Celaena Sardothien is the most famous assassin in the empire of Adarlan. Betrayed by those closest to her, she is now held prisoner in the infamous mines of Endovier, a pit of misery from which she would do almost anything to escape. Does that include working for the very king who conquered and enslaved her homeland of Terrasen? That is the choice she faces when Prince Dorian Havilliard offers her an opportunity: compete in a contest to become the King's Champion, and after five years of service to the crown she will be free. Fail, and she returns to Endovier, a place from which she cannot hope to leave alive.
The premise of this book is interesting enough, although I'm already tired of this weird genre of female assassin/romance. However, in my opinion the author lacks the skill to bring the potential in the story to fruition. There are multiple problems.
First, Celaena is not believable as the most deadly assassin in the known world. She is more
interested in pretty clothes and making out with the flavor of the month
than with focusing on the competition she's supposed to win. She's sloppy and makes so many mistakes. A real assassin would surely sleep with one eye open--she repeatedly sleeps through people tromping in and out of her room. Part of the reason she's always so tired is that she stays up late reading instead of getting sleep so she can be strong and win the competition. Yeah--the competition that means the difference between life and death. That one.
Second, this book really, really drags. It is sooooooo long, and desperately needs tightening. There just isn't a strong enough plot here to warrant this kind of detail. It's basically a romance novel, and it needs to have the lighter-moving pace that a romance novel requires.
Third, there's a lot of untapped potential, which always bothers me. For example, it's implied that, although magic was banished by the king, Celaena may have had powers at one time. Then the author never returns to it again. Whaaaaat? That would have made this lackluster story super cool! Magical powers are awesome!
In fairness, I should say that several of my friends have really loved these books. They're just not my cup of tea. I struggled through this one and part of the second one and then quit because there are too many other books out there I was more interested in reading. I would rate these books PG-13 for violence and also sexual themes.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The kingdom of Alagaesia is ruled by cruel Galbatorix, a madman who has destroyed entire races in order to achieve the throne. Allied against him are the Varden, a group of rebels fighting a seemingly hopeless battle to overthrow the evil usurper.
Arya is an elf who carries one of only three remaining dragon eggs. She and the Varden hope to be able to restore the dragon riders, a perfect partnership of man and dragon. Once there were many, but Galbatorix has destroyed all but his own dragon. The egg Arya carries is one of three eggs that he kept hoarded in his castle. However, the theft has been discovered and as she is captured she is forced to use magic to send the egg far away. The spell misfires.
Eragon is an insignificant boy in an insignificant village until fate sends him on a different destiny than he could ever have anticipated. While he is out hunting, Arya's spell brings the egg to him rather than to the intended recipient. When the egg hatches for him, Eragon is thrown into a world of which he never dreamed.
This book is reminiscent of some of the great fantasy sagas such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because Paolini was only a teenager when he wrote Eragon, it is not as polished as Tolkien's works, or even as polished as the Eragon sequels. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it. It's a book that will appeal to boys and even some girls. There is combat-style violence in it, which I would put at about a PG level. Because of the length and complexity of the book, as well as the war-centered themes that dominate it, I would say it is probably appropriate for middle school and above, with only limited interest among elementary age children.
In spite of his youth, Paolini has the ability to create a plot that has continuity, complexity, and interest. He has also created a cast of characters who appeal to me. Eragon is a sympathetic, relatable protagonist that the reader truly comes to care for. The conflict in the novel is masterfully done, with the antagonist (Galbatorix) represented by multiple nasty henchmen and their armies. Supporting characters such as Brom, Murtagh, Arya, and so forth are also well-drawn and three-dimensional. As far as hero journeys go, this book holds its own. The sequels are, in my opinion, even better, as Paolini's writing skills visibly improve.
Arya is an elf who carries one of only three remaining dragon eggs. She and the Varden hope to be able to restore the dragon riders, a perfect partnership of man and dragon. Once there were many, but Galbatorix has destroyed all but his own dragon. The egg Arya carries is one of three eggs that he kept hoarded in his castle. However, the theft has been discovered and as she is captured she is forced to use magic to send the egg far away. The spell misfires.
Eragon is an insignificant boy in an insignificant village until fate sends him on a different destiny than he could ever have anticipated. While he is out hunting, Arya's spell brings the egg to him rather than to the intended recipient. When the egg hatches for him, Eragon is thrown into a world of which he never dreamed.
This book is reminiscent of some of the great fantasy sagas such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because Paolini was only a teenager when he wrote Eragon, it is not as polished as Tolkien's works, or even as polished as the Eragon sequels. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it. It's a book that will appeal to boys and even some girls. There is combat-style violence in it, which I would put at about a PG level. Because of the length and complexity of the book, as well as the war-centered themes that dominate it, I would say it is probably appropriate for middle school and above, with only limited interest among elementary age children.
In spite of his youth, Paolini has the ability to create a plot that has continuity, complexity, and interest. He has also created a cast of characters who appeal to me. Eragon is a sympathetic, relatable protagonist that the reader truly comes to care for. The conflict in the novel is masterfully done, with the antagonist (Galbatorix) represented by multiple nasty henchmen and their armies. Supporting characters such as Brom, Murtagh, Arya, and so forth are also well-drawn and three-dimensional. As far as hero journeys go, this book holds its own. The sequels are, in my opinion, even better, as Paolini's writing skills visibly improve.
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