Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

It's been months since I last posted a book review, which is much too long. I miss talking about novels I've read recently, so book reviews are back on for The Eagle's Aerial Perspective!

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Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 400

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. I love the way it looks like a delicate paper cut-out; also, in person, the cover is shiny and the stars on the background sort of sparkle.

Inside flap:

The circus arrives without warning. 

No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. 

Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

My expectations: Hailed as "the next Harry Potter", I wasn't quite sure what to think of this book. I don't know how many novels have been called the next big literary phenomenon, but it's a lot. However, I really liked the blurb for this one and, of course, the cover was beautiful, so I had high expectations.

The Night Circus exceeded them.

About the book: First off, let me say that this is not the next Harry Potter. The style and target age group are very different, the characters are older than HP throughout much the story, and this book will never have as large an audience. Even so, I think The Night Circus was a wonderful book with a fascinating cast and one of the most unique worlds I've come across.

• Writing:

I know Erin Morgenstern's writing style has been criticized--and I can certainly see why--but personally I loved it. The description was beautiful, and it was one of those books I slowed down my reading for just to absorb the language.

• Plot:

This is where I got a little confused. You see, I don't tend to pay much attention to chapter titles or the little location/date listings that authors sometimes put at the top of the page, since I assume I'll be able to pick up on where the story is.

Pay Close Attention To Them in this book. If you don't, then things will get muddled. There are a bunch of time shifts and back-and-forth between events in the characters' lives. It was an interesting way to structure the story--though toward the second half it felt like there were too many changes.

• Characters:

Celia Bowen was my favorite character in the story, since she was intelligent, strong under the circumstances, and, of course, very talented as a magician.

Marco Alisdair was also a good character. I liked the way he contrasted with Celia; she'd been trained with magic all her life and was born with abilities, while he spend much of his childhood learning it. So much so that he didn't even have a name until he named himself in one spontaneous moment.

Prospero, Celia's father, was an interesting antagonist, and not only because he's her father. It was hard to tell when he would emerge and ruin things, for reasons I won't disclose here for fear of spoilers. And then there was the other antagonist Mr. A. H—, the perpetual mystery.

• Setting/Elements:

I loved the setting. The world along with the magic itself was treated in a unique way and, again, Morgenstern's descriptions helped bring it to life. In addition, the circus--the focal point of the story--is the most interesting part; I really wanted to be a reveur myself and visit it by the end of the book.

Content: Sex, some violence.

Other: I hope Summit Entertainment doesn't botch up the movie, if they ever make it. It would be a tragedy to see this story ruined on the big screen.

Do I recommend this book? If you enjoy elements of Fantasy, magic, descriptive writing, and/or even romance, I absolutely recommend The Night Circus.

-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Good Omens

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Genre: Adult/Fantasy
Published: 1990
Page Count: 369
Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. I like this cover. Though I can't figure out it out. I got one copy from the library that's all black, the one I got on hold is all white, and I guess both are supposed to be set next to each other, since the words at the bottom "The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch" line up. Maybe it's supposed to get you to buy a second copy? Okay, probably not.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. 

    Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--each of whom have lived among Earth's mortals for many millennia and has grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. If Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him . . .

My Thoughts: This one is not entirely Terry Pratchett, but it has enough of his characteristic quirky style (along with being quite funny and co-written with another great writer) that I thought it deserved a mention. Good Omens is not the first Armageddon story, but it's the best I've read. The cast of characters is an eclectic, surprising mix of angels, demons, Horsemen, and practically every other kind of being, the plot moves fast and takes many turns, and, of course, the writing is excellent. For some reason it took me a while to get into it, but farther on I really wanted to know what happened.

Other: Thematic elements, language, some sex, violence.

Verdict: A humorous, original take on the end of the world, Good Omens is very entertaining and worth the read. Recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Light Fantastic

(SOURCE)

Title: The Light Fantastic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1986
Page Count: 241
Cover Rating: 3.8 out of 5. It's okay. The book matches, as does the chain, and the color isn't bad, but it doesn't exactly pop out at you. Of course, it also says "Conan the Barbarian" on the front cover, which is wrong--it's Cohen the Barbarian. Come now; surely they could have picked that one up! Once again, I have to say I like the more recent cover better.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

In The Light Fantastic only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world . . .

My Thoughts: If The Color of Magic wasn't the best in the series, reading it through to get to the sequel (which picks up at a cliffhanger--rather literally) is definitely worth it. I found The Light Fantastic faster, more exciting, and quite funny.

