Zmeyette's Book #6: The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Spoiler alert** (To be safe)

It's been a week since I finished this trilogy, so this post will be more blah than usual. I usually write these posts right after I finish a book, so usually it comes with the I-just-finished-the-book emotions and everything I felt about the book, whether it be giddy or annoyed. And there's the part right now where I might confuse the details of the three books in the trilogy because I read them one after the other, finishing it all off in two days.

Anyway, I guess that's one positive thing that should be attributed to this book: it made me want to read the rest of the books. I just originally planned to check it out since it seemed to be interesting based on the summary I found on Goodreads, but I really didn't think it would catch my attention like this.

The Magicians' Guild is the first in the Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan. It is set in the city of Imardin, in the kingdom of Kyralia. Every year, an event occurs, which is called the Purge, in which the people are sent out from the city into the slums. The story begins on one such Purge. Sonea, sent out from their house within the city because of the Purge, gets caught up in the antics of her friends in the slums who are showing their defiance against those who are in charge of the Purge, including the magicians who were sent out by the King. In a moment of rage, Sonea joins in throwing a stone against the magicians, who are comfortably shielded by their magical barrier, as nothing but magic can penetrate it. However, Sonea's stone goes past the barrier and hits a magician, to the great surprise of the magicians, and of Sonea herself. This starts in the hunt for Sonea, as the Magicians' Guild becomes interested in her, since someone like her who's had no training and yet was able to use magic is powerful--and dangerous. Not just to others, but to herself as well.

There are various ways in which I distinguish the three books, but the main one would be: the leading man. In this book, it seems to be Cery, Sonea's childhood friend and thief-wannabe. He helps Sonea to hide from the magicians and actually helps her in any way he could. Well, that's because he likes Sonea, duh. Their relationship is very interesting, and I like Cery's character, because he's fun, daring, and reliable.

Another character that I like is Rothen. (Yes, they have kinda weird names. It's a different world, after all.) He takes Sonea under his wing upon catching her and tries to make her understand that magicians aren't evil by default. It takes a while before Sonea is captured so Rothen's character is introduced and is depicted even as they search for Sonea, which shows his kind nature, which in a way also makes him oblivious to the darker tendencies of his comrades. In this area, Dannyl, Rothen's former student and now his friend, is much more adept. Dannyl is another interesting character, for reasons which are unraveled in the next two books. In this one, Dannyl is interesting because of the methods he used in order to find Sonea. Rothen and Dannyl's banter is also very fun to read.

This is not my favorite book of the trilogy, but I liked it enough to read the next two books. What I like in this book as a part of the trilogy is how it sets up the characters, because this trilogy is amazing in the way it turns my perceptions of the characters upside down. Even in this book alone, at first I am made to hate the magicians, and at the end they're not so bad after all. I even thought Rothen was evil at first, but even that changed. And things change even more in the next two books.

Another way that I distinguish the three books is Sonea's state in relation to the Guild: in this first one she still has not joined the guild. It's interesting how her relationship with the guild transforms over the three books. That, along with the characters, especially Sonea, who I like as well as a heroine, really perked my interest in this trilogy. But maybe I'll say more about Sonea in the next two posts.

So, overall, this isn't my favorite book of the three, but it was a good start.



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Zmeyette's Book #5: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Spoiler alert** (Sort of)

First off, I just have to say that I like Fanny Price alright. I just had to mention that because the usual complaint seems to be regarding Fanny Price as a character. And that is something that I don't really have much of an issue with. Granted, she's not my favorite Austen heroine, with Anne Eliott and Elizabeth Bennet still my favorites, but I don't dislike her.

Ok, so now that I have gotten that out of the way, what did I think of the book? It was ok for me, I guess. I was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Edmund and Fanny are first cousins, because, well, in my time and place it's just illegal to get married if two people are that closely related, but since I'm assuming that it was perfectly normal and legal practice during Austen's time, I just went along with it. At times things seemed to be too dragging for me, but overall it was ok.

Mansfield Park is about Fanny Price, a girl who is taken in by her uncle and aunt to live with them, the Bertrams of Mansfield Park. Because of her lower status, she was quite neglected by most of the family who took her in, and though not really abused, their treatment of Fanny wasn't really the best that it could be. Mrs. Norris, Fanny's other aunt, was especially mean to her (I am actually wondering if this is where Rowling got the name for Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris here was certainly annoying.). The only person who really took notice and was kind to Fanny was Edmund, her cousin, and as they grew up, Fanny fell in love with him.

Things are shaken up with the arrival of the Crawford siblings, as Mary Crawford sets her sights on Edmund, and Henry proposes to Fanny (I think I paraphrased what was written in the jacket of the book.). Fanny agonizes with every passing day that Mary Crawford and Edmund might get engaged, while no one can understand why Fanny was so adamant in not accepting Henry Crawford's proposal when it seemed to be very favorable to her, what with Henry's status and connections, because no one knew of Fanny's secret love for Edmund.

