Review: A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R. R. Martin

4 stars for A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire book 4) by George R. R. Martin.

It has been a long time coming since I get to enjoy a good fantasy series. This fourth book of A Song of Ice and Fire series, otherwise better known as The Game of Thrones series, is a good story even though it is my least favourite book to date.

I am rather surprised that the book takes a different turn from the telling. It is no longer coming only from a single appointed character, but rather, the author chooses to include the perspective of one from a given title or position. We have the Prophet, the Captain of Guards, the Kraken's daughter, the soiled knight, the Iron Captain, the Drowned Man, the Queenmaker, the Reaver, the Cat of the Canals, and the Princess in the Tower. We certainly have to guess who is telling the story though it is easy enough to confirm after a few pages. So, on top of these and those same pairs of eyes that tell the story previously, two new voices - Cersei, the twin sister of Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth - are thrown in for good measure. I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing to have more viewpoints in this instalment. But I know for sure, I do not understand the reason and significance for some of them as they seems more of a filler to me than one of necessity.

In this book, nothing is what we do not know, yet everything is new. There is the rivermen and seamen, smiths and singers, priests and septons, spells and prayers, kings and princes, novices and acolytes of the Citadel, and the forging of chain by maesters. It is very much a story on King's Landing, Highgarden, The Arbor, Oldtown, the riverlands, the Reach, the kingswood, the rainwood, Dorne and the marches, the Mountains of the Moon and the Vale of Arryn, Tarth and the Stepstones.

Old powers waken and shadows stir. The story is still very much about the wonders and terrors upon Westeros and their gods and heroes. There is the old gods of the North, the godswood with a weirwood at its heart. And there is the new gods of the Seven as well as the Lord of Light, R'hllor, to save the people from the darkness. Signs, portents, visions continue to play a major role in the telling of the story.

At first, I thought the crows in the book title are referring to those who have taken the black on the Walls (figuratively speaking), but as I read on, I start to think that the feasts are referring to the dead bodies that the crows (literally speaking) feasted on. I'm not sure what the author has in mind when he writes this story but I sure hope it is not my latter guess.

As the author points out at the end of the book, this 4th instalment tells all the story for half the characters. Even as I am writing this review, I have already moved on to the next book, A Dance with Dragons, to unravel the story for the other half of the characters. Yea.

Review: The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

Did Not Finish The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore.

This post is long overdue. It should have been posted more than two weeks ago. In truth, I am not only reluctant to put this up, I have been all too unwilling to start on this book in the first place. The reason is simple enough; reading this book equates to taking a break from the Song of Ice and Fire series. I am so into this fantasy series that I do not want to read any other books until I have read them all. But then, this is a book club read. I will feel bad if I do not read it in time and before the loan is due. So, here I am with the review.

This book is about electrical energy - how electricity is generated, how a generator works and how it generates current. It is an uneventful story that tells of the history of electricity, the invention of light bulb and the taming of electrical current. One quarter into the story and I already feel like giving it up. The only thing that keeps me going is the law suit case about the infringement of the light bulb patent. I keep hoping something exciting will come along the way.

In the end, nothing of interest appears and I find myself counting the grievances I have against the story instead. For a historical novel, one set in 1888, I expect quotes from people of the same time period, give or take some years, but definitely not something that comes from someone born more than sixty years down the road. While I think it is reasonable to quote James Watson (co-discoverer of DNA, born 1928) and Karl Popper (philosophers of science, born 1902), it just seems so wrong to be quoting Steve Jobs or Tim Berners-Lee or Bill Gates (born 1955).

It is hard to continue reading a story that does not interest me. Still, I struggle on for the sake of my book club discussion. But at halfway mark, I can stand it no longer. The topic in question is too boring for me. I decide that I shall not suffer myself to read on. That said, I find myself wanting to know about the ending since I have invested at least some five days reading half the book. So, I skip everything in between and jump right to the last two chapters. Having read those two chapters, I am glad of my decision to throw in the towel.

It doesn't feel right to say I have read this book. So I am listing it as a Did Not Finish. I will say this is no fault of the writer's but for the simple reason that this book is not my cup of tea.

