R.I.P. VI

Ah, September, you come in like a lusty youth and leave like an aged hag.  Wait.  It's still August.  Erm...

Ah, August, your love is as unforgiving as an oven and a splash of grease from the griddle.  Like your nefarious cousin July, your vendetta against humans of the Northern Hemisphere is uncalled for and bothersome.  Would it be too much to ask for a reprieve?  No?  September, you say.  Bah.  If that's so, then I can wait another day.  I'm sure the battle 'twixt the two of you will be heated (pun alert!) and fierce, but there's no doubt that September will prove victorious.  And with her vict'ry comes Autumn.

Autumn, of course, brings about deep stirrings in the heart.  The rush of summer dies (there are no dog days, alas) and the calming, dying, beautiful season of Fall begins.  One cannot help but turn to books of a darker nature in these times, and this is where the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge comes in.  For the last five years, Carl has hosted this "challenge" for the purpose of enjoying the darker types of writing.  Mystery.  Suspense.  Thrillers.  Dark Fantasy.  Horror.  Gothic.  Supernatural.  The things that keep you up late at night, afraid to turn a page, but unable to stop.

Last year was the first time I participated in a RIP challenge, and it proved fun and contagious.  There was no doubt I would be signing up again.  Even without Carl's challenge, this is the season where this type of reading calls to me strongest.

I am officially signing up for Peril, the Second.  The challenge is to read two books that meet the classifications (of which are widely variable).  I intend on dipping into Poe or Lovecraft for some short stories, as well, and possibly some graphic novels, too.  (Carl, methinks there should be a Peril, the Graphica or something...)  With a new baby, I can't say for sure whether or not I'll meet the challenge, but I think it should be no problem.

To Be Read Imbibed

House of Leaves, by Mark Danielewski

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

The Walking Dead Volumes 11-14, by Robert Kirkman

House of Leaves has been on my TBR shelf for a double-plus long time.  I'm a sucker for unique formats, and idly flipping through the book a few years back I knew I'd have to read it at some point.  Likewise, Capote's In Cold Blood is such a defining work of art in the "true crime" genre that I've wanted to read it for a while.  I suspect this will be the most horrifying of all that I read, knowing that the accounts therein are true and could very well happen again.  I also hope to continue in Robert Kirkman's bleak-but-hopeful Walking Dead series, as it's been a while since I last dove into these waters.

If your heart has an affinity for the darker side and you'd like to join in the fun, you can check out Carl's post for a full set of instructions.  Or, if you'd rather just read people's reviews and get some more books for your TBR pile, you can do that to.

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week Four

The questions this week come from Kailana (her blog here).  The main blog link is here.
-----
Lord have mercy what an amazing read this part was.  It took everything in my power to stop at the beginning of Part Five and not look ahead.  Of course, I'll probably finish the book tonight, but that's okay...

One thing that I have thinking about during the course of this book is what Brandon Sanderson is trying to say about religion. Jasnah is an atheist. Shallan believes, but is still trying to find herself. Dalinar believes strongly in the ‘Old Ways’. What do you think of this idea?

Religion is a common theme in all of Sanderson's fantasy novels, and it seems like I remember hearing Brandon mention something about how this is an important topic to him in an interview of old.  For tWoK, I'm digging the religious tones.  I love how vague everything is.  The arguments between Jasnah and Shallan were both sound and logical, leaving the Almighty's existence up in the air.  But there is so much more than Vorinism in Roshar, and it seems that these other "religions" have some credence to them, too.  Our minds are inclined to thinking in absolutes and exclusions--there's either one thing or another, but not both--but this doesn't seem the case in Roshar.  And that makes for some excellent plot elements.

The relationship between siblings is an important part of this book. Adolin has always been at the forefront of Dalinar’s two sons, but Renarin is important, too. What did you think of the two brothers? Going back a generation, what do think of Dalinar and our glimpses of his brother? Then there is Kaladin who joins the war to protect his brother and fails. And Jasnah whose brother is King. Or Shallan who puts herself in a dangerous situation to help her brothers out following her fathers’ death. What do you think of these relationships? Did any stick out for you?

Renarin and Adolin are the two that stick out the most.  Both are young and malleable, and I'm intrigued at where they will end up.  Somehow I don't see Renarin staying a sickly, weak lad throughout the whole series.  (In honesty, for some reason I was expecting him to play a trump card after Dalinar's return and somehow be working with Sadeas, and I'm glad that didn't turn out.)  I do love the brothers theme this book has, though, because I have a younger brother, and our relationship is strong, but it could definitely be stronger.  So I enjoy reading the emotions and whatnot felt by these characters relating to their siblings.

Kaladin has been included in every section. Why do you think this was? Did you wish to have a break from him, or did you enjoy knowing he would be explored with every section?

I'm assuming it's because Kaladin is the central hero of the series(?), but it could just be that he had more ground he needed to cover in tWoK and won't be as prevalent in subsequent novels. Even so, his parts were definitely the most exciting, and I'm glad he's been in every section.

One of my favourite characters in the book is Syl. What do you think of her and her development throughout the course of this book?

Agreed.  Syl's development has been fascinating.  The fact that she knows so much stuff and yet cannot remember makes for good storytelling.  And there's no doubt that the spren are heavily involved in the magics and whatnot of Roshar.  It'll be cool to learn more about these quasi-visible creatures and how they fit into the big picture.

And, the big question, what do you think is going to happen in the last section? Any predictions?

This was why I stopped reading before the final section.  I enjoy postulating.  Looking back on the last two week's discussion, I assumed Dalinar would die.  Now I'm no longer certain of this.  Possibly some point down the road he will, but I was honestly expecting it here in the opening volume.  (I'm glad I'm wrong... so far.)  Even so, knowing that Szeth has a hit list of high names, Dalinar could very well be a target on that list, and I wouldn't be too shocked if he dies in the last part, especially since we know Szeth is in the final part.  

I'm hoping Shallan continues her stay with Jasnah, but who knows what'll happen there.  And as for Kaladin and his men, I don't think they'll be staying with Dalinar's troops for too long.  (Well, maybe some bridgemen will, but surely Kaladin will go off for some sort of adventure.)

I can't wait to finish the last forty pages or so and see what kind of cliffhanger Sanderson's gonna leave us with.

Things About Logan (Part 5)

It's been a long time since I've done one of these posts.

Part 1 is here.  Part 2 is here.  Part 3 is here.  Part 3 (again) is here.  Part 4 is here.

-----
i.  I eat onions, though as a child I swore I never would.
iii.  There is a thing called Transcendental Folk music.  There is a band called Elephant Revival.  I now own their second album.
v.  I like my Kindle more than I ever imagined I would.
one.  The line is drawn, the curse it is cast...
vii.  Holding Avonlea and rocking her to sleep at night is one great joy that I cannot describe.
ix.  Imagine the grossest thing you've ever done/had done to you.  Now multiply that by around forty-six or so.  Now throw in a dog and, uhm, doggy byproduct.  Let's say that I win.
xi.  I abandoned Facebook.  My account's still open (for those that read Rememorandom there), but I'm not planning on coming back.
xiii.  My faith has been challenged more this year than any year ever before, like I'm being refined in a forge fire.  This is exciting, yet also un-fun.
two.  The slow one now will later be fast...
xv.  I'm pretty sure that there are no ugly characters in The Great Hunt.  Everybody is uncannily beautiful.
xvii.  A few weeks ago I took a razor blade to my head.  Since then, I've repeated this process weekly.  I love having a bald head.  (Keisha does not.)
xix.  I've got a stack of books to review from publishers/authors, and I don't have much time to devote to them at the moment.
three.  As the present now will later be past...
xxi.   Big meeting next week, kinda making me nervy, as they always do.
xxiii.  I'm still reading the Fables comics, and it's the only one I actually take time to go to the comic shop and purchase.
xxv.  Stella cut her cornea a while back, but it's mostly healed.
xxvii.  I make my own trail mix.  Holla.
four.  The order is rapidly fadin'...
xxix.  Currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, Bloodlines by John Piper, Don't Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell, the Book of Second Kings and Second Chronicles by God, and The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan.  I'm starting A Dance With Dragons tomorrow, methinks.
xxxi.  Sometimes I get emails from people asking me to review a book and I can tell that they've never spent any time on my blog.  The insincerity is easy to spot.  But sometimes I get respectful-and-sincere emails, where the sender at least pretends like they're trying.  I'm much more likely to say yes with the latter.
xxxiii.  That's a long Roman Numeral.
five.  And the first one now will later be last...
xxxv.  I love Monday Night Tennis league.
xxxvii.  I wish OBKY was a bike-friendly city.
xxxix.  Parentheses are definitely the best of the punctuation marks.
xli.  The word ampersand (&) originates from us having an open-ended alphabet, concluding with "...X, Y, Z and per se and."  This morphed to "...X, Y, and Z" somehow, and the & at the end dropped off.  Fascinating.
six.  Oh the times they are a-changin.
xliii.  I've memorized over fifty verses of Scripture so far for 2011, putting me at about the halfway mark.
xlv.  Skyrim is in the future, and so is the new Zelda game, but I shan't buy either, as gaming has practically ceased to exist.  I've still not beat New Vegas...
xlvii.  I make monstrous Excel sheets with lots of useful/useless information.
xlix.  Seems like a good stopping point.