I admit, I fell for Austen's trap. At some point in the book, I wanted Henry to win Fanny. Why? Because I think he really fell in love with Fanny, and for all his faults, I think it was sweet how he fell for Fanny and how in love he was. But alas, he's not the main character, and I think it was shown that his flaws really run deep, and so he really isn't fit for Fanny.

Although, don't get me wrong, I don't think Fanny is a perfect quiet girl. She also has her flaws, she's quite stubborn and well, she's in love, so I can see how she might be a bit biased against Mary Crawford, although she was ultimately right about her. Edmund too, obviously, since during the time he was in love with Mary Crawford he was also quite blind to her flaws.

I am just annoyed at the fact that Mary and Edmund's and Fanny and Henry's courtship went far longer than the main love story which was between Fanny and Edmund. I mean, what on earth? I would have liked to see it really develop, and the way I read it, it felt as if it was an afterthought, a blip in the end, a loose knot tied in a rush to end the thing. I would have thought that Fanny deserved better, but in the end it was as if she was still a second choice, or something like that. In that sense, I admire Henry Crawford more than Edmund Bertram. At least Henry was quick to see Fanny for the precious character that she is, it's just too bad that he let go of it. In that, he was stupid.

And again, I must clarify (because I am such a longwinded writer) that I like Edmund alright. He was nice to Fanny when everyone else took her for granted, and I really like those kinds of scenarios and characters. Oh, well...

All in all, not the best for me, but it was a good read. Gotta love Austen.


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Zmeyette's Book #4: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This morning, I was staring off into space, and my mind drifted off into thinking about Atonement (a sort of depressing territory), which led me to say out loud: "Atonement is haunting me." Books can really have such an effect on me. This is why even if I could have started reading another book last night, I couldn't, and wouldn't.


So today, I decided to read Coraline, with the hope that it's lighter than my other options, which are The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Lovely Bones.


It was a light read for me, and since it was pretty short, I had to pause at times because I want to relish the story, and try to make it last longer. But the part of me which wants to devour stories as fast as possible won out in the end, and so it was also a relatively quick read for me.


Coraline is about a girl with the same name, and her creepy-to-the-point-of-scary adventure. I like what Neil Gaiman said about his book:


"It was a story, I learned when people began to read it, that children experienced as an adventure, but which gave adults nightmares."


Based on this, I am in some sort of in-between place, but which shows me that I am indeed stepping into adulthood, because I see the adventure part of it, and while reading it I have this sort of fearlessness and knowledge that everything will be alright in the end, but at the same time it really is quite frightening.


In this story, she discovers a strange world after opening a strange door in their flat, and there she finds her "other parents" along with "other people", and while at first everything was interesting and seemed to be better than her reality, in the end it turned into a mission to save her parents among others, and herself, with the help of a cat.


Somehow, it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland (although I've really yet to read the book), with the main character stumbling into a different world, and well, because of the cat. But I'm not really one to talk, because as I've mentioned, I haven't really read Alice in Wonderland yet. Those are just the elements that I am familiar with, based on what I see around me.


This was indeed, a refreshing read for me. I like it.


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P.S. If this review seems hurried, that's because, well, it is. I was also interrupted while writing this, so my thought process was disrupted. On to the next book! 

Zmeyette's Book #3: Atonement by Ian McEwan

Atonement by Ian McEwan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes what I remember of books, more than the story itself, are the experiences I was going through while I was reading the book. Just like in this instance, where my memories of reading this book evoke the stress of schoolwork which always ended up in me having to put off reading for another day, because there are other things that I should be reading for school.

However, that made finishing this book more than just finishing a book: it came to symbolize some sort of success, a release--freedom, finally. Because since I'm now able to finish Atonement, it means that I'm finally on vacation, and it means that I've really been able to finish my first year in law school. It is some kind of a sweet success, to have been able to finish even just that one year without giving up.

Anyway, on to the book. My thoughts, or thought, right now, some minutes after finishing the book, is this: "There's a reason why I stick to YA or fantasy books." And indeed, there is. I'm an escapist. I read to escape. Sometimes, reality becomes too much, and so I read. But in this book, there is no escape. One mistake can be very fatal, can have such repercussions that even a simple "I'm sorry" cannot undo what damage has been caused. And in a situation like this, indeed, how can one find atonement? Especially if, as Briony Tallis put it, as a novelist, she is also God?

Atonement is a tale that at first made me itch to get the preliminaries done and to finally see the point of the story, the "crime" that has been done. But once I came to that point, it was as if I wanted to go back to that sweet ignorance that everyone was in before that fateful night where imagination became self-delusion and spilled over to reality, wrecking it.

Again, I am an escapist. But when I read, it's as if I am transported into another world, and I feel strongly. I don't become numb. And Atonement has touched my heart, and squeezed, even to the point of crushing, it. What a story.


