"Raven's Shadow" by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs is pretty well known for her Mercedes Thompson Urban Fantasy Series. I picked up one of her older books to see how she did in the more traditional fantasy setting. I was not disappointed.

I had picked up Raven's Shadow a while ago, and it's been siting in my "To-be-read" pile. Feeling bad for my TBR pile, since I keep adding to it, and not really making much progress on it's size, I picked this particular book up as it had been sitting in the pile for a long time. I wasn't sure I could read a traditional fantasy story - I mean, looking back, I've read dark fantasy, comedic fantasy, and urban fantasy - all very contemporary explorations of the genre. I tend to "like" a specific sub genre for a while, sort of get addicted to it. So after my "high" of Hounded (see previous entry), I wasn't sure  could read the "traditional" fantasy and not "get bored." (Nothing to the actual book, you see, most of the books I put down are very good books, I'm just not in the right mind frame to read them at that point in time.)

I am very glad, however, that I picked up Raven's Shadow! It was a fast read, which is always nice in a genre that tends to be dominated by epic tomes and the Mega!Series. It is by no means a stand alone book, and I raced to the ending even though I had "peeked ahead" (more on this in a different blog). The book was well written, the story was pretty fast paced, the characters were flawed: the heroes are good, the villains are evil, but with their own traits that makes them more than just caricatures. The magic is presented in a fashion that, if not unique, was definitely organic to the world Ms. Briggs created.

While I did enjoy the book, there were certainly parts where I wished we had more. A few things that happen get thrown an "oh, here's an explanation" and while the explanations make sense in the worldview, they are a bit convenient and not foreshadowed at all (or at least not well, because I didn't pick up on them at all), which is a bit of a let down.

What I liked most about the book however, were the characters. I enjoyed reading about them, and I'm excited to see more of them, so I will be purchasing the sequel, Raven's Strike, once there is some more money in my book buying fund. (Which is woefully low for a good long while as I sort of went on a shopping spree last weekend....don't judge!)

"Hounded" by Kevin Hearne

Urban fantasy is a large sub-genre of fantasy, and there are some big names writing it: Laurel K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, and many more. The three I have named all have one thing in common: they write the "alternate" earth urban fantasy - some aspect of fantasy is living among the humans. Vampires, werewolves, magic, fae live and work in "real" cities like St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati.

A new voice has entered the field. Hounded is the first book in Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles. Set in Tempe, Arizona, the usual elements of urban fantasy are here: werewolves, vampires, witches and faeries. And gods. Oh, and did I mention our hero is a 2100 year old Druid?

Atticus is our main hero, a Druid that would like nothing more than to live in peace with his wolfhound, Oberon. However, it's hard to live in peace when the gods are looking for you.

Hounded has a rich mythology, a hero that's fun and flawed, and the world's best Irish Wolfhound - Oberon. It is Atticus' relationship with Oberon that really makes the book. Atticus has taught the dog how to speak, and they communicate mentally. Oberon, however, does not stop being a dog. He is still excited about life, sometimes single minded, and hungry.

And this is why I HATE reviewing books that I loved. I don't know what to say. I laughed out loud on several occasions, and the book kept me up well past my bedtime. I'm planning to go out and buy Hexed and Hammered, the next books in the series, as soon as possible.

Okay, so what exactly did I like about this book? I enjoyed the fact that the entire Celtic pantheon was involved. The story was full of conflict - non stop as most urban fantasy - which left you out of breath, and in typical "Irish" fashion, the slow parts usually involved drinking. Oberon is a great character, you don't for a moment forget he's still a dog, even though he can mentally speak with Atticus.

There is a little bit of "first book" - ness? - to this book. Somethings get repeated that maybe don't need to be. Specifically referring to some of the talk of the gods, but while some of it makes it clear that hey, these guys don't get out much - some of it is a bit over the top. Also, the fact that "women" are Atticus' weakness is pointed out a few too many times. They could have just showed it, instead of everyone commenting on it time after time again.

So, while there are some faults, it's a very fun book: it's intended purpose is to entertain, and on that order it certainly delivers. I look forward to more of the adventures of Atticus and Oberon.

"Goblin Quest" by Jim C. Hines

*This was a book club selection (it happens to be my selection for the club this year.)

I was introduce to Jim C. Hings through his Princess books. (A good series. Start with The Stepsister Scheme.) So, when I picked up Goblin Quest, I expected a bit of tongue-in-check to the genre. There were some humorous moments, certainly, but I feel like any person who has ever played Dungeons and Dragons would enjoy this twist on the typical D&D adveture, a bit more than those who hadn't played the game, or read the books set in that style.

Our hero (or anti-hero) is Jig, a goblin (hence the book title). While we are constantly hit over the head with the fact that Jig is pathetic even for a goblin (in normal goblin traits), he's certainly a fun protagonist to follow. He may be near-sighted, cowardly, small, and inexperienced, but he's intelligent (or perhaps just more imaginative.) Now that I'm thinking about it, he does tend to approach things with a child like mind - not stupid, or dull witted, but instead everything for him is full of wonder, and he therefore thinks more "outside the box" than the "more experienced" and single minded characters who are billed as the "heroes." (Your typical adventuring party: The Noble Prince on a Quest, the Powerful Wizard, the Dwarven Cleric and the Elven Thief.)

Jig also has a small companion, a Fire Spider named Smudge who is a very useful pet. Jig's care of the creature shows more about his character than all his negative thoughts about himself and his race. Jig may not be perfect, but he's certainly shown to be more than just another Monster. While this type of story certainly isn't new, I think Goblin Quest does a really good job of telling a fun "adventure" story with a fun POV character. However, there are serious dark overtones, especially considering the character that Jig deals with - there's certainly a quality about it that makes you think - the winners are the Heroes, but I think we all tend to associate "good" qualities with those that claim to be heroes. Goblin Quest turns that on it's head a bit in a way that makes you think about what "good" and "evil" really mean: Who's the hero and who is the Monster?

While this certainly isn't a MUST READ NOW kinda book, I do think it's one any fantasy lover should consider adding to his or her library. Goblin Quest is the first book in a trilogy, but it can certainly be read and enjoyed on it's own. But, I think I see Goblin Hero in my future.