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week Three

Forgive me for the lack of introduction, but let's jump straight to the root of the matter.  If you'd like to read more responses to this week's questions, head to the main Group Read site (here).  This week's questions come from Memory.

-----

"Books can store information better than we can--what we do that books cannot is interpret." (Page 462)

"He couldn't know how long it lasted; time had no meaning in this place of fury and tumult." (Page 520)

"Was it possible to do something horrible in the name of accomplishing something wonderful?" (Page 532)*

"It might be religion, but it still has to make sense." (Page 635)

-----

Part III reunites us with Shallan, who we haven't seen for a few hundred pages, and separates us from Dalinar and Adolin for a few hundred more. How do you feel about leaving characters behind for such long stretches? Did you lose any of your connection to them during the break?

The splitting of the characters is slightly frustrating, but not to the point where it's detrimental to my enjoyment of the story.  I say frustrating because I'd like to stick with the characters longer and follow their story, but then at the same time, there's likely little-or-nothing going on with them at the times Sanderson gives us different POVs.  Maybe he's just cutting out the redundant fluff that doesn't really add to the main story when he omits POVs?

So far, how would you compare this to other epic fantasies you've read? Does it remind you of any other series?

Compared with other epic fantasies I've read, Sanderson's world and tale is definitely fresh and unique.  It defies many traditional cliches, but at the same time it resonates with the general "feeling" epic fantasy gives off.  Oddly enough, the other books it reminds me of are also by Brandon Sanderson: Mistborn, Elantris, and Warbreaker.  Nothing major really connects these, but the way Lashing works instantly brings to mind Vin Pushing and Pulling in Mistborn.  The Shardblades remind me of the fascinating sword Nightblood in Warbreaker.  And the glyphs (and symbolheads?) are bringing back imagery from Elantris and the language used there.  I think this is more than mere coincidence, but I can't say why exactly.

How do you feel about the masculine and feminine arts? If you're female, do you think you'd be content to stick to scholarly pursuits, or would you rather do something physical, like go to war? If you're male, would you be willing to forgo learning to read, even if there were women around to read to you? What about the food? Does the spicy for men and sweet for women restriction fit your own tastes?

I love this part of the Alethi culture.  It's reminiscent of our culture's history, but it's vastly different, too.  Sexism doesn't seem to exist for the people, and yet to our liberated 21st century American minds, the whole thing screams its wrongness. 

I say that I would be willing to shirk the soldiering life for a scholarly one, but I'm unsure whether or not I really would.  It would have to depend on which nahn I was in, whether or not I was a lighteyes or darkeyes, and whether or not I wanted glory (which I can't see myself wanting) or simplicity.  An ardent's life sounds appetizing, but I'm not sure how sinister these people are yet.  I do find the dissolution of the masculine/feminine arts in the ardentia an interesting fact.

I picture a lot of the food like Indian foods.  Curried, heavily spiced, and naan for bread.  As it just so happens, I love Indian food, so this works for me.  (Of course, I also love ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, and I would be sad not have these.)

Oh, I also think it's pretty clever that the women write their own subtext after a man's dictation.  This opens the doors for all kinds of disagreements in the texts.  (And I think it's obvious now that these opening bits of the chapters are coming from books Shallan/Jasnah/Someone is researching, and could very well be their own notes?  I'm not sure if the death-quotes fit this category, but they could... The letter for Part Two doesn't, though, unless it's something one of them read?)

What do you think of the flashbacks to Kaladin's childhood?

At first I didn't care too much for them, but as they've progressed, I grew more and more intrigued.  I love that Kaladin is a surgeon, trained in healing arts with a healer's mindset, and yet he's a renown warrior.

When I was reading the last few flashbacks, as time was drawing closer to the present, I kept waiting to see what would happen to Tien.  It's amazing that Sanderson's not told exactly what went down, but we've enough of an idea that Tien's death utterly changed the young healer-soldier.  And then when Kaladin faced down the Shardbearer!  Breathtaking.  I can't believe we've gone this long into the novel and just now found this out, but it's omission from Kaladin's thoughts imply truly how much he hates the lighteyes.

Do you have any theories yet as to where the story is headed? What do you most want to see in the last quarter of the book?

I've got theories a-plenty.  Dalinar will die.  I just don't see him living.  Adolin will step into his place, possibly, or the young Kholin will have to leave the Shattered Plains for some reason.  Dalinar's death could come by Szeth's hand (which seems possible), or it could come from Sadeas (which seems possible).  Kaladin and his men will rise up, but like the times before, many of them will die, but Kaladin will escape.  He may get some Shards by the end, and surely he'll end up working alongside Adolin at some point, where his opinions of lighteyes will have to change.  Shallan will tell Jasnah about her visions before she leaves and the woman will allow Shallan to stay on because of her sight into whatever the symbolheads are.  I have no clue about them, other than they're somehow connected to Soulcasting.

Odium reigns.  This Odium must be the series' main antagonist, but I don't see it as a Dark Lord archetype, though I could be wrong.  Odium may be using Szeth's new masters to accomplish its chaos and destruction of Roshar.

I am eager to see more Szeth, of course, but even more so eager to find out more about the symbolheads and about Kaladin's apparent use of Stormlight.  Sadly, I don't think we'll get much more of Shallan until possibly the final part of the book.  Kal, though.  That'll be fun.

Miscellaneous thoughts:  Kabsal's poisoning was an unexpected twist.  Who was he working with?  The deathspren are slightly terrifying.  And what the heck's going on with these bridgemen?  Teft and his mysterious knowledge of what Kaladin is.  Sigzil (I think that's who it was) and his aversion to Worldsingers?  And the one-armed crazy-happy Lopen?  Jeez!  Kaladin Stormblessed, indeed.  Oh, and Kal's surviving the storm was rather exciting, too, I might add.

I'm really enjoying The Way of Kings.  The book keeps me interested, and I really feel like we've only got the faintest notions of what's ahead of us.  I see nine more books of great storytelling and beautiful worldbuilding.
-----

*I've noticed that this theme crops up in an awful lot of books and movies, and I suppose it's because it makes for compelling characters.

Deep Sorrow and a Hollow Heart

Maybe it's from having just finished Ecclesiastes this morning that I find myself so burdened.  The heaviness in my heart is real, and how to proceed is abstract.  It's easy to look around and see the Church--that is the Bride of Christ, not the local building--failing in so many ways.  In a sample of a hundred churches, one hundred of them will be filled with problems.  Strife among brothers and sisters.  Gossiping.  Hatred.  Pride.  Lust.  These are to be expected, as we're all still human and not yet made perfect, but the fact that there doesn't seem to be any desire to change is sickening.

Last night I was involved in a regional church meeting.  Between the two counties involved, there were 56 churches represented, with 266 voters present.  The issue was to decide whether or not to kick a church (Journey Fellowship) out of the association.  Why?  Because their building is used by the local PFLAG group.  That's it.  There is no relationship between the church and PFLAG other than the fact that the church allows their facility to be open and available.  In effect, this church is saying Welcome, we love you, and we don't judge.  In fact, the church goes on to profess "radical unconditional acceptance," something that many churches look down on.

