The Gray Wolf Throne, by Cinda Williams Chima

2011, Hyperion

I am still enjoying this series very much.  Chima has managed to continue the characters in the Seven Realms series and added to the depth of most of them.  The plot developments continue to engage the reader.

In The Gray Wolf Throne, the action picks up as Raisa ana'Marianna is hiding in Fetters Ford trying to stay hidden from her various enemies and survive long enough to return home.  She hope to return to the capital city, Fellsmarch, and reunite with her mother, the queen.  Raisa has reached the understanding that she and her mother together may have the combined skills necessary for a successful reign.

The rest of the book is an exciting quest as Raisa, Han, and Amon work together and separately trying to return to Fellsmarch and return Raisa to the line of accession to the Gray Wolf Throne.  As always there is a wonderful combination of wizardry, woodsman-ship, military, and street-smarts.  Every moment of reading is a pleasure and in many parts thrilling enough to get the reader's blood racing.

I am adding "gaming" as a tag for this book.  I believe that students (and adults) who enjoy the role playing games will enjoy this book.  It is one that I would recommend to any reader who enjoys quest based games.

I'm just beginning my semester so life is about to get busy.  I am number eight on the wait list for the next, and final book in the series, The Crimson Crown.  I will need to work hard the next few weeks so that when my name comes up I can put work aside to read.

Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher

2012, ROC

My son and I read the Dresden Files books as they arrive.  I saved this one for his Christmas present.  He finished it in 3 days as did I (even while I was leveling up in WOW).

My son perhaps said it best "Everything you'd want in a Dresden book."

It is filled with magic and feats of daring combined with thoughtful explorations of motivations and politics.  It is also infused with humor.  Butcher is one of the few authors who continues to surprise me.  My son agreed--we were both caught off-guard by the ending.  I won't spoil it, but if you are able to anticipate what is to happen I will award you a badge of foresight.

This is a book I would easily recommend to adolescents.  It particularly will fit students who are drawn to fantasy/adventure and quest literature.  It could easily be used in coordination with game-based learning.  There had been a video game (RPG) version as well as a one season television series. He also had a series of comic books based on the Dresden characters.  For you graphic novel/comics students this would be a leveling up.

Why am I such a fan?  First, Butcher himself has a great take on becoming a writer and the work ethic necessary to reach goals.  Anyone who needs "inspiration" should look at what Butcher says about these topics.  Secondly, Butcher has extremely complex characters.  Although good and evil are at constant war, most of his developed characters have a mix.  It is excellent character development and can help adolescents and young adults explore roles and decisions.  Finally there is Harry Dresden himself.  He's funny, in a way that will appeal to many readers, especially adolescent and young adult males.  But, as a mature woman I can also appreciate the humor.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.  Butcher suggests that he's hoping for 23 books in the series.  Cold Days is #14.  I'll try and be patient while waiting.  Maybe I'll try one of the comics to tide me over.  But, I have a reading assignment--look for A Confederacy of Dunces in my next review.  (My book club's choice.)

The Exiled Queen, by Cinda Williams Chima

I continue to enjoy this series, The Seven Realms.  It is fantasy with a medieval setting.  Lots of horses and a feudal sort of society.  Political intrigue and a struggle to retain/grasp power in the Seven Realms is the unfolding story.  Although the plot line is familiar to fantasy readers, Chima does a nice job of making the story fresh with engaging characters who have enough development to keep sophisticated readers engaged.

The queen-to-be, Princess Raisa, has gone undercover to escape a planned marriage (I'm going to try and avoid spoiling the plot line of the first book, The Demon King.  Meanwhile, the other major characters Han Alister, Hayden Fire Dancer, Amon Byrne, and Micha Bayar all end up together with Raisa (in disguise as Rebecca Morley) at the magic and military schools at Oden's Ford. 

The love triangle (or is in a quadrangle?) between Raisa, Han and Amon continues with "doomed" love between them all.  The fourth in the mix is Micha Bayar and he continues to play a part in the connection between the young protagonists in the book.

Of course there is magic involved.  Han, Fire Dancer, and Micha are gifted magicians while Raisa  and Amon are not.  Much of the plot that keeps the reader going is how Han is learning about his magic and dealing with other magicians who would like to use him for their own purposes.  Han has the Demon King's amulet as his magic "piece."  The implication is that he is the heir to the Demon King's great powers.  The Bayar's would like to regain the piece and its power.

While Han is learning about his magic, Raisa is learning about fighting and how to lead her country.  There is a sort of "King Arthur" flavor to her learning about her kingdom in the role of a citizen rather than leader.  

I will be finishing the series and will let you know if it falters.  Otherwise, assume that I still find it worth recommending to young readers who enjoy fantasy.  I think it would be a great recommendation to young adults who play World of Warcraft of League of Legends.  The plot/settings will resonate with the video games they play and will encourage some reading.

Sword of Truth Series, by Terry Goodkind

Once again, I'm in over my head.  I picked up the first book in this series The Wizard's First Rule, as a special offer in my Audible subscription.  I'm now through the second book, Stone of Tears, and beginning the third, Blood of the Fold.  All are the story of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell as they pursue adventures through political intrigues, magic, wizardry, and evil plots generally devised by demented wizards or witches (Sisters of the Light or Sisters of the Dark usually).  I am primarily listening to the series through audio book versions.  They are good companions on my walks and while I garden.

