Bittersweet

Well I'm giving up on the two books at at time for a bit I think. Not at all because it hasn't gone well. Each time I've tried it I've enjoyed the experience--though I picked the wrong two books the middle time--I've not yet finished Star Wars while I finished the first book in the omnibus Steven R. Green book...so those are on hold for a bit. I'm just plunging ahead into the rest of the DragonCrown War Cycle.

But I just finished Owls Well that Ends Well. Mark, I really can't thank you enough for directing me to Donna Andrews. I really, really enjoyed the Meg Langslow series!!! I mistakenly read We'll Always Have Parrots first, finishing it on the 26th of March. Once I had everything straightened out I purchased the rest and finished Murder with Peacocks on the 31st (purchased 3/29) with Owls following this evening after the rest in between. :-) So I'm somewhat saddened that I don't get to visit with Meg, Michael, and her crazy family for a while...but the fantasy I just finished was even more bittersweet.

Michael Stackpole is an amazing author! The first book of his that I read was I, Jedi and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it might have been part of what has steered me away from the reset button Star Trek novels into more serious books (though I'm sadly behind on my Star Wars canon--I'm not even close to being able to read the New Jedi Order). The Dark Glory War was one of the best fantasies that I've read in years. It came across as real. The main character comes of age at the start--he is eighteen and just becoming a man. But throughout he realizes that despite what he does and accomplishes he is yet a very young man, never feeling the equal of the men around him. Yes as he is one of the heroes of the tale obviously he accomplishes much--but it feels more natural than most stories where the young boy goes off on a quest that turns him into a man. Stackpole is going to give me good direction when it comes time for me to get more serious about my fantasy writing.

I've long wanted to avoid sterotypes--to the point that I forever banished the idea of Elves from my personal fantasy universe (while keeping dwarves though). Even in the cooperative fantasy universe I developed with some friends I took charge of the Elves and have made them very different--they have different racial stocks, cultures, and religions--oh, and humans have more magic than they do. :-) *shrugs* But enough about me, back to Stackpole.

I say bittersweet because of the ending of DGW. I won't say more, but as I was as involved in the book as I usually am in good books it hurt to read the end. Of course I'm about ready to plunge into the trilogy that this volume was intended to be a prequel to, but still... If you read fantasy and are ready to get away from some of the cliches for a bit you could do much worse than picking up The Dark Glory War. If you've heard me talk about fantasy you know that I no longer even glance at any book by (blast what is his name...), oh yeah, David Eddings.

I read his four main series and was disgusted at the end when I realized he basically recycled the same plot, even down to many features of geography and politics. He claims that formulas are what sells and perhaps he is right. I still enjoy the novels of Terry Brooks--they are somewhat formulaic in the heroic quest mode--but they're more lighthearted and still enjoyable. Despite what publishers or David Eddings might claim I'm always ready for something good that bucks tradition--and Stackpole definately has that talent. I've already marked one of his other fantasies at the library and bought another with my quarter money (I ordered it on-line at Amazon)--both are stand alone. I can hardly wait to continue exploring his worlds! :-)