Considering that the meeting even took place, I felt like the situation was already lose-lose.  Instead of brothers and sisters of Jesus standing up and loving on one another, there was a meeting to disfellowship a church because they were loving on people.  So in a crowd of 350+ people, displayed to media from here to far, I watched the Church fight*.  It was civil, yes, but it felt to me an underlying wave of hatred and judgment.  Speakers voiced their affirmation of the motion (to remove the church) and then speakers voiced their opposition (to keep the church in).  Back and forth this went, passionate words flying from both sides, maintaining rules of order, borderline chaos, people "Amen-ing" and shaking their heads.

The call to vote came.  Oddly, in order to vote we had to vote whether or not we could even commence with voting.  Once that passed, someone called for secret ballot.  This vote failed, and we then proceeded to stand up and cast our votes publicly.  Of the 266 voters, 242 voted to disfellowship this church.  The only ones that voted to keep them in was the representatives from the accused church and four of us from my church (so the other four from my church either didn't vote or voted in favor). 

Then, awkwardly, the order of the meeting called for ballot tabulating time, because I suppose it was thought the vote would be secret ballot.  So during this time, we sat uncomfortably aware of the results while pretending that we didn't know.  A man led the congregation in a song, singing "People Need the Lord," and the words sounded hollow and fake.  People need the Lord unless you're gay.  People need the Lord but not all.  People need the Lord but find Him outside the church.  People need the Lord let's pretend like we love each other.  People need the Lord let's all judge our brothers.  People need the Lord....

The meeting adjourned soon after, people spreading like ants funneling through a crack in the wall.  We talked to the reps from the now disfellowshipped church, telling them we appreciated what they were doing, offering prayer and encouragement. 

This whole things is deeply disappointing on so many levels.  It shows how fragile our Church is.  It shows how far we've fallen.  The fact that a church cannot have a support group is ridiculous.  How is PFLAG any different than AA or any other accountability group**?  I'm of the opinion that people don't like it when sins are public.  We prefer keeping them to ourselves, sitting comfortably in our pews and silently looking down on everybody else.  We're a white, middle-classed church, born to outdated traditions and indoctrinated with prejudices.  We don't like it when our customs are rocked or when our cultures change.  Thus, we're a dying, stagnant Church.  We fail at reaching the lost because we can't get over their sins, all the while ignoring our own.  We don't reach out and help people because we're lazy, uncaring, and satisfied with our own salvation.  Last I checked, Jesus spent most of His time on earth with the less-than-reputable people, the whores and liars, the outcasts and abused.  Instead, we want air-conditioned buildings, thirty-minute sermons, and clean and fake members.  We don't want real.  We want facades.

This is the state of Christianity today.  It's to a point where a new word needs to be used for those of us that follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.  The Church is called to love everyone, to reach the unsaved, to make disciples, to spread God's Gospel to the ends of the earth.  How can we do that when our church's doors are closed?  When the doors of the church are closed, the hearts of its members are, too.  And if Christians are a close-hearted people, we've removed Jesus from our beliefs, and if that's the case, then I guess I'm not a Christian.

------

*I imagine the Bride as an abused, delusional, schizophrenic, bi-polar bigot that spreads Her legs for anyone other than Her Husband.  She's married to a Savior that died for everyone--chiefly Her--and yet She spends Her time with the World and Its thinking.  She has a Husband that embodies love, but She prefers a world that spits on Her and slaps Her around.

**Just because a church building is used by a group does not mean that the church adheres to the group's philosophy.  However, perception is everything, and people perceive that since Journey is allowing PFLAG to use its building that they believe all of PFLAG's tenets, regardless whether that's the case or not. 

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week Two

Very little in the way of an intro for this week.  Carl, one of the best spoken gents on the internet, as well as proprietor of Stainless Steel Droppings, has taken helm of this week's questions.  You can follow his blog here.  Also feel free to check out the Read Along headquarters to see more responses.

---

"Kaladin was like a moldy crust on a starving man's plate; not the first bite, but still doomed." (Page 263)

"A man's emotions are what define him, and control is the hallmark of true strength.  To lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling s to be a child." (Page 377)

In a recent interview Brandon Sanderson mentioned that the interludes are meant to show us parts of the larger world since much of the action is focused in one or two places. What do you think of the first two sets of interludes? Any characters or situations stand out to you?

Szeth the Truthless is definitely one of the most interesting characters so far.  His powers are fascinating, but the mystery that surrounds him--what exactly is a Truthless?  why is he in the state he's in?  who's he gonna kill next?--is pure brilliant.  I feel quite sympathetic for him, but I'm not exactly sure why.

I'm equally fascinated by Hoid, a man who's only barely been mentioned thus far, during the first Interlude.  Hoid is a unique character in Sanderson's cosmere, as he (or a man named Hoid) has appeared in all of Sanderson's original fantasy novels so far.  Sanderson has hinted that his books all share the same universe, and I suppose that this Hoid is somehow more important than we currently know.

In small increments Brandon Sanderson is revealing the geology and ecology of Roshar. What are your thoughts on what has been revealed thus far?

The Shattered Plains are mesmerizing.  I love the plateaus and how the armies cross them (bridges, poles, or jumping).  The chasms make peril imminent for anyone forgetful or clumsy, even posing dangers to Shardbearers.  This is a brilliant setting for the novel, methinks.

In particular I'm intrigued by the highstorms and the crem that falls with the rain.  Professionally, I work with rainfall and flooding, and the fact that rain in Roshar is poisonous and heavily polluted is another brilliant world-feature of Way of Kings.  I can imagine the stalactites forming on unkempt houses, or worse, sticking to a condemned man forced to weather a highstorm. 

Other than that, there are so many minor tweaks that make Roshar what it is that I'm sure I keep forgetting things, picturing an Earth-like world as opposed to the one the story's actually in.  Multiple moons.  Rockbuds.  Strange grass.  Orange, blue, and purple wine!  Craziness.

This second section of The Way of Kings featured two distinct story lines, those of Dalinar and of Kaladin. How do you feel this section of the book compares with the first section and what are your thoughts on either or both of these story lines?

No cabe duda, the second section blew the first one out of the water.  The fight with the chasmfiend was thrilling (no pun intended).  The politics of the warcamp intriguing.  The visions of Dalinar baffling.  And Kaladin's renewed zeal encouraging.  Dalinar, and indirectly, Adolin, show one side of the war effort, and Kaladin shows the polar opposite.  This dichotomy is well played and very informative to the reader. 

In particular, Dalinar's visions make him another sympathetic character, though less so that Szeth.  Sadly, I don't see him lasting much longer.  His age (and his decision to abdicate to Adolin) all but beg someone to assassinate or duel him.

I also really liked Kal's flashback scenes.  I love that he's a trained surgeon and that he's a gifted warrior.  Again, the conflicting views and motives make for great storytelling.

In the interview set out earlier in the week Sanderson talked about the Stormlight Archive being a series about the return of magic. What are your thoughts on this, particularly in relation to the visions Dalinar is having during the highstorms?

I like this approach to fantasy.  Typically we see magic dying off and leaving the lands, often relegated to arcane sciences and superstition.  Here, magic definitely has birthed mythology, but also religion.  The Heralds and the Radiants and Voidbringers are definitely magical, but so are the Shards and Soulcasting.  People understand that these things are mystical, and while they're not prevalent, they're at least present.

Sanderson has an open door for where he can go with the return of magic.  Perhaps more and more people will start having visions (like Dalinar, though to me he seems chosen for a reason), or more Shards will be found or the plethora of gemhearts will lead to more Soulcasters.  Dalinar's visions must be foreshadowing, and if that's the shape of things to come, the rest of the book/series will be phenomenal.

There has been a change in this second section of the nature of the quotes prior to the beginning of each chapter. What are your thoughts on the opening lines featured in both sections of the book to this point?