Other: References, violence.

Verdict: A sequel that's even better than its predecessor, The Light Fantastic is a great Discworld book. Definitely recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Post(s):
Book Review: The Color of Magic


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1983
Page Count: 210 (paperback)
Cover Rating: I'm hard-pressed to say whether I like this version better than the other one, which I believe is the original UK cover (see HERE). The suitcase is nice, but it's a little too red. The one I really like, though, is this one.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet . . .

 
My Thoughts: A strong start to the Discworld series. I cannot say it's my favorite book in the series, compared to the other few I've read, but it's still a fun ride. Rincewind was quite funny, the tourist Twoflower was amazingly naive yet still managed (somehow) to survive, and the plot took plenty twists and turns along the way.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: Worth the read, and (fittingly enough, being the first book in the series) a good place to start on Discworld. Recommended.


-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers

Title: Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers

Author: Michael Scott Miller
Self-published

Genre: Realistic/Contemporary Fiction

Page Count: 268

Rating: 4 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. I like it--the title is easy enough to read, and the scene matches the story.

Synopsis:

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Redeemers tells the story of Bert Ingram, once a successful rep in the music industry, who has lost his way. Desperate for redemption, the perpetual dreamer decides to put together a band, recruiting musicians who have only one thing in common:  the need to overcome a significant obstacle in their lives. The volatile mix of the musicians' personalities and backgrounds threatens to derail the band at every opportunity, but in time, the Redeemers begin to realize they have more to gain from one another than they ever could have imagined.

My expectations: I really wasn't sure what to expect. I discovered the author through reading a guest post on another blog, and hadn't heard of the book before. The synopsis on the site intrigued me, though.

I am happy to say my expectations were exceeded.

About the book: I've never read a book on a band before, I have to say. But as far as fiction goes, I enjoyed this story. There was a diverse cast of characters and a good plot--watching the band evolve as the members bounced off one another and tried to overcome the obstacles on their way to fame certainly held my attention while I read.

• Writing: 

At times I felt like there could have been a little more description of what was happening, or of the character's emotions, but the writing style is to the point and brought the story along well.

• Plot:

It was interesting to see the band musicians come together as Bert Ingram searched and hunted for the right people, traveling around San Francisco alone or with help from others. There was an unexpected twist at the end, too--throughout, the story kept moving, with good pacing.

• Characters:

Bert Ingram is not the kind of character I'd normally bond with, but he did have a distinctive personality. He kept on working toward his goal even when things seemed like they were about--or had already--fallen apart; I had to cheer for him when he kept on.

Dave Hollaway was probably one of my favorite characters out of the band. He was one of the more easygoing members, reasonable, who kept his head and didn't let the circumstances faze him quite as much as some of the other characters.

The other five members of the band, Charlie, Abe, Ethan, Bongo Joe (whose actual name is Aaron) and Gene, made for an interesting group. Charlie's a former cardplayer, Abe has been singing in the subway, Ethan is a college student, Aaron a former college student who was asked to leave because he didn't practice, and Gene retired--not a combination that would normally come together.

• Setting/Elements:

One thing I liked was the structure of the book; the way the characters' histories were put in separate chapters, before the characters themselves finally met each other.

Other: Some language, references.

Do I recommend this book? If you have an interest in music-related stories, then yes. Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers is a great book based on a band and how they come together.

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author for me to review. It did not in any way affect the contents of this review.

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This book is available for $0.99 for Kindle, Nook, or Kobo, and $7.95 in paperback. Purchase links:

Amazon Kindle or paperback: http://tinyurl.com/4zpmzhk
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/3md2zcc

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/3djcz45

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Stardust

Title: Stardust

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Spike Books

Genre: Fantasy/Adult

Page Count: 235

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Cover Rating:

Inside flap:

In the sleepy English countryside, at the dawn of the Victorian Era, life moves at its leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall, so named for an imposing stone barrier that divides the village from an adjacent meadow. Armed sentries guard the sole gap in this wall, in order to keep the curious from wandering through. Only once every nine years do they relax their vigil, when a market fair unlike any other comes to the meadow.
   Here in Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant--as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky on a crip October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria's hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the ancient wall, and propels him into a world that is strange beyond imagining.
   But Tristran is not the only one seeking the heavenly jewel. There are those for whom it promises youth and beauty, the key to the kingdom, and the rejuvenation of dark, dormant magics. And a lad compelled by love will have to keep his wits about him to succeed and survive in this secret place where fallen stars come in many guises--and where quests have a way of branching off in unexpected directions, even turning back upon themselves in space and time.

