops branch and, in the Book World, trains cadet agents for Jurisfiction. Reality TV shows like Samaritan Kidney Swap have become popular, and read rates are dropping dramatically, a cause for great concern in the Book World. Tension is mounting between some of the genres in the Book World, and the Council of Genres is proposing to make books interactive. As things come to a head, Thursday finds herself, unthinkably, going to Goliath Corporation for help. While some of the pieces about time travel and the ChronoGuard almost had my eyes glazing over, things I loved in this excellent novel were the book refitter's own language, the fictional Thursdays, the Stupidity Surplus, Schrdinger's Night Fever Principle, the good ship Moral Dilemma on the Hypothetical Ocean, Aornis Hades timeloop prison, books whose genres change, piano exchange, the serial killer pun and the cheese smuggling. Landen has previously been very much in the background, but in this instalment his character is developed and we see more of Thursday's family life. Fforde is always inventive with names and this book is no exception: Mrs Berko Boyler, Daphne Farquit, Aflredo Traficcone, Anne Wirthlass-Schitt, Cherie Yogert, Hedge Moulting, Cliff Hangar, Irritable Vowel Syndrome, and the various cheese names; Salmon Thrusty's "The Demonic Couplets" is worthy of Rushdie himself. Thursday makes a lovely speech about the importance of the reader. The cliff hanger ending will send readers in search of the next Thursday Next novel, One of Our Thursdays is Missing. Reminiscent of Douglas Adams, this is another excellent dose of Jasper Fforde.
3376186
RISE OF THE FALLEN takes place on a totally original world with many wonderful and unique characters who have very well-defined and three-dimensional personalities. The imagery is really excellent; it is very vivid and realistic and my mental images were enhanced by the drawings. (I was a little disappointed that more of the pictures weren't in color, particularly the one with the rainbows.) The writing style is very smooth and flowing, however, the editing was not well done. There are many spelling and grammatical mistakes and I certainly hope that the next book has better proofreading than this one does. While I enjoyed reading all about the characters' adventures, the way the book ends makes it seem like a prequel and not the first book in the series. Also, the epilogue reads more like an excerpt from the next book instead of bringing some closure to this one, which I don't like. (I really hate cliffhangers but they're especially bad when the next book isn't written yet!) Altogether, there is much more good than bad in this book and I definitely recommend reading it to lovers of light, original fantasy. (FYI, this book may have been intended for YA, but I am almost 60 and I certainly enjoyed it so I'm sure that a wide audience will enjoy it, too.)
173143
It was hard to know how many stars to give this trilogy, so I'll just tell you about it.
The writing is incredible.  There are moment where I literally put the book down and said "MY GOD!"  There is a poem in the first book that is the best frivolous poetry I've ever read (better than Lewis Carroll).
I was initially nervous at the large number of characters, because I'm not good at remembering characters, but each is so aptly and humorously named (Fuschia, Flay, Steerpike, and my favorite-named, Flannelcat) that they are easy to tell apart.
Gormenghast is a world of its own - a very strange mix of seemingly ancient and modern (seemingly anachronistic) things.  There is a lot of humor here.
But, I have to caution, this is not a beach novel.  It's not Piers Anthony.  The plot moves very, very slowly and you have to really enjoy reading for the sake of reading.  It reminded me of reading "Les Miserables", which I enjoyed but would have quickly abandoned if not for the fact that I really do enjoy reading...and reading and reading.
These books are very rewarding, and parts will stay in my mind and make up my worldview for the rest of my life - something you can't say about most "fantasy" books.  But if you are looking for a light, easy read, with lots of exciting plot, you are barking up the wrong tree.
2579265
This is a languid thoughtful book, to be read languidly and thoughtfully.  It is tremendously precise in its writing while the dialogue is supremely mannered, possibly more than some will enjoy.  But the mannered style is a shrewd choice as it allows the author to keep you guessing about the plot.  If you were baffled by The Unconsoled and moved by Never Let Me Go then this book will beautifully show you how they are two facets of the same personality.  The topic is memory and Ishiguro carefully adopts the trappings of fantasy - ogres, dragons and a magic mist - to weave his plot.  The already much-missed Sir Terry would rejoice to see his view that all fiction involves the fantastic so resoundingly corroborated.
4469947
Sometimes it seems true that "there is no new thing under the sun," but once in a while something truly original comes our way.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Griffin-Sabine-An-Extraordinary-Correspondence/dp/B000OEAFD4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Griffin & Sabine. An Extraordinary Correspondence</a>&nbsp;is one of those books that restores your faith in creativity.

Their souls are joined by a mysterious connection -- Sabine, a stamp designer raised on a South Pacific island and carrying on her father's exploration of the natural world; Griffin, a lonely London post card artist struggling to find relief for his ailing soul. How does Sabine find him, how does she SEE his work as if with her very own eyes? What can come of their love story? Is their correspondence enough?

Author-illustrator Nick Bantock reveals the story in letters and postcards. Griffin's drawings are angular "realism with a twist" while Sabine takes elements of nature and embellishes them. The envelopes are fixed to the page with typed or lettered pages tucked inside, giving the reader a sense of participation in unfolding the letters to read them. The art and design concept are the real story here, though the small amount of text carries complex, well-expressed feelings.

If you have shelf space for wonderful artwork and an evocative little love story, then this book is for you; I'll be getting my hands on the sequels to read more of the story. Five stars for beauty and originality.