I think everyone must have forgot about the pre-chapter quotes last week.  I meant to say something, but it slipped my mind.  Book One's quotes have me perplexed.  Who is keeping these things recorded?  Do all men and women get some sort of erratic "vision" when they die?  Are they somehow related to the spren?  Soulcasting?  This, coupled with Kaladin hearing a dying bridgeman's last words, have me eager to find out the importance of these quotes.

Book Two's pre-quotes were in the form of a letter.  I wasn't as intrigued by them, though they did offer some insight (albeit obfuscated and minuscule) to the world.  I particularly liked the section written to the immortal recipient.

These quotes and letter will undoubtedly be important to the Stormlight Archive, I'm just not sure if we'll find out their significance in The Way of Kings.

In the questions for these first two sections we've talked about characters and the story lines and the world that Sanderson has created, but there are a lot of interesting flourishes and touches to The Way of Kings thus far (shardplate, spren, the actual "Way of Kings" book, highstorms, etc.). Talk about some of the non-character/non-setting things that you are finding either fascinating or annoying (or both) in the book thus far.

Like last week, the spren are still holding my attention.  I cannot dismiss their importance in the grand scheme of things.  Syl's fluttering insights and fuzzy memories seem to point to something, but what that something is I can't grasp.

I'm also very curious to learn more about Dalinar's purging of his wife's memory from his mind.  How is this possible?  And what implications does this have for the rest of the world?  And, dang it, are the spren somehow involved here?

On spren, Axies the Collector and his hunt to find all the spren just whets my appetite.  Does this Axies know Hoid?  Are there beings that are charged to observe things throughout the worlds and archive them or something? 

On Language and Words

I have long been fascinated by language.  It's complexity is mind-shattering, and yet it's simplicity is something most babies learn early on.  Language is not confined to any one medium, and I'm of the opinion that anything that translates communication from one sender to a receiver makes use of language.

I suppose my love of language is in large part why I love to write (and read).  Words are powerful.  I mean, God created the cosmos with His Words.  Man has created kings and queens from their fealty.  Revolutions have sparked from concealed messages.  There's no doubt that words are powerful.  As a writer (I say that like I'm some sort of professional), I feel like I have a vast tapestry of words before me, waiting to be taken and abused.  Often we use these words in traditional formats, obeying common grammatical rules and syntax.  But personally, I prefer pushing the boundaries of what's deemed normal and play with the words I use.  It's a you have to know the rules before you can break them mentality.

The English language is extremely interesting.  A part of me loathes it with such a deep passion that at times I wish it did not exist.  This is rare, but it happens.  The majority of my thinking, though, is that I'm glad English is my native language, even if it is the American dialect.  So many of our idioms make no sense when you put a second's thought in them.  And the plethora of words that have multiple meanings is simply astounding.  Off the cuff I'm sure I could come up with a score of 'em.

But the more and more I think about the language, the more I wish I had taken some sort of linguistics class in college.  Studying etymology* and learning the down-and-dirty history of words would be of great benefit to the way my brain thinks.  (For that matter, I wish that I had taken some sort of creative writing class, or a class on European folklore or something.  Alas, the engineering school gave me no time for such trivialities.)  The way language has refined itself over the course of history just sounds interesting to me.

And then there's the slew of problems with language.  It's ultimately a flawed system, because humans are too complex, too intricate, for words to precisely portray our thoughts.  To understand what I'm thinking, consider the example of simply defining words**.

faith: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something
confidence: The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust
belief:  An acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists
true: In accordance with fact or reality
fact: A thing that is indisputably the case
indisputable: Unable to be challenged or denied

I see these words and I think, okay, there are so many holes in the language here that we're really going out on a limb to even try and understand one another.  Someone may be talking about faith, which generally we define as mentioned above.  Biblically, faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb 11:1)  However, as someone remarked on a blog*** I was reading yesterday, "Faith comes from the Greek word pistis which means “trusting in something for which you have seen the evidence.”  Now if I read it like that, I essentially read something like

"Faith is trusting in something that I have seen the evidence...[and] the conviction of things not seen."

So, if I'm reading that correctly, faith is mutually exclusive.  It's both somehow based on fact and visible evidence, and yet it's not.  (Dichotomy, in particular, is something I find immensely frustrating and fascinating.)  This is just one example of why language ultimately is untrustworthy.

Of course, there is no alternative.  Until we can communicate via telepathy--and then our telepathy must be able to convey emotion and color and imagery and words and songs and an infinite number of other things--we will always have misunderstandings.  It's the way of the world, I suppose.

I could go on and on here.  In fact, I had a 3 page outline for a few different essays I had on language, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get to those.  So I guess I'll just leave it here.  Any thoughts?
--------------
*I go to etymology sources often to get character names and/or creations when I write.  FYI.
**Taken from the Google define search tool.
***As I said, I've no education in language, so I'm taking this guy at his word.  Read that post if you want to read something to think about.

My First Hands-On Bible, a Review

I reviewed the original Hands-On Bible a while back.  In it, I concluded with this:

Overall, I really liked the Hands-On Bible.  It's sleek design is attractive and fun looking, perfect for kids.  The text is varying, using bold fonts and illustrations/side-boxes, which helps break up the monotonous look most bibles have (i.e. long blocks of unbroken text).  While this bible is not a beginner's bible, it's clearly the next step after, and I think most young readers would enjoy reading through God's Word in this way.  I also think the activities are a great asset to anyone working with kids, and I easily recommend this bible to anyone interested. [*Emphasis added and underlined.]

Basically, My First Hands-On Bible takes everything I loved in the original Hands-On Bible and changes it to the understanding of a preschooler.  Instead of using paraphrasing for stories, actual scripture is used, taken from the NLT.  In essence, this is a heavily abridged bible for preschoolers.

The illustrations are excellent and colorful, sure to attract young eyes looking for vibrant pictures.  The activities throughout the stories are fun and easy, and most of them involve the use of basic items laying around the house.  It's the combination of these two things that I like about My First Hands-On Bible.  I think the idea is right, that actively engaging children in bible stories will help build an early foundation for life.

I also like how at the end of each story there are discussion questions, a prayer guide, an activity, and a Jesus Connection.  The Jesus Connection relates how each story points to Christ, and this is another excellent thing for young minds to learn.

Overall, I'm just as impressed by My First Hands-On Bible as I was with the original.  While my daughter is too young to participate in any of the activities (or really even understand any of the words I'm saying), she's nevertheless looking at captivating pictures and listening to God's Word.  And when she's old enough to understand, I'm sure I'll still be using this very same bible.

 

FTC Thingy:  Tyndale House Publishers gave me this book for free on account of me writing an honest review.  Therefore, this review is honest.  (Why would anyone publish anything but an honest review?)  I received no monetary donations from this review, nor any other goods, like warm, gooey, home-baked cookies.  Now if I were offered these things, I would not hesitate to say sure, go on and send 'em my way.  Would that affect my review of the book?  Nope.   And that's honesty.

The Way of Kings Group Read: Week One

I bought Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings the week it came out, nigh on a year ago.  The man writes excellent fantasy novels, with captivating characters, fascinating magic systems, and a well-paced plot.  But for some reason, I never started the tome.  Other books kept cropping up or something else came along that prevented me.

Now, though, with the help of a few other bloggers, I've joined in on a group read.  Together, we'll explore Sanderson's seminal volume of The Stormlight Archive, and each week those of us participating will discuss what we've read, as well as any thoughts/theories we may have.  If you want to get in on this group-read, it's not too late.  Just head here and get yourself started.

Ibeeeg (of Polishing Mud Balls) has put together this weeks round of questions.  The main group read-along blog, Polishing Mud Balls Read-Along Page, is here.  Follow it for the rest of the bloggers taking part of this epic undertaking.  Now, without further ado...

-----

Before I started reading The Way of Kings, I did have some thoughts on how I would like this story; did you? If you did, how is The Way of Kings actually comparing to those thoughts?

