Book Review ~~ A Clash of Kings ~~

A short while ago, I read the story “A Clash of Kings”, by George R. R. Martin. Like “A Game of Thrones”, a book I reviewed a while ago, it’s part of the series A Song of Ice and Fire and is extremely long–minus the appendix, the US paperback version is 969 pages long. Every page is worth it, though, and while the multiple POVs are often frustrating, leaving you at a cliffhanger just when the POV switches, they skillfully present a view of many different sides. Chapters featuring Tyrion are delightfully funny, featuring intriguing insights into the Lannisters’ inner politics. Meanwhile, the happenings on the Wall provide an extremely interesting story, which is currently quite disconnected from the main story of the Game of Thrones but will most likely be tied in with it at some future point in the series. Similarly, Daenerys’ adventures are filled with wonderful snippets about her dragons and what people do for them, but aren’t yet connected with the “main” part of the story, since she hasn’t yet crossed the ocean to reach Westeros. In Westeros, a multitude of people have declared themselves to be rulers; Joffrey Baratheon, who is backed by the Lannisters, claims that he had legally inherited the Iron Throne, but it is believed that he isn’t Robert’s child, and rumors that he is Jaime’s instead stain his reputation, while Stannis Baratheon, who is the rightful ruler, wages war against his younger brother, Renly Baratheon, in a battle for the throne, as Renly, the more charismatic of the brothers, believes that he deserves the throne instead. Robb Stark has declared himself King of the North, and his mother, Catelyn Stark, acts as an ambassador to Renly Baratheon in a suggestion that they work together to defeat the Lannisters, but is rebuffed, though in a friendly manner. Balon Greyjoy, yet another self-proclaimed king, declares himself to be the King of the Iron Islands and the North, launching many attacks against the border of the North. This frenzy of rulers provides a skilfully written, literal “clash of kings” which I would rate 9.7/10 and recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, or just fiction in general and has enough time to read this huge series.

Book Review ~~ A Game of Thrones ~~

Today I just finished reading “A Game of Thrones”, by George R. R. Martin. It’s the first book in the series A Song of Ice and Fire, and despite being the shortest book in the series so far, it’s 807 pages long (not even counting the appendix), one of the longest books I’ve read yet. It’s a fantasy book, but doesn’t include so much fantasy that it requires much introduction to the concept of the world, though the amount of characters and the many plots and side-plots may confuse readers. It’s mainly set in the Seven Kingdoms, where the “game of thrones” is at its height, but also includes the story of the Wall, where monsters threaten to enter the Seven Kingdoms, a problem far greater than the many self-declared kings’ battle for the throne, but those who wish to sit on the throne or are embroiled in a battle against the current king for other reasons don’t realize the danger. The story of Daenerys and Viserys is also included; the only surviving children of the “Mad Iron King” Aerys Targaryen, they were forced to flee when he was defeated because of a rebellion after his cruel deeds, Daenerys only in her mother’s womb at the time, and Viserys’ plans to reclaim the throne and take vengeance of the killers of his close family troubles the current holders of the throne. At first, the story centers around the Eddard Stark’s family–Catelyn Stark, his wife, and his children, Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, and Rickon Stark–but as the story progresses, it begins to include more stories about Daenerys and the royal court. I really enjoyed reading this book, although at first it was somewhat confusing, especially because of all the different characters, but the author really explains the subtleties behind the situation well. I would rate this book 9.8/10 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, or suspense and has time to read a series that’s already 4,197 pages long and has two more books being planned.

Book Review ~~ The Amber Spyglass ~~

I finished reading “The Amber Spyglass,” by Philip Pullman, just a few days ago. It’s the final book in the His Dark Materials trilogy as well as the most intriguing. In it, the plot of the story is fully revealed, and a lot of previously unknown information is discovered. Will rescues Lyra from Ms. Coulter, who kept her in a cave — supposedly to keep her safe — and the two use the subtle knife to open a window to the realm of the dead and then open another to allow their atoms to assimilate into other worlds once again. Meanwhile, Dr. Malone has entered another world where sentient creatures that call themselves mulefa coexist with trees that bear wheel-like seedpods that can be attached to their feet. They depend on each other, but recently, fewer and fewer seedpods have been growing. Dr. Malone constructs a telescope using the lacquer from the seedpods, and this allows her to see Dust. She realizes that it is flowing away quickly, which is why the trees are producing fewer seeds, and tries to figure out a solution. Meanwhile, Lord Asriel is preparing to wage a war against the Authority — the first angel, who pretended to create all the others — and Ms. Coulter has joined him. I really liked this book because of its complicated plot and would recommend it to anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, or simply looking for a good fiction book. I would rate it 9.8/10.