Review: A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R. R. Martin

5 stars for A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire book 3) by George R. R. Martin.

The first thing I look at in this book are the maps and then the appendix (at the back of the book). I am glad to see that the author has finally provided a map of The Free Cities beyond The Narrow Sea. There is also a bonus map of whatever lies beyond the Wall in the North. It is a bonus to me because I am not expecting it. At all. As usual, due to the extremely small print of my leather-cloth-bound edition, I need the aid of a magnifying glass to read the maps properly. But that does not stop me from consulting the maps as and when needed. Instead, I am oft seen carrying the hand lens around when I read.

Two new voices are added in this instalment. The first is someone totally unexpected. And that is Jaime Lannister, the kingslayer. The second is Samwell Tarly of the Night's Watch. I am pleasantly surprised and very happy to be seeing the world through Jaime's eyes. He is, after all, a Lannister and known to be a formidable character - albeit from afar - since book 1. As for Samwell, I didn't have much expectation of this character, but since his voice is added, I am sure the author has great things in store for him.

As with any good book, each time I open the page to where I leave off, I want to do nothing else but curl up on my couch and devote my entire being to the world of the Song of Ice and Fire. Yes, a great story will do that to you. I yearn to continue the search for the three-eyed crow, to learn more about the first men in the Neck also known as the Crannogmen or mudmen or frogeaters, to discover the secrets of the children of the forest, and to find out more about the greenseers and wargs. The wargs especially; it is said that the greatest of them can wear the skins of any beast that flies or swims or crawls and can look through the eyes of the weirwoods and see the truth that lies beneath the world.

There are fights and battles to win before the kingdom is secure. This book is very much a story on the King of the Trident, the northmen and the rivermen as much as it is about the knights and squires and men-at-arms, lords and commoners, all bound together only by their one purpose. There is also the mystical Others which I am still very much curious about their origins. Another is the mysterious make of weapons and the purpose for their presence - Valyrian steel, dragonglass daggers, dragonglass arrowheads and dragonglass spearhead.

As with the earlier books, there are so many exciting opposites here. There is day and there is night. There is dark and there is light. There is black and there is white. There is ice and there is fire. Bitter and sweet. Pain and pleasure. Winter and summer. Evil and good. Death and life.

Reading this book, this series, is like taking an exhilarating walk in the mountains. Only it is even better. Everything is so welcoming and refreshing. I can never know what is going to happen next. There are not just ups and downs but plots and developments that take me aback totally. The characters are seldom who they appear to be. The author does an impressive job giving life to his characters. They leap out of the pages with a mixture of good and bad traits depending on the perspective of the characters.

Thus far, I like almost all the characters, major or minor, in the book, with the exception of two who constantly get on my nerves. I get really annoyed over this one character who keeps repeating the phrase "You know nothing". Every time I see this phrase, I want to roll my eyes even though knowing my doing so will not stop it from appearing again. The other character which I dislike to the core is one who has a black heart through and through. There is not a shred of goodness in that person. None whatsoever. At the end of the day, what I want to say is, the author does a fantastic job crafting all his characters, no matter the numbers. There is quantity for sure, but there is quality as well, which is what makes all the details so amazing.

This book 3 is the thickest among the five in the series. Perhaps because of that, even as I reach the end of the story, I still find it hard to believe that I have stormed through the entire book. As the saying goes "The problem with reading a good book is that you want to finish the book, but you don't want to finish the book." The consolation is, there are two more books to go before the series wrap up for good. I know I can still continue to live in the alternate world of Westeros for some time yet. I am so looking forward to the next book, to experience the cold that is approaching and the night that never ends. Winter is coming...

Review: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R. R. Martin

5 stars for A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire book 2) by George R. R. Martin.

This time round, I make no mistake of taking on another standalone or series after I am done reading A Game of Thrones. I move on to book 2 to continue my adventure of the Seven Kingdom of Westeros almost immediately, in fact, before I even sit down to write and post my review of A Game of Thrones.