My expectations: High. I love books by Neil Gaiman.

I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

About the book: Some books are plot-based, some books are character-driven, some books have a beautiful setting. But there are fewer books out there that are just, simply, a really good story that you want to hear over and over again. This happens to be one of them. Stardust is a well-written novel with a great set of characters, lots of adventure, and good amount of romance, too. It's rather fairy-tale-ish, with people romping about trying to find falling stars in a the English countryside for love and youth and power, but it's wonderfully told.

• Plot:

Great pacing, a good number of twists throughout, and the adventure just carries you along. The ending is excellent--it was one of my favorite parts of the book, tying things up well but into something not exactly perfect, either.

• Characters:

Tristran was sweet. He's young, he's innocent, and his motives are purely for love. He's nice to the people he meets, means well, and tries to do his best. How much sweeter can you get?

Yvaine was feisty, independent, and a great female character. I loved her spunk.

Tertius, Secundus, and Septimus, and their brothers (alive and dead) were excellent antagonists. Dark, evil, cunning; it was easy to rally on the side of the protagonist against them.

• Setting/Elements:

The world in Stardust would have to be one of the places I'd want to visit. It's magical, a blend of this world and the world of Faerie--but not the cold, sinister sort of setting a lot of Faerie books seem to present these days. It's a realistic mix of good and bad.

Other: Language, sex.

I wish my library had the movie, because I really want to see how they did it, but they don't. (Have any of you seen it? Is it good?)

Do I recommend this book? Yes!

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Kite Runner

Cover of The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Contemporary Fiction

Page Count: N/A

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4.7 out of 5. I like it--it looks like Afghanistan, and it has a nice nostalgic feel to it. Plus I like the cover scheme.

Inside flap:

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is an unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

   The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons--their love, their sacrifices, and their lies. Written against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But with the devastation, Khaled Hosseini also gives us hope: though the novel's faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows for redemption.

My expectations: Since this book has been on Banned Books lists, I expected there to be at least some graphic violence/language/etc. (I was prepared to stop reading it if it got too bad.)


There was little that could be called really explicit, and my expectations were very much exceeded.

About the book: The Kite Runner is a beautiful story. It was well-paced, well-written, and realistic. Khaled Hosseini's writing is amazing, and that in itself hikes my opinion of the book greatly. The description is wonderful, and the way things are presented is believable, unlike a lot of literature these days. I felt for the characters, understood their feelings, and nothing felt forced or artificial. The events, people, and the world of Afghanistan--and, later, America--were real and just there in a way that takes excellent writing to accomplish.

• Plot:

Excellent. There were twists and turns to it that sent the story forward, but without rushing anything. There's a big secret that comes out later in the book, which was surprising and a little shocking, and I loved that aspect. The ending was great, too; I won't say anything for fear of giving it away, but it made me a little sniffly. I felt like hugging the book afterwards (which, believe me, is something I do only for books I've really enjoyed).

• Characters:

Amir was mixed character; a complex one, more diverse, a person that you really can't pass judgement on without knowing the entire story and the circumstances--those are the best kinds of characters. I was fond of him, frustrated at his actions, and enjoyed reading about someone who wasn't a stereotype, cliche, or an otherwise-repetitive character.

Hassan, a Hazara, is Amir's family's servant. Hazaras are considered lower-class than the higher-ups such as Amir's family's ethnicity, which is Tajik. He's loyal to Amir's family--sometimes I felt like shouting at him to stand up for himself, against what was happening to him, but it was understandable; he would only have been punished, mocked, etc. I loved him as a character.

Amira's father, Baba, wasn't quite a stereotype, although some of the things he did could fall into that category. I wouldn't call him a cliche though, since he still had depth and importance. I didn't like him, but the interplay between him, Amir, Hassan, Hassan's father Ali, and the people he met in America was interesting to read.

• Setting/Elements:

There are practically no books set in Afghanistan, at least in the USA (I'm sure there are books on it in other countries--like, well, Afghanistan), so it was fascinating to read it just for that fact. It was another perspective into the lives of regular Afghans, the social structure, and it was a look at Kabul before the wars began, before the Soviets, and before the USA stuck its big head in. The world was depicted well, in the writing; I could see the city clearly in my mind.

