Battle for Skandia

 

The Battle for Skandia is the fourth book in the Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan and is a nice ending piece for this story arch. 

"Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, the Ranger's apprentice and the princess's plan to return to Araluen is spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweek's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, unil old friends make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when they make a horrifying discovery: Skandia's boarders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. 

"If two kingdoms are to be saved, the unlikeliest of unions must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?"

General Thoughts: It's a good book. Probably my favorite of the first story arch. The scenes of Will in charge of the archers is one that has come back to me over and over throughout the years when I think of the series. 

Plot: This literally becomes "My enemies enemy is my friend." Those from Araluen and the vikings from Skandia have to put bygones aside in order to defeat the new enemy otherwise they will both be destroyed. It's nice to make new friends, and those can often be forged under dire circumstances. 

Setting: Much the same as the last one though on the greener side of things, we are in Skandia. Viking country. While the setting might have hindered or helped during the battle, it didn't make much of an impact on my reading. Often while tracking or searching we'd get some good forest descriptions or while they were in the Skandian capital, but because we didn't move around much in the story, it was easy to just forget. 

Characters: It's nice having many of the important characters back together. Erak really outdid himself in the third book and he grows on you even more here. His brash, Skandian attitude is fun and different than Halt's silent stoicism. Evanlyn develops more here as a leader as well, as does Will. Horace, as always, is a beef of a man even when he's still a teen. I enjoy having them all together to do their thing. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. As they cared for each other in the last book and their feelings for each other were beginning to bud, now it has a possibility to bloom, not much, but it can try. 

Overall: As I said before, it's a good ending to first story arch. We get a good, tactical battle sequence with a bunch of close calls, characters get to grow and show that they are competent not just some young sapling.  

Tenant of Wildfell Hall

 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte is a very blunt book, especially for the day and age that this Bronte Sister wrote it. 

"Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behavior becomes the subject of local gossip and speculations, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom."

General Thoughts: Oof, this was a tough read. Not only is it an older book, first published in 1848, but the subject matter is hard too. In reading about it, Charlotte Bronte--Anne's sister--had the book pulled from publication no long after Anne's death because she thought it was one of the reasons she died, too much mental and emotional strain--which is probably one of the reasons it Anne wasn't as popular amongst readers as Emily and Charlotte were which is sad. It's a great book; it's just not a light easy read. 

Plot and Theme: This book is about the tragedies and abuses of some women's lives. Helen hates liquor because of what her husband did while he was intoxicated--angry, abusive, unfaithful, and plain-old nasty. I'm sure there were many women who wanted to run away from the same kind of husband back then who were socially and financially unable to. Death was more acceptable than divorce. The social critique; the blatant, in-your-face depictions that were shown here I'm sure were a shock then. Those things weren't talked about openly but was probably rampant in gossip chains. Helen running away from her husband is amazing. 

Setting: This was set in the time period it was written, so I'm sure the setting was spot on. Historically, lol. From what I recall it was well set up. The atmosphere was dark and gray like the position Helen was in. I would have liked to see the cliffside where they picnicked and even the crumbling down Hall. 

Characters: It has been over a years since I read it, but from what I recall Helen was an angelic character, almost too much so. Going back to take care of her husband who was dying is potentially more saintly than I would be, especially after what he put her through. Gilbert Markham was an interesting lens to look though. I remember him being frustrated and charmed and kind which I'm sure was new and refreshing to Helen  though she didn't trust him for a while. I do think that the other characters, especially around the topic of alcohol, were interesting. She, for her time and place, Helen was probably an extreme outlier, everyone had a sip of brandy or glass of wine or some such. I, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, appreciate her vehemence and her ability to stick to her guns. Her character was unwavering and I can support her in that. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis, but not in a good way. Arthur Huntingdon is an awful person and needed to be put down. The fact that people were in uproar over the fact that Helen "slammed the bedroom door" on her husband because she was so sick of his abuse and infidelity makes my modern brain very upset. The other romance between Helen and Gilbert was chased, like most historical novels of the era. 

