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Aug. 7th, 2009 10:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsIt's been several months since I read the first book in Michelle West's Sun Sword series and I was sort of worried I was going to have forgotten everything that happened by the time I finally got to the second one, but fortunately that does not seem to be the case!
It helps that Book 2, The Uncrowned King, focuses entirely on the North (though that means it is going to be even harder when we get back to the South and I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO ANYONE IS. Except Teresa and Diora. Because Teresa and Diora are awesome.) It also manages to be astoundingly action-packed for a book whose main plot is basically "our Hero has decided to Prove Himself . . . by entering the FANTASYLAND OLYMPICS! \o/" The fact that there's an attempt on somebody's life every other page, usually by means of a demon attack, does liven things up a bit.
I still can't quite decide whether I feel like West is telling me too much, or too little. The writing can be a bit frustrating in that pretty much character has an immensely complex backstory that she rarely explains in full, but the bits that she does explain, she references every time that character shows. I have to admit I got kind of sick of hearing about Famous Swordmaster's Tragic Dead Wife, YES, IT IS VERY SAD AND HE IS VERY SCARRED BY IT, I GET IT. On the other hand, the fallout between Devon and Jewel was given so much narrative importance that I kept feeling like there must have been some description of their backstory that I missed, but I an pretty sure that is not actually the case. There were also several unfortunate cases of "this character is awesome! SO every other character will talk about it at GREAT LENGTH," most fatally in the case of Jewel. I really like Jewel! And thus, I completely get that Jewel is a great person without everyone else taking lots of pages to stand around talking about it. (Valedan also suffers from a lot from this.) I also have absolutely no idea at this point what the hell is Evayne's deal and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not!
On the other hand, the fact that everyone has their own personal backstory and web of complicated relationships makes the world feel very complex and real and interesting, relationships between ladies keep on being extremely important to the narrative (although not as much, sadly, as in the first book - I'm excited to get back to that in the next!) and the finale was a kind of gloriouslyhilariously transcendent Guy Love-fest, and I am not ashamed to say that the final 100-page stretch was pretty un-put-downable.
Next book, I hope to see Valedan, Alina, Jewel, Kiriel and the Ospreys on a WACKY KINGDOM-CONQUERING ROAD TRIP. And more Serra Teresa!
It helps that Book 2, The Uncrowned King, focuses entirely on the North (though that means it is going to be even harder when we get back to the South and I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO ANYONE IS. Except Teresa and Diora. Because Teresa and Diora are awesome.) It also manages to be astoundingly action-packed for a book whose main plot is basically "our Hero has decided to Prove Himself . . . by entering the FANTASYLAND OLYMPICS! \o/" The fact that there's an attempt on somebody's life every other page, usually by means of a demon attack, does liven things up a bit.
I still can't quite decide whether I feel like West is telling me too much, or too little. The writing can be a bit frustrating in that pretty much character has an immensely complex backstory that she rarely explains in full, but the bits that she does explain, she references every time that character shows. I have to admit I got kind of sick of hearing about Famous Swordmaster's Tragic Dead Wife, YES, IT IS VERY SAD AND HE IS VERY SCARRED BY IT, I GET IT. On the other hand, the fallout between Devon and Jewel was given so much narrative importance that I kept feeling like there must have been some description of their backstory that I missed, but I an pretty sure that is not actually the case. There were also several unfortunate cases of "this character is awesome! SO every other character will talk about it at GREAT LENGTH," most fatally in the case of Jewel. I really like Jewel! And thus, I completely get that Jewel is a great person without everyone else taking lots of pages to stand around talking about it. (Valedan also suffers from a lot from this.) I also have absolutely no idea at this point what the hell is Evayne's deal and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not!
On the other hand, the fact that everyone has their own personal backstory and web of complicated relationships makes the world feel very complex and real and interesting, relationships between ladies keep on being extremely important to the narrative (although not as much, sadly, as in the first book - I'm excited to get back to that in the next!) and the finale was a kind of gloriously
Next book, I hope to see Valedan, Alina, Jewel, Kiriel and the Ospreys on a WACKY KINGDOM-CONQUERING ROAD TRIP. And more Serra Teresa!
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Date: 2009-08-24 04:27 am (UTC)Personally I don't mind the repeated going over of important events in character's lives so much. But there is some pretty uneven treatment, with all of, say, Anton being revealed, and people like Kallandras and Evayne getting very slow and still vague reveals. I actually kind of think it suits the characters, but I understand being frustrated by it.
I am afraid that wacky kingdom conquering is a bit slow to get underway, but in book 3 you will be seeing much more Diora, getting one of Teresa's crowning moments of awesome, and dealing with the the demons' DIABOLICAL PLOT-WITH MASKS! Also, just how true this icon can be will be revealed.
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Date: 2009-08-24 01:51 pm (UTC)Yeah, I get why Kallandras and Evayne are being kept vague and mysterious - but it is sort of reassuring to know that I am supposed to be as confused about them as I am! I keep wondering if I missed or forgot something important.
YAY DIORA AND TERESA! :D :D :D I have the next one out of the library, so I should be getting around to it a little more speedily than I did this one.
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Date: 2009-08-28 03:26 am (UTC)And I should warn you that saying you appreciate grown-up heroes is, in my current mental state, asking me to sell you on 20th Century Boys.
If you are missing something, I do not know what it is, at least!
THEY ARE MARVELOUS! I shall look forward to it!
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Date: 2009-08-28 01:48 pm (UTC)IN FACT I did read the first volume of 20th Century Boys and am waiting super impatiently for the next one to come in for me at the library! I am just waiting to post about it until I've read another volume or two, because with about 20 volumes that is a lot of flist spam if I post about each volume individually. *sheepish* BUT IT WAS AWESOME AND I AM SO HOOKED.
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Date: 2009-08-29 05:05 am (UTC)AAAH, I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU LIKE IT!
I confess, I recently broke my "staying with the official release" vow and started reading ahead on Onemanga. Which has not decreased my need to own the official release in the slightest.
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Date: 2009-08-29 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 02:03 am (UTC)