2 Book Reviews

Title: The Sandman vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Graphic novel
Pages: Hardback, 352
Published: 1996

"Distraught by the kidnapping and presumed death of her son, and believing Morpheus to be responsible, Lyta Hall calls the ancient wrath of the Furies down upon him. A former superheroine blames Morpheus for the death of her child and summons an ancient curse of vengeance against the Lord of Dream. The "kindly ones" enter his realm and force a sacrifice that will change the Dreaming forever."

~ Goodreads

Thoughts: While this is the second-to-last in The Sandman series, I would argue that it actually brings everything full-circle and wraps up the series. In some ways, the series doesn't always seem to follow one storyline; however, The Kindly Ones brings in threads from several of the previous volumes. In that way, I feel that it is truly the end of the series. Gaiman takes a lot of the loose ends in previous books, brings them together, explains them, and ties them up nicely for an end.

This is the longest of The Sandman series sitting at 352 pages. But it also encompasses several sub-plots. Unlike the previous books where it is sometimes hard to see the connection between the disjoint plots, Gaiman does a wonderful job of showing the interplay between everything. Even the simple boon asked by Nuala is shown to have serious consequences.

The Kindly Ones was amazing! I had a hard time putting it down. If it wasn't obvious that Gaiman is a master storyteller, I feel that this graphic novel really showcases that. And, unlike previous volumes, I felt the art style was able to lend to that. Normally, I would not appreciate Marc Hempel's style, but something about it really worked for the story.

"The Kindly Ones was obviously meant to be the grand finale that capstones the Sandman experience and it succeeds on every level."

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: This Side of the Grave by Jeanene Frost
Pages: 5242
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 11/24

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Title: The Sandman vol. 10: The Wake
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Graphic novel
Pages: Hardback, 192
Published: 1997

"The King of Dreams is dead -- long live the King of Dreams. Now ancient gods, old friends and enemies gather to pay tribute and to remember in the strangest wake ever held.

"The echoes of the death reverberate in the final volume in the story of The Sandman: we see them touch a man who will not die, and a Chinese sage whose path into exile takes him through a desert of dreams. And, at the end of his life, William Shakespeare fulfills his side of a very strange bargain."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: As far as The Sandman series goes, this was a disappointment. The first part of the graphic novel follows a wake for Morpheus. It is attended by all of the dreamers, gods, some old enemies, and The Endless. At some level, everyone knows him and remembers him. While it is strange, I would argue that it is typical for a wake. However, Dream -- the new Dream King -- cannot attend the wake.

As stated in the jacket copy, the rest of the graphic novel briefly follows Hob at a renaissance faire, a Chinese sage going into exile, and Shakespeare completing his final play for Morpheus. I could understand and see the connection between all of these stories and the final wake/funeral of Morpheus; however, I felt that they did nothing for the story. The opening part was really interesting, but everything following was boring. At several points, alluded to Dream bringing everyone together to formally introduce himself to his siblings. I wish this had happened.

It just fell short.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: This Side of the Grave by Jeanene Frost
Pages: 5242
Current Progress:

17/50 books

2 Book Reviews

Title: The Sandman vol. 8: The World's End
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Graphic novel
Pages: Hardback, 168
Published: 1994
Opening Lines: "Looking back on it, the thing that still surprises me is my own reaction to it all."

"When Brant and Charlene wreck their car in a horrible snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, the only place they can find shelter is a mysterious little inn called World's End. Here they wait out the storm and listen to stories from the many travelers also stuck at this tavern. These tales exemplify Neil Gaiman's gift for storytelling--and his love for the very telling of them. This volume has almost nothing to do with the larger story of the Sandman, except for a brief foreshadowing nod. It's a nice companion to the best Sandman short story collection, Dream Country, (and it's much better than the hodgepodge Fables and Reflections). World's End works best as a collection--it's a story about a story about stories--all wrapped up in a structure that's clever without being cute, and which features an ending nothing short of spectacular."

~ Amazon

Thoughts: Wanting to go into Medieval Studies, I really enjoyed the "Chaucerian" element behind this graphic novel. I really like the concept of several strangers meeting in an inn and telling stories to pass the time.

I enjoyed this book. It didn't seem connected to the previous volume. A few times, The Endless make appearances throughout the book, and it ends with Brant seeing them in a procession across the sky. For the most part, I really liked the art style. To me, poor art can take away from the story.

Rating: 5/5
Currently: The Sandman vol. 9: The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman
Pages: 4698
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 11/24

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Title: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Graphic novel
Pages: Hardback, 128
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "Where am I?"

"Following the death of Bruce Wayne in last year's Batman: R.I.P. arc comes Gaiman's loving eulogy not just to Batman but to the Batman of each era since the character's debut. Bolstered by slick art from Kubert (Batman; Captain America), Gaiman's lyrical chops are in fine form, weaving a surreal wake in which characters from Batman's history take turns relating what he meant to them, and their takes on the Dark Knight and the dangerous microcosm he fought for and eventually purportedly died to protect. Although this is obviously a love letter from one of the comics medium's premiere talents, the volume will appeal more to readers well-versed in Batman's continuity than Gaiman's normal legion of fans As the finished story only amounts to two issues of material, this hardcover is padded out with lesser—though not badly written by any means—stories teaming Gaiman with Simon Bisley, Mark Buckingham, Kevin Nowlan and Bernie Mireault, plus a sketchbook by Kubert."