I had no fears of Sanderson letting me down.  Everything of his that I've read--the Mistborn trilogy, Warbreaker, and Elantris--has been highly enjoyable.  I remember Sanderson saying that The Stormlight Archive is his baby, that it's the story he's worked on the longest and has planned out for years.  I was also intrigued by the up-front clarification that this is a ten volume series.  If it's ten books each a thousand pages, that's quite an adventure that I could not afford to pass up.  Plus, with Sanderson's killer work ethic and expediency at book releases, the time expected to wait between novels isn't too long.  There was no way I'd miss this journey.

What do you think of the pace of this story? so far. And what do you think of the prose? Do you think the prose is too descriptive? Not descriptive enough? Give me your thoughts on the writing thus far.

The pacing has been quick.  Very quick.  The opening scene of the battle was breathtaking, and most of Kaladin's stuff has been so far, too.  Shallan's scenes are more like a pot that's simmering, a bit slower, but definitely filled with enough to keep me curious.

The prose is lean, but not too much.  Sanderson's descriptions are perfect for setting the tone that he's portraying.  In battle, there's little description.  In the lull times of traveling, there's more.  For me, it's a perfect balance of a high, epic fantasy with the brisk pace of something lower.

What was your favorite part of this first section?

My favorite part so far (I'm up to 14% complete on my Kindle, or around pg 150) is either Kaladin's labor of carrying the bridge or the curious breaking of the Oathpact at the "Prelude" of the book.  I felt like the bridge carrying ordeal was a grueling and horrifying experience, and the fact that Kaladin couldn't even see as he ran most of the way was wonderful.  And yet I keep thinking back to the Prelude, curious from the characters and the plethora of questions unanswered.

Which character(s) do you find most interesting and why?

I'm really digging the spren.  Fearspren.  Windspren.  Flamespren.  Creationspren.  Anticipationspren.  Logicspren.  So many different spren, and how they just appear at different events (whether seen or not) is just plain cool.

I'm also curious to see how Shallan will accomplish her goal of stealing the Soulcaster.  Surely she and Kaladin are on a destination to meet.  In all of Sanderson's works, his female protagonists are always characters I rally for.  As of yet, I'm not necessarily pulling for Shallan, but I'm intrigued by her ambition (and her Memory magic(?)).

I also hope to see more of Szeth-son-son-Vallano.  His assassination of the king in the prologue was awesome, and I don't think I fully understand the aftermath of the murder and the king's last words.

Kaladin, though, is definitely the most interesting person to read about right now.  He seems like a genuine, stand-up kind of guy, and I'm assuming he'll be the series' hero.  We'll see.

All right, what I really want to know is... what do you think of this book overall? so far. Are you finding the story easy to follow? Are you fascinated, interested? Is the book holding your attention? Are you Bored? Indifferent? Please share your overall thoughts.

Overall, I'm very pleased so far with the read.  The story is fascinating and complex, and I think it'll be a book that I can re-read as the series progresses through the years and take away completely different thoughts.  The unique environments and creatures are interesting; the magic, while currently vague, is nonetheless exciting.  I've stayed up late reading quite a few nights already.  I suppose the easiest way for me to say this is that I've put off reading GRRM's Dance with Dragons until September just so I could read Sanderson's work (and blog with a few others, too).  If I weren't enjoying the book, I'd pick up Dance without a second thought.  As it is, I've not even touched it.

J.R.R. Tolkien Christian Encounters, a Review

The Christian Encounter series is a biographical series from Thomas Nelson Publishing House.  The purpose of this series is to highlight the faith of each person presented.  I am not a fan of biographies, having only read one my entire life (Bob Dylan) and not planning to read another.  But then came along the chance to review the Christian Encounter book on J.R.R. Tolkien.  Since the book was small and about someone I had more than a passing interest in, I decided to give it a go.

Mark Horne does an admiral job of highlighting Tolkien's life in just over 120 pages.  The focus of the biography is to present readers with insight into Tolkien's life and the eventual development of his seminal works in the fantasy genre.  Horne is quick to remind us that Tolkien was a believer in the Faith, but he never ventures more than that.  Personally, I thought I would get to see more of Tolkien's faith in action, or at least some idea of how he believed.  Instead, I'm reminded (more than once) that Tolkien was a "sincere" Roman Catholic, that he forced his wife to convert from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism, and that he raised his children in the Catholic church.  One is left wondering what type of faith Tolkien really had.  No doubt he believed, and Horne includes how Tolkien shared his faith with C.S. Lewis in hopes of convincing Lewis to abandon skepticism, but this about as much of the action as we get to see.

Instead, this brief biography spends a handful of pages for each era of Tolkien's life and reads like a Wikipedia article.  We learn of his upbringing and his orphaning at an early age.  We then follow Tolkien's examination process to gain entrance to school, and then further studies to become a professor at Oxford.  We read about the Great War and its affects on Tolkien, and then suddenly we're diving through publishing and finishing his works.  All in all, if one is not looking for depth (and truly, I can't say that I was), then this little book is great for a casual Sunday afternoon read.  Its brevity is testament to that.  But if one is looking for a more thorough examination of Tolkien's life, there are definitely more available biographies of the man out there.  (Horne cites these quite often, and lists the books in the back of his work for further reading.)

All in all, it was an interesting experience to read about J.R.R. Tolkien.  I'm still not much of a fan of biographies, but I didn't expect to be won over by this, either.  If you're looking for some lite-Tolkien bio, Mark Horne's J.R.R. Tolkien in the Christian Encounter series is it.  Otherwise, look for something deeper.

*FTC Thingy: This book was provided free of charge.  Yep, I didn't have to pay for it.  All I had to do was read it and write an honest review.  I'm required by law to post this FTC Review Thingy for tax purposes or something.  So I like to change it up every time I tack it onto the books I receive.  I also like requesting baked goods, but as of yet, no one's obliged.

Letters

Dear Readers,
I've written a short (~1300 words) story that I'm considering submitting for publication.  It's a bit of dark fiction called "Black Sand."  That said, if anyone has a few extra minutes on their hands and would like to do some editing/criticizing of my work, I'd gladly take you up on your offer.  Let me know and I'll send you the doc for your perusal and/or red pens.  My big worry is that it utilizes a common trope I've came across in a few different stories, but nevertheless, this was how I envisioned the work from the get-go.  Some more eyes on it wouldn't be unappreciated...

Dear Music Lovers,
I've harped adoration and love for the Milk Carton Kids for several weeks now, and it thrills me to finally have some new music to listen to.  Both of their albums are available for FREE on their website (here), or you can purchase them on itunes if you like.  Truly if you appreciate excellent harmonies and "simple" music, then there's really no reason why you wouldn't like the MCKs.  Heck, since the albums are free, there's really no reason why you shouldn't try them out.  I prefer Retrospect to Prologue, but to each his own.

Dear Amazon,
I just bought a Kindle from you and I am ready for it to arrive at Stewartland.  I debated long and hard before I decided to purchase your ubiquitous device, because I am such a lover of a traditional book's feel.  Nevertheless, when I received a large gift card to use on your site I decided to get an e-reader, since the price was drastically reduced.  And now, even though you're not yet in my possession, I'm giddy with the possibilities.  I didn't know that I could check out e-books from the library until I started researching the Kindle.  (Sure, the Kindle isn't technically supported yet, but it will be soon enough.)

Dear Health Insurance Company and Hospital Billing,
Could you please get on the same page?  It's rather frustrating when you mess up an insurance claim filed months ago, which in turn affects every claim filed after it, and you've still not got it corrected.  I don't mind, truly, but it's just aggravating explaining it to people that want their bills paid.  Thanks!

Dear Monday Night Tennis,
I had a blast Monday night.  The match I played in was probably the most fun I've had in tennis is a long time.  Despite their age (I know one guy was 67 and another 69), they were loads better than many younger players on the courts that night.  Indeed, playing with folks much more skilled than I is humbling, but I yearn for this, because that is the best way to improve my game.  I hope the rest of the summer league proves as much fun as Monday did.