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Zmeyette's Book #2: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Finally, I finished book number two! This was actually supposed to be the first book I would finish this 2011, but oh well. Yay! Here are my thoughts on the book, which I imported from my Goodreads account.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was recommended to me years ago by a high school friend of mine. I wasn't able to read it then, but around 3 months ago, maybe around four years or so after said recommendation, I was in the mood to buy several books (meaning I was with my mother who was in the mood to indulge me my book purchases). Upon glancing at the shelves, I once again saw Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, along with other books. I have been wanting to read it for quite a while, and felt that it was a good opportunity to finally get the book. So I did.

Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't have a lot of time to read. Which is partly the reason why it took me a few months to finish this book. That doesn't lessen the way I like this book, though.

First, an overview of the story. (Not sure if these will have spoilers for you, so...) The Historian is a story which has layered tales that intertwine and come together in a quest that is ultimately about one character: Vlad the Impaler, more popularly known as Dracula. The story is seen, at first through the eyes of an unnamed young woman. However, as the story goes, and the different layers of the tale unravels, we see through different characters' perspectives, and this is accomplished by the author through letters, conversations, and the like, with all these perspectives tied together by the legend of Dracula.

At first, this style confused me, and in the beginning was quite boring to me, but the deeper I got absorbed in the book the more I appreciated this style.It was also quite a long read for me, regardless of my busy school life, but it was a fresh reprieve from my usual rushed YA reads (or cases, for that matter). I'd quite forgotten the comfort of sinking into a good story, of reading bits and pieces, pausing every now and then, knowing I can go back later, or the next day. I think to complete the feeling in my mind I just need a fireplace, a comfy chair, and a rainy day.

One of the recurring thoughts in my head as I read this book was my renewed and energized dream of traveling throughout Europe. Kostova depicted the locations in The Historian in such a way that I envied the young woman her diplomat father, and their travels throughout different spots in the continent. Even with the terrifying tales that were painted over these places, the beauty of them still shines through and makes me want to see such for myself.

The story also has quite the blend of characters, although, as the title of the book suggests, most of them are historians. Still, the development of the character for me, was done well, and I like how the characters come together. I also enjoyed the twists and turns they presented, which left me pleasantly surprised several times.

All in all, this one was a refreshing read (this is very ironic, given the story that the book actually has) for me, and I really enjoyed reading it.

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P.S. How about you? What's the last book you finished?

Zmeyette's Book #1: Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

I have decided to post an entry (not necessarily a review) for every book that I finish, as part of my 2011 reading challenge. I can't guarantee that this will be strictly followed, but hey, I'll try. 


~


When I decided on having my own 2011 reading challenge, I had already started reading Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. Naturally, I thought it was the first book that I will finish this 2011. But then, of course, sometimes life just doesn't work that way, and things don't always go according to plan. Which, in my case was when my good friend Ana reminded me that Nalini Singh's Archangel's Consort is released this week. Thus, I got myself a copy, and then since coincidentally, I felt as if I had a lot of free time that day, I started reading it. And didn't stop until I finished the whole book .

The cover is awesome, isn't it?

Archangel's Consort is the last (I think) of three books in the Guild Hunter series, of which Elena Deveraux is the heroine. A lot of time has passed since I finished the last two books, so my memory was quite sketchy when it came to the story and especially the details of the series. Some came back in the course of reading the third book, but then overall it was not the most pleasant reading experience when you feel as if an event should mean more but you don't know or remember how exactly it does. This is why I'll have to read all three books again, just so I could really understand it. It's just that I couldn't help myself from finishing that book, and then, before I knew it, it was over.

This is why I am only posting an entry on the circumstances surrounding this 'steal' of the spot of the first book I finished this 2011, and not really giving away a lot of opinions or thoughts on the story. Because I'm not satisfied yet with my reading of the book. I know the third book, but I want proper closure from the trilogy. And that calls for a reread.

Just to give you an idea about the book, though, (since it's a bit cruel to not say anything about the book, not to mention totally unhelpful), as I've mentioned Elena Deveraux is the heroine of the story, and she is a vampire hunter. It sounds run-of-the-mill, but really, that job description is quite an understatement for her and for the story. The society in which the setting is set is really different, albeit the place is just New York. What is the difference? Aside from the vampires, which you can already glean from Elena's job title, there are angels in this story. And they're not  you're usual angels either, as they can be very, and I mean very, ruthless. Especially the archangels. One such example is Raphael, who is the archangel of New York. He's one unique character as well. It's also not your usual love story, and the relationship of these characters is something I like about this series.

I'm feeling a bit guilty for having neglected my The Historian so I'm actually reading it as of this moment, and hope to finish it soon (which might be unlikely since I'm only just about halfway done with the book). What I'm happy about is that at last, the ice has been broken, so to speak, and I've finally really started towards my goal of reading 50 books (at the very least) this year! Hopefully I can read more over the course of the year.

How about you? Do you have your own book challenge? If yes, how goes it?