YA goodness

[snugglekitty]

This week I read A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce. The latter was lent me by ceelove, the former was recommended, I believe, by ascikitty.

A Great and Terrible Beauty reminded me a lot of The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey, with the dual climates of India and Britain and magic. However, it also incorporates some of that boarding-school stuff that many of us love to hate. It had some interesting stuff about power, and the proper uses of power. I liked it. Three stars.

Birth of the Firebringer is a book I resisted reading for a while. I generally stay away from stuff about unicorns. But I'm glad I made an exception when ceelove recommended it to me, because I really liked it. It had some interesting stuff about belief and perspective. Following the law versus following your heart... I liked it a lot. Four stars.

I've started Anansi Boys but took a break because I was feeling sorry for the main character. I'm also working through Dreaming Down Under.

Comments

[asciikitty.livejournal.com]

I have not read A Great and Terrible Beauty.

of course, that doesn't mean I didnt' recomend it, but it makes it less likely.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Having thought about it more, I think that what actually happened is that someone recommended it to me in your journal who was not actually you.

Couldn't swear to it, but that's what I think.

[asciikitty.livejournal.com]

that sounds much more likely.

hmm. perhaps I should read that one, when I'm done with my current stack of "to be reads"

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i haven't read "birth of the firebringer", but pierce's "darkangel trilogy" is an all-time favorite of mine.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

I found a hardcover omnibus of that in a used bookstore for two dollars a year ago. I had to work really hard to keep from squealing.

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

I read "Firebringer" first in seventh grade, and it had a big impact on me at the time - bringing in topics of the interconnectedness of life, and how even the Obvious Good Guys (the unicorns) could be prejudiced and wrong. Given how I love "Darkangel," I should probably just order everything else she's written. ...which, upon checking Amazon, includes two more Firebringer books. Well.

[coraline]

i think one is supposed to feel sorry for the main character. that's how it's written...
(that's not trying to be snippy, i'm just curious why feeling sorry for the main character translated into taking a break from the book.)

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm aware that that's the idea. But I was feeling sort of... hysterically sorry for him. "Oh no! He's going to lose everything!" And it was making me a bit upset. So I thought I'd take a break.

Does that make more sense?

Re: Great and Terrible Beauty

[lifecollage.livejournal.com]

'Twas me, twas me. No need to go looking for a lurker.

I'm glad you liked it. There is a sequel: Rebel Angels.

sequel

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Yup, you mentioned that at the time and I've requested it from the library. :)