I'm always looking for new books to help improve my creative and artistic skills, so when this anatomy drawing book became available, I was really excI'm always looking for new books to help improve my creative and artistic skills, so when this anatomy drawing book became available, I was really excited. My figure drawing is always slightly disproportionate, so I was hoping this book would help SHOW me how to correct that.
When I received the book, I quickly opened it and found lots of WORDS and not a lot of examples. As a visual learner trying to improve my art, I was baffled and confused by the lack of art in this book. Because of this, I set the book aside, hoping my next impression might be more favorable to actually reading through this 300+ page book.
Alas, my first impression stuck with me. The words may be very useful and helpful to some, but I can't imagine that too many artists would add this book to their collection. I don't think this book will be of much use to me, so I'll try to find someone that will get use out of it....more
Recently, life has thrown me some curveballs, so I decided to re-read a character story that was similar to what I was going through. I found Arrows oRecently, life has thrown me some curveballs, so I decided to re-read a character story that was similar to what I was going through. I found Arrows of the Queen early in life (either junior high or early high school) and loved the story then for almost the same reasons I wanted to read it again now. Also, DAW recently released the trilogy in a single paperback, which rekindled my desire to read the series.
I want to be honest here; I usually skip Arrows Flight in my re-read because not much happens. As one of Mercedes Lackey’s earliest writing endeavors, this trilogy suffers in a couple ways. First, the middle book is almost dead space with most of what is described being too drawn out. This really could have been a beefier duology and been a bit better for it. Second, the pacing is just a little off at times. I like getting to know how Court and Collegium work, and I like getting to learn more about Talia’s friendships, but there aren’t quite enough pages devoted to the action sequences. They read as very abrupt.
Readers who aren’t accustomed to older styles of writing in the fantasy genre may become frustrated or annoyed by the editing presented in the originals. And, I haven’t had the opportunity to examine the new release to see if the editing was updated at all. However, I think the story of acceptance, bullying, family, and adventure overcome these minor negatives.
The reasons why I love this tale are tied to the main character, Talia. As a child, she was raised in a household that didn’t provide love or acceptance for who she was as a person. Then, when she traveled to the capital to become a Herald, she was met with bullies and court intrigue from early on, plus she had to work through her issues of trust, friendship, and communication. Mercedes Lackey shows a great deal of knowledge about the human psyche and emotions. Anyone who wants more LBGTQ, female empowerment, and diversity in their fantasy should check out any of Lackey’s works as she was one of the originals to feature positive reactions and acceptance of what was mostly considered normal (in the worldbuilding) relationships of that nature.
This book features a dark-skinned family, where a little girl tries to make an argument for why her birthday present should be a giraffe. The vocabulaThis book features a dark-skinned family, where a little girl tries to make an argument for why her birthday present should be a giraffe. The vocabulary is great, and the story teaches the use of the word please. Great for lovers of Fancy Nancy and any library....more
I was really enjoying this book, and last night I made a mad dash to reach the end--to finally find out what happened during the first planetfall explI was really enjoying this book, and last night I made a mad dash to reach the end--to finally find out what happened during the first planetfall exploration, which had only been hinted at throughout the book. Honestly, I was super disappointed in the ending. It felt rushed, disjointed, and was not, at all, what I was expecting, which I usually don't mind, if it makes sense. In this case, I felt like the last five or so chapters were almost from a different author. Perhaps my dissatisfaction stems from a personal preference for tidy endings without ambiguity. And since Planetfall has an underlying philosophical and religious theme, the ending did follow that thread, but I felt like there was not enough explanation to justify that kind of ending. The other 3/4 of the book I really loved! The main character is a female 3D printer engineer, who also knows about genetics, and later we learn that she is a hoarder. The story pulled me in with the knowledge that the main character and the leader of the colony had lied about the death of the original "prophet", and the mental stress was starting to seriously affect her.
Here's what you need to know about this book: Pros: Strong female narrator/protagonist 3D printing and engineering Addresses hoarding as a mental illness Future technology that makes sense and is cool Emotional descriptions were spot on Characterization worked well Great worldbuilding for the colony & God's city
Cons: Ambiguous ending that didn't satisfy many of the BIG questions set up in the narrative Never really addresses the cult-like behavior Would have liked to know more about the flora and fauna of the planet
The religious and philosophical overtones will fall into different categories for different people, but I don't think they are insulting, just thought-provoking. And, isn't that what good science fiction does?...more
The story took a while to warm up, but the storytelling was compelling, and eventually the characters grew into people the reader could care about. HoThe story took a while to warm up, but the storytelling was compelling, and eventually the characters grew into people the reader could care about. However, I think the most interesting part of the story was the magical theory. Magic takes on two forms: fire and ice. Depending on how much ability one has with either determines the balance and/or control one has of either magic. The Valtia is the queen of this country and has complete balance of both fire and ice. The story is told through the upcoming Valtia, Elli, who has been raised in the palace since her discovery at a very young age; however, since she is so coddled and protected, she has no personality until the story forces her to grow-up. Luckily, no love triangle grew out of the story, but it took forever to get answers to my questions, and the main story wasn't resolved, so it'll have to wait for the next book in the series. Overall, I'm glad I read this book and I know lots of people will love it, but I don't think I'll be adding it to my permanent personal library....more
While this story was set to lovely art and had some great concepts, there was not enough plot support and several key events happen off page. The endiWhile this story was set to lovely art and had some great concepts, there was not enough plot support and several key events happen off page. The ending was mildly satisfying, but on the whole left a bad taste in my mouth and a knot in my stomach.
Very dark, meant for young adults and older...more
If I pretend that this book is really just an extension of After the End instead of a sequel, I can say I enjoyed the story and characters and the conIf I pretend that this book is really just an extension of After the End instead of a sequel, I can say I enjoyed the story and characters and the concept of Earth magic. Overall, the story was interesting and kept my attention. I just didn't care about the characters enough to be overly invested....more
**spoiler alert** This was a fast read about a girl who comes to terms with the modern world after being raised on the story that WWIII happened in 19**spoiler alert** This was a fast read about a girl who comes to terms with the modern world after being raised on the story that WWIII happened in 1984 with nuclear fallout. This book was easy-to-read and had many interesting bits that made me want to continue reading; however, I found myself wanting to know why her clan made up the story about WWIII to the point of distraction. Also, the clues about who to trust and who not to trust seemed vague and unclear, which made me uninvested in those plot points. I think I was most upset about the ending. The cliffhanger had you wondering if one of the narrators would live or not. And, they weren't any closer to rescuing her clan or discovering why they lied to her. It just left me in a state of anger since this is the type of book that you have to have the sequel nearby so you can continue the story. I feel sorry for anyone who read this book when it first came out. Otherwise, I will continue reading the story as I have the sequel, but I can't say I'll be reading any more from this author....more
This was a fun canonical read with some of my Patricia Briggs characters! I especially enjoyed seeing some of Jesse's life at school and how she was aThis was a fun canonical read with some of my Patricia Briggs characters! I especially enjoyed seeing some of Jesse's life at school and how she was affected by her father's coming-out. The art had enough detail to carry the story without looking over-the-top, and it was consistent. I prefer a comic's story to have the same art style throughout as well as matching the cover.
Any fan of Briggs or Mercy should definitely pick up a copy! Reviewed from NetGalley...more
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