2011 Reading #83: Acacia by David Anthony Durham
Books 1-10.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
Books 31-40.
Books 41-50.
Books 51-60.
Books 61-70.
Books 71-80.
81. Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter.
82. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams.
83. Acacia: Book One: The War With the Mein by David Anthony Durham. Aw yeah. I have caveats--I feel like I almost always do--but I really liked this, and it gives me hope for epic fantasy. The caveats: the machinery of the plot is perhaps a bit too visible, there is occasional cognitive dissonance between the novel's political pragmatism/realism and the mythic arcs of its characters, and there is a bit of a problem-of-Susan-by-way-of-the-White-Queen feel to the arc of one of said characters. All of that said? This is good stuff, yo. One of the best things that Durham does is he gives each of the characters a distinct relationship to power--as something given, something taken, something that makes them free or keeps them chained, something that degrades or uplifts them, something that completes or destroys them. It's got the structure of a put-the-king-back-on-the-throne fantasy, but with an awareness of the evils of monarchy and empire that I don't know that I've ever seen on the page in this type of story. Plus, you know, monsters and wizards and explosions and awesome swordfighting and Samurai Jack-style adoption plans--enough great stuff that I plowed through the last quarter of the book last night after picking it up intending to read just a few more chapters.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
Books 31-40.
Books 41-50.
Books 51-60.
Books 61-70.
Books 71-80.
81. Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter.
82. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams.
83. Acacia: Book One: The War With the Mein by David Anthony Durham. Aw yeah. I have caveats--I feel like I almost always do--but I really liked this, and it gives me hope for epic fantasy. The caveats: the machinery of the plot is perhaps a bit too visible, there is occasional cognitive dissonance between the novel's political pragmatism/realism and the mythic arcs of its characters, and there is a bit of a problem-of-Susan-by-way-of-the-White-Queen feel to the arc of one of said characters. All of that said? This is good stuff, yo. One of the best things that Durham does is he gives each of the characters a distinct relationship to power--as something given, something taken, something that makes them free or keeps them chained, something that degrades or uplifts them, something that completes or destroys them. It's got the structure of a put-the-king-back-on-the-throne fantasy, but with an awareness of the evils of monarchy and empire that I don't know that I've ever seen on the page in this type of story. Plus, you know, monsters and wizards and explosions and awesome swordfighting and Samurai Jack-style adoption plans--enough great stuff that I plowed through the last quarter of the book last night after picking it up intending to read just a few more chapters.