Writing Style: Again, this is an old book and not written with the "modern" audience in mind. It is written much like Jane Eyre and Jane Austen's books with their elaborate words and long sentences and paragraphs. Some modern readers might not like that that and I must admit that I had a hard time finishing it too. 

Overall: It is probably one of those books that everyone should read before they die. It is considered one of the first "feminist books" which is pretty cool. 

Icebound Land

 Icebound Land is the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. 

"Kidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captive aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise--even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged constantly by freelance knights--but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon he begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. Even so, will they be in time to rescue Will from a horrific life of slavery?"

General Thoughts and Plot: This was a very somber book comparatively to the other books in the series. Will and Evanlyn get taken as slaves and will gets addicted to drugs, Evanlyn must save them both and are very close to dying even with the help of new friends, Halt and Horace both have to go up against a really nasty warlord and John Flanagan doesn't sugar coat things as much as he potentially could have. We really get to see what dire straits they are all in and it's not looking good for any of them. It's a good story that flows well and really punches home the problems that happen with addictive substances. In the future it would be interesting to see if Will ends up coming face to face with the Warmweed again though that would be for another story. 

Setting: It is interesting the world that John Flanagan has let expand for us. The Viking culture and warmongering French-esque countryside were interesting juxtapositions and comparisons. Very different cultures and how then a English-esque-man would deal with such differences, with some moments needing to be more delicate than others.  

Characters: It was great to see Evanlyn's character development as she has had to grow in a different direction than she though she would have. Growing and having to really learn how to survive not just in a Viking-esque longhouse, but also out in the frozen wild. Will doesn't get as much development because he is incapacitated, but Horace gets a chance to step up as well because there are things Halt can't do. It was intriguing to see how Halt stood up to the King. The King knew what Halt was doing and didn't like how Halt wouldn't do as ordered but also didn't want to lose a friend for a rash rescue of sorts. Halt was willing to throw everything to the wind if it meant a chance at saving Will and Will could have been long dead for all he knew. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. There was none. Hopes for maybe some in the future. But nothing whatsoever because they were too worried about surviving to let anything kindle. 

Writing Style: Again John Flanagan is very tell-y. He tends to explain everything as opposed to showing us what is going on. Maybe, it has to do with the fact that he was writing for a younger audience so he felt he needed too, but even in the later books he "slips up" and does it fairly often. It is probably just going to be how he writes. While it isn't bad, it is kind of annoying. 

Overall: Not my favorite book of his, but still a solid read. 

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald Sea has become one of it not my top favorite Brandon Sanderson book. This is one of his "Secret Projects" and is a standalone Cosmere book.

"The only life Tress has known on her island home in the emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and see the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a singe drop of water can mean instant death?"

General Thoughts: Brandon Sanderson has a way of creating the most amazing worlds. Spore oceans where you can instantly die just by breathing it in. Crazy! He always has a way of capturing the most amazing and extremely bazar ideas and making something entertaining and thought provoking. And the fact that he wrote this for his wife makes me so happy.

Plot: In the Postscript that he wrote at the end of Tress, he said he wrote this out of the question of "What if Buttercup went after Westley?" Speaking of The Princess Bride, Brandon takes us on a trip in a crazy Cosmere world where a girl goes to find the man she loves and becomes a pirate long the way. But because there is no hard magic system on this planet, we have a crazy planet (somewhat similar to Sixth of Dusk if I remember correctly). The story is told through the voice of Hoid who we see jumping worlds all throughout the Cosmere and sticking his fingers into all kinds of pies. 

Theme: Much of this book, I think is about standing up for yourself and not letting the world pass you by. So much of Tress' life has been hearing of everyone else's adventures and watching them as they leave, but now she gets the opportunity to go and do something for herself to save someone that she loves. Step out of your comfort zone and make it bigger. 