Book Review ~~ The Subtle Knife ~~

A short while ago, I read “The Subtle Knife,” by Philip Pullman, the second book in the His Dark Materials series. Unlike the previous book, this book began with a completely new character, in our world — Will. After he kills some men who invade his house, he discovers a window to another world, Cittagaze. There, he meets Lyra, who entered Cittagaze through a similar window created by Lord Asriel. They team up and return to Will’s world, where Lyra meets Dr. Malone, who is studying “Dust,” a substance the scholars in her world believe is original sin. Meanwhile, Will tries to find out what happened to his father, John Parry, who disappeared on an Arctic expedition. Unfortunately, Lyra’s alethiometer is stolen, and Sir Charles, who admits to stealing it, asks for a knife in return. Lyra and Will agree, but after they get the knife, which they discover can create windows to other worlds, they are told not to by the knife’s previous true owner, and instead, they steal the alethiometer back. Lyra and Will continue learning about Dust and searching for Will’s father throughout the book. I really enjoyed reading this book, as the real plot of the series begins to be explained as Lyra and Will travel. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, or elaborate plots and rate it 9.8/10.

Book Review ~~ Northern Lights/The Golden Compass ~~

Recently, I finished reading “Northern Lights,” also known as “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman. It’s the first book in the His Dark Materials series, which has a very intricate but enjoyable plot. “The Golden Compass” features Lyra Belacqua as she journeys, first to rescue Roger from the “Gobblers” and then to give Lord Asriel, supposedly her uncle, the alethiometer, which can tell the truth to those who can interpret it. The story is set in a universe similar to ours, but different in that people have daemons, which are souls outside, instead of inside, their bodies, and can think by themselves, offering advice to their companions. Daemons are animals that can change shape when the humans they are connected to are young children, but stay in a fixed shape once children begin puberty. I really enjoyed reading this book and its sequels because of its intricate plot — at first, the story seems to be about Lyra’s quest to rescue Roger from the Gobblers, but more and more information is introduced as it continues, and by the end, the plot seems drastically changed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys complicated plots or simply likes fiction, especially fantasy or science fiction, and rate it 9.7/10.

Book Comparison ~~ Hansel and Grethel compared to Harry Potter ~~

Many comparisons can be made between the villain in the story “Hansel and Grethel” by the Brothers Grimm and the villain in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

To begin with, both antagonists seem to be very kind at first, but eventually are shown to be very evil. In “Hansel and Grethel,” the witch is very kind to the children at first, but eventually proves to be wicked, revealing her intentions to kill and eat Hansel. In the Harry Potter series, Tom Riddle is a charismatic student, proven by how almost every teacher adored him and how he was able to easily persuade Slughorn to tell him about the Horcruxes. However, he eventually became a Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, who terrorized and killed many adults and children alike.

Furthermore, both Lord Voldemort and the wicked witch can be likened to animals, generally beasts or other animals with negative connotations. Both have red eyes, and Lord Voldemort’s eyes are even likened to those of a snake. The witch has a keen scent, “like the beasts.” Even Lord Voldemort’s house, Slytherin, reveals how he is similar to a snake. The witch is often likened to a beast, whereas Lord Voldemort is often liked to a snake, both of which have negative connotations.

In the end, both antagonists are eventually outsmarted by the protagonists. In both situations, it seems doubtful that the protagonists can beat the antagonists– Harry is an outlaw, while Hansel and Grethel are trapped with little choice but to obey the witch– but their own arrogance leads to their defeat. The witch didn’t realize that Grethel had guessed her plan and tried crawling into the oven herself, making her plan backfire. Lord Voldemort attempted to use the Elder Wand to beat Harry because it was termed unbeatable, but Harry, as the true master of the wand, won instead when the spell backfired on Lord Voldemort.

Clearly, comparisons can be made between Lord Voldemort and the wicked witch. Both of them seem to be kind and charismatic at the first, but are proven to be evil. They can also be likened to beasts. Finally, both antagonists are outsmarted by the protagonists simply because of their own arrogance.