Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Night Angel

The Way of the Shadows is the first of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy.  This fantasy fiction series introduces the reader to two very strong, but diverse characters  Durzo and Azoth (later known as Kylar). One is a "wetboy", a well-known assassin; the other is an orphan who must steal money to pay dues to the guild rat and food to survive.  His only way out is to become Durzo's apprentice.  Together, they face heart-wrenching decisions and the cruelties of reality.  You are immediately invested in these two characters - their strengths, weaknesses and internal conflicts.  It is thought-provoking, a fast-read and very captivating.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Dodger is, of course, the Artful Dodger.  In this Victorian mystery, he is master of the sewers, and this propensity to pop up anywhere on London's streets puts him in the middle of a murderous attack on a young woman one dark and rainy night.  After driving off her assailants, Dodger then prepares to fight off two passers-by,  one of whom turns out to be Charles Dickens.  This is a great story of a young man struggling against all odds to save the girl from future harm while dodging powerful forces that seek to control the fate of nations.  Pratchett uses real characters, among them Benjamin Disraeli, a growing political player in London; Sir Robert Peel, head of London's police; wealthy, influential Angela Burdett-Coutts; and, of course, Dickens as newspaperman  His characters reveal much about life and language of the underclass, with accurate details on the diseases, filth, crime,  despair, and unexpected kindnesses that defined London's darker world.  At the same time, this is a tale of derring-do as Dodger proves himself to be nimble in both body and mind, and fully able to craft clever plots to foil his many enemies.  Lots of fun.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This haunting tale centers around the childhood memories of a middle-aged man returning to his home in Sussex, England, to attend a funeral.  Driving aimlessly after the service, he ends up at an old farm where he used to visit the Hempstocks--a young girl, her mother and her grandmother, witches all, who were welcoming and supportive during a time of family struggles and strange happenings. Sitting by the small farmyard pond, he sinks into a reverie where he recalls a tenant's suicide, the appearance of a scheming and suspicious housekeeper, and an evil and destructive spirit that threatens to use him as a portal into his increasingly fragile world.  Only the Hempstocks, particularly young Lettie, can help him.  The author blends fantasy and myth with a story grounded in familiar tragedy--a family in financial difficulty, a father with a wandering eye, and a lonely, vulnerable boy who finds comfort in books. In these few (180) pages, one can find the power of friendship, sacrifice, and childhood resilience.