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DOUGLASS'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2015
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I really enjoyed this in 2014 and am looking forward to doing it again. It was great to talk with others who read the same books and to get ideas for new books to read from others' reviews. I got a tablet for Christmas, so I am hoping it will allow me to read more in 2015 than I did in 2014.
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1.
by Christopher Scarre (no photo)Finish date: January 2015
Genre: History
Rating: C+
Review: This book contains excellent graphic representations of the Roman Empire, including maps of various areas during different eras, battles and wars, timelines, etc. However, the text of the book is disappointingly vague. Some details are blurred together, and the essential questions about the historical significance of many events are overlooked. It makes a good supplement to books with more detailed text, such as Greg Woolf's Rome: An Empire's Story and Boatwright's The Romans: From Village to Empire.
by Greg Woolf (no photo)
by Mary T. Boatwright (no photo)
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by Mary T. Boatwright (no photo)
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2.
by
Tom HollandFinish date: February 2015
Genre: History
Rating: A-
Review: Many books about Ancient Rome are written in an academic style, which is to be expected when reading about a period of time from which the only information we have is from archeology and limited, biased primary source texts. While these pedantic texts can be interesting, their persnickety nature does not make them very engaging. It is pleasing to read a history of Ancient Rome that is in a narrative style. Holland pulled me into the many political stories of the late republic, while also tying the stories together into a continuous flow. From the first page to the last, everything ties together neatly. I could not put the book down. My only criticism is that there are times when it feels like Holland is trying too hard to get the reader to buy into his point of view. He uses an erudite vocabulary, while simultaneously trying to come down to earth with lay terms and pop culture references. It feels a bit like when a politician who is out of touch with pop culture tries to throw in a couple good lines to seem "cool." With the exception of these times that felt forced, I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a new perspective on Roman culture by delving into the depths of the personalities and relationships. I will probably pick this one up off the shelf and read it again down the road.
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It seems like you really liked the book and I am delighted to hear that.
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It seems like you really liked the book and I am delighted to hear that."
Yes, I joined in some of the discussions, then I got sidetracked before picking the book back up to finish it this week. We had a debate in chapter 1 about whether Rome's expansion into an empire was intentional or out of necessity or luck. That was a very interesting discussion that made me second guess myself and have to really think through my opinions.
There is definitely a confusion factor in the book, but it isn't really Holland's fault. So many of the Romans had C-names: Caelius, Caesar, Cassius, Catilline, Cato, Catulus, Cinna, Cicero, Clodia, Clodius, Cornelia, Crassus, Curio, etc. To make matters worse, a lot of people changed their names, were named after other people with similar names, etc. The names and personalities often blur together.
I think it may be in chapter 7 where a lot of people with C names are interacting that it becomes difficult to follow. I thought about going back to the beginning of the chapter and taking notes, but I just moved on and figured I'd come back to it later if I needed to. One day, I am going to read the book again to see if I can get a better understanding of some of those details.
I am sure that if Holland were naming the characters, he would have picked better names, but it's a history book, so we're stuck with it.
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Tom Holland
Added to my list! Thanks for the review. :)
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It seems like you really liked the book and I am delighted to hear that."
Bentley, I just read this and have to share it. It is an example from Rome: An Empire's Story that demonstrates how confusing Roman names can be:
Adoption was in any case a very traditional means by which aristocratic families renewed themselves. Polybius' friend Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus, who sacked Carthage in 146 and was the victor of Numantia in 133 BC, was in fact the natural son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, the victor of Pydna, but had been adopted in childhood by Scipio Cornelius Africanus to ensure he had an heir.
In that quotation, Greg Woolf is purposefully being confusing to demonstrate how ridiculous name adoption in the Ancient Roman aristocracy could be. It shows how some of these stories are going to be confusing no matter who writes them. I am 2/3 of the way through Woolf's book, which I will be reviewing shortly as well.
by Greg Woolf (no photo)
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3.
