Review: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Another rapid fire review!

image via best fantasy books.

This definitely reads like the second book in a trilogy, for better or worse. It is clearly a part of a larger plot arc, which makes me hungry for the end of Kvothe's tale. Plenty of beautiful prose, trouble for the protagonist, and some agonizingly slow passages. Worth it? I won't know for sure until the third book is released, although I can feel that this story has an incredible ending.

Friends of Genre Convention, the First!

This last weekend was spent up in San Francisco at FOGCon (although we didn't have a bit of fog!) I was very much looking forward to this con for several reasons. I totally love that I, a newbie at this whole writing/congoing thing, could attend the very first year of a convention. Tickled me pink.

What's more, it's a con centered in my city. Loves it.

I actually took the train to SF, which I haven't done in years. It was... humid. But I passed the time chipping away at Pat Rothfuss' "The Wise Man's Fear." Good start to a good con. Met up with my sister, who was generous enough to host me, and then off I went to registration and a workshop with Vylar Kaftan. We had a good time during that hour. We responded to a variety of prompts, some of which left me giggling.

I spent the afternoon ducking in and out of panels and saying hello to the few congoers I recognized (namely, miss Amy and her husband). The highlight of the whole con had to be Friday evening's tapas party. It was delicious, revitalizing and FUN! We sat at a tiny table with some great folks.

I came back on Saturday morning and met up with my father before my reading. As part of Broad Universe's RFR, I read a very short children's story. It was fun and the other readers were great! My dad stuck around for part of the afternoon, and I frittered away the evening at panels and suite parties.

All in all, I very much enjoyed FOGCon, more so than Potlatch. It's so different from NASFIC that I can't really compare the two. Next up? Westercon64 in July. The door just keeps revolving...

Review: Three Hearts & Three Lions

When my father issued his reading challenge for 2011, I assumed the biggest hurdle I would need to overcome is finding the time to read more. I've collected about 20 new books since January, but I have to say that I've been moving along at a brisk pace.

Also, I was a little put off by the age of the book. I might be the only bibliophile in the world who thinks that old books just smell old. In a bad way.

image via librarything.

But, no, this didn't trip me either. What the real problem has become is that these stories are so iconic, so foundational, that I already know them. Had Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions been published in 2011, I would've brushed it aside for being cliche.

And despite knowing that it was among the first of this epic fantasy genre, it still bugged me that I could anticipate so much of the story.

That said there are some absolutely beautiful passages. Holger is deeply flawed, and a superior hero for it. Hugi is hilarious, even if sometimes I had to read his lines out loud to understand. It's a short book, so I would say definitely worth the read, but I'm looking forward to the next one in the stack.

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Just a quick review - I like to do book reviews in under 100 words. Rapid fire reviews, anyone?

[image via indiebound]

Graceling is slow to start, but finishes strong and brilliant, right on target. Katsa is a difficult protagonist to love, but you do come to accept, if not worship, her by the end. And Po is a hero worthy of the ages.

I'm not sure it's my pick for 2010, but I can see why it's garnered so much respect.

My Father's Challenge

My Dad first introduced me to specfic. I'm not sure if he really intended for me to love it enough to want a career writing genre, but he certainly wanted to share his love of it with me. He started me off easy, with the Pern series and the like.

Over the years he tailored his recommendations to what I liked - fantasy epics, dragons, and love stories. He kept the military science fiction filed away. Last year I read Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement and didn't hate it. Entirely.

So, for my 26th birthday, he gave me a challenge: a box full of books, not one published after 1988, which all fall under the category "should have read."

Gulp!

First I have to finish Graceling, his pick for best book of 2010. But then, nothing stands between me and this monster undertaking... I'll keep you updated as I go! This list appears in chronological order by first publication date:

• The Empire of Isher by A.E. Von Vogt
• Beast Master's Planet by Andre Norton
• Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson
• The Planet Savers by Marion Zimmer Bradley (the Darkover series)
• Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
• A Trace of Memory by Keight Laumer
• Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz
• Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
• Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook
• Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
• Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon

Have you read any, some, most of these?

Back from Outer Space

Howdy!

So this is the part where I tell you I have a bad habit of lurking. Sometimes even on my own blog.

But! With a new year comes new projects and new ideas. I'm very much looking forward to all the amazing goodness that will happen in 2011. On the list?

Cons: Potlatch in Sunnyvale, FOGCon in San Francisco, Westercon64 in San Jose, Renovation (WorldCon) in Reno! I've registered for all four and hope to add one more to the list.

Workshop: Vegas Writers Workshop, comprised of Taos Toolbox and Viable Paradise alums. I'm also hoping to hit up another workshop, or two, in Reno.

Reading: I've got a long, long, list of books I intend to read in 2011. At the top is a list my father gave to me, to help catch me up on foundational scifi and fantasy. On Monday I'll post about what those books are!

Writing: I hereby pledge to be more transparent about the projects I'm working on! Right now, my main work is a short story (will it be 6k? 8k?) which I will submit a draft of to the Vegas workshop. I'm currently resting at 4k with some scenes that are just plain silly.

So, that's the plan! Oh yes, and on top of all of this, I will be married this year... and that absolutely thrills me.

Friday Favorites

Every Friday I am going to make up a brief list of favorites to share. This week will be... books! How appropriate, eh? I have to admit that this list has not much changed in the last five years. I'm always looking for a new contender though.

The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The book that started it all, really. Not only did this story draw me into a 9-book series, but it also showed me that the fantasy epic is not something of the past. It's still possible to write something that will lift you up, drag you down, and make you feel accomplished when you reach the end.

The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn
The third book in her "Twelve Houses" series, which is why this one makes the list. Easily the best mid-series book I have ever read. Shinn's Gillengaria is richly imagined, with magic, politics, religion and beasties and everything that makes fantasy so enjoyable. This book follows the love and heartbreak of Kirra, who could have been a stereotype, but became so much more.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I can't seem to move beyond loving this book to critiquing it, as so many of my friends have. I read it when I was quite young - young enough to really identify with the children in this tale. It gave me confidence as a youth and as a writer. What more could you want?

Your turn! What's one of your favorite books?