I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

RATING: THREE STARS

I didn't really know what to expect from I Am Legend, as I've already seen the film (2007) and had heard that the novel was very different. As it turns out, the book is VERY different and for starters, I was surprised to find that Richard Matheson's monsters were vampires rather than those angry zombie things!

Despite this, the basic premise of the book was what I expected: set in a post-apocalyptic world, Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth. Life is hard for Neville and he has to use all of his wits to survive the vampires that hunt him. Innovation is essential and he constantly works to safeguard his home while grappling with the demons of loneliness and celibacy.

Day to day, he dedicates himself to two things: killing as many vampires as he can find and searching for a cure. Despite knowing very little about medicine and biology, Neville is hopeful and manages to unveil a great many facets about vampire kind . . .

The Good

Matheson does a remarkable job in developing Neville's character and I could really believe that he is a man struggling to come to terms with the lonely existence that has been forced on him. Throughout the book, Matheson really describes Neville's thought processes, fears and ambitions and his character goes through several, believable transitions that were extremely interesting to read about.

Matheson’s ideas about vampires are also extremely well thought out and he has used real science in his explanation of them as a species and how they came to be. He has linked these ideas well with different human cultures to give them a real depth. In addition to this, Matheson hasn't gone overboard with blood and violence like many modern horror movies and books do, instead using his language to tell the story.

The story is also paced well. It's not a long book, with its length being perfect to tell Neville's heart-breaking story without growing stale – because let’s face it, there’s only so much an author can do with one character surviving in a world of vampires before it grows old!

The Bad

The main gripe I had with I Am Legend is that it really wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. Despite being a book about vampires trying to murder and suck Neville dry, there were very few scenes of horror in it. Although I think the Hollywood ‘blood and gore’ routine is getting a bit unnecessary now (as most modern horror films are simply slashers with various monsters in them), I did expect a certain level of it to have been included in the book . . . 

My Thoughts

I Am Legend is certainly a remarkable book, in which Matheson has really excelled himself. The book is well thought out, well executed and suddenly throws events at you from nowhere. I would certainly recommended reading it as it’s much better than the film!

The River of Shadows - Robert V. S. Redick

RATING: FIVE STARS

The Chathrand, the greatest ship of the Aquarli Empire, has finally crossed the Ruling Sea – being the first to do so in hundreds of years. Its crew had envisioned welcome; help from a people that is sorely need as their thirst for water begins to tear them apart. But the shores they find are inhospitable, being full of violence as the empire of Bali Adro seeks control of the south. Strangeness is everywhere and revelations are forced on the crew that are as terrifying as they are heart-breaking. 

And, amidst it all, the fight against Arunis—the terrible sorcerer and destroyer of empires—continues. The nilstone still needs protecting, evil still seeks to free the Shaggat Ness from his prison of stone and Arunis’ eyes are fixed on unleashing the Swarm to cover the whole of Alifros in darkness and death.

But Pazel Pathkendle, the Lady Thasha Isiq and the rest of those sworn to resist Arunis are no less resolute in their mission. Even as their group begins to fracture, they must work together as never before as they fight for their freedom against servants of the Bali Adro Empire and find Arunis before he reaches the River of Shadows . . . 

The Good

Once again, I find myself astounded by Robert V. S. Redick's imagination and with the enthusiasm with which he writes. Both of these attributes combine to give a story that is exciting and extremely unique. He has invented a whole host of different creatures and cultures, his own lore of magic, the structure of the universe and even a few landscapes that (as far as I have read), no other authors have penned. The result of this is a fast-paced, gripping story that is extremely enjoyable to read.

Redick’s characterisation also continues to be superb and I am really beginning to know the characters - it's almost as if I have met them in real life! He has set up their past so thoroughly, that I can even understand the different motivations and thought process behind their actions (even though they all seek the same end).

In addition, Redick’s slightly dated style of writing really adds to the feel of the story and is perfect for a novel about great ships sailing through the high seas. His language is reminiscent of Robert Louis Stephenson and he has clearly researched the running of empire-style ships in great detail, confidently describing parts and process that I have no idea about!

The Bad

As with its predecessors, I really have nothing to fault with The River of Shadows! And my only disappointment is that I only have one book left in the series!

My Thoughts

I have to say that The River Of Shadows has been the best instalment of The Chathrand Voyage yet! It is exciting, filled with twists and turns and I had great difficulty in putting it down (much to the annoyance of my managers at work). The book (and series as a whole), is certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read of all fans of fantasy – I can see this novel becoming a lasting classic.