by Greg Woolf (no photo)Finish date: March 2015
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: Woolf covers over 1,000 years of history in only 300 pages. While it is indisputably erudite, the book carefully avoids trivial information and sticks to the essential details. For the most part, the odd-numbered chapters follow the history of Rome through time, while the even-numbered chapters discuss culture, economics, and other concepts about empire. This seems like a predictable and unoriginal format, but Woolf seamlessly transitions from one topic to another. The individual chapters could work as academic essays alone, but the book also works brilliantly as a cohesive work. Woolf's central theme is always present no matter what topic or time period he is discussing. Woolf's original approach to discussing the Roman empire is to emphasize its unique evolution and resilience in comparison to other empires, both ancient and modern. Rome survived conflicts and calamities of all kinds over more than a millennium, but unique aspects of its culture and its imperial structure allowed it to survive them. Woolf's knowledge and writing alone make this the best single volume history of the Roman Empire. However, he goes further in presenting over 26 pages of footnotes, a 29 page bibliography, and a couple pages about further reading at the end of each chapter. In this way, Rome: An Empire's Story serves as a gateway to research into any aspect of the Roman Empire that you might take interest in. This book is an essential for every history reader's bookshelf.
That sounds like a good one, Douglass. It's going on my ever-growing list.
I can't imagine that this book is only 300 pages long. Pretty impressive.
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The 300 does not include the footnotes and bibliography, but it certainly is impressive. It does not feel at all like he is missing things. He is very good at researching and writing. He has another book called Becoming Roman that he wrote previous to this one (also about 300 pages), and I really want to read it.
by Greg Woolf (no photo)
Good grief.....I just finished a book on the trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus and it was 600 pages long!!! It was great but sounds like maybe it could have been condensed into 300 pages!!!
by Jean-Denis Bredin (no photo)
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4.
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George R.R. MartinFinish date: April 2015
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: A
Review: My wife was begging me to read this, and now I can see why. The book gets better and better as you get into it. The finish is more like a beginning, setting you up for the rest of the series, but it is an exciting ending that makes the journey worthwhile. Martin writes each chapter from a different character's perspective. That sounds like it could be disconnected, but he ties the narratives together well, making you wait to get the details you want in one chapter from a later chapter. It's no wonder this book became a hit television series. Martin also uses a vocabulary and mysterious elements that establish a different world, but a realism that keeps it believable. Finally, Martin has a rhythm to his writing that makes it even more engaging and helps to tie the story together from character to character. This made 835 pages feel more like 400, and it made me want to jump right into the next book of the series. I rarely dream about books I am reading, but I have had dreams almost every night related to this book. I think that is a sign of how engaging Martin's writing is and how magical and emotional the story is.
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5.
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George R.R. MartinFinish date: May 23, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: A+
Review: I am so glad that I decided to continue the series into the second book. George R.R. Martin had only scratched the surface of what he could do with the characters and the realm in A Game of Thrones. The stories just keep getting better. Martin also tended to focus this book on my favorite characters, which made it such an enjoyable read. What truly amazes me is the number of golden nuggets I found in this book. By that I mean great displays of writing genius: metaphors and maxims, moments where the prose feels almost poetic, and a greater structure that masters time, space, and theme, tying distant characters together in a David Mitchell-like web. So many reviews and other discussions of this series focus on plot points and characters, but let's not forget the brilliance of Martin's writing, which makes it all worth reading.
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George R.R. Martin
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David Mitchell
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6.
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Anthony DoerrFinish date: June 1, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A+
Review: From the first page I could tell that this book was going to be special. Doerr's writing is so full of magic. The stories of these characters are so sad, yet there is so much hope and wonder in every line of Doerr's prose. It is the most beautiful and imaginative World War II story that I have ever read, and definitely one of my favorite books of all time. There is so much more I could say, but you need to stop reading my review and start reading this book right now. Right now.
Douglass wrote: "JUNE6.
by Anthony DoerrFinish date: June 1, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A+
Review: Fro..."
Oh good, I can't wait to dig in!
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Ernest HemingwayFinish date: June 3, 2015
Genre: Play
Rating: C+
Review: Hemingway's only full-length play, The Fifth Column is characteristic Hemingway. The dialogue is witty, the characters flawed but true. It is full of one-liners that are funny and quotable. It also gives a glimpse of the lives of those mixed up in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. It is nothing spectacular, but it is short and sweet, like this review, and worth adding to your summer reading list.