Dear Project,
When our relationship began I was but a fledgling engineer fresh out of academia.  You were intimidating at first.  Baffling, even.  So I approached you hesitantly, like a young lover does his beloved.  I worked on you, polishing you, converting you, making you presentable.  And then I sent you off and the Commonwealth of Kentucky decided that they wanted to do things differently and so I returned to you.  Intimidation wore down, and now all I feel for you is loathing and boredom.  I long to be rid of you and onto brighter pastures, but I know that deep down, finishing you puts me without an imminent project to work on and I'll have to resume reading through Illinois Highway Drainage Design Manuals, for I have another young love blossoming over in the Land of Lincoln that will require my unwavering devotion for a time.  But I am not through with you yet, sweet, wretched Project.  Soon, yes, but not today.

Dear Garden,
You started o so prosperously, but this lack of rain has ruined you, I fear.  The jalapenos and bells are doing great, but that's it, unless I count the weeds that have overtaken the onions.  The green tomatoes have yet to turn red, and the squash is small and fickle.  The herbs are managing, but I nourish them more than I do you, though it isn't your fault.  I don't blame you that it's been so hot these last few weeks and that there's been little rain.  Don't go thinking that.  It's my fault that I don't treat you like you deserve, but let's face it.  You're castes below my family.  Sorry.

Dear Unnamed Independent Author,
I appreciate you contacting me to review your book, even though I declined it.  Still, it gave my heart a great and heavy chuckle to see the letter addressed to Claudio, though I confess, it somewhat worries me, too.  Thanks for the effort, though.  (Note: Read the "Contact" tab to understand why this is funny.)

Sincerely all,
logankstewart

Desiring God, a Review

John Piper's Desiring God is one of the most influential books in Christian non-fiction.  First released in 1986, Piper burst into the scene with his radical idea of Christian Hedonism, a term specifically chosen.  Now, twenty-five years later, Piper's fourth edition of Desiring God has found its way into my hands for review.  I already owned the 3rd edition, though I had not progressed past Chapter One of the book.  This time around, I made my way through Piper's elegant writing and beautiful theology.

Desiring God is a collection of ten essays, dealing with a different element in Christian lifestyle.  Piper devotes a chapter each to happiness, conversion, worship, love, scripture, prayer, money, marriage, missions, and suffering.  He also includes a thorough appendix and study guide in the back of the book to assist the reader.

As Piper says in the Introduction, the purpose of Desiring God is to help the reader understand how Christian Hedonism should not only be pursued, but that its pursuit is biblical and ultimately satisfying to God.  Piper turns the Westminster Shorter Catechism on its head by substituting the word by in place of and, yielding the thesis for Desiring God:

The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

Much of Desiring God deconstructs modern thinking with clear biblical examples.  Truly, Piper's desire to share his joy is not exhaustive, though it is rather thorough.  There were times when I was scratching my head after re-reading a paragraph three times and still confused.  Other times I was shaking my head and silently amen-ing.  And more, the evidence as proposed by Piper does in fact seem biblical and liberating. 

This book has not redefined my views as much as Kevin DeYoung's powerful Just Do Something did, but still, there is wisdom to be found in the pages.  I can imagine a world filled with Christian Hedonists, running around and acting like Christians ought.  I daresay that if more Christians acted like they ought--like the bible prescribes--and if more Christians had joy in their lives then we would have more people coming to God.  To that end, Desiring God teaches a vital message.

A time or two it felt like Piper's firm belief in TULIP* (and his being a 5-point Calvinist, as much as I hate to use labels) was shining through his writing.  It wasn't a pounding over the head as some are wont to do, and I do not fault Piper for letting his belief's influence his writing, though some surely do.  As such, I care not one jot for Calvinism and Arminianism and I find this endless debate tiring and detrimental to the gospel Jesus preached.  Thankfully this has very little to do with Piper's book.

In the end, Desiring God is an excellent book that has affected many, myself included.  It would be a great book for a Sunday School class to discuss, or a discipleship group to meditate on.  It's not an easy read, and it definitely requires a critical mind (and possibly a dictionary), but its teachings are worth the effort.  Anything that pursues glorifying God is worth the effort, and if you're looking for some savvy non-fiction Christian thought, this book is perfect for you.  Or, conversely, if you're curious about Christian Hedonism and its tenets, I can easily recommend John Piper's Desiring God.

-------------------

Piper explains at the end of the book how he receives no royalties from Desiring God and that any money made from it goes to a fund to further the gospel by providing various resources for free.  A number is listed to contact Desiring God Ministries for free resources, including this book, as well as many others.  Also, Desiring God can be read for free on the DGM website, or also downloaded as a pdf and/or ebook.  Finally, as with other great books, if anyone would like my copy of Desiring God, shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I'll get the book to you.

Like Piper, anything I can do to help spread the good news of Jesus (and further glorify the Father) I will do, and I would love to give you this book to that end.

--------------------

*If you are not aware of this centuries old debate, then I don't recommend you educate yourself about it.  It's ultimately disheartening and has caused way too much conflict within the world of Christianity.

FTC Thingy:  The 25th Anniversary Edition of Desiring God was provided to me for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I am not required to endorse the book, and my doing so was of my own volition.  There was no hypnosis.

Wise Man's Fear Re-Read: Thoughts, Theories, Things

This post is filled with spoilers, from both The Wise Man's Fear and The Name of the Wind.  If you've not read both, then please, don't read this post.

----------

I've read Name of the Wind twice, and now I've read its sequel twice (and some parts thrice).  The story is definitely better the second time.  I've been thinking on some of the threads of the tale that Pat Rothfuss is weaving, as well as the implications for the Four Corners' future.  Below are my thoughts.  I would love to discuss any thoughts/theories you might have, either here on the blog, Facebook, or via email.

1.  The pacing is improved this time around, though it's still tedious at times (Ademre, Faen).  Still yet, I marveled over the cultures Rothfuss created, at how intricate and well developed they are.

• Faen is beautifully described and at the same time mysterious and dark.  I love how magicked the Fey are, even though we've only met Bast and Felurian.  This causes them to be highly superstitious (not much different than those in Severen and Vintas), but their superstitions are probably based on fact as opposed to legend. 
  
  
• The Adem, on the other hand, are a simple people, yet highly philosophical.  I am once again fascinated by their double-talk, at how important hand language is. This is still my least favorite part of the book, if only because there is very little going on.  I feel like Caesura is vital to the overall story, especially given its bloody pedigree.  Also, the Adem story of the Chandrian and their old names is definitely important, but I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there.
  

2.  Kvothe's parentage was particularly enthralling as I read.  Having been turned on to the idea that Kvothe's mother was Natalia Lockless, sister to Meluan Lockless, I payed close attention to the parts when Kvothe spoke of his family.  Now, I am fully convinced that Rothfuss is a cunning devil and that Tally is definitely Meluan's sister, thus making Kvothe part noble (and possibly a Lockless heir).  Plus, he says that when he first met Meluan that she looked vaguely familiar (possibly like his mother, who's been deceased now for a few years).  Meluan's resentment of the Ruh could be similar to Petunia's resentment of the magical world in Harry Potter; both sisters were jealous of their sibling for going off and enjoying life.

• Consider the song Kvothe tells Sim and Will....
  
  
  Dark Laurian, Arliden's wife,
  Has a face like a blade of a knife
  Has a voice like a prickledown burr
  But can tally a sum like a moneylender.
  My sweet Tally cannot cook.
  But she keeps a tidy ledger-book
  For all her faults I do confess
  It's worth my life
  To make my wife
  Not tally a lot less
  
  

  It doesn't seem like much, but given how cunning Pat is, read the last two lines aloud and it sounds similar to "To make my wife Natalia lot less", ergo, Natalia Lockless.  That's why she shushes Arliden for his song, to keep her line a secret.  See here for more on this fascinating theory.
  
• The Loeclos box surely is made of Faen-magic/wood.  It's smell is evocative to Kvothe and he vaguely remembers something, and I suppose it's reminiscent of the smell from his time with Felurian.  He mentions time and again how his memory is muddled from his time there, so his recollection of the smell is muddled, too.  Alveron, Meluan, and Kvothe discuss whether or not the contents of the box are precious.  I find this word choice interesting, as it thematically relates to Denna (and her fear of being "boxed in").  What if the box opens simply with "Edro," the word for open Taborlin used, and Kvothe, too, when he jokingly opened the Maer's chest in the Eld.  Kvothe didn't try it, I noticed.
  