The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

RATING: FOUR STARS

Written in the first person, The Wasp Factory tells a few weeks of the disturbing life of Frank Cauldhame – a young man who has grown up on an isolated Scottish island with his estranged father. Life there is bizarre for Frank; basically, because his father never registered his birth so he doesn't technically exist! This means that Frank didn’t go to school, can’t get a job and has but a single friend. So what does Frank do? Kill, of course: the decapitated heads of dead animals adorn the island and watch for intruders; gerbils and mice are catapulted to watery graves in tribute to Old Saul; and then, of course, there are people. Frank’s brother is dead; his two cousins are dead . . .

But Frank’s time is too valuable for these pastimes alone and he walks the enlightened path of the Wasp Factory . . . Furthermore, his dog-burning brother has escaped from a lunatic asylum and has begun to make his destructive way home. Frank knows that he will need all of his power, all of his skills, if he is to meet his brother and stop him from going back.

The Good

The vivid darkness of Iain Banks’ imagination in The Wasp Factory is staggering and he has really managed to create a warped, scarily insane character that is both believable and relatable. In fact, his narrations of Frank’s thought processes is astounding and really make it clear why Frank does the things he does, along with what he is hoping to achieve by them. This had the odd effect of making me sympathise with Frank in some places, despite being utterly shocked and disgusted by what he was doing at the same time (which made the book extremely fun to read)!

Banks’ writing is also highly emotive and elicits strong responses (albeit negative ones) in many places in the book. In my experiences, this is quite a rare skill among authors and the last book I read that did this was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Just like in The Lovely Bones, the strong emotions stirred by The Wasp Factory helps to distinguish it from other novels and makes it well worth reading as it makes you confront issues that you normally wouldn't consider.

The Bad

The biggest problem with The Wasp Factory has to be its disturbing content! The book certainly isn't for the faint hearted and is filled with twisted moments of cruelty and violence that are as controversial as they are shocking. Scenes of animal cruelty are prominent throughout the book as well, which I actually found more upsetting than the murders.

My Thoughts

The Wasp Factory is the first book that I have read by Iain Banks, but it certainly won’t be the last. The author’s dark mind, skilful prose and blunt dialogue make for easy, gripping reading and I am keen to read his other works. Despite being greatly disturbing at times, I would definitely recommend giving The Wasp Factory a go. It will probably leave you a bit bewildered and slightly perturbed by its end and you won’t be exactly the same person as you were when you began it, but it is certainly a classic of modern day Gothic horror that has been written by a very talented author.

The Waste Lands - Stephen King

RATING: FOUR STARS

With the help of Susannah Walker and Eddy Dean, his newly formed posse of gunslingers, Roland Deschain continues his search for the Dark Tower. His quest takes the group deep into unchartered forests and rolling hills, where they are confronted by a terror from the world before it moved on – a guardian of the Old Great Ones. Roland knows that the risk the guardian poses it great, but it protects one of the twelve beams and he knows he may have finally found a path to the Tower itself.

But things are never as easy as they seem and even if they manage to defeat the guardian, they will still have to pass through the war-torn ruins of Lud. The ancient city, once a gem of a bygone and more civilised age, is all but a wasteland itself and serves as the gristly battlefield for the centuries old war between the Greys and Pubes. Terrible drums play a dirge for their countless fallen and Roland suspects that he will need all of his wits to see his companions and himself safely to the other side – wits that he knows he doesn’t have as his mind fragments and he descends into madness as the result of changing his own timeline. He must save the boy to save himself – he must draw Jake into the desolated ruins of his world . . .

The Good
With its stunning backdrop and harrowing storyline, The Waste Lands did not disappoint me as the third instalment to The Dark Tower. Stephen King’s mind has continued to astound me as his story grows ever more complex and his famous ability to write has produced a book that is next to impossible to put down!

The Waste Lands is exciting and fast paced, containing flash fire scenes of violence that come out of nowhere (in much the same manner as HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) and cringing scenes of horror that made me want to put it down as much as it made me want to blitz ahead! And, in addition to this, King has continued his masterful development of his characters so they almost seem like real people that I really engaged with.

The Bad
I really have nothing to fault with The Waste Lands!

My Thoughts
The Waste Lands really begins to develop King’s Dark Tower multiverse and finally begins to explain some of the tragedy that has befallen Roland’s world. As I have discussed above, the book is both exciting and harrowing and is a fantastic instalment of a series that deserves all of the praise it gets. I thoroughly recommend The Dark Tower to fans of both fantasy and horror (as it’s not a fantasy in a traditional sense so you might enjoy even if you typically avoid the genre), which will undoubtedly prove to be an enjoyable and valuable use of your time!

Dragon Haