I made a bit more progress this winter than in the autumn, even with my trip down to Kathryn opening up an entirely new can of worms and finishing the Way of Kings. (And while each individual Jedi Quest book might be on the short side of novel length, I've been reading plenty of unpublished stories the past two months that still make me feel like I accomplished an adequate amount of reading this season.)
15 Total: 13 New Books 2 Re-reads
READ:
Cast in Shadow
Cast in Courtlight
The Book of Enchantments
Raven Flight
___________________(Autumn)___________________
Cast in Honor
Bitterblue
Shadow and Bone
The Way of the Apprentice
The Trail of the Jedi
The Dangerous Games
The Way of Kings
The Master of Disguise
School of Fear
The Shadow Trap
The Moment of Truth
READING:
Trigger Warning
Siege and Storm
The Caller
The Changing of the Guard
PLANNING TO READ:
The False Peace
Shadows of Self
Ruin and Rising
(someday...)
Cast in Honor (The Chronicles of Elantra, Book 11)
Even though this was Katie's birthday present, I got to read it too (thanks again!)~
Thanks to us finishing the summaries portion of Chronicling Elantra the week before, Everything from the previous book was still fresh in my head and starting this one felt like I was walking down the streets of Elantra with them.
Starting off three weeks after the battle at the end of the previous book, Kaylin et al. are sent to investigate a murder that has potential need of Kaylin's abilities to sense magical disturbances. Everything spirals from there as she races to yet again stop the world (or at least her world) from being destroyed.
It's amazing to me that even though this is the eleventh book in a series full of world-ending events, I'm still excited to continue reading and figure out what happens next. Kaylin doesn't become the tragic, burdened hero destined to sacrifice her friends and life in her altruistic responsibility to use her powers. She stays human, still making so many mistakes and needing the help and wisdom of those who do know what's going on. She's becoming a bit more diplomatic and learning when to hold her opinions to herself (even if they're still written across her face), but she's still fiercely determined to try and protect what and who she cares about.
Since this book had to have a lot of explanations regarding the time-reality distortion that was taking place, there weren't very many personal interactions between the characters (disregarding the final chapter and epilogue...). But if certain events continue to progress as they have been laid out, I think the next book is going to be even better! (Aerian ascensions, Barrani brothers, and Dragon dates, oh my! Hopefully with no world-ending event so there can be more normal talks between Kaylin and Severn...)
Bitterblue
I feel as if I've waited to read this book for years. And while it has actually only been three since first reading its predecessor Graceling, I was relieved to finally have some sort of conclusion--as concluding as continually trying to run a kingdom can be.
I had hoped to meet old friends and was pleased they were given such a large role in the story. I could sympathize with Bitterblue's desire to have Po and Katsa near her, and was also sad when they had to go off on their various missions. Bitterblue herself was at times frustratingly not understanding of her traumatized staff's eccentricities, and at others wonderfully compassionate and trusting. This book deals with the sad aftermath of Leck's 35-year reign and the PTSD the country and people are trying to recover from.
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, Book 1)
Another much appreciated birthday present <3 Because sometimes physical books just need to be held (Thanks Mom~)
I first became interested in this book and series from hearing about it online. As it so happens, it was someone I follow on tumblr who has read and liked a lot of similar books who kept posting about it. I tucked the tacit recommendation away and started purposely avoiding things posted about it. Fast forward about a year and finding out the series was complete but not yet in my library's digital lending library and then getting it in a birthday box. I saved starting it for when I "turned in my grad school application", but my resolve faded until I finished the essays and allowed myself to read the first five or six chapters. The world is an interesting concept, and I was drawn in very quickly.
I loved the Eastern European/Russian feel to it. I was a little wary of the potential love triangle forming (I'm very over love triangles... they're almost a deal breaker for me now...), especially since the characters were almost laughably similar to the Great Arcana Triangle (ie: the triangle between Death (=The Darkling), the powerful Evie (=Alina, the Sun Summoner), and her warrior Jackson (=Mal, the Tracker) in the Arcana Chronicles books). And as much as I wanted to like the Darkling (why is it I'm such a sucker for the tragic-back-story-seeking-redemption characters? I'm looking at you Edmund Pevensie, Prince Zuko, Kylo Ren...) I feel like I can't let his use of manipulation go. It really bothered me, and I don't want him to come back in the next two books and make the claim, "oh, but you're different. I really have feelings for you"... (Despite all of this whining I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the rest of the series. Mostly I just want it to not include romance as a plot device and focus on the volatile political state of the countries.)
While visiting dear Kathryn for winter break, and after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens twice and discussing theories and hopes and quotes and scores, we made the happy discovery that my library has the Jedi Quest series of adolescent books that chronicle Obi-Wan and his new padawan Anakin in the interim time between The Phantom Menace and The Clone Wars.
This was my first soiree reading Star Wars, and I enjoyed it immensely. Yes, the books are rather short (only around 120-150 pages each) and targeted for younger readers. But the insight into Obi-Wan's and Anakin's relationship, as well as their hopes and concerns about themselves, is wonderfully written and conveyed with ease.
In this particular book, Obi-Wan and Anakin join three other Master-Padawan teams while investigating a people under the attack of a biological weapon. Anakin strives to prove himself to Obi-Wan, but often makes rash decisions that endanger the others in his team.