A Clash of Kings is as good as A Game of Thrones if not better. Summer is gone and there are now four kings in the realm. Well, this makes good sense to understanding given the title. On top of the voices of old in Book 1, two new voices are added here (even as only one is being removed). First, we have a smuggler-turned knight, Ser Davos Seaworth or otherwise known as the Onion Knight. He plays the part of seeing to the happenings in Dragonstone and matters related to Lord Stannis. The other new voice is that of Theon Greyjoy, a ward in name to the Starks of Winterfell, but a hostage in truth. From his eyes, we are told that nothing has changed, yet everything has. I certainly do not envy this character. How much joy can there be with a family name such as Greyjoy?

Signs and dreams and omens continue to be a harbinger of later events. It is interesting to see how different characters interpret the signs according to their roles which in turn affect what they choose to believe in. The fine red tail of the comet visible in the sky throughout the realm is a very good example. To name a few, in Riverrun, it is said the red comet is a herald of a new age; a messenger from the gods. The Septon of Winterfell is of the view that it is the sword that slays the season with summer coming to an end while Old Nan who has lived longer than any in Winterfell insists it is the dragons.

To think that when I read book 1, I feel that the story is swamped with characters, but book 2 makes the numbers in book 1 pale in comparison. Here, more characters come on board but more also dropped dead. Some characters are easy to dislike and it makes no matter when they are killed off. But there are those I am very surprised and sad to see them go.

Then, there is the fantasy aspect in A Song of Ice and Fire series which excites and entices me to keep reading. There is the ancient wisdom and the magic of old. There is the secret speech of dragonkind. There is the good magic and there is the bad magic. There is the intriguing children of the forest. There are the green dreams and the wolf dreams. There are the shapechangers; beastlings. There are the dead men walking. And there are the trees with eyes grown. There are the wargs and giants and mammoths, all coming back alive.

For a story that comes with a devil of details, it seems that everything is happening at the same time. There is the King in the North. There is the King in the South. There is the King on the Iron Throne. There is the King in the Narrow Sea. And then, there is the Queen across the water. There are battles and there are wars. There are winners and there are losers. But no matter, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. And so, I will continue on with book 3 A Storm of Swords to see how long the winner can sit on this throne.

Review: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin |《Reread》

5 stars for A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire book 1) by George R. R. Martin |《Reread》.

I always relish in-between books; the infinite possibilities with all the wonders one may have at the fingertips. Well, that is until I settle down on the one book. But then, there is just so much to it. It gets on my nerve when one week or three pass and I have yet to find that one book. By then, the thoughts of reading A Song of Ice and Fire series are no longer fleeting but taking root. It is actually something I have been thinking of since last year. But to read the series, I will have to reread this long joyride of more than 800 pages of a book 1 A Game of Thrones since I have forgotten bulk of the story and badly in need of a refresher to the many characters. Perhaps that is what has been holding me back from reading this series. But no books fancy me at the moment, so I take it as a sign. A Game of Thrones, it shall be.

As I go on this perilous journey of revisiting the Iron Throne, the Seven Kingdoms, Dragonstone and King's Landing, I realize I have not totally forsaken the devils in the details. Ha. Hidden away in the dim recesses of my mind are bits and pieces of the story, the plot, the development and the characters. I feel as if I am visiting an old friend and the feeling's not only wonderful and welcoming but fill me with nostalgia. I certainly did not expect this but I actually enjoy this second visit more so than my first as I gain insight from the finer details best absorbed from a second reading.

Honor, glory, loyalty, faith, courage, truth and lies. All are seen and felt and told through the eyes of different characters, mostly the Starks of Winterfell. There is Eddard Stark (Ned), Lord of Winterfell and his wife Lady Catelyn and their children - Sansa, Arya, Bran and Jon. Interestingly, the author leaves out the Stark's first trueborn son Robb and instead assigns the same unfolding of events in third person perspective to two other characters. They are the dwarf from House Lannister, Tyrion, also called the Imp, and Daenerys, a thirteen-year-old girl descendant from the old dynasty House Targaryen.

For a story that rest heavily on signs and dreams and omens and godswood and prayers, this one has it all panned out and truly well. Indeed, the significance to each and every one of the signs is there if you know where to look.