• Could Arliden also be more than meets the eye?  Perhaps somehow Fey related/descended?  He's a skilled musician/rhymer, something we know the Fey are.  Or, possibly the Ruh are somehow related to the Fey?  Not really sure about Arliden.  But we do know that the Lockless family is very old, and so are the Ruh, and Kvothe being from both bloodlines could explain some of his peculiarities. 
  

3.  I also wondered about Denna's patron throughout this read.  Where once I didn't care much about her patron (or her, for that matter), now I'm more than a bit curious.  I suspect it to be Bredon, based in part on certain descriptions and certain actions.  Both are apt dancers.  Both enjoy games.  Both enjoy their privacy.  Plus, the Ctheah said Kvothe had met him, and this twist seems like the right twist (though it could also be the obvious choice and therefore not a likely possibility).  Bredon seems kind, but he has a temper, too (like when Kvothe's distracted and not playing well), which would likely yield to him beating Denna whenever he's angry.

• The first read Kvothe & Denna's relationship was annoying.  Now, it's still annoying, but less so.  Both are young and stupid.  Neither come out and express themselves, explain their broken histories, or tell their life story.  What a shame, too.  If only they'd communicate then things could be so much better.  (I'm thinking of Lost here.)
  
• Bredon must be more than meets the eye.  When Kvothe is going through the papers with rumors and whatnot on them, there are some rumors that Bredon does pagan rituals and has evil relations.  Then, when Kvothe is preparing to leave Severen, he gives the papers over to Bredon, mentioning that the man may find them entertaining.  This nonchalance seems too forced (perhaps I'm reading into it), but why else would Pat bring it up again?  This could be a plot device for Bredon.
  
• A final possibility is that Denna's patron could be none other than Cinder himself.  There are some theories to this, and possibly even Bredon being Cinder (or related), but I'm not entirely convinced this is so.  Still, this line from one of the last chapters caught my attention (while in Bast's POV):  "Nothing but ash and cinder lay inside."  With the two words juxtaposed, Rothfuss could be cleverly dropping hints.  There's some weight to this, I think, but again, I'm not sold on this idea.
  

4.  Pat overuses the word "speculative."  This is nitpicking, but it's also grating, though I suspect unnoticed by Pat and/or his editor.  I'm talking about "so-and-so gave you-know-who a speculative look" type sentences.  These pop up all over the place.  All over the place.

5.  Another very interesting thing throughout this book is the role the moon plays.  People swear by the ever-changing moon.  They tell stories about the moon.  Auri's appearance (and Denna's, too) seems related to whether or not the moon is out.  Even the Fey regard it as something important.  I didn't notice how often the word "moon" appears, but it's presence is overwhelming.  This gives even more weight to the story about Jax and his stealing the moon.

• Think of Elodin's question for Kvothe as he's going through the admissions process for the first time in Wise Man's Fear.  Elodin asks, "Where does the moon go when it is no longer in our sky?"  Elodin obviously knows much (Kvothe recalls Master Namer's eyes when he's in Faen and that they are similar to Felurian's), and his inane babbling turned out rather purposeful in the end.  So is this question important?  Maybe.  Is it a subtle hint?  Possibly.

6.  We know the frame story, the story in the present, is a tragedy.  Kvothe remarks to Bast that "we all know what kind of story this is."  Something so catastrophic has happened to Kvothe that he no longer is himself, it's as if he's locked away a part of his name and has been rechristened as Kote.  This tragedy is likely the death(s) of Denna and/or many other friends due to some rash action made by a foolish Kvothe.  As such, this has me thinking about the conclusion of the book, of the trilogy.  Will there be resolution?  Yes, Rothfuss is too much a storyteller to not leave things unresolved, as stories must have endings.  But will the ending be satisfying?

• Remember when Kvothe tells the story of the old man and his search for food & fire?  (Chapter 38, "Kernels of Truth")  Sim (or Will, I cannot recall, but it sounds like Sim) is upset at the ending, claiming the story wasn't really a story at all.  Sim asks Kvothe, "Why tell a story that's not entertaining?"  Kvothe answers, "To help us remember.  To teach us... things."  I speculate that this is Pat foreshadowing the conclusion to The Kingkiller Chronicles.  The ending may seem disappointing (or inconclusive), but that's not really the point.  The point in Kvothe's story (to Chronicler and Bast, and the reader) is to teach us things, but it's also to help Kvothe remember who he was and who he still is.
  
  
• Perhaps these books will end with Kote becoming Kvothe again and there will be more books where he puts to right his wrongs or something.  This, I hope, will be the case.  Pat has already said he's got more stories to tell in Kvothe's world.  (As an aside, I wonder if Pat skipped over the ship wreck chapter to leave it open for a possible novella or short story some time down the road.)
  
• On Kote becoming Kvothe, recall when Kvothe asks Elodin about what he thinks about a woman that keeps changing her name.  Elodin reacts as if that's something terrible to do, and his reaction implies that it's entirely possible.  Perhaps Kvothe changed his name to Kote for a time, though I think Kvothe is wanting to get out (such as when the hired soldiers fight the innkeeper and Kote remarks that he nearly forgot himself there for a moment).
  
• Finally, could Kvothe have become an Amyr and made some choices that were for the greater good?  We see his guilt over killing (bandits, false troupers), though they were for the greater good and justified.  What if Kvothe became an Amyr and then found out the group was as sinister as the Chandrian and then abandoned his old self to become Kote?  (Ironic that Kvothe changes his name to Kote, similar to Denna constantly changing her name to D-----.)

 A lot of great discussion (and fodder for this post) can be found on the Rothfussians group on GoodReads, and also Jo Walton's exhaustive re-read of NOTW and WMF at Tor.com. 

Again, I'd love any thoughts on Kvothe and his story if you've a ha'penny to spare.

The Heroes, a Review

What is a hero? This is the central question driving Joe Abercrombie's latest novel, The Heroes, and coming from such a dark & gritty writer, where convolution and betrayal are paramount, it's a darned good question. The North, "united" under Black Dow's banner, and the Union forces, under the direction of Marshall Kroy, have convened on a small plot of land to wage war. The focus point is a large hill spotted with ancient stones appropriately called The Heroes, named after long dead legends of the North. War is the opportune time to discover heroics, but the question is from whom will they come?

The Heroes is filled with various POV characters. We have Crunden Craw, an aged Named Man who's spent his life as a straight-edge and is known for doing the "right" thing, whatever that's supposed to mean. Prince Calder, the youngest son of the recently murdered King of the North, is a notorious coward and an even more notorious schemer, and it's only a matter of time before he tries to take Skarling's Chair from Black Dow. There's also Beck, a young lad just old enough to take a weapon and enlist, with visions of glory and earning a name for himself. As for the Union soldiers, we have the disgraced Bremer dan Gorst, dispatched to observe the war for the King, though the brute of a man wants nothing more than to earn back his former rank and glory. There's Corporal Tunny, famed for his lackluster life as a soldier and his uncanny ability to turn profit, and who has little desire to rise above his self-interests. Finally there's Finree dan Brock, the only female POV, and the daughter of Marshall Kroy. Finree is manipulative and ambitious, but her marriage to a treacherous noble's son currently stands in her way.

Abercrombie is known for presenting flawed characters with a few good traits in them, and he keeps this up with The Heroes. I personally found the Northmen much more interesting, especially Craw and Calder. It's as hard for the reader to pick a side as it is for those involved in the affair, and I'm not sure which side I wanted to win the battle. This, again, is a very Abercrombian thing to do. Present the sides and muddy them all grey. Ambiguity runs amok here.

The Heroes is Abercrombie's fifth novel, and while it's not necessary to have read the previous works, I think you'd be missing out on some behind-the-scenes things that are likely important to the world of The First Law. Still yet, one could easily enjoy this book for what it is, and that's a fierce battle waged over the course of three days. This condensed timeline works great for Abercrombie, I think, because the sprawling tale that was Best Served Cold seemed to struggle under too much time.