Other: There is rape, but it's not nearly as graphic as some people seem to be making it out to be. It mentions blood, (after the rape) but it doesn't go into the details--the other character is running away from the scene as it happens, and there is no head-hopping into the victim, or the ones committing the crime. There are references and some language, and a scene ends as two characters are about to have sex (there is no description during that part, though). Some violence; mentions of war, physical attacks, attempted suicide.


I want to see the movie! Hopefully they didn't butcher it, like they do with some really good books; it would be interesting to see how they incorporated the Afghanistan part of it. There certainly aren't many movies out there that involve Afghanistan.

Do I recommend this book? Yes. Absolutely.


-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

***Yes, this was supposed to be up days ago. I just didn't get around to it. Sorry!***

Cover of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

Title: The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

Author: Robert A. Heinlein

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Genre: Adult/Science Fiction

Page Count: 382

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Cover Rating: 1 out of 5. I don't like it. I don't "hate" it exactly, but really, couldn't they have put something a little more, I don't know, spaceship-y on it instead of people? Also, it's rather garish.

Inside flap:

Unfortunately, the inside flap for this version is mostly about how great Heinlein is. Like, "that only this master storyteller could create" and "has conjured up worlds so richly imagined and vigorously inhabited" and there's little about the actual book. So I'm going to skip this part. (Drives me bonkers when the summary sings the praises of the author, even if it's one I like.)

My expectations: I'd never read Heinlein before, so really, I didn't exactly know what to expect (I love picking up random books by well-known authors).


It was part-weird, part-strange, part-amusing.

About the book: This book made me laugh, mostly because of the crazy circumstances and some of the dialogue. (I found the whole "When in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and shout" thing funny.) It starts out with a murder--Richard Ames (or whatever the heck his name is then) is with Gwen Novak in the Golden Rule restaurant, and a man comes along and urges him (Ames) that Tolliver has to die. He is then shot by someone in the restaurant.


Then Ames and Novak, after getting married because Gwen states she did so to prevent having to testify against him, (although I don't see the sense in not being able to testify against your partner), and they move to Luna. There's also a lot of craziness going on, like running into bandits where the control center or whatever says there are absolutely no bandits.


It was the last fourth of the book where things starter getting strange . . . strange as in people were kissing everyone else and sleeping with everyone else. They greet each other by kissing, even the guys. It's weird, I tell you.

• Plot:

Unusual. At least relatively, compared to what I usually read. Also, the murder thing seemed to have taken a backseat, despite the fact that's what Ames (AKA Senator/Campbell) puts his attention to at the beginning.


The ending is nuts. NUTS, I tell you. It's not a bad ending at all--it's just like HUH? WHAT? Excuse me? Sequel, people, I need a sequel!


It's so darn frustrating when authors do that, although I have to say, it is effective in keeping the book in the reader's mind.

• Characters:

Richard Ames Campbell, or whatever the heck his name is, the retired Colonel guy, is not one my favorite characters, although I can't say I hate him or anything. He can be pretty funny, and at least he keeps his head during most of it. (He only has one leg, by the way.)


Gwen Novak has spunk. She's rather unpredictable, but I did enjoy watching her. There's something unexpected about her, too--that comes out later in the book.


There are a lot of other characters; I kept getting their names mixed up. But they're all right for secondary characters.

• Setting/Elements:

Setting was fascinating; they're traveling from place to place, including the Moon, but they never go to Earth. I wish there had been more clarification (is this a satellite, ship, or what at the beginning?) as to what they're on and where they're going--Luna, I'm assuming, is the Moon, although I don't believe it's actually called the Moon (which, with some though, would make sense--if space travel up to that level, there would many more moons available than just the Moon.)

Other: Sex, some language, violence, implied references.


And yes, I've read Stranger In a Strange Land, in case you're wondering. After I read this book. Personally, I like this one better.

Do I recommend this book? Hrrrmm. I wouldn't recommend terrifically highly, but it's not a bad book. I have only read one other book by Heinlein, so I can't grade in terms of his other work. I say, take it out if you see it in the library and need some science fiction. (Apparently, though, according to people who reviewed it on Amazon, this is a bad idea. *shrugs* A few things weren't completely explained . . . but it was coherent.)

-----The Golden Eagle