More to read.

[osaraba]

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (F):

Hmmm. Instead of being the one-sexual-escapade-after-another story that I expected, it was actually a complexly woven political intrigue that somehow left me feeling as if I'd just finished reading a Greek classic. Weird, huh? But it was actually very good. It quite satisfied my recent sporadic craving for medieval language and grammar. And it charmed me when I discovered that, although the history of Terre D'Ange was by no means the same as our own, it was quite similar. Indeed, one could identify several countries/cultures surrounding Terre D'Ange (which, as the main country/culture, was obviously French), like Italians, Greeks, Jews, Irish & the Scots, and several Germanic nomadic tribes. It was a pleasant surprise when one of the characters recited the beginning of a Jewish prayer that I know.

Of course, the story itself was very well done, the characters were well-developed, and most importantly, the story didn't fall into any plot-holes along the way; cliches and the like.

Since I finished that 910-page behemoth, I started reading Hokkaido Popsicle by Isaac Adamson (F):

It's the sequel to Adamson's debut novel, Tokyo Sukerpunch, which I recommend to any and all Japanophiles out there. They're mystery novels in the tradition of Sam Spade, but -- as one critic described it -- with a punk-noir feel to it (which, incidentally, I think describes the books perfectly). If you're interested, check out the author's official website, named after the main character, Billy Chaka (a reporter for Youth In Asia magazine, if you can believe it).

www.billychaka.com

I can't wait for the third installment of Chaka's adventures, and I'm only half way through Hokkaido Popsicle!