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Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Hypoview: Of Poseidon (Anna Banks)



Another hypoview by me, yeay! (boo!)

I don't consider this a chick lit. Young Adult maybe, but for me, this book is freakishly more towards Young Teenager.

I was a bit mad about the vampire lit stuffs, seriously. Vampire and werewolves. Sexy, some people claimed. So, to hate myself and others, I grabbed a book with astounding covers and seemingly good plot. Of Poseidon is a story where a young, hot, caring and innocent guy called Galen trying to convince Emma, a girl who bumps (literally) into his life that she is a mermaid.

So, guys, a new trend is coming.

THE MERMAIDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

So, my friend gave me a short (really short) interview that I guess it will end up in a hypoview and I posted it here. Wait (or rather, don't) for my review after I have consumed the book (not literally).

Q: Do I regret buying the book?
A: Slightly.

Q: Will I be able to read it?
A: Yes, but reluctantly.

Q: Is the story bad?
A: Never noticed.

Q: What's good about the story?
A: So far, only the humorous descriptives.

END.
Sorry.


Friday, March 14, 2014

Priestess of the White (Trudi Canavan)


One of the earliest novels I have bought.

Yes, the truth is, there was once I cannot afford to buy any books. My very first novel bought after a few years window was Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds, followed by this book Priestess of the White (or POTW in short).

Trudi is very good at storytelling, at some point.

POTW begins its story with a young girl named Auraya and her journey after joining the Circle of Five - a powerful religious body with priests and priestess governed by the Five White Gods through the Five High Priestesses and Priests. Unfortunately, another religion rises in the southern part of the hemisphere called the Pentadrians, who also worship their five gods, but in black.

Each religion spits on another because they claim their gods are real.

And then war broke between two factions.

The story may look simple, but I tell you, it is a trilogy and by the time you cruise this book off, you will wonder whether Auraya has really witness the Pentadrian gods on one account.

OK, enough with synopsis, let's talk about comments.

The story is strong enough to portray classes of people like the Dreamweavers and Circlians. It tells the inner heart of the innocence and how that heart develops. It feels like Harry Potter but a bit less magic with more history (something like Lord of the Rings). Its good points are these and also the ability of the author to carry out the story smoothly, except for some hairpin glitches of sidestory which I cannot really relate to the other two books.

Overall, I give this a three star and half.

The bad point is, it's a bit less dense. The story is powerful enough to captivate the readers but weak enough to fully immerse into the alien world. Yes, I love how the artificial world created by the author but I wanted more. It lacks solidity. It is a crystal.

Should you get this book? Yes.
Should you read this book twice? Erm.
Should you buy all three books together? Yes.
Should you praise this book? Erm.

But let's go to that bright side. This book is definitely worth reading. It's a children story told in a young adult fashion. Expect magic and adventure all here in this book! Tell me what you want to know!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

One Thousand and One Nights (Hanan al-Shaykh)

 
Face it.

Truth #1:
I have never properly read any other versions of One Thousand and One Nights (short as OTON below). I used to think OTON to be splendid and fairy-tale, something like Anderson's fairy tale compendium or something.

I was wrong. Yeah, laugh at me for my naivety. That book has so many wild sexual fantasies simplified into 'acceptable' version.

Truth #2
I saw this book on a shelf, sitting like a duck staring at me with its two O's. The first thing that grabbed me by heart was its cover. The peacock blue Arabian sky with golden Arabic motif archway dotted with golden stars. How luxurious could it get?

Yes, I do have a soft spot for blue books.

Truth #3
When I saw the word 'orgies', 'penis straight up like bayonets' etc, my eyes did not blink for more than 30 seconds. Half-curious about the content and half-disappointed about the sexual words. But as I read on, I found myself (sometimes) looking for more. Typical testosterone level gush, I guess.

Truth #4
I must praise the brilliant twists and turns, loops and crosses of the stories. I never thought Arabic stories can be so... wonderful. Don't forget the first story as it will somehow found its footing in later stories. Cool huh? I praise the intelligence of Shahrazad to keep her neck clean.

Truth #5
I have never told the synopsis or outline of the story since Truth #1.

Truth #6
King Shahrayar vows to bed every virgin each night and slaughters them the next daybreak. Shahrazad volunteers to be his next virgin. She sacrificed her virginity but she tells a story during the night and leave the king in suspense till the next morning, which would prolong her life for another day. And so, she tells the stories, spinning them out slowly, neatly but intricate like a spider web...

Truth #7
Hanan has successfully captured me with the tales and her way of telling. The choice of words and sentence structure strikes me back to Arabian nights of the early centuries.

Truth #8
I really would love 1001 nights of tales rather than 19 of them. I want to read more each night! If I could just read one tale per night, I can read this book for 3 years! I want to know how Shahrazad escapes her own death!

Truth #9
No more truths,

Truth #10
Truth #9 proves to be a lie.


Bought this book on 19th Jan 2014