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Stephen ChboskyFinish date: June 4, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: C
Review: I did not find this book to be particularly impressive or creative. As young adult literature goes, I would say it is average. It is not a waste of time to read it, but I doubt I will be encouraging others to read it. It is narrated by a socially awkward, emotionally immature 14-year-old named Charlie. He reminds me a bit of myself at his age: vulnerable, innocent, and going alog with the flow of things, rather than making decisions for himself. The book is narrated from his perspective in a series of letters to a seemingly random reader. Chbosky handles this voice well, though it is not a difficult one to write in. Charlie's psychological state, as it is gradually revealed throughout the book, is an interesting topic, and one that the book could raise awareness and acceptance of. I suppose that the biggest hurdle for me with this book is that the writing is just not that impressive. I buy that it is from a teenage boy's view. The boy's letters remind me of Esther Earl's in This Star Will Not Go Out. The characters are good, but they fit a simple description of many characters that you would expect to see in a high school in the 1990s. There just was not enough in the book that was interesting. I would be more likely to suggest that someone read other books in this genre that have better writing, such as Ordinary People or Looking for Alaska.
by Esther Earl (no photo)
by Judith Guest (no photo)
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John Green
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John KnowlesFinish date: June 6, 2015
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: I was reevaluating my rating of The Perks of Being a Wallflower yesterday, questioning if my rating may have been too harsh. Then I was reading this book, a tale of teenagers in an American boarding school during the WW2 era, and John Knowles reminded me that you can write about both the humor and hardship of young adults without compromising the quality of the literature. Knowles is one of the best descriptive writers I have read. In each scene he paints a picture and fills the painting with metaphors of the greater story. In Perks, Chbosky takes an interesting story and writes it from the perspective of an immature teenager, Charlie, who doesn't understand the significance or deeper meaning of what he is experiencing. In A Separate Peace, Knowles takes a story that is probably less interesting than Chbosky's, but writes it from the perspective of an adult, Gene, reflecting on it. Gene's experiences in life after the climax of the story give the story a much deeper meaning. While Perks is likely to be forgotten in a decade or two, A Separate Peace remains an American classic 14 years after its author died at age 75. So it appears I was correct in my somewhat harsh review of Perks. Knowles proves that you can write an emotional story about teenagers with a quality that puts the book among the best books of the century.
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Stephen Chbosky
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Ernest HemingwayFinish date: June 7, 2015
Genre: Nonfiction/Memior/Autobiography
Rating: B+
Review: "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." This was the signature of Hemingway's writing, and this book gives a glimpse into how Hemingway wrote, where his inspiration came from, and who he spent his time with in Paris in the 1920s. Paris and the 20s are a place and time that fascinate me, which made me very excited about this book. I didn't realize when I started it how revealing and inspiring it was going to be. It is very interesting to learn of the painters and writers who influenced Hemingway in his formative years, when he was using a career in journalism to support his love of writing short stories. Hemingway also writes about his colleagues and friends in Paris at the time. He had patience with very unusual people, and it seems like he was a good friend. The final three chapters focus on Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, who were among the strangest—but also the closest—of Hemingway's friends. If you find these topics interesting, then I highly recommend this book. I also recommend the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris, which includes a humorous portrayal of Hemingway and a spot on characterization of the Fitzgeralds. I have no doubt that Woody Allen read A Moveable Feast before he wrote the movie.
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Jason AaronFinish date: June 18, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: B
Review: 5 stars for Jason Aaron's writing, 3 stars for Simone Bianchi's art. An origin story for Thanos was much needed, and Aaron delivers an interesting story. It is initially a conventional story of the birth and development of a psychopath, but as Thanos grows, and his love story with it, there is no questioning how he became the most destructive character in the universe. The dialogue is decent and the narration outstanding, but the artwork leaves something to be desired. I was into the story, but the graphic experience did not do much for me. I actually found the variants pictured throughout to be much more colorful and dynamic than anything else. But thanks to Aaron's excellent storytelling, Thanos Rising is saved, and it is an excellent addition to the Marvel universe.
