Review: more mini-reviews of The Vanished Library, The World of Ice and fire,and A Fine and Private Place

The Vanished Library, as library fans may guess, is about the lost library of Alexandria.  It imagines what the library might have been like by examining contemporary accounts from the ancient world.  Somewhat interesting for history buffs, but it's a little dry and I feel it doesn't really go far enough to bring the accounts across to a more modern audience. 

Rating: 7/10.

Being a huge fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire as well as a sucker for world-building, it's not a big surprise that I just had to pick up this book.  Sort of an artbook, sort of a fictional history book, you could probably call this a sourcebook/guidebook to the history and world of the series.  Sometimes Martin gets a little carried away with the details, but the details are certainly worth it for more background on the characters, lands, and houses.  I also really loved reading about areas of the world that we haven't seen yet in the books though the lack of entries for Qarth and Slaver's Bay seems rather curious.  Possibly an oversight?

Rating: 9/10.

Wow, this is an oldie.  Written in 1960, a full eight years before The Last Unicorn, this is Peter Beagle's debut novel.  It's a short, quiet, introspective little book about two ghosts, a man who lives in a cemetery, and a cynical, talking raven.  There is a great deal of examination about issues of death, dying, and living by those on both sides of the great divide.  Perhaps worth a look if you're a fan of Beagle.

Rating: 7.5/10. 

Review: some more mini-reviews of The Innkeeper's Song, Return, Hogfather, and Kraken Bake

This book tells the story of a young man who searches for his lover in a shadowy world of magic.  Along the way he encounters two mysterious women seeking to help their mentor, a once-powerful wizard, from losing his magic to a treacherous enemy.  It's a lyrical quest story much like the author's seminal work, The Last Unicorn.  I probably liked The Last Unicorn more, but then it's considered a classic for a reason and this book is certainly worth reading.

Rating: 8/10.

Return is a limited edition novella set in the same world as The Innkeeper's Song and follows one of that book's characters in a side story.  If you enjoyed The Innkeeper's Song, you should enjoy this too.

Rating: 8/10. 

A decent, but somewhat forgettable story about Christmas.  Given Pratchett's satirical abilities, I expected a little bit more out of this book.  On the other hand, it's Discworld so it's still a good read. 

Rating: 7/10. 

Kraken Bake is the sequel to Karen Dudley's first novel, Food for the Gods.  I really enjoyed the first book, a blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery, about young chef in ancient Athens.  I didn't like this one quite as much.  Partially because Dudley seemed to drop the mystery angle and also because the main character acted like an ass with too much forced drama.  I still eagerly look forward to the next book.

Rating: 7/10.