A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin, 1177 pages

Wow, does Martin know how to kill his characters or what? In this, the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, the body count is continually escalating, both with those that you can kind of see coming and those that seem to come out of nowhere. And those are just the well-known, named characters; let us pause a moment to give respect to all the nameless passersby that are slain by Martin's pen.

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OK, now that that's done, I'll say that it is nearly impossible to talk about this book without spoiling something, thanks to all those deaths. However, in very broad terms, I'll say that the story continues to get more complex, and as I read, I kept wondering how in the world all of these characters would get out of their predicaments. Martin's as good at keeping the reader guessing as he is at coming up with gruesome ways to kill off characters. Sadly, he's also decided to trade in those rare humorous asides that appeared throughout the first two books, and sub in some all-out creepiness, giving A Storm of Swords a tinge of horror in its high fantasy. I like the scary bits, which is probably good, as I can only see them getting more prevalent as this series continues.

Words of Radiance

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson            1087 pages

This is the second book in The Stormlight Archive.  I liked this book better than the first in the series.  While it still changes between the various characters points of view, the focus is much tighter and the whole story came together more easily for me.  It was clear from the beginning that most of the main characters were going to intersect in this book.  This book mostly focuses on Kaladin, the hero from the last story, and Shallan, an apprentice scholar, also introduced in the last book.  Kaladin is learning how to control his newfound powers that allow him to take in stormlight and use it to do things like make himself stronger and heal injuries.  He does all this while trying to protect the royal family members from assassination.  They are still on the Shattered Plains, fighting the war against the Parshendi.  Shallan, who has ended up in the same place because Jasnah, her tutor, suggested a betrothal between Shallan and Jasnah’s cousin, Adolin, has also discovered that she is capable of using stormlight.  She can create illusions, although she has to use her art as a tool to focus the power.  Through all of this is the big question of why these powers have appeared now, and whether the Parshendi will bargain for peace or insist upon war.  A pretty good epic tale that many fantasy lovers will enjoy.

Rose Under Fire

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein          356 pages

Rose is a courier pilot in England during WWII.  Although she is an American, she has managed to secure this job because her uncle, who is English and in the Royal Engineers, has managed to help her get the job.  Unfortunately, while ferrying a plane, Rose is captured and sent to a concentration camp in Germany.  While there, she endures unspeakable horrors, and meets many women who have seen and gone through worse situations.  The story is told almost entirely from Rose’s perspective, in a diary type format.  It’s an incredible story, and incredibly well told, about a part of the camps that hasn’t had much focus.  Any teen that has an interest in this period in history will want to read this book.

One Came Home

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake     257 pages

Georgie’s sister, Agatha, left home with some people passing through who were following the passenger pigeon migration, but a week later, the sheriff brought her almost unrecognizable body home.  Georgie is convinced that the body is not Agatha but no one else believes it.  So Georgie hatches a plan to follow her sister’s trail herself and find proof that Agatha is still alive.  What she doesn’t count on is her sister’s old beau, Billy, tagging along, or them running into trouble, or confirmation that her sister, in fact, may have been consorting with the sort of people that could have gotten her killed.  This story has a lot of adventure, a great female protagonist, and an interesting historical setting.  A lot of older elementary or teen readers would enjoy this book.