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Max BrooksFinish date: June 20, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: A
Review: This is a unique graphic novel experience in many ways. It is the story of the zombie apocalypse of Max Brooks's World War Z told from the perspective of vampires. It seems like a strange concept up front, but it actually creates many opportunities to react to the technological evolution of the human race and its social implications. Brooks incorporates a commentary on bourgeois society and the shrinking, "flattening" world. The text is mostly narrative, and the story is told in the first person from one of the main characters. The narrative interacts with the graphics and dialogue brilliantly so that it is like watching a movie. Raulo Caceres weaves amazing illustrations into Brooks's text, even when the text gets abstract and philosophical. Caceres's illustrations carry the story along, show plenty of horror, and enhance the metaphoric implications of the plot. Brooks and Caceres also do a fantastic job of jumping between the current narrative and the various flashbacks to human, vampire, and zombie history. This adds diversity to the illustrations and enhances the philosophical foundations of the story. Brooks's and Caceres's collaboration makes for an engaging reading experience. I look forward to reading volume 2, and I hope there are many more volumes to come.
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Max Brooks
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Thomas L. Friedman
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Max Brooks
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Max BrooksFinish date: June 28, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: B
Review: This is my least favorite of Max Brooks' books, but it's still pretty good because it's Max Brooks. It is similar to The Extinction Parade, less interesting in both the story and the graphics, mostly because this book doesn't have main characters or a single running plot and the graphics don't uave color. I still like the cleverness of some of the stories, and Ibraim Roberson's illustrations are extremely detailed, complement the text, and could almost tell the story without the text. I recommend reading Brooks's books in the order of publication.
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Max Brooks
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14.
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Jim StarlinFinish date: June 30, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: D-
Review: This was a huge disappointment. I expected an epic showdown between Thanos and Hulk with the fate of the universe at stake. Instead, Thanos is a minor character, and the book is full of characters that are not remotely interesting. It should be titled Annihilus vs. Hulk and the Misadventures of Pip the Troll. With the exception of a few funny lines here and there, the plot and dialogue are trash. I'll give it 2 stars only because the illustrations are decent.
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15.
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Brian Michael BendisFinish date: July 5, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: C+
Review: This book has its good moments, but it didn't wow me. the time travel theme allows for great crossover opportunities, but it also creates confusion. There are too many characters, and none of them seem to know what they are doing. But there is plenty of relief from the confusion in the form of funny one-liners from Spiderman. If you don't know what's going on, don't worry. The characters in the book don't know either. Several times in the book, characters are like, "What's going on? Something's happening..." In fact, that is what the title of this comic book should be: What's Going On? Something's Happening by Brian Bendis.
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George R.R. MartinFinish date: July 7, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: A+
Review: Of the 1st 3 books in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series, this is by far my favorite. The deeper meaning of the events is discovered in this volume. It is the climax of the series so far, where every character seems to be going through major changes. It is much more than a situational change for each character, it is a personal change. Some of the characters you like might experience their downfall, some that you hate may turn around for the better, and some that did not seem all that important are suddenly thrust into crucial parts of the plot. If you haven't read this yet, avoid spoilers at all cost! If it does get spoiled, or if you don't like a change Martin makes, keep reading anyway to see where it is going. Everything has its purpose in the greater story. And every sentence Martin writes is amazing up until the last sentence of the epilogue.
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17.
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John GreenFinish date: July 10, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult
Rating: A
Review: Another enigmatic John Green novel that is laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, and thought-provoking. Green always does a great job of making knowledge valuable to teenage characters and incorporating classic literature into his novels. In this story, the enigma of main character Quentin Jacobsen's love interest Margo Roth Spiegelman centers around a clue that she left highlighted in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. As Quentin religiously reads Whitman in his attempt to solve Margo's mystery, he discovers in the text a philosophy about himself, his friends, the girl he loves, and life in general. It amazes me how John Green takes a classic poem by Walt Whitman, makes it the centerpiece of a complex mystery that is constructed by a complex character, and makes the poem relevant to teenage characters over 100 years later. Green is revolutionizing young adult fiction with brilliant works like Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, Looking for Alaska, and The Fault in Our Stars, all of which I have had to give 5 stars on Goodreads.
by
Walt Whitman
by
John Green
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Orson Scott CardFinish date: July 19, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: A+
Review: This book is amazing. It is now one of my favorite sci-fi books, but it is much more than a sci-fi story. It is about military strategy, people, growing up, empathy, and so many more things. Carr writes at a reading level that makes it accessible to teens, but the book is fit for any age. I really love all the strategies that characters use to work toward their ends, whether they intend to rescue the human race or to rule it. And there are so many more things that I like that I can't discuss without spoiling it. If you like sci-fi or military strategy, I have heard good things about book #2 of the series too, so I look forward to reading that.
