bluegargantua (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bluegargantua) wrote2016-12-08 08:01 pm
bluegargantua) wrote2016-12-08 08:01 pm
Entry tags:
Read a bit, review a bit
Hey,
OK, let's try and keep up-to-date. I plowed through two more books so let's see what we've got:
First up: The Burning Isle by Will Panzo. Pretty much a straight-up fantasy novel that rips off the plot of Yojimbo, but does interesting things with it.
OK, so the Isle in question is Scipio, far-flung outpost of Empire and wretched hive of scum and villainy. The town is split between two gang lords and they both live in fear of the general who sits in his jungle fort outside the city. Into this mix comes Cassius, a young wizard who hopes to shake things up a bit.
I really like the way magic works here. There are numerous types of magic, but Runic Magic (as perfected and practiced by the Empire) has come to the fore. Other types of magic get broken down into their essential elements and then rendered as a run. If you have facility with runes, you can channel power through them to get the same effect, but without the dancing, sacrifices, weird material components, or whatever else the original spell required. Just focus on the rune, shove some energy through it and boom -- instant effect. Runes are generally inscribed onto gemstones that are then inset into metal gauntlets. Not only does this let you cast a spell over and over again, but if you take another wizard's gauntlets, you can now start casting all their spells as well.
So with the gauntlets at their hips, and a big payout for taking out your opponent, wizards essentially act as Wild West Gunmen and there's a number of well-detailed wizard duels.
The book is fast, breezy and fun. It's well-written even if the basic plot and tropes are screamingly obvious. The only major issue is that the book just ends with half a dozen threads dangling. It's not entirely clear if they're setting up a sequel or if the author is just trying to be mysterious but either way the ending is rubbish. But, honestly, that's the last page. It's pretty good reading up until then and worth checking out.
Next up: Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection by Robert F Capon. So, at the front of this book, it talks about how you'll make a lamb supper for eight people four times. He lays out the ingredients and then...and then he goes off on these amazing and wonderful tangents about food and people, the microscopic and the cosmic, the physical and the spiritual in this wonderful soup of topics.
Fair warning: Mr. Capon is (was) an Episcopalian minister so there's quite a bit of god-talk but it's never all that irritating (compared to religious stuff I've read in the past) and it's not trying to proselytize you. In particular, Capon delights in the goodness of God's creation and his delight is absolutely infectious. He doesn't need to guide you to God, he just figures if he helps you appreciate creation more, you'll find your own way to God. Your faith doesn't matter to him nearly as much as whether or not you use margarine.
There are actual recipes and techniques described in the book, advice on throwing dinner parties and it all just makes you want to try and make puff pastry. The writing is outstanding and this will probably be one of my books for the year.
Put it this way: the chapter about onions alone is worth the price of the book. It comes with my highest recommendation and I encourage folks to check it out.
later
Tom
OK, let's try and keep up-to-date. I plowed through two more books so let's see what we've got:
First up: The Burning Isle by Will Panzo. Pretty much a straight-up fantasy novel that rips off the plot of Yojimbo, but does interesting things with it.
OK, so the Isle in question is Scipio, far-flung outpost of Empire and wretched hive of scum and villainy. The town is split between two gang lords and they both live in fear of the general who sits in his jungle fort outside the city. Into this mix comes Cassius, a young wizard who hopes to shake things up a bit.
I really like the way magic works here. There are numerous types of magic, but Runic Magic (as perfected and practiced by the Empire) has come to the fore. Other types of magic get broken down into their essential elements and then rendered as a run. If you have facility with runes, you can channel power through them to get the same effect, but without the dancing, sacrifices, weird material components, or whatever else the original spell required. Just focus on the rune, shove some energy through it and boom -- instant effect. Runes are generally inscribed onto gemstones that are then inset into metal gauntlets. Not only does this let you cast a spell over and over again, but if you take another wizard's gauntlets, you can now start casting all their spells as well.
So with the gauntlets at their hips, and a big payout for taking out your opponent, wizards essentially act as Wild West Gunmen and there's a number of well-detailed wizard duels.
The book is fast, breezy and fun. It's well-written even if the basic plot and tropes are screamingly obvious. The only major issue is that the book just ends with half a dozen threads dangling. It's not entirely clear if they're setting up a sequel or if the author is just trying to be mysterious but either way the ending is rubbish. But, honestly, that's the last page. It's pretty good reading up until then and worth checking out.
Next up: Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection by Robert F Capon. So, at the front of this book, it talks about how you'll make a lamb supper for eight people four times. He lays out the ingredients and then...and then he goes off on these amazing and wonderful tangents about food and people, the microscopic and the cosmic, the physical and the spiritual in this wonderful soup of topics.
Fair warning: Mr. Capon is (was) an Episcopalian minister so there's quite a bit of god-talk but it's never all that irritating (compared to religious stuff I've read in the past) and it's not trying to proselytize you. In particular, Capon delights in the goodness of God's creation and his delight is absolutely infectious. He doesn't need to guide you to God, he just figures if he helps you appreciate creation more, you'll find your own way to God. Your faith doesn't matter to him nearly as much as whether or not you use margarine.
There are actual recipes and techniques described in the book, advice on throwing dinner parties and it all just makes you want to try and make puff pastry. The writing is outstanding and this will probably be one of my books for the year.
Put it this way: the chapter about onions alone is worth the price of the book. It comes with my highest recommendation and I encourage folks to check it out.
later
Tom