I'm trying to dabble more this year in classic sci-fi and fantasy and I learned about Tanith Lee from a youtuber named Bookpilled (check him out if yoI'm trying to dabble more this year in classic sci-fi and fantasy and I learned about Tanith Lee from a youtuber named Bookpilled (check him out if you want all kinds of no-nonsense mostly classic sci-fibook reviews.) While I enjoy Lee's simple yet elegant writing style, I didn't know going into this that it was a series of short stories, granted they are all tied into the demon that is the titular character. As with most books of short stories, I found this one to be a mixed bag. The first 3 or 4 stories all flowed well nicely into one another and I really enjoyed those. I thought the trend was going to continue throughout the book but the next section jumps thousands of years later (not that this really changes anything as far as the world is concerned) and follows a mighty queen sorcerer and her rise to power. These stories weren't quite as enjoyable to me, though it does make me wonder if Yennifer from the Witcher MIGHT have been inspired by her. By the time the last set of stories came around, I was even less invested and sort of struggled to get through them. If I had prepared myself for this and also if I had known that these would read almost like tales of Greek myth, I might have enjoyed this more going in. I'm not sure if I'll read more of her Flat Earth series. If I want to try more of her work in the future, I'll probably try The Electric Forest or another stand alone novel. 3/5 (rounded up from 2.5)...more
I enjoyed this book, but compared to A Wizard of Earthsea, it felt like more of a snack than a full novel, which is the reason for the 3 stars. Still,I enjoyed this book, but compared to A Wizard of Earthsea, it felt like more of a snack than a full novel, which is the reason for the 3 stars. Still, I'm coming to really enjoy Leggings writing style, simple and often poetic. Im glad I didn't try to read this series back when I was a young lad, hungry for more epic fantasy to scratch the Wheel of Time itch, because I probably would have found these boring and rather uneventful. But the older and more patient me really enjoys the vivid imagery that LeGuin paints of her world of Earthsea, a world I would happily get lost in. I can definitely see why these books were one of Hayao Miyazaki's biggest inspirations. Knowing that, I picture these stories like one of his anime in my mind. Looking forward to the next one! 3.5/5...more
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