Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



At the surface, this book may seem to have shades of Hunger Games and A Song of Ice and Fire—Exhibit A: Graceling's heroine Katsa's name sounds like a combination of Hunger Games' Katniss and A Song of Ice and Fire's Sansa. Katsa, like Katniss, is gifted with superior fighting skills (albeit in a more "fantastical" manner), and her story is set in a medieval fantasy world such as that described in the books of George R.R. Martin.

However, the comparison should stop there. Graceling is a class all of its own—the author does not waste any of her words; each word has its place in each mesmerizing sentence in each breathtaking chapter (going overboard with the adjectives here, but what the heck). The descriptions are so vivid—you can picture the seven kingdoms' hills, the seas, the castles, and the beautiful, mismatched eyes of the Graced like they were right in front of you. I have not really been a fan of the fantasy genre in the past, but this book made me reconsider this.

The characters were so well-developed, and nothing in Graceling was predictable and boring. I felt real terror when the book's main antagonist, who did not really materialize frequently in the book, suddenly appeared in one of the later chapters. That's how good Kristin Cashore is: her writing has that rare ability of making your heart pound when you encounter a sinister character who does not even show himself too much in the story. Great storytelling. Great writing.



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Review: The Tribune's Curse

The Tribune's Curse by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Another absorbing read from John Maddox Roberts. I like how he focuses on different aspects of Ancient Roman life and relives them enthusiastically for the modern reader. There were just some scenes in this book which I felt could use a "fresher" treatment (like Decius getting jumped at near his home: a scene that can be read in almost every book in this series). Otherwise, good job JMR. As always.



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Review: SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion

SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The best in the series. So far :)

I've long wanted to find out how the Roman Empire became, well, an empire. This book is a perfect peek into the Roman legion—the well-known secret (pardon the oxymoron) behind Rome's rise to historical glory. Pair that with J.M. Roberts' enviable writing (a perfect blend of wit, philosophy and drollery), and you've got a solid winner in Nobody Loves a Centurion.

I know that I have been gushing nonstop about the books in JMR's SPQR. But if you are at least curious about Ancient Rome and you want to be thoroughly entertained, I strongly suggest that you give this series a try. This book can even be read as a standalone; no wonder that some fans of this series got hooked on SPQR after reading Nobody Loves a Centurion first.

My favorite lines in Nobody Loves a Centurion:
1) "Blame it all on Alexander the Great. Ever since that little Macedonian twit decided that he had to conquer the whole world before he was old enough to shave, every fool with a sword and a decent pair of boots has sought to do the same." —Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger
2) "No man can undo history. We must seize the moment and bend the present to our will." —Caius Julius Caesar
3) "Decius, here in Gaul we are playing the highest-stakes game in the world. When you set a game in motion, you must see it through, however the dice fall." —Caius Julius Caesar

I know that I've been giving JMR four stars (from The King's Gambit to Saturnalia). It's about time to give him five.





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Review: Saturnalia

Saturnalia by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



In Saturnalia , SPQR series hero Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger goes back to Rome to investigate his kinsman's murder. While not as hilarious and as comic as the previous book in the series, I find Saturnalia to be better written and its plot more well-developed. John Maddox Roberts is truly a great storyteller.

Saturnalia has all the elements of an entertaining read: suspense, horror, action, drama (that last bit with Decius shouting at Jupiter in the rain after a fight was thoroughly amusing), the works. Though the ending was a little bit abrupt, it left me wanting for more. Am actually restraining myself from downloading Nobody Loves A Centurion at this very moment!

Good work JMR! Hope you're finished writing the 14th book in the series because at the rate I'm going, I might be able to catch up with you :D



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Review: The Ersatz Elevator

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Favorite word definition: "Ersatz" is a word that describes a situation in which one thing is pretending to be another, the way the secret passageway the Baudelaires were looking at had been pretending to be an elevator, but the word might as well have meant "the most terrifying place the Baudelaires had ever seen."



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Review: The Temple of the Muses

The Temple of the Muses by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



There's a great deal of running in this book, with Decius Metellus escaping from quite a number of enemies. The setting of the story was in Ancient Egypt's Alexandria, made even more exotic by the author's vivid descriptions.

The plot was okay; I liked the story's details (e.g. description of Alexandria, the dialogues, the characters esp. the Metellii) better. However, there were many many parts which I found exceedingly funny. Decius is turning out to be quite the comic.

The Kindle format of this book, however, was as imperfect as an adolescent's pimply face--there were so many typos. Hope the subsequent books in the series will have better e-book versions.



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Review: The Sacrilege

The Sacrilege by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger's (what a mouthful) character is getting better and better with each installment of SPQR. I like his verbal sparrings with his insolent slave, Hermes. Very very funny. And I love the way the book makes you feel--like Ancient Rome is your neighborhood (J.M. Roberts' descriptions of Roman life are delightfully vivid).

However, some of the characters seem to be one-dimensional: Publius Clodius Pulcher, for example (and his sister, Clodia). Clodius was (simply) portrayed as a mean, bullheaded (bordering on the stupid), ugly thug, and Clodia a sinister slut. Maybe it's just written from the point of view of Decius, who considers these two his mortal enemies. And so I conclude early on in this series that SPQR is more fiction than history (or a variant/interpretation of it; as opposed to S. Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series).

But those who love Ancient Rome as much as I do will surely have fun reading this. Pretty darn good fun.



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