Setting: As said before, Brandon has a way with words and worlds. Each of the worlds I've read about have been so extremely different. Ash falling from the Sky, the sun killing everything every day, ghosts that will kill you in a Forest called Hell, a different forest that will kill you, sand that is magic, violent storms that cleanse the world and light it at the same time, and many others in the Cosmere let alone the others that aren't there (such as chalk drawings in a steampunk world that try to kill you, and where superheroes are the bad guys.) This is no different. Different colored spores that can blow up, kill you by breathing them in, and a menagerie of other things. It was fun to escape into this different world. 

Characters: Our narrator is Hoid and I loved having be so. He is also a character here, but not as prevalent as one might suppose. Tress and her new crewmates were fun and different. And they were all just a joy to be around. 

Spice: 1/5 because it's an adventure romance and I think they might kiss at the end. But I could be wrong about that. 

Writing Style: I love the way Brandon Sanderson writes. He is my favorite author and there are very few books of his that I don't like. They are easy to read, some might say too easy, and it flows so well. He isn't as eloquent and poetic as some might right, but when it really counts he pulls out all the stops. He writes a lot of words and not all of them are perfect, but they paint such amazing pictures in my head that I don't mind. 

Overall: It's one of my top three books of his. I will most definitely be reading it again soon. 

Emerald Green

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier is the last installment of The Precious Stones Trilogy 

 "Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. Sue suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she's just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably being using her all along. Emerald Green picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate."

General Thoughts: This is another book that sticks with me. I don't read many time traveling books, but this one was well done indeed. 

Plot: Gwen is finding that there are more schemes in her family that she really wants to and what is worse is no one is listening to her and no one is telling her anything. She is frustratingly alone except for a very few people who can help. I love the fact that she gets her deceased family to help her out. Her grandpa reminds me of my own grandpa who I miss dearly. Being able to pop in and out of time to see him as he grows and gets older, himself is really neat. I will also say that the final resolution was unexpected and well done. I'd love to go back and read it again to see if I can pick up on any of the hints that I probably should have gotten along the way. 

Setting: Much of the setting is the same as the previous books. Only about two weeks, at most, goes by in the "modern present" and so although there are lots of balls and we jump around the London Bridges and streets from different eras, we don't move around a lot. From what I recall, having read this a year and a half ago, I do believe the descriptions that were given were well done. In listening to the book, I don't think I was ever taken out of the story because I got lost at where we were. Often it was in the same hallways or rooms so then not much needed to change, but we were given enough information to not be floating in a blank space. 

Characters: I think the characters really pull the story along. While the plot is intriguing, the characters really bring it to live. As I said, I love Gwen's grandpa and her best friend. I think I remember them the best. I don't remember why, but I was never really hung up on Gideon. He's not the best love interest I've read about. Other side characters were perhaps even more memorable and enjoyable that him. As for Gwen herself... I don't know. It's been a minute since I've read it, but I also wouldn't consider her as memorable either. I remember things she did, but not so much her personality. I do remember Count Saint-German being a creepizoid and their altercations were engaging and fun to listen to. Maybe Gwen and Gideon really do belong together. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. It is a romance book, but it's a legitimate young adult book so nothing happens. I believe the most they did was kiss and maybe it was a little passionate in the first book, but she's angry and upset at Gideon for the a chunk of this book until he makes things better. 

Overview: I really enjoyed this series. It is kind of strange how it happens so quickly. You could literally have it be one large book and everything would slide in perfectly because no time passes. I think the time traveling here was well done and didn't jar me when she jumped in the timeline. It would be interesting to see what was going on from Gideon's point of view, but not that we'd need a new book for it. I'd be very interested to see what else Kerstin Gier makes and I'd be delighted read them. 

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

 The manga That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime was a really fun isekai to read and anime to watch.

"Mikami's a middle age hasn't gone as he as he's planned. He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job and was abruptly stabbed to death on the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new work straight out of a fantasy RPG, he's disappointed buy not exactly surprised to find that he's a not a wizard but a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero..."

General Thoughts: I enjoyed this story and am glad it's continuing onward. This is actually a series I'm interested in purchasing for myself.

