BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS
As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.
I am in aww. In the pages of this book are the words of magic, heroes and legend. This is the type of reading that I pine for! Heedlessly, consuming my Sunday afternoon, it's as if the pages themselves were the very talons of the demons written within come to life before my very eyes to sink into my skin and pull me in. Characters so well written that you feel like they are closer to you than some family members. Morally correct individuals that stand up in the face of the evils that are slowly...moreI am in aww. In the pages of this book are the words of magic, heroes and legend. This is the type of reading that I pine for! Heedlessly, consuming my Sunday afternoon, it's as if the pages themselves were the very talons of the demons written within come to life before my very eyes to sink into my skin and pull me in. Characters so well written that you feel like they are closer to you than some family members. Morally correct individuals that stand up in the face of the evils that are slowly consuming them and battle for the same kind of freedom that back on earth more than a few could do well in learning from them. For a long time to come, this book will surely be at the top of my recommened list for anyone that asks. Luckily, I don't have too long to wait before book 2!!!
BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM BARNES AND NOBLE REVIEW
Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's sexy vampire executioner, Anita Blake, are going to devour Robin McKinley's Sunshine, which revolves around the tenuous relationship between Rae "Sunshine" Seddon, a baker obsessed with the dark side, and a centuries-old vampire named Constantine.
Sunshine's mundane existence as the head baker at Charlie's Coffeehouse takes an unexpected turn when she drives to her grandmother's secluded summer camp. While she is taking in the scenic view of the starlit sky reflecting off the lake's calm surface, she is attacked by a gang of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion on the far side of the lake. They strip her of her shoes, dress her in a blood-red gown, and shackle her to a wall. In the semi-darkness of the moonlit room, she realizes that a vampire is shackled next to her. After some tense moments, the two begin to talk and quickly conclude that if they don't help each other escape, they're both as good as dead
Sunshine is a dramatic departure for McKinley, who is best known for revisionist folklore works like The Door in the Hedge and The Outlaws of Sherwood, as well as highly acclaimed young adult fantasy like The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, which won a Newbery Award in 1985. Sunshine, however, is definitely not a young adult novel: It's dark, edgy, sensual, humorous -- and a whole lot of fun.
Paul Goat Allen
This is the very solid story of Rae Seddon, AKA, Raven Blaise, AKA, Sunshine. I really liked Sunshine as the main character of the novel, even if her first person perspective was prone to ramble a little bit. But hey, this is somewhat the pot calling the kettle black here. And although she did not handle things that happened to her in the story as I probably would have handled them, it was probably for the best. I think as rich as her heritage was with magic handling I would have been more prone...moreThis is the very solid story of Rae Seddon, AKA, Raven Blaise, AKA, Sunshine. I really liked Sunshine as the main character of the novel, even if her first person perspective was prone to ramble a little bit. But hey, this is somewhat the pot calling the kettle black here. And although she did not handle things that happened to her in the story as I probably would have handled them, it was probably for the best. I think as rich as her heritage was with magic handling I would have been more prone to embrace it a lot sooner and with much more zeal than she did. But as her wards-crafting landlady told her that fate had a better way for her and this did work out for her in the end. As some other reviews of the book pointed out, this book made my mouth water with all it's talk of freshly baked cinnamon buns, chocolate whatevers, and tons more delicious delectables. Charlie's, a run of the mill, hole in the wall (a popular hole in the wall) diner is a great backdrop for the entire story and ties Sunshine's family life and background together quite well. Her relationship with Mel weirded me out a little bit but was not over the top and fit well with the story. That brings me to an even more weird relationship in the story and that was between our lovely heroine and a certain vampire named Constantine, which Rae just out of the blue starts calling "Con"... but I did not mind this either because Con is a really fricken cool name for a vampire, but then again, so is "Raven" and did I mention "Onyx"? How cool would the name "Onyx" be? But anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Rae and Constantine... Let us just say there is a certain part of the book that you think upon their meeting is inevitable, you get there, it looms, it makes you turn the page incredibly fast and then it laughs in your face. Trust me, you will know it when you get there. And then you are left feeling just as Sunshine describes, but, different, if you know, your a guy. As I said upfront this is a really solid story with a great premise and it had a well thought out beginning, middle and end, which is something a pretty well rounded out fantasy reader can appreciate. It had nicely fleshed out living and non-living characters (pun, not intended). This is sure to be a gem of a novel that I can recommend to my vampire story loving friends and may even be one I return to for a re-read. As always, a heartfelt thanks to Ms. McKinley for this little something wonderful.
BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS
Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It’s enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.
Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.
And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn’t hate each other quite so much.
Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.
This is my second read through of the First Law Trilogy. The second book definitely does not disappoint as other tween-er books I have read in past. The plot is well laid out for the third and final installment. Ever since I have read through this series the first time, I have thought about the characters and scenarios often. A true testament for how character driven the novels are. After re-reading the Last Argument of Kings I will post a more in depth review of the overall series. In the meant...moreThis is my second read through of the First Law Trilogy. The second book definitely does not disappoint as other tween-er books I have read in past. The plot is well laid out for the third and final installment. Ever since I have read through this series the first time, I have thought about the characters and scenarios often. A true testament for how character driven the novels are. After re-reading the Last Argument of Kings I will post a more in depth review of the overall series. In the meantime, this is a great series with some of the best writing you will find. If you have not read the it, pick up The Blade Itself immediately and "Get on with the bloody work".
BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS
The story revolves around Kvothe, an enigmatic red-haired innkeeper who, as he shares his incredible life story with a renowned scribe, turns out to be much more than he appears. Born into a family of nomadic court performers, Kvothe's unconventional education was broadened by spending time with fellow travelers like Abenthy, an elderly arcanist whose knowledge included, among other things, knowing the name of the wind. After his parents are brutally murdered by mythical beings known as the Chandrian, Kvothe vows to learn more about the godlike group, and after suffering through years of homelessness, he finally gets his chance when he is admitted into the prestigious University. But the pursuit of arcane knowledge brings with it unforeseen dangers, as the young student quickly learns.
With the release of his first novel, Rothfuss (who has already been compared to the likes of Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin) is poised to be crowned the new king of epic fantasy. The Name of the Wind won't just impress longtime fantasy fans; it will absolutely blow them away -- an unprecedented, utterly breathtaking storytelling tour de force. Paul Goat Allen
Dear Mr. Rothfuss, Pat if I may... Simply put, I am having a love affair with your book. This first part of a planned series has the consistency, taste and appeal of my Mom's mashed potatoes. Please don't get me wrong and hear me out. The perfect blended texture of butter, sour cream, lightly shredded cheddar cheese is all the mouthwatering happy a mash potato loving boy like me could ever ask for. These things just stick to your insides with a deep rooted love meant to warm the spirit. After four reads and dozens of times picking it up and perusing my favorite and most memorable passages, I still don't think I can even scratch the surface of the elation I get from it. So please forgive my slight injustice at expressing how your book has affected a single life. At times it is truly like the wind the way you have woven your words together with only what I can imagine is the instinctual touch of patience, wisdom and natural/raw talent of a master craftsman. I think that if you look into this book as I have, you can quite literally see the blood and tears that went into it. It is truly something amazing in my opinion when you can read a few sentences, then again slower in your mind read them again and it is as if those words sink deep into you, become a part of you that you can breathe them out and smile because somewhere there is someone that can put down on paper what it is really like to feel. Just one of the ingenious aspects that makes this book so interesting is that, while our astute author can weave words together like an unknown to our world magic, he is writing about the life and experiences of a man that makes it his goal in life above many, many, many other things to understand the power of words and names. And to put the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae, said master namer is the one recollecting the events in only the way a story teller of his caliber can... Perfectly. Like Kvothe's family the Edema Ruh (traveling performers) the stage of this story is laid out with vibrant colors, precision detail and a world that jumps off the page at you. There are so many intricacies to this story that it would be impossible for me to relate the wonderful world that opens up to anyone searching for the greatest story ever told. In conclusion, there is something that I feel that I cannot leave out. Something that pushes the respect I have for the author above all else. A connection to which makes all the above jumbled adoration certain. That in the very heart of this story there is a very humbled boy that is in love with a girl. And with that love an unspoken knowledge of how he feels for her and the crystalline pedestal he has placed her on. That same knowledge that whispers its hints that despite the thousands of poems, songs, and declarations that have spoken it, there are no words that will ever describe the love you feel for her. In the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that." With the release of day two of the Kingkiller Chronicles fast approaching, my anticipation has me almost completely off my book reading rocker. There is not a worry in my head that the future of kvothes life will keep me blissfully entwined in the words he speaks for many years to come. Truly, a story for the ages. Thank-you Pat, your awesomeness knows no bounds.