~ Amazon

Thoughts: Wow. I'm not sure what I can say about this novel. It was . . . Wow.

At first, it was a little confusing. After reading Cat Woman and Alfred's story of Batman's death, it is kind of hard to understand what it going on. In addition, it seems as though Bruce is there wondering what is truly going on. However, as the story progresses, it is very obvious and makes perfect sense.

This is a very philosophical view of Batman and the role that he plays in Bruce's life. Gaiman suggests that Batman is not merely an alter identity, but Bruce's actual identity. A few years ago, I wrote a big conference paper on the nature of Batman, and I really wish this had already been written. It would have added a different depth to my paper.

Anyways, I love Batman. I wanted to read this as soon as I saw Gaiman wrote something about him. The sketchbook in the back is really cool! Also, the mini comics are also a nice addition. However, the art style is no impressive! After looking at Andy Kubert's take on Batman legacy, the mini comics are painful and juvenile at best in their style.

Rating: 5/5
Currently: The Sandman vol. 9: The Kindle Ones by Neil Gaiman
Pages: 4698
Current Progress:

15/50 books

**Note: I did not finish Ill Wind by Rachel Caine. It was hard to get into, the writing style was not anything to write home about, and I was not enjoying the story. I might try to pick the book up again in a couple of months. Like Butcher, I might need to re-approach it at a different point.

Update & 2 Book Reviews

It has been a long time since I last posted. I'm sorry for the long delay. My husband and I came down with a really nasty virus. It knocked us down for about 2 weeks. It took nearly 5+ days for me to even be able to eat much of anything, and nearly a week to eat somewhat normally. I lost my voice for 3+ days, and it has barely returned. It still is not normal. Needless to say, I lost my desire to read. My days were mostly spent laying on the couch in front of the TV moaning due to the pain and alternating Advil and Tylenol to keep my fever at a manageable level.

However, I am back! Even after all that, my desire to read has finally returned! While hardly able to leave the house, I ran over to Hastings and bought the newest Jeaniene Frost book when it came out, and I also grabbed onto Feed. This past weekend my brother brought me the complete Harry Dresden series, so I don't have to pinch together a coins and scour the library for copies of the books. It is nice to have family who are also bibliophiles -- even if some of them are turning to e-books Without further ado, here are 2 book reviews.

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Title: Storm Front
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 322
Published: 2000
Opening Line: "I heard the mailman approach my office door, half an hour earlier than usual."

"Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed."

~ Good Reads

Thoughts: I picked this book up a couple of years ago, and I couldn't get past the first few pages. It just didn't catch my interest, and it felt as though Butcher was copying every urban fantasy that came before him. It didn't feel original. However, after my brother pestered me for months, I decided I would give it another go. I guess this book is just one of those I had to come back to. I didn't have the same issues, it read really quickly (aside from the reading hiatus I took being sick), and it was really engaging!

Butcher put a lot of thought into Harry's world. The problems wizards have around electronics was really original and gave extra dimension to the character. I enjoyed Harry's poignant observation that many wizards only rely on magic and fail to see anything outside of that.

I really don't have too much to say about Storm Front. The book was enjoyable. I felt Butcher did a good job fleshing out Dresden and making the world believable. There was never a dull moment. The serious nature aside, the book was also full of laughs!

Rating: 5/5
Currently: Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
Pages: 4402
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 11/24

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Title: The Sandman: Brief Lives
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Graphic novel
Pages: Paperback, 256
Published: 1994
Opening Line: "It is, of course, a miracle."

"In BRIEF LIVES, Delirium, youngest of the family known as The Endless, prevails upon her brother Dream to help find their missing sibling, Destruction. Their subsequent odyssey through the waking world, and their final confrontation with Destruction -- as well as the resolution of Dream's painful relationship with his son, Orpheus -- will change The Endless forever."

~ Jacket Copy

Thoughts: I have loved this series from the beginning! There is nothing I would change.

Since I first saw her picture and her introduction in the vol. 1, I have been extremely fascinated with Delirium, who used to be Delight. Something about her nature always seemed different than the other Endless. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that vol. 7 followed her!

After years as Delirium, The Endless decides that she misses her brother, Destruction, greatly. Being unable to hold her attention for too long, she approaches her siblings Desire and Despair to help her on her quest. Both of them say "no"; however, Despair secretly desires to to follow her. After this setback, Delirium hesitantly approaches Dream. Against the advice of Desire, he chooses to follow her. He claims that he has no wish to find his brother. He is just accompanying her for "something to do."

During their adventures and travels, Dream is changed. When questioned, Despair makes it clear that Delirium herself has not changed due to all the change she has seen in her young life. However, the audience is shown snippets of who Delirium truly is and what she might have been like as Delight. In addition, Gaiman drops little clues as to why she decided to become Delirium.

There isn't much I can say about this graphic novel. The storyline was amazing. The character development and the parable Gaiman gives is simply astounding. In the whole series, the only thing I would change would be some of the art styles. While the artists do a good job of capturing The Endless, using their speech fonts/bubbles to give them depth, I tend to not like the chosen art style. I admit, I tend to be an art snob! Aside from that . . . Wow!

Rating: 5/5
Currently: Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
Pages: 4402
Current Progress:

13/50 books