#28: Dreams and Shadows

Cargill, C Robert: Dreams and Shadows. New York: HarperCollins, 2013. Print. 433 pages.
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SETTING: In and around Austin, Texas.
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SUMMARY: Colby Steven's childhood wish to see the world, real and "imaginary," puts him in the middle of a battle between reality and dreams, right and wrong, and forces him to realize the difference between doing good and doing for the greater good.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'No one is born damned; you have to damn yourself.  Hell's fires are fueled by the stuff of dreams and stoked with man's attempts to grasp them.  Few men set out to damn their fellow man; those that do have a special place carved out in the brimstone of the underworld.  The Devil loves a self-made man.'"
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This book was a random pick from the local library near my parents' home, at first picked up because I liked the cover, title, and font size.  I wanted a quick and easy read of pure fiction.  This book promised to deliver faeries, angels, monsters, and changelings, so, along with the three favorable aesthetic points mentioned above, it seemed like a fantastic choice.  
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Things I liked about this book:

1. Fantasy!  It wasn't as far from reality as high-fantasy novels are, but it delivered on its promise of providing the reader with a plethora of fantastical creatures.
2. The friendship between Colby, the protagonist, and Ewan, the secondary protagonist.
3. Mallaidh's love for Ewan.  (Her name is pronounced "Molly" according to the author.  If you ask me, I'd say it should be pronounced "Mallay.")

Things I didn't like about this book:

1. The story had soooooo many great ideas but they were all half-baked.
2. The author created a number of different characters and types of creatures, but there were too many and only a few of them were presented fully and well.  
3. There were many characters in the fantasy world whose name and societal rank were briefly mentioned.  The author would then bring these characters back, giving them such importance as if I, as the reader, should have had a working knowledge of that character's background and personality.  In reality, the author had never provided such information.
4. The author's writing style.  It didn't flow well.
5. The lack of description in much of the book. It was like the author was rushed for a deadline so he neglected to cultivate and nurture his ideas.

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This book could have been great, but instead it ended up being a mess of words.  There were too many themes and not enough emphasis on any one.  I was left with nothing after finishing the book, and it was clear from the beginning that the author wanted it to be the type of story that had the reader walking away with a great life lesson learned.  I think the author was trying to get at the difference between doing something because you believe it is good and sacrificing for the greater good, but this concept was briefly mentioned, and near the end at that.  Also, there were no concrete events that led up to that being the crux of the story.  If I'm trying to push a square peg into a round hole, then I can say that some of the events in the beginning perhaps foreshadowed this central theme.  This book was a big disappointment, and I only kept reading it because I thought it had to get better.  There were so many great ideas and so much potential!  This is the author's first novel, and I think he is capable of creating great works of fiction, so I hope he keeps at it, but this first piece was not good.
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Recommend?  No.  There are plenty of other books to read that are a better use of your time.

#27: A Game of Thrones

Martin, George RR: A Game of Thrones. New York: Bantam Books, 2011. Print. 807 pages.
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SETTING: The story takes place in three separate settings, following three separate, yet connected, story lines:  

1. The Seven Kingdoms, a nation on the continent of Westeros.
2. The Wall (an actual wall made of ice, stone, and magic) that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the North.
3. The East, in various areas, following the Dothraki people.

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SUMMARY: Ongoing unrest between all the different houses in this fictional world, and the looming arrival of a harsh winter (seasons last for years; the novel begins near the end of a decade-long summer), motivate the various characters to face a difficult crossroad: fight for what they believe in or take the easier route and follow those who will give them the best reward, either monetary or, in most cases, the option to keep their life.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true.'" - page 532.
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Like many other people I know, I've been in a frenzy to jump on the Game of Thrones bandwagon.  Apparently HBO has done an exceptional job translating this story into a TV series, and I'm missing out on a whole lot!  But, as usual, I REALLY wanted to read the books before diving head first into the show, and a friend was kind enough to lend me the first book!  Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to read in between school and other personal projects I had going on, so it took me a very long time to finish the novel.  Hopefully though, now that I'm on summer break, I'll have the chance to zip through the other four.  I am a little bummed out that the remaining two haven't been written, and considering the author has a history of taking years to finish one novel, I'm already anticipating how disappointed I'll be once I reach the end of the fifth book.  I can't even begin to imagine how the patient fans, who began this journey in 1996 with the publication of the first novel, must feel!
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Things I liked about this book:

1. IT'S AWESOME!  First time I've ever audibly said "wow" after finishing a book.
2. The author doesn't hold anything back.  He doesn't feel the need to censor ever.
3. The emotions!  Because the author is not afraid to introduce very taboo and horrifying subjects, I became overwhelmed numerous times while reading and had to set the book down to take a breather.  I even abandoned it for an entire two-week period because my mind kept wandering back to what I had read when I was supposed to be studying.
4. The multiple third-person narratives.  The author gives a well-rounded view of what's going on.
5. Strong character development.  Multiple characters, but because of the use of third-person narratives, I felt that I had a clear idea of each character's personality.
6. The strong female characters.  It's a man's world... ruled by women (except on the Wall- no women allowed).
7. "Winter is coming."  A simple, eerie, and forceful statement echoed throughout the entire book.  It's brilliant that the author was able to create such a memorable, meaningful phrase with three words.

Things I didn't like about this book (but not in terms of content):

1. Many of my favorite characters died, and the amount of death took a little getting used to.  Again, this book's style was something I hadn't ever encountered.

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This is the first fiction book I've read that mentally challenged me to keep going, even with all the abovementioned positive points (I'm mentally challenged by nonfiction all the time, mostly because I find it boring and tedious).  Some of the themes are really disturbing, but because it is written so well and the story line is fantastic, I had to keep going.  The list of likes is much longer than dislikes, and I could easily continue with the likes, but long posts are a drag.  I hate buying books, but if I can't find book 2 at my local library, I'm definitely going to cave in and buy the lot.  I have a precious two months to spend as I'd like (for the most part), and reading the remaining four books are at the top of the list.  YAY SUMMER :D
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Recommend?  YES.  PLEASE READ.