Plot and Theme: Slime is a typical isekai. Going from weakest creature alive to the top demon lord that everyone is scared of so that way you can protect your friends. There are many clichés and tropes that pop up here, but what was surprising was that it was done well. There are many isekai manga that don't run through their tropes well or where the story is so bad it just flounders. Slime doesn't. Rimaru gains friends and helps lift up others along the way. It's fun to see the village going from Goblin shacks that are barely standing to a major city with a Coliseum and Rimaru as a Demon Lord. There is political intrigue, massive disasters, death, humor and comedy, battles, and road construction. I like the ideas of helping each other out and living our best lives without having the "my friends are my power" trope which has gotten very old and long winded. It's a fun adventure story. 

Setting: It is an basic fantasy setting with goblins, orcs, demons, elves, dryads, vampires, humans, and whatnot. But each of these different clans have well developed cultures. Each kingdom has it's own boarders and concerns which leads to altercations and friendships. I'm in love with a good map at the beginning of any book and this one has them throughout the story as Rimaru becomes more important in society. 

Characters and Style: Many of the characters are very unique. There a lot of them, but each are drawn differently enough and have prominent (loud or quiet) personality that they don't get mixed up with other, which can often happen in these large scale books. Rimaru is a good leader, has his flaws (though few seem to be fatal flaws at the moment), but is always looking out for the people who've come under his slimy wing. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. Slime is not ecchi, which is great, but, however, there are some times with the elves one other character who are big and busty or a Demon Lord who wears only panties that I have found to be uncomfortable. There is also a moment toward the beginning where Rimaru needs to decide how he is going to look and because he's a slime and technically doesn't have a gender, he gets to pick and explores that a little, technically nothing is shown, but it gets to be kind of close at times. My son, who very much enjoys this series, chooses to look away because it can get awkward. Thankfully, it happens rarely enough that we don't have to turn it off. 

Final Thoughts: I do enjoy the series. It's got an engaging plot, fun characters, and it does the isekai genre good. I have very few qualms with it and can't wait for more chapters to be made. 

The Burning Bridge

 The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan is the second book in his Ranger's Apprentice Series and the one
that normally sticks out most in my mind when I think of the series in general.

"Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Ranger's rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chose, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to the nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassable eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans. They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?" 

General Impression: This is the book that I remembered most growing up in the Ranger's Apprentice Series. The image in my mind of Evanlyn and Will burning the bridge and getting captured was very present in my mind. There are really good moments in the book that stay with you, which I think is needed to make a book good. 

Theme and Plot: Most of John Flanagan's books are an adventure story. They aren't theme driven books, but the thought of being persistent, of working hard, and being able to think up solutions to problems that arise. Sometimes you need to do what needs to be done for the greater good and try to get yourself out of the situation you're in later. John Flanagan's plots are simple and straight forward, but the adventures are still a fun ride to go on. 

Setting: I've enjoyed the world that Will and his gaggle of friends and comrades are in. It is very similar to medieval Europe, specifically England, but as the world develops we get to see outlying countries. But there are different lore's and histories which make it engaging and different. 

Characters: This is the book where we are introduced to Evanlyn and get to see how she grows from being a simple Lady in Waiting to someone who is going to take adventures and, again, do what needs to be done. Will is still my favorite character. He's a great set of eyes to get to see the story through, though we bounce through a few different points of view. Will, Evanlyn, Horace, Gilan, and  Halt are engaging characters who easily grow on you. 

Writing: The one thing that might still throw people off for John Flanagan's books is his writing style. There is lot's of description and he does tend to tell more than show. Tells us how characters are feeling or explains the side-eye-glances when we, as smart readers, should be able to get that in general. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. There was none. These kids are too young and we are honestly only starting out of these adventures. Not enough character development has arisen to really start romance of any kind. We can see, by the end, that there could be some romance between some of them, but it is hardly even budding. 

Overall: I enjoyed this book. I loved being able to read it with my son and have him really get engaged into the story.