Derek Bailey > Recent Status Updates

RTC - A fun read that gives a lot more insight into who Ambessa is as a character and even provides a little more context for who Mel is as well. It's definitely a better written and more compelling story than Ruination, but it also lacks focus at times and certainly doesn't quite live up to the show it's based on.

RTC, this was another touching story from Albom that felt both similar and quite different from Tuesdays with Morrie. The faith focus was of particular interest to me, but I felt like that ended on an almost empty note in terms of knowing whether or not the experience had any real kind of effect on Albom himself besides just deepening his appreciation for believing in God.

Prince Caspian was much better than the movie adaptation. I found it really interesting just how different it was. That said, the fact that these kids lived an entire life as adults and then return as children was somehow weirder, maybe because it's mentioned somewhat often. It was definitely darker and more violent than the prior books and I'm curious to see where the rest of the series goes from this point.

Reread Voice of War and I think I had a slightly better time with it in some ways than I did the first time, maybe because my expectations were more aligned. It's a fun action romp with expertly handled action scenes. The character interactions felt a little smoother to me this time, not sure if there was additional editing done, but the dialogue is still a little bit odd and characters still make plot-based choices.

RTC - honestly, I think the cracks in the writing really showed through here. A lot of the impact of the story depends on readers having a level of connection to the characters and investment in their goals that I just did not have. Overall, it was a perfectly fine adventure with some cool moments here and there, but I think it could have been a lot more interesting than it was.

A Horse and His Boy was an interesting one. I think I ultimately liked it in the end, but probably less so than the first two books. It was a little funnier than the others and I appreciated that it expanded upon the broader universe that Narnia is set in. It was also quite interesting that we didn't actually spend much time in Narnia itself.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was just as good as I remembered it being. It's just such a charming story and I think the children come off so much better than they do in the movies (perhaps because they are younger here, so some of their less sensitive choices are more excusable). I think I also appreciate Aslan even more as an adult.

Mission of Mercy was intense in a very different way from the rest of the stories. I saw the final twist coming from a mile away, but I think there was a certain degree of dramatic irony intended with that. I also really enjoyed the interactions between Malbarus and Lulea. Not the type of story I expected the collection to end on, but it was ultimately quite a special choice and a good note to end on.

A Simple Thing was quick and intense. This was an assassin story in the purest sense and such a fascinating read over all. I also liked the reflective, journal style of the prose. The climax of the story was superb as well.

Ghost of the White Woods is by far one of the strongest stories in this collection. It's on the longer side but so entertaining throughout and nicely formatted into five chapters and an epilogue. The character interactions between Melia, Evay, and Bastian were the deepest and most compelling of any character moments in the rest of this collection. Some nice action here too.

Even though I was not all that impressed with the first Dalglish book I read, I had a good time with The Axe of Lahreed. I'm still not a massive fan of this author's writing, but the story was gripping throughout and Stasia and Mari served as interesting mainly characters. Just a fun, punchy rebellion story that was structured in a very satisfying way.

Thankfully, Sword and Shadows is on the shorter side. It's written in kind of an unengaging way and I had a pretty hard time tracking what was even going on. Eric and Stephen are also not particularly compelling or likeable main characters. Overall, just kind of a forgettable entry in this collection.

Wow, sons of nightfall was an absolute banger! I'd gladly read a whole collection of just Asher's adventures. Doran and Russel made for great supporting characters too though I wish there was a stronger sense of brotherhood between the three of them since they clearly care for one another even if that doesn't come off super clearly in their interactions.

Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies is a very twisty and fun time. I feel like there are some things that have a lot of unexplored potential in terms of the characters and world (unless this is part of something bigger), but the episode told her is quite satisfying all on its own regardless.

Pearl's Price was a convoluted mess. There's a gimmick centering around some kind of tarot card system where the tenses of each chapter switch up. It's a neat idea, but comes off strangely in execution. There's also a polyamorous relationship that I never had much reason to be invested in and a rebellion that wasn't all that engaging. It sucks that the longer stories in this anthology are such a miss for me so far.

Dead Run played out a little more like a fantasy horror sort of story. The Boy and Tall Man were compelling main characters and I enjoyed their interactions with the rest of their warband. I think this could have worked as a longer piece of fiction, but it was also quite satisfying being as short as it was.

Even though I'm a pretty avid gamer, game fiction just does not do anything at all for me. Tabula Rasa: Training Day was extremely unengaging for me even though it was action packed. I kept waiting for there to be some super interesting twist or something, but it never came and the story just kind of ends almost like it's the prelude to something bigger (if it is, I honestly have zero interest in checking that out).

The Twists of Fate, starring Fate Decimus felt more like the final chapters of a full novel than an individual tale. This gave some of the twists and turns a somewhat unearned feeling, but it was an entertaining romp all the same and I appreciated that it dipped pretty deep into a sort of high fantasy setting.

This has been alright so far. The plot and the world are interesting enough, I'm just not quite as invested in the characters as I'd like to be. Gherin is certainly easy to sympathize with and is probably the most relatable. While the politics of the world aren't too hard to track, I find myself a little confused by the "why" of this world's brutality. I'm curious to see where this all goes, but I do hope it picks up

Mortopia doesn't seem like Wang's strongest outing at first, but then we get to learn more about Amadou's backstory and things pick up from there. The finale of the story is absolute gold and I love all the complicated questions that it asks its readers to contemplate. A very solid piece of short fiction by the end.

War Powers was a fascinatingly bizarre and delightful alternative history story where England fell during WW2 and a ragtag team of extraordinary individuals fight to liberate it from the Nazis. I loved how weird it was and also enjoyed the prose of this one.Trespassser Wil, Gunney, Bonnie, and Barnstormer made for quite an iconic ensemble.

May Luck Be With you was such a fun little vignette on a damaged young man named Royce. I think this may be like a prequel or origin story for a character in a series I haven't read yet. The writing wasn't spectacular, but the storytelling and character work were quite good and have made me a little intrigued about the author's other work.

Finished with The Magician's Nephew which I never read even though it is apparently the first book in the series. I quite enjoyed the realm hopping aspects as well as getting the origins for Aslan, the witch, and Narnia itself. The brilliance of Lewis's writing was quite a pleasure to revisit as well. There's a great deal of spiritual depth on the nature of goodness and selfishness packed into a family friendly tale

Very interesting read. It felt more like reading a poetry book than other types of non-fiction, but glad I finally gave this pretty book a read. RTC

I'm now pretty worried that this is going to end on a deeply unsatisfying note. Given how little of the book I have left, I must surely be in the "Sanderlanche" but it honestly feels like things are moving along as sluggishly as the rest of the story. Maybe the final hours will pack a real punch, but as of now I think this might be disappointingly mid for me.

RTC, I ended up enjoying this one for the most part. The majority of the book just kind of rolled by lazily for me and I didn't initially connect with any of the characters, but things really came together at the end in a way that made me appreciate the rest of the story a little more. The more romantic aspects of the book didn't do a whole lot for me though given how trope-heavy they were.

This has been sort of a cute and almost cozy little story. There are some moments of genuine tension mixed in with the more wholesome and funny aspects of the tale. The small town vibes are nicely handled as well. Overall, I think this is succeeding at being exactly what it's trying to be and I'm curious to see how it all ends.

This has been a nice little read so far, though I forgot how much text can be packed into a little mass market sized page. This might be the most "cozy" cozy fantasy I've read so far. That said, it's probably also the least gripping. I'm having a nice time though and interested to see where it goes even if the characters and insta-attraction trope aren't working amazingly for me.