Linda Bulger, 2008
576891
Andrea Speed's Infected: Prey is two novellas published as one book. The worldbuilding that happens in these books is astounding. Ms Speed takes a new look at an old genre, shapeshifters, and makes it into something fresh and totally creative.
There are a number of positives to mention about this book. The worldbuilding is superb, possibly one of the best examples I've seen. The plot is unique and creative, and it flows well. The character development has depth and  you feel like you *know* these people, from the main characters to the secondary ones. Unfortunately, character development is not entirely  a positive.
When every secondary character is given the full-on introduction and description, it tends to take me out of the story to try to figure out whether this is someone I need to pay attention to, is this a red herring, or is this simply TMI.
INFECTED: PREY are two very good novellas for the price of one book, and I truly enjoyed reading them. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
3354790
I'm not going to lie and say that this book was perfect.  The style of writing isn't my cup of tea, and the ending was a little quick.

HOWEVER,
But I will say that it is some of the most clever, funny writing I've read in some time.  I enjoyed it the entire time I was reading.  The characters were unique and creative.  The situations were bizarre and brilliant.  I laughed, I gagged, I probably learned things I didn't need to know.

I don't regret buying this book for a second and I have already started recommending it to people I know, and with this review, people I don't.
749691
Michael has a unique style that is both literary and engrossing. He has the ability to draw the reader in with beautiful words and then keep them interested with quirky, original and entertaining stories. It's easy to see the hand of a university trained writer at work, but his words are so real and personal, it's as if you're sitting with an old friend listening to him tell you a tale.

And his newest book, Mr. Storm, is another example of his brilliant wordsmithing. I live in a small Appalachian town, and I can see people I know in this book. He's a great observer of people and that translates into well-rounded, believable characters. The storyline of Mr. Storm is very unique, though. It's quirky, dark at times, even eery, but I couldn't stop reading. I got drawn into the town, the people, the otherworldly elements. I can't help comparing it to "Something Wicked This Way Comes"... not the storyline, but the feel, the threatening but somehow comfortable 'storm' that is brewed up. Well-researched, sincere, and honest. It's a wonderful book!
2538647
The Wee Free Men is the first volume in the Tiffany Aching books, a Discworld arc about a young girl who discovers that she may be a witch when she beats up a river-dwelling monster with a skillet. Oh, and she does that after being warned by tattooed, angry, drunken "pictsies" known as the Nac Mac Feegle. In other words, it's Pratchett in all his imaginative, rich, textured glory, with all the depth, nuance, and laugh-out-loud lines that I've come to expect from his work. Wee Free Men is designated as a YA book, and that's an odd choice to me; apart from the fact that Aching is an 11-year-old girl, there's really not all that much difference between Wee Free Men and any other Discworld book. The cosmology and depth is just as rich, complex, and moving (although Tiffany's reminiscences of her grandmother are beautifully done, the Nac Mac Feegle religion turns out to be surprisingly appealing in many ways), the characters just as nuanced, and the plotting just as rich. Like many Discworld books, the inciting incident here - the abduction of Tiffany's younger brother by an elven queen - seems simple enough, but as our heroes find themselves in dreams within dreams, fairy tales come to life, and battles for the very soul of the land, it turns out that nothing here is simple. Pratchett loses a tiny bit of the grounding as the book draws to a close, with some events feeling out of the reader's grasp entirely, but in some ways, that's his plan, since Tiffany too is not always in full control of what's going on around her. But that's about the only down side to the novel, which is otherwise wonderfully crafted, brilliantly funny, and just generally wonderful in just about any way you can imagine. If you haven't picked these up out of fear of what Pratchett might be like on a YA level, have no worries at all on that front; there's essentially no difference at all, and I'd put this one up against any other Discworld book in terms of enjoyment and fun.
3284053
Obert Skye's impressive debut, "Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo" treads water with that of Lemony Snicket and Frank Baum.  His prose is full of humorous whimsy (ala loveable talking toothipick!), wonderful characters, fantastic and wonderful moments, and true originality.  Leven Thumps is fourteen years old, and lives a life of true sadness in Oaklahoma, where his guardians treat him cruely.  This all changes when a small creature named Clover, comes and changes Leven's world; telling him that he is capable of amazing powers and is the only one who can save a wonderful place called Foo; thereby possibly saving the entire Earth itself.  Leven must accomplish this all by  destroying the gateway between Foo and reality before the evil Sabine can reach it and merge reality with Foo, thereby ending dreams forever in mankind.  Along the way, Leven recieves help from a girl named Winter, who has the ability to freeze objects, and a talking toothpick named Geth, the rightful king of Foo.  Skye weaves a wonderful plot in this first book of a proposed series.  Some younger readers might think the story takes too long to be set up, but that's the main theme of a first book in a series; to introduce the readers to the characters and the world.  Skye pulls the plotting of impressively, making even the the most boring setting such as Oaklahoma come alive with wonder. A good chunk of the beginning of the book is used to set up the series and the plot, but Skye handles the sometimes complicated situation with skill.  Skye's originality should alone make this book a keeper seeing as the world is populated by nits, offings, sycophunts, and candy that rearranges your face rather than the usual elves, dwarves, and dragons! The one minor problem as other reviewers have mentioned is that Skye sometimes tells the readers about situations rather than explaining them, which is a passable mistake and does not detract from the wonder of the story.  So fantasy lovers, come join Leven, Winter, Clover, and Geth on their quirky, funny, and fantastical adventure to Foo where the word impossible doesn't exist and dreams become reality!  (Highly reccommended.)