I was a bit dismayed to find out that reviewers see Goodkind as a follower of Ayn Rand and a believer in Objectivism.  (I have to go back and reread Anthem, by Rand.   I read it in the 70's. It now appears to be a seminal work in the thinking of conservative Christian politicians.)  Since I learned of the connection I listen to the books with a close eye on the philosophical premises underlying with Wizard's Rules (each book explores one of the rules).  I'm on the third rule now--Passions Rule, For Better or Worse.  Since I am studying Buddhism and the works of Thich Nhat Hanh I am experiencing some cognitive dissonance.  I expect Nhat Hanh would guide me to watering more peaceful/serene seeds in my store rather than filling my mind and ears with this violence. 

I enjoy the action and adventure.  However, these books are definitely fantasy.  There is a great deal of sadomasochistic sex in the first book and other detailed sexual or violent content throughout the series.  I would not suggest it for those with conservative sexual values or those disturbed by physical violence. 

Side Jobs, by Jim Butcher

A collection of short stories featuring the main and supportive characters from Butcher's Dresden Files series.  Reading these made me yearn for the next book in the Dresden Files series.  As always, Butcher's humor tickles me and his plots/characters compel me to continue reading.  This collection of short stories may be an excellent way to pull adolescent readers into the series or Butcher's other series, The Codex Alera.  Although readers of the series will be able to bring a layered and complex understanding of the characters and plot to these short stories I also believe that readers new to this would find each story engaging and lucid. 

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher

Where have I been all fall? Well, besides The Swan Thieves, and a couple other random books that I hope I can remember, I've been reading Jim Butcher's collected works.

When I get stressed I read "lite" books and this series got me through a particularly high pressure fall. The Dresden Files combine humor, fantasy, and have a flavor of hard-boiled detective fiction like books by Dashiell Hammett. A series that regularly gets me to laugh out loud is just what I need to get me through the stressful times.

Harry Dresden is a wizard-for-hire in present-day Chicago. Since I'm very familiar with Chicago and the surrounding areas it is regional fiction that I can appreciate. Dresden is a powerful wizard, but burdened with a bad-upbringing, incomplete knowledge of his craft, and well-founded mistrust of his fellow wizards.

I won't say too much about the content of the books, just recommendations from two young men. My son and my colleague's son both have or are tearing through this series. That my adult son, an avid video gamer, can take time to pick up books that I have also read is one of the great gifts of my life. That another bright young man in my circle of acquaintances has also read the series tells me that this is one I can recommend to older young adults. I'll stress the adult there, in the later books there are some sexual scenes that may cause some teachers to hesitate about suggesting the series to students. These scenes are not so explicit that I would not recommend the books, but I would warn students as I recommend them that there are some brief scenes with sexual content.

At the same time I was reading The Dresden Files I also worked through Butcher's other series, Codex Alera. I wasn't as engaged with this series. I think probably it would appear more to young men. There are lots of horses, evil monsters, and intricate plots. Of course, it could also be that I listened to all of these on my smart phone instead of in book form. I read all but one of the Dresden books in paper form.

Butcher admits to being a great fan of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Allusions to these words as well as others enrich the Dresden books. The provide a great opening for teachers to encourage wider reading.

Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy

Edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

I've let my "fantasy" reading slack off a bit. It was good to get back and this collection of short stories was a good starting place. Each author's story is prefaced with a brief biography and a catalogue of his/her works. If I follow up on these various authors I'll finish off the summer reading fantasy. (Ah--but my stack of books "to read" does not include much fantasy. I guess I'll just need to buy some and add them to the stack. Of my favorites in this collection:

• "Holly and Iron" by Garth Nix (I haven't really read Nix, although I know he is popular. This may prompt me into an exploration of his works.)
• "Color Vision" by Mary Rosenblum (A new author to me. This is another collection to add to my stack.)
• "Naming Day" by Patricia A. McKillip
• "Winter's Wife" by Elizabeth Hand (Wonderful! Great balance of realistic/fantasy and important environmental considerations.
• "A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or the Devil's Ninth Question" by Andy Duncan
• "Stone Man" by Nancy Kress
• "Stonefather" by Orson Scott Card

I recommend the collection and also recommend reading additional works by each of the authors names above.

The Pinhoe Egg, by Dianna Wynne Jones

This is number six in the Chrestomanci Series. I love these books. They are short, more ironic, but less complex Harry Potter-read a-likes. I found Dianna Wynne Jones looking for Potter read a-likes and found her book "The Dark Lord of Derkhelm." In "The Pinhoe Egg" you have two extended families of magicians hiding out right under the "great man Chrestomanci's" rule. The families have placed spies in the Chrestomanci household. Meanwhile the Pinhoe's gammer (female lead) has been befuddle by the Farleigh family gammer and the Pinhoe gaffer has died.

All the adults get so caught up in intriques and revenge that the children are allowed to carry on as they will (for the most part). In her attempts to help Marianne Pinhoe gives Cat Chant a globe from the attic. This begins the entire series of events: the globe hatches a griffin, curses and counter curses plague the towns, and Chrestomanci seems preoccupied.

Of course all works out for the kids. Meanwhile readers will get insights into friendship, trust, faith in others, honest, and feuds. This is a series I would recommend to children grades 4-7 depending upon their reading skills, interests, and interest in fantasy.