For a book that has no lack of characters and yet more added with every few chapters or so, I am impressed with the details and efforts taken to name them aptly. Brilliant I will say. One can easily infer much from the name of a character or a House and their sigil and location in the Realm. To name but a few, House Lannister of Casterly Rock brings forth a House that is not only powerfully rock solid but comes across as sinister as well, and the commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt, makes me think of a man who is nothing but sly from head to toes. And I will not want to get on the wrong side of a knight, one with a name such as Ser Alliser Thorne.

Signs and names aside, I will say I still dread coming to that part of the story which I remember as vividly as if I have read it yesterday instead of eight years ago. The shock of it reverberated through my entire being still. But there is also beauty in it for not many authors are willing to kill off their characters. Authors who dare to do away with characters, big or small, are oft not burdened by baggage and have the leeway to explore and move on to greater things.

A Game of Thrones. The start of an epic saga to which the player wins or dies; there is no middle ground. Read it yourself to find out who lives and who dies in this game of thrones.

Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

5 stars for The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

I am not usually keen to read books with title that contains the word "library" or "book". Past experiences have taught me to steer clear of such titles because somehow, these books just fail to keep me going. Well, that is until this book. I am so glad to have given this book a go.

This is one book the more I read, the more I like it. It is a story about living that is inspirational in its own right. It explores the theme of loneliness, grief, depression, love, regrets and the reason to exist.

The main thing about this book that makes it so interesting and mind-boggling is that it deals with the concept of multiverse, the idea that there are many parallel universes that exist, each one different from the other. The breathtaking part of it all is how the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics links up with the Midnight Library to create a library of possibilities, the notion that books are portals to all the lives we can be living.

Reading this book makes me feel as if I have lived many different lives, all variations of what can have been of the main character, Nora Seed. Indeed, every decision taken leads to a variation of sorts. To bring this point further, it means doing one thing differently is the same as doing everything differently. To quote "Every life contains many millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations."

Upon concluding the book, I cannot help but think of this question: How will you feel knowing that your life, the different variation of it, has the power to shape the life of others in more ways than one?

Review: The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2) by Agatha Christie

3 stars for The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot book 2) by Agatha Christie.

Reading this book makes me think I have been too harsh in my earlier rating given to book 1 The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I definitely prefer that book to this one and if this book 2 warrants a 3-star rating, then I need to up my rating for the Styles story. That is exactly what I did, and in fact, before I have even finished reading this book, I went to revise my review rating from 3 stars to 4.

This book 2 of the Hercule Poirot series is once again narrated in first person and by the same Captain Hastings. His friend, Poirot, is hired by a rich man who is in need of the services of a detective and Hastings is involved because he is somehow embroiled in everything in which Poirot is concerned.

The mystery is a particularly perplexing and baffling one in which there is a deep riddle for Poirot to solve amidst a man's love affairs, business transactions, friendships, and enmities that he may have incurred. In reading the story, it feels as if the author tries too hard to please the reader by making it unnecessarily complicated. Yes, it is too complicated for my liking.

Regardless of my above grievance, there are still aspects of the story which I do enjoy. And one such is the entertaining side of the writing where Poirot is portrayed as not just the detective who knows the mind of man, he is also funny in his behaviour and choice of words.

This is still a series I will like to explore more of in the future.

Review: The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino

4 stars for The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino.

I read this book for my book club. We meet once every two months to talk books. The librarian who organises and facilitates our club meeting and discussion suggested this novel as our next book for discussion in April. I welcome the idea the moment my eyes landed on the book cover. The cover is not only mesmerising, the picture of the general store seems to be shrouded by magic. This and the word "miracles" in the title make me want to find out more.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store is a story on family, friendship and life. These are fairly common themes in a story. So what makes this story any different? It is the element of time-travel. The travel back to the past and into the future is what makes the Namiya General Store so special on top of its huge role in affecting the lives of those who seek the advice of the store owner.

At first glance, this seems to be a story about people from all walks of life. But when all the dots are connected, it is revealed that they are related one way or other with the Namiya General Store and one other place. The careful crafting of the characters, the events, their surroundings and how they all add up to be one big picture is amazing.

This is a touching, heartwarming and thought-provoking novel. As with all stories that involve time-travelling, it can get confusing at times when one thinks too deeply on the logic of the past against the future. I think that is why, this is a story about miracles. They defy logic.