This book was hilarious and dark, violent and oddly beautiful, thought-provoking and entertaining. It's Abercrombie at his finest, and yet I didn't enjoy it as much as The First Law. Part of the problem was that I just didn't care that much about the Union troops. Gorst was annoying, Finree disappointing, and Tunny just didn't have enough time for him. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the North parts, especially whenever the Bloody Nine's name popped up. Even Shivers, who I grew to dislike over the course of Best Served Cold, was fascinating here. Really the only time I enjoyed the Union pieces were when Bayaz was involved, and this only because it left me wanting to know more about what was going on between the First of the Magi and Ishri.

Abercrombie is at the top of his game with The Heroes. The book is fluid and well written. The action scenes are exciting. The implications of the book's thesis question are questionable throughout. It's a standalone novel that leaves me curious to see what's going to happen in Abercrombie's next book. (I believe he mentioned something with a "Western" flair on his blog. Interesting.) If you've never read Joe Abercrombie, I'd recommend starting with The Blade Itself, but you could just as easily pick this one up. It's a bloody book, but you wouldn't read a book about war and not expect otherwise. Especially not from someone as twisted and dark as Abercrombie. Highly enjoyable.

---------------
Supplemental Thoughts (CONTAINS SPOILERS)
1.  I genuinely wonder if Logen Ninefingers is still alive.  It's been 8 years since The First Law.  Part of me thinks the man has just settled down in some remote location in the North and has been living a life of ease ever since.  Or maybe he's chasing Ferro, though I'd find that hard to imagine.  Still, I suspect he's living.
2.  What is going on between Bayaz and the Gurkish?  Will we ever get to see this conflict played out?  I do not trust Bayaz, but I also don't trust the Gurkish, either.  Is there a good side here?  Considering Abercrombie, I'd say "it's complicated," or, possibly just "no."
3.  Shivers' killing blow to Dow in the circle was unexpected.  I expected Calder to win, but not like that.
4.  Wonder what the Snake of the Talins has been up to, and what's gonna happen in Styria come next book?  Recalling Bayaz' "cannon" thing, I expect we may see firearms/artillery, though not many.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Pt 2), a Review

I'm shrugging off routine here and throwing caution to the wind.  SPOILERS imminent.  

Call me old and crotchety, but there seemed to be a lot of rambunctious tweens at the cinema last night, eager to watch the Boy Who Lived face down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and let victory triumph over evil.  Costumed characters ran amok and I couldn't help but question why it is I find these midnight shows appealing.  Nevertheless, apart from the expected sudden applause and the preternatural (and completely uncalled for) sobbing*, I had a good enough time watching the final Potter film.

The words that immediately come to mind are ruthless and expeditious.  Where Part 1 served as exposition, Part 2 gives the viewer mere minutes of set-up before one is thrown into the action.  We're reminded of Voldy baby stealing dead ole' Dumbledore's wand (a grave robber!  my word, someone ought to teach that Riddle boy some manners) and Harry & the Gang are trying to seek and destroy those cursed horcruxes.  The filmmakers give the audience little breathing room, and I daresay 90% of the film was action-filled and intense.  

Acting is genuinely sublime all around, though I particularly enjoyed Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Alan Rickman (Snape), and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry).  Truly I'm struggling to think of a bad performance.  Throughout all eight of the movies these actors have grown with each other, and their synergy is a large part of why these films are so successful.

I can also attest that this was definitely the most visually stunning of the films.  It is the only one with a 3-d counterpart, and although I chose not to watch it this way, it was nevertheless quite beautiful.  Spells and enchantments of all colors.  Gringotts' vaults and the dragon within.  I didn't realize just how dark and bleak everything was until Harry used the pensieve, and then again when he went to King's Cross.  Other than these two scenes, everything has a grim feel to it, and rightly it should.

As I mentioned earlier, there was entirely too much crying for my liking.  I'm not joking when I say that the girl behind me started sobbing and sniffling when the WB logo came up at the very beginning of the movie, and she pretty much continued the rest of the way.  Sure, when Sev died, that was sad, yes, but would I call it Sad-Enough-To-Cry-In-Public sad?  No.  And then seeing Fred & George for the first time, when they're both still alive, she cried again....  Grumble.  Anyway, death, evil, and violence rule the screen here, and because of this there is a lot of sad & terrible things that happen.  I admit, Severus's death was one of the more horrible death scenes I can remember, but I watched it wincing and stoic.

The final showdown between Harry & Voldemort was breathtaking.  I rather enjoyed their in-flight fight.  Heck, the battle for Hogwarts was pretty awesome all around.  The school's grounds make for an excellent battlefield, and its spaces were utilized brilliantly.

If there's any wrong in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) it's that it doesn't capture all of the subtlety and character development Rowling does in her books, but this is a flaw any book-turned-movie will have.  There's only so much one can transpose.  

There is so much that I could talk about when it comes to Harry Potter, and particularly when it comes to The Deathly Hallows.  How each character is so rich and detailed.  How Rowling deals with life lessons and serious themes.  How I always stood by Severus and puzzled out the events 'ere they were told.  How heartbreaking it is that Hedwig died so innocently and randomly (the same as many victims of the Battle).  How truly loathsome Voldemort is, and yet pitiable, too.  So much that I must cut myself off now or I may wax gibbous and never shut up.

On the whole, I wholeheartedly enjoyed this movie.  It was the perfect conclusion to the epic series, and I think it captured the heart and spirit of what makes the books so darned good, and that's that friendship and love are far superior to immortality and prejudice.  If you've somehow made it through your life without reading these books, then I'm sure my pleading won't get you over the hump, but you are robbing yourself of a wonderful journey.  And, if you've not watched any of the film adaptations**, again, you cheat yourself, but especially more so now that Part 2 is out.  It was a legendary film series capped with a satisfying and beautiful ending.  I will miss these movies, but I don't see them going away for a long, long time.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, a Review

Flavia de Luce is a complex little girl. Uncannily bright for an eleven year old, I daresay to the point where one must suspend disbelief, even, Flavia spends her days "playing" in her laboratory, creating terrible concoctions for her terrorizing older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne. The young chemist has a particular fondness for poisons, and when a dead body turns up in the cucumber patch of Buckshaw, Flavia decides to get to the bottom of the mystery.

What follows is a delightful adventure with a protagonist that's hard to forget. Flavia is both endearing for her strong will and pitiable for her too-advanced mind. She's sweet (usually when it's to her advantage), witty, well-read, far too clever, and hilarious. Her environs--1950s England--are masterfully detailed and the reader cannot help but feel whisked away.

Alan Bradley's Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is well outside my normal genres. A mystery novel with various mysteries throughout, I heartily enjoyed puzzling through the book with Flavia. The tale wasn't too complex, and everything clearly made sense by the end. There were twists and turns a-plenty, and I can imagine nearly every reader would enjoy the plot & pacing.

A large part of the joy from this read is the fact that Bradley's prose is beautiful. The voice of the narrator is spot-on (as much as I can imagine the mind of an eleven year old girl), and from the start I easily slipped inside Flavia's head. Bradley's cast of characters is well suited to the story (if not a touch cliched), and I really enjoyed Flavia's sisters. Their antagonism of poor Flavia (and vice versa) was a highlight of the read.

I listened to the audio version of this book, as read by Jayne Entwistle, and this was possibly one of the best audio books I've ever read. The voice acting was vastly superior to many audio books, and Entwistle sounds exactly like a bratty little 11 year old would. Of course, the British-ness also makes this a fun listen-to, but it's definitely the narrator that shines. In fact, I enjoyed her reading so much that I played a bit of it for my wife, just so she could hear how great it was.

Two final notes, just in case you're not convinced of reading the book yet. One, it's quite funny. Flavia has a way with words that had me cracking up regularly. Two, Carl's review at Stainless Steel Droppings' and L's at Omphaloskepsis paint a much better review than I do, and just read their praise to see what I'm talking about.

If you're looking for a good mystery (I say good, but alas, with little experience with the genre I guess), Alan Bradley's Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie will definitely satisfy your appetite. It's one of those books that puts a smile on your face and keeps it there after you're finished. I easily recommend to anyone, but especially people with a fondness for old Britain, young & clever heroines, stamp collectors, and mystery enthusiasts.