Monday, February 3, 2014

Two reviews, one post

A...Ew, that reference wasn't meant to happen. Sticking with it.

Due to initiating other projects I'm really truly hoping come together, personal reading time has been at a minimum. That time has been put to beautiful use however, as I can't remember a time when I've read two such fantastic books back to back. The odds are about the same as the Broncos win...

Sorry, too soon.

Hell with that, GO HAWKS! Not the biggest foozball fan on the planet, but it like seeing my adoptive city happy.

Anyway, first up is

Nomads- Benjamin Kane Ethridge


As anyone who's read this blog when I actually do post, or knows how to use the past articles section will tell you, I'm kinda an Ethridge fanboy. I first found his work through his predecessor to Nomads entitled Black and Orange iand immediately fell in love with the world he created out of whole cloth that explained what was really going on with the Halloween holiday. Imagine if Clive Barker had done The Nightmare Before Christmas and you'd have a pretty good idea of what the gist of the story is. Nomads continues the story from the first book, fleshing out the gothic fantasy-horror mythos that Ethridge created to a full scope, and combining that with character dynamics and subplots to a fuller extent as well. He also does an incredible job of drawing forth a genuine human side to the some of the biggest jerkface antagonists in the book, making you feel genuinely at odds with yourself when you find yourself empathizing with them. I can't quite say it's a good stand alone book, as too much of what I consider crucial back story and nuances are in the first book, but you're not doing yourself a disservice by reading both. Five out of five stars. Next up, we have

Hollow City- Ransom Riggs


Simply put, if I had known that this book had the ending that it did, I would've forsworn sleep, food, and friends until I had finished it. Ye gods, Riggs knows how to tie up one book and leave you getting all entitled and George R.R. Martin Doesn't Write Fast Enough about when the next one is coming. It's a very short read page-wise, but the story loses absolutely no quality because of it. Also a sequel, Hollow City follows after Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children, Riggs' first novel that combines fantastic storytelling combined with magically taking vintage photographs out of their original context in a unique, original way. The Peculiar children continue their quest to get away from the Wights and to save...no, that'll give too much away. I've heard this series niched as YA, but honestly it's just good plot line and story development regardless of your age. Five out of five stars again.