In keeping with my self imposed rule here, I'm not reviewing American Gods. Whats to say that isn't going to come out gushing in fan boy induced glee? I like Gaiman's work. I enjoy his ability to craft stories, and his willingness to insert pieces that are less than normal. At the end of the day I'm not sure that I'm able or willing to perceive the faults that may lie in his books, and so I can't do more than say:
I read American Gods again.
And I'm sorry Mr. Norrel, I'm getting to you as swiftly as my free time will allow. Please don't turn me into a newt. The history of English magic lends me confidence that I would get better, but I'm not sure about the time frame, or if I'd enjoy spending time with Gussie Fink-Nottle.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Always an even trade.
Due to various circumstances that were entirely within my control, I've not been reading much until just recently. However I did finally sit down and peruse Reaper's Gale. And much to my chagrin, I found it lacking the level of completeness that Erikson infused into his previous volumes.
Partially this is the nature of his books. He has two competing story lines, which didn't touch each other until this book. While those stories were tied together by the same adversary, previously books dealt with one set of (mortal) protagonists and a set of deities that remained the same. The first three books Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, and Memories of Ice all dealt with the same group of protagonists. These books felt polished and had a level of refinement in story that was easy to read. When thread split off, or new characters were introduced, there was time and effort spent on incorporating them into the story as a whole.
The second three books, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, and The Bonehunters delved into the machinations of the Crippled God, who is the main antagonist for the series to date. These books moved the protagonists from the first books into more powerful and less involved roles. Their appearance presaged a major shift in the direction of the story, or the coming to head of some major plot point. The second three books also began to introduce more characters and civilizations that had not been touched upon directly. These groups were usually within their own story lines, and developed without interaction with the main protagonists. This allowed for the creation of a similarly rich back story for the new characters.
The came Reaper's Gale. Where most of the various plot lines converged into a mess. There was easily two books worth of material here, books that could have introduced many of the characters that we learned about for 10 pages and then never heard about again. There were loose ends of plot at both ends of the book, people in places without explanation, (and often these people were not know characters, but generic.) There were also groups of people who were added at the last seconds, like a teaser for what will occur next. And throughout the entire book to many people were simply added without the character creation that marked the first books.
The book was good. It advanced the plot quite a bit. But it didn't feel like it was as well written as it could have been. And with so many other books in the series to compare it to, that's a fatal flaw.
Partially this is the nature of his books. He has two competing story lines, which didn't touch each other until this book. While those stories were tied together by the same adversary, previously books dealt with one set of (mortal) protagonists and a set of deities that remained the same. The first three books Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, and Memories of Ice all dealt with the same group of protagonists. These books felt polished and had a level of refinement in story that was easy to read. When thread split off, or new characters were introduced, there was time and effort spent on incorporating them into the story as a whole.
The second three books, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, and The Bonehunters delved into the machinations of the Crippled God, who is the main antagonist for the series to date. These books moved the protagonists from the first books into more powerful and less involved roles. Their appearance presaged a major shift in the direction of the story, or the coming to head of some major plot point. The second three books also began to introduce more characters and civilizations that had not been touched upon directly. These groups were usually within their own story lines, and developed without interaction with the main protagonists. This allowed for the creation of a similarly rich back story for the new characters.
The came Reaper's Gale. Where most of the various plot lines converged into a mess. There was easily two books worth of material here, books that could have introduced many of the characters that we learned about for 10 pages and then never heard about again. There were loose ends of plot at both ends of the book, people in places without explanation, (and often these people were not know characters, but generic.) There were also groups of people who were added at the last seconds, like a teaser for what will occur next. And throughout the entire book to many people were simply added without the character creation that marked the first books.
The book was good. It advanced the plot quite a bit. But it didn't feel like it was as well written as it could have been. And with so many other books in the series to compare it to, that's a fatal flaw.
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