The Trail of the Jedi (Jedi Quest, Book 2)
While Obi-Wan and Anakin are tracking a Jedi Master on a supposedly deserted planet as a training exercise, Anakin struggles with the feeling that Obi-Wan is too dismissive of him and only chose him as his Padawan to honor Qui-Gon's last wish. Obi-Wan struggles with feeling like he'll never be as good a Master as Qui-Gon was and fearing he won't be close with Anakin. When they are unexpectedly pursued by bounty hunters, they must trust in the others' abilities to work together.
The Dangerous Games (Jedi Quest, Book 3)
I was so excited for the illegal pod-racing in this installment! Obi-Wan and Anakin (along with two other Master-Padawan teams) are sent to the Galactic Games that occur once every seven years to keep the peace. Once a plot to fix certain matches and even kill a group of spectators is uncovered, everyone must race to piece together the clues to figure out who is behind the conspiracy. Ry Gaul's Padawan, Tru, is a good friend to Anakin and a neutral foil to the suspicious Ferus, Padawan of Obi-Wan's old colleague Siri Tachi.
These books are kind of heartbreaking, because even now when they're around fourteen, Ferus can sense that something's not right about Anakin Skywalker and is always watching him. Tru senses it as well but still tries to remain unfazed and quietly supports Anakin's struggles to be a Jedi. It's so much more difficult for him because he didn't grow up with everyone and is probably carrying around the scars of PTSD from being a slave.
One fun thing about this book was a main appearance from the side character Didi, who was a friend of Qui-Gon's and exasperates Obi-Wan with his knack for shady habits and asking for help out of the trouble they cause.
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) Rec/loan by Val
Brandon Sanderson builds such unique worlds, and I've really enjoyed getting to know this one! As in Mistborn, once again we have cryptic chapter headers to puzzle over (I should probably go back and re-read them now that I've finished the first book to see how they relate to the bigger picture).
This story weaves itself carefully from the threads of many characters and I can't wait for all of them to meet each other. Each of them feels so real, even the side characters like the members of Kaladin's bridge crew or the King's Wit (who, as it turns out, has quite the clever role in all this indeed). Even in the midst of such difficult times, there's still plenty of room for wry humor and wonderfully barbed sarcasm.
I don't even know what to say about this story (I think I'm still trying to process it) except that it has struck a deep cord in me. The storytelling is enthralling, with a rich world unfolding around you just as you glean information about the lore and history. I'm excited to see how the next book in the Stormlight Archive illuminates (heh heh heh) the mysteries of the past as the characters seek to stop the darkness from clouding their future.
The Master of Disguise (Jedi Quest, Book 4)
Anakin struggles to find balance. He knows that he's a talented user of the Force, but he also needs to learn how to trust his fellow Padawans and Jedi. After a mistake by Anakin hospitalizes her own Padawan Darra, Soara begins training him relentlessly. And while he continues to grow in skill, he still fails to master core lessons of being a Jedi; mainly letting go of his ego and the personal related feelings of resentment and anger. After she decides she can't train him anymore, he strives to find a way to be useful and track down a suspect Obi-Wan is currently following solo. After Anakin is duped into trusting the very same man, he and Obi-Wan race to catch him only to find him slipping through their grasp again. At the end, Obi-Wan is concerned about the effect this man has on his Padawan and worries about the conflict growing with in him.
The School of Fear (Jedi Quest, Book 5)
Obi-Wan knows teaching is hard--and being an example is harder still. He tries to keep his own anger and frustration in check knowing his 16-year-old Padawan struggles with his. When a boy is found missing from an elite private school, Anakin is assigned to work with his rival, Ferus, to infiltrate the school and discover what may have happened, as well as investigate the mysterious rumors of a rogue group forming there. Things get too deep but Anakin tries to handle them himself instead of contacting Obi-Wan as is proper. Even though through an amazing show of Force ability on Anakin's part things end safely for everyone, the trust between Anakin and Obi-Wan is broken and they're left uncertain how to proceed with each other.
The Shadow Trap (Jedi Quest, Book 6)
Anakin and Obi-Wan are out of rhythm and both feeling it. Anakin has a vision where he's freeing slaves and specifically his mother. While he wants to interpret it to mean that he can go and rescue his mother, Obi-Wan and Yoda are concerned with the mention of "The One Below" which is a reference to Jedi Master Yaddle. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yaddle go off as part of a Senatorial diplomacy council to try and recover a planet wrecked from years of civil war. In the chaos, Anakin is captured by one of the gangs ruling the city and brought face to face with the same man who's been leading him and Obi-Wan in chase all across the galaxy. He's manipulative of Anakin's doubts and even though it's revealed that he has connections to one of Qui-Gon's most dangerous enemies, Anakin still can't help believing that it's his own fault when tragedy strikes the three Jedi. He escapes even as Yoda comes to assist Obi-Wan and Anakin in apprehending him. The gulf between master and apprentice continues to grow as Obi-Wan is conflicted in how to proceed.
The Moment of Truth (Jedi Quest, Book 7)
While off on a difficult solo mission to help resistance fighters on a small planet hold of the invading army from the large planet in their system, Anakin and Obi-Wan are still struggling to communicate as they really want to. At the tiny rebel base, they notice too late who the traitor is, and Anakin is taken prisoner as Obi-Wan can only look on. While prisoner, Anakin is drugged with the Zone of Self-Containment, and later is reluctant to shake off its fog and feel the crushing weight of his emotions. He brushes it aside in order to help Obi-Wan, and after they are rescued by some old friends and are able to stop the invasion, he opens up to Obi-Wan about his fears and how much he doesn't want to be "The Chosen One". While the doctor responsible for the drugging is revealed to be an old adversary of Qui-Gon's and gets away, Obi-Wan and Anakin are finally able to move past the wall that had been built between them.
