I don't think this is a bad book, I just think it's a bad book for me. This book and One Hundred Years of Solitude are held up as high points in the magical realism style, and I liked neither. I would be tempted to write off the genre altogether, if not for counterexamples like The Shadow of the Wind or Blindness which I quite enjoyed.
Who would have thought... there's more to a book than genre :).
I do love the idea of a story carrying through multiple generations, I just had a hard time being interested in the primary characters. Esteban in particular is so prominent and painful to read. Not in a "love to hate" way, but in a "I don't want to read any more about this guy" way. Hard to overcome that. And the odds are good that any break from his story is going …
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AJ Kerrigan rated The Tower of the Swallow: 4 stars
AJ Kerrigan rated Peace Talks: 3 stars
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files, #16)
HARRY DRESDEN IS BACK AND READY FOR ACTION, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden …
AJ Kerrigan rated The Golden Enclaves: 5 stars
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik (Scholomance, #3)
The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. …
AJ Kerrigan rated Unraveling: 3 stars
AJ Kerrigan rated Baptism of Fire: 4 stars
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski
Baptism of Fire (Polish original title: Chrzest ognia) is the third novel in the Witcher Saga written by Polish fantasy …
AJ Kerrigan reviewed The house of the spirits by Isabel Allende
Review of 'The house of the spirits' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I don't think this is a bad book, I just think it's a bad book for me. This book and One Hundred Years of Solitude are held up as high points in the magical realism style, and I liked neither. I would be tempted to write off the genre altogether, if not for counterexamples like The Shadow of the Wind or Blindness which I quite enjoyed.
Who would have thought... there's more to a book than genre :).
I do love the idea of a story carrying through multiple generations, I just had a hard time being interested in the primary characters. Esteban in particular is so prominent and painful to read. Not in a "love to hate" way, but in a "I don't want to read any more about this guy" way. Hard to overcome that. And the odds are good that any break from his story is going to contain rape and/or child abuse. Really not what I'm looking for in a book.
AJ Kerrigan rated Art and Making of Dune: 4 stars
AJ Kerrigan rated Veschie sestrichki: 4 stars
Veschie sestrichki by Terry Pratchett
Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Maigrat have fairy godmother-dom thrust upon them.
AJ Kerrigan rated The Time of Contempt: 4 stars
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Time of Contempt (Polish original title: Czas pogardy, early title was translated less literally as Time of Anger) is the …
AJ Kerrigan reviewed An Unintended Voyage by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Review of 'An Unintended Voyage' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
It's probably not ideal for your first read in a series to be book #13. But hey, this book landed in my house and I gave it a shot. Unsurprisingly for such an established series, the world was rich and interesting. The characters felt carefully distinct, though Corrie's in-world swearing never stopped feeling awkward and tedious.
I'm a bit curious to read a Maradaine book that's actually set in Maradaine now!
AJ Kerrigan rated Games: Agency As Art: 4 stars
Games: Agency As Art by C. Thi Nguyen (Thinking Art)
Games are a unique art form. Games work in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be …
AJ Kerrigan rated Blood of Elves: 4 stars
Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski (Fantasy Orbit)
The New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher. For over a century, humans, …
AJ Kerrigan reviewed Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher, #0.7)
Geralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a …
Review of 'Sword of Destiny' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
It is fabulous to read these stories after playing the Witcher games and seeing the series. My head canon is now a strange and wonderful mix of faded game memories, series visuals and book details. Having the show fresh in my head was helpful, most notably I think for the final story "Something More". I can't be sure but I feel like having the show as background made it easier to follow. It also helped some differences stand out.
Some of the writing felt pretty awkward, but whether that's due the original text or the translation I can't say. It was never enough to jolt me out of the story, just minor speed bumps.
AJ Kerrigan rated Eşit Haklar: 4 stars
Eşit Haklar by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels, consistent number one bestsellers in England, have garnered him a revered position in the halls …