Wednesday, May 16, 2012

City of Lost Souls

Hola, another Mortal Instruments, yay! The motley cast of Shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, Angels, and faeries are back for the rather unexpected fifth book of the trilogy. (Okay, maybe not that unexpected, there was a fourth.) Anyway, once again, Sebastian and Jace are bound. but this time it is not just by a father. They are connected by the demon Lilith, and Sebastian is unfortunately the dominant one in the relationship. However, Clary has other plans, and is, as always, not afraid to throw herself into any trouble that Jace already has. Jace is missing, Simon is struggling with his romantic relationships, and Jocelyn is doing a terrible job controlling her daughter. The character layout is almost identical to the previous novel. This book was very good, if a bit more suggestive than the others. The writing is good and the wit as sharp as ever, although I was more than a bit disappointed Jace was still evil. Oh, well. Can't wait for the next book! (And there is a movie coming out, right?) Three and a half stars. 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A Song of Fire and Ice: Game of Thrones

Hola! Apparently this is my 100th post! Yay! Okay, back to business. A Song of Fire and Ice: Game of Thrones is by George R. R. Martin. Because this book is so complicated, I will give a brief overview and list what are in my opinion the most important characters. The Seven Kingdoms are really one, large, rather unstable kingdom ruled by King Robert the Usurper. Political intrigue runs rampant as many people  plot and scheme over every detail of the court, from the treasury to the people appointed to different positions by the King himself. The story morphs a ton, but basically, that is the incredibly simple version. Important characters: Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Jon Snow, his bastard who lives with the rest of the family in Winterfell. Robert Baratheon, the King and almost a brother to Eddard. Daenerys Targaryen, the princess whose kingdom Robert Usurped and the last of the blood of the dragon. Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf whose alliances seem to change, (And definitely the only cool Lannister). Cersei Lannister, Roberts's ambitious wife and mother to Jofferey Lannister. I really like this series, the books are a little long-winded but very well thought out. The weaving plot is fascinating and the varying cast of characters is a good way to display this complex story. I definitely recommend this book if you have loads of time, four stars. (It might be a bit mature.) 

Murder at the Vicarage

Hola... Murder at the Vicarage is by Agatha Christie. Leonard Clement is the Vicar in the small town of St. Mary Mead when a man is found dead right in his very study. The entire town is unsettled and rumors abound as the rather gossipy community tries to pin the blame. However, the virtuous Mr. Clement is determined to find the murderer, and with the help of the local police, he just might. But the true focus of this book is Miss Marple, the incredibly sharp-witted old woman who lives near the vicarage. This is all a dare say about it, as I don't want to give anything away. I have to say, this is not the best Agatha Christie I have read, and I've been on quite a kick of them, recently. I liked the small, tightly woven town personality, though. It was fairly entertaining, but seemed to have far too much extraneous story; the plot was rather meandering. Overall, not too shabby; two and a half stars.