Paladin of Souls

Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold is the second book in her Chalion series. It won the Hugo award for best novel in 2004. While I enjoyed the book, I think there were probably some better choices out there.

The story takes up where the Curse of Chalion left off. If you havent read the first book and don't want to be spoiled skip to the end of the review.

The curse of the golden general has been lifted, and Cazand Iselle have settled in to their new roles as Queen andChancelor. For Dowager Royina Ista though, things have changed. With the curse lifted so has her madness, or so she hopes. In order to gain some freedom she sets off on a pilgrimage with some old friends and some new.

Along her journey she discovers that there are demons loose in the land. Not only that but there are new tensions along the border of Jokarna. More troubling yet, are her dreams. Is her madness truly gone?

The book clocks in at just under 500 pages. It probably could have been been shrunk to two thirds that side without much trouble. I felt there was too much exposition, and that too much of it was repeated. I read the first book. I know the story of Lord dy Lutez. I can deal with hearing it retold once, but two or three times, is too much. There wasnt anything groundbreaking in this book, but it was still a good story worth the read.

7 out of 10

Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is a prolific writer probably best known for her Farseer trilogy. She has also written the Live Ships trilogy and the Tawny Man trilogy set in the same world. She is currently working on the Soldier's Son series. She also wrtes contemporary fantasy under the name of Meagan Lindholm.

I got the chance to meet Ms. Hobb last year during a reading at Dreamhaven books. She was very nice and engaging. To this point I've only had the chance to read the Farseer books, but the other Hobb books are in my collection, and I'm looking forward to getting a chance to get to them finally.

The Forever War

"Tonight we're going to show you eight silent ways to kill a man."

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman won both the Hugo an Nebula Awards for Best novel, and its easy to see why. It is truly a masterpiece of hard Sci-Fi. Written as an allegory to the author's own experience in the Vietnam War, the book follows the story of one young conscript and his time served in the never ending war with the Taurans.

Private William Mandella was drafted due to his unique skill set, and trained to fight in the far reaches of space. However due to relativity each mission while taking mere months subjectively can take years or even centuries back on Earth. Haldeman uses this to explore radical social and economic possibilities in our future.

I absolutely loved this book. The Science is hard enough to dazzle you, but not so hard as to leave you scratching your head in confusion. The story is wonderful. The author uses his experiences well to demonstrate not only the dangers a soldier faces in combat, but those he faces off duty, and while trying to reassimilate into the public. If you haven't read this book, and you at all enjoy Sci-Fi pick it up now.

9.5 out of 10

The Man in the High Castle

"It is 1962 and the Second World War has been over for seventeen years: people have now had a chance to adjust to the new order. But it's not been easy. The Mediterranean has been drained to make farmland, the population of Africa has virtually been wiped out and America has been divided between the Nazis and the Japanese. In the neutral buffer zone that divides the two superpowers lives the man in the high castle, the author of an underground bestseller, a work of fiction that offers an alternative theory of world history in which the Axis powers didn't win the war."

The Man in the High Castle won the Hugo award in 1963. This alternative history story is an amazing vision of what if. But its much more than that. It's a story of a book with in a book. One of the cornerstones of the story is a book titled The Grasshopper Lies Heavy by Hawthorne Abendsen, who is the Man in the High Castle. Grasshopper is itself an alternate history book in which Germany and Japan did not win WW2.

Dick is a master of the esoteric in this book. He weaves a tale worthy of the title "Masterwork". For a work over 40 years old it does not feel dated. Characterizations are well developed for a book if this modest length. I found myself re-evaluating my opinions of the protagonists, most especially Juliana, several times as I read. This is a must read for any fan of speculative fiction.

9 out of 10