Review: I Am Half Sick Of Shadows

I Am Half Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Flavia de Luce is a positively delightful character. I found myself engrossed in this latest A. Bradley book for a whole day. It's like watching a very entertaining niece go about a very entertaining adventure. There were some (few) parts I could not relate to (and made me skip to the more action-filled parts), but I blame it on my lack of knowledge about British post-war culture.

I applaud I Am Half-Sick of Shadows for making the protagonist(s) even more endearing to the readers. Good work, Mr. Bradley.



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Review: Fire

Fire by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



It breaks my heart to give Fire three stars. Mainly because I loved its predecessor so much.

The first few pages of Fire were spectacular enough: the initial story kept the eerie flavor of some chapters in Graceling that dealt with one of the creepiest antagonists I've encountered in the YA genre. I was really absorbed in this "back story," and had goosebumps while reading it. I found it interesting how Fire deftly explored the existence of "unnatural" but natural (because they exist in the real and natural world, as explained by one of the main antagonists) "monsters" such as serial killers and rapists.

But, sadly, it was all downhill from there. Sigh.

While the strength and grace of the words used in Graceling were brilliantly palpable to the mesmerized reader, in Fire they were at times unnatural. I understand that other readers were turned off by some controversial aspects of Fire's story, e.g. the "casual" sex, belittlement of marriage. Those I can take: in Graceling some of these elements were even made interesting. But I have qualms with the heroine of the story. I know she's supposed to be monstrously beautiful and all, but I felt that the entire story revolved around that concept. She was supposed to be a strong character, but in my eyes, she was made weak. I mean, weakness in a character can be made into a "storytelling" asset. But Fire was too beautiful, too whiny, too fragile for my taste. I wouldn't want a future daughter to model herself after her.

I also had issues with the redefinition of "monster" in the book. While at first the idea of monster as "otherworldly beautiful" was fresh and interesting, the subsequent repetitions of the concept in Fire eventually became trite.

I hope K. Cashore's Bitterblue will bring back memories of Graceling for me.



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Review: SPQR XIII: The Year of Confusion: A Mystery

SPQR XIII: The Year of Confusion: A Mystery by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



And so the end has come. For the series, the Caecilii Metelli, Decius Caecilius Metellus. And for me, a great fan of SPQR, it is more bitter than sweet. Consummatum est.

If you loved the entire series, for all its hits and misses, warts and all, you would love SPQR XIII, too. SPQR XIII is one of the series' many hits, actually. And lest you misunderstand, the "misses" of the series are too few to make any difference. Say that I'm biased, flocci non facio.

The one thing I love about this series is it actually improved toward the end. Even with the protagonist getting older with each installment, the mysteries (and the adventures) become even more entertaining. John Maddox Roberts is extremely talented. If I'm going to be a series writer, I want to write like him.

I've said this before and I will say it again: if you love Ancient Rome (and the wealth of history that comes with the subject) and you want to be thoroughly entertained, this series won't fail you.









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Review: SPQR XII: Oracle of the Dead

SPQR XII: Oracle of the Dead by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



There is one paragraph from Oracle of the Dead that made me slap my forehead in homage to its sheer comic brilliance (if you know and love the protagonist Decius, you would know what I'm talking about): "With a few of my helpers and preceded by my six lictors I rode on into the beautiful city, where I was greeted with the usual choruses of children and girls in white gowns who strewed flower petals in my path and local poets who read panegyrics in my honor. At least, I think they were panegyrics. I've never been too clear on the distinction between a panegyric and an ode. Oh well, as long as it's not a eulogy, I've no cause to complain. (p.88)"

I googled the definition of panegyric: it is "a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something." And so, Decius, again, this review is a panegyric on the SPQR series' underrated flair for storytelling. It kept me up for hours—well into the night and past my (8 p.m.) beddie time. There were comic parts that made me laugh, and parts that made me think ("Diogenes said that when a man claimed to be doing something for honor, or for patriotism, or for love of his fellow man, or any other such high-flown reason, you could be certain that the real motive was something base and shabby (p.84)"—Gitiadas the philosopher). There were even parts that made me want to weep (I refer, in particular, to the book's last page, which mentioned Julia's eventual fate).

I'm going to read other (non SPQR-related) books in the next few weeks, just to save the 13th (and last, so far) installment in this series for a sad, rainy day. I want Decius, Julia and everyone else in SPQR to keep me company by then.

And so, Praetor Peregrinus Metellus, pursuer of evildoers, smiter of the wicked, target practice for archers, friend of the wine sellers, and enemy of sobriety (p.158), here's my wish for you. May you live for as long as I live :) Be kind, J.M. Roberts :(





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Review: Spqr Xi: Under Vesuvius

Spqr Xi: Under Vesuvius by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I was supposed to read this book two months ago, but a very disappointing discovery (with the Amazon Kindle version) prevented me from doing so. So I had to order the actual "physical" book from Amazon and wait for, argh, months.

As soon as I started reading the first few pages, I realized one thing (and one thing only): Under Vesuvius was worth the wait. Period. Decius (yes the protagonist) is now praetor peregrinus in this book, a position with real power (meaning he now has imperium, or the power to summon and lead armies at will). One of the many things I like about the SPQR series is how the reader learns about the Ancient Roman public career (i.e. the cursus honorum or the path of honor) through the main character. Decius, who belongs to one of Ancient Rome's greatest and most powerful families, started as a very low-ranking official in the series' first book (Decius commanded the night watchmen in the squalid Subura district, looking out for fires and such), then became quaestor (The Catiline Conspiracy,), senator (The Sacrilege,), diplomat (The Temple of the Muses), Caesar's "secretary" (Nobody Loves a Centurion), aedile (The River God's Vengeance), then at last, praetor. I feel as if I am one of Decius' clients, monitoring (and looking after) his career, wishing always the best for this very delightful character.

I won't discuss the merits of Under Vesuvius anymore, because fans of Decius will know what I'm going to write about. But let me just say that I feel very sad, because the next book I'm going to read will be the second to the last in the (existing) series :( Hurry up hurry up with SPQR XIV, Mr. Roberts. Please. After all, XIII is a very unlucky number, innit?



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