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Orson Scott Card
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Skottie YoungFinish date: July 19, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Rating: A
Review: If you liked the Guardians of the Galaxy film, you will likely enjoy this too. Rocket is the focus of the story, but Groot is important, the rest of the Guardians, make an appearance, and there are some other great characters as well. I like the illustrating. The dialogue is clever and funny. Groot is hilarious, as is Brute in #6. I am looking forward to seeing what Young does with Volume 2, which comes out as a single edition this summer.
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Skottie Young
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Stephen ArseneaultFinish date: July 26, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: B-
Review: This book is nothing spectacular, but it is a decent, quick sci-fi read. The narrator, Knogg, is an interesting character. The realm that Arseneault created for the SODIUM, AMP, and OMEGA series is well-planned. As a high-ranking security officer for a government on the verge of disaster, Knogg, a Grunta, and his human partner Joni are caught up in the middle of the growing conflict. It is interesting to see how it all plays out, and the progression of the story opens up many discussions of what government's role in society is or should be. I am not particularly enthusiastic about this author or series, but I would be willing to read more of it if I am looking for a short, easy read.
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Stephen Arseneault
Douglass wrote: "The movie for this one comes out very soon, and I am excited!17.
by John GreenFinish date: July 10, 2015
Genre: F..."
That book sounds great. Thanks for the review.
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21.
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Andreas ChristensenFinish date: August 2, 2016
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi
Grade: C+
Review: The concept of this book is very interesting. A rogue planet enters the solar system and collides with Mars. What's left of it is on an orbit that will collide with Earth around eight years later. The business and political leaders in a post-terror war, fascist American state work together to create the Exodus Project, which will resettle about 1,600 humans on a new planet. There are many questions about who will make the cut of 1,600, how successful the quickly-planned interstellar mission might be, what they will find when they get there, and whether the political elite will be able to hold onto power through the transition. I love the concept of this book, and Christensen does some interesting things with it that I really enjoy. However, he doesn't do enough. This is a short book, and I wish he would have written more detail about the characters, the science, the mission, and Devastator's impact with Earth. There is so much untapped potential.
I downloaded his short ebook, Alive, which I expect to fulfill some of that. However, reading the description of book 2 in the Exodus Trilogy, Aurora, already has me suspecting that his other books will leave me with the same unfulfilled feeling.
It is worth noting that I would consider this book appropriate for young adults. It is at an easy reading level, the content is all appropriate (maybe a rare curse word at worst), and there are some teenage characters. I am always looking for books to get my students into reading, especially the teenage boys, who don't seem to be as into reading as the girls. I would love to see Christensen delve deeper into his teenage characters, perhaps with a teenage-focused series. There is huge potential there.
Exodus is currently free on BookBub.com. Alive is free on ChristensenWriting.com. The rest of the trilogy is also pretty inexpensive on iBooks and probably other stores as well. It's nice that the web is making it so easy to explore new series' and new authors without spending a lot of money up front. Goodreads is a big part of that too, which makes me really happy.
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Andreas Christensen
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Andreas ChristensenFinish date: August 7, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi
Grade: B-
Review: Like Exodus, Alive is shorter than it should be. Christensen has great ideas, but comes up short on both the quality and quantity of his delivery. I may read more of his work because I like the concept of the Exodus Trilogy a lot. I hope that Christensen's writing improves with his later works. This novella was already a step above Exodus in my opinion.
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Andreas Christensen
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Dan AbnettFinish date: August 23, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Grade: A-
Review: The entire universe is trying to defend itself from the invasion of an alternate universe, the Cancerverse, where the death of death has their universe spilling over into ours. How better to fight their universe without death than with our universe's avatar of death, Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy resurrect and enlist Thanos to accompany them in bringing death back to the Cancerverse. But will Thanos annihilate another universe to save this one, or will he betray the Guardians, who robbed him of death? And what will the Guardians do to prevent Thanos from spreading even more death through our universe after the war is all over? Setting up this story is pretty difficult, so the first couple volumes of this are a little rough. Like a novel that gets a slow start before developing into a masterpiece, the reader of The Thanos Imperative is rewarded for his patience. The strength of the story improves as it progresses. The illustrations are amazing. There is so much detail, choas, and color. There are so many characters, locations, and abstracts to deal with, but Sepulveda, Walker, and their colorists construct a visual masterpiece that brings Abnett and Lanning's tale brilliantly to life.
Tip: Chances are most readers have not read every comic that precedes this one. I certainly have not, but I still could enjoy this and don't feel that I missed much. However, I highly recommend reading Thanos Rising before this. Understanding Thanos's origin and relationship with Death will help you fully appreciate Thanos's role in The Thanos Imperative.
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Jason Aaron
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Sylvia PlathFinish date: August 24, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Memoir
Grade: A
Review: In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath takes the reader on a journey through the most challenging part of her life. Her story, and especially her perspective, make the book thought-provoking. Her delivery is smooth and creates a reading experience that is relaxed, despite the emotional seriousness of the content. Plath pulls you in, and you long for more and more of her writing as you go, until finally she leaves you with an ending that is clean, yet still makes you want even more. I've yet to find a piece written by Sylvia Plath that I didn't enjoy. Her poems are amazing, and I am so pleased now to have read her novel now too.
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Sylvia Plath
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25.
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Dan AbnettFinish date: September 6, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Grade: A
Review: Abnett takes on a very challenging concept and writes very well for it. Star-Lord initiated the Annihilators, saying, "The galaxy doesn't need guardians! It doesn't need brave souls! If it's going to survive another one of these, it's going to need absolute bad-asses! It's going to need the biggest guns of all! Cosmic heavy hitters as scary as the menaces they have to face! It's going to need flarking annihilators!" I wasn't sure I was actually going to like this direction. The concept and the characters are not my favorite, but the writing is engaging and unpredictable. The plot is very smart. The illustrations are stunning. It surprised me by turning out to be a very good comic.
This edition also includes Rocket Raccoon and Groot: Root and Branch, Tooth and Claw.. I actually liked this even better than Annihilators. I cannot get enough of Rocket and Groot. They are probably my favorite two comic characters. This story gives you a lot of their history before the Guardians in addition to the main plot which takes place after the Guardians. Rocket and Groot play off each other so well. Rocket is intelligent, humorous, and conflicted, and Groot is just strange. Rocket understands Groot like any true best friend, and Groot keeps Rocket in line. Whenever the two are separated, they are kind of a mess. When they get together, they are an amazing pair of heroes. Marvel can keep the Rocket and Groot comics coming!
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George R.R. MartinFinish date: September 7, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Grade: A
Review: I have read the first three books of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series and am a big fan. This graphic novel is a prequel to A Game of Thrones. It is written by George R.R. Martin with adaptation by Ben Avery, pencils by Mike S. Miller, and colors by Mike Crowell. The story, illustrations, and nearly everything about it are top notch. It is the story of "Dunk", the squire of a hedge knight, "Ser Arlan," who he has to bury on the first page of the book. He decides to fill Arlan's shoes as a hedge knight himself, despite technically not being knighted. Trying to follow the chivalrous model of his former master, he finds himself tangled up in a feud with the Targaryens that threatens to end his knighthood before it really even started. I think most fans of the Game of Thrones books or television show would enjoy this. Since it is not nearly as tangled as the web of plots in Game of Thrones, it also works well as a stand-alone piece and might introduce graphic novel readers to the series.
There is a book 2 already out. I am hoping to pick it up tomorrow.
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George R.R. Martin
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George R.R. Martin
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George R.R. MartinFinish date: September 19, 2015
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Grade: A-
Review: I liked the first Hedge Knight book better, but this is still great. It is cleverly written and graphically interesting. The illustrations and colors really capture the mood of the story. Much like the first book, this one tells stories within the story which enhance its role as a Game of Thrones prequel.
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George R.R. Martin
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
A Short History of Man: Progress and Decline (other topics)Thanos: Redemption (other topics)
Annihilation, Book One (other topics)
Annihilation: Conquest, Book One (other topics)
Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Hans-Hermann Hoppe (other topics)Keith Giffen (other topics)
Jim Starlin (other topics)
Keith Giffen (other topics)
Dan Abnett (other topics)
More...
Our Required Format:
JANUARY
1.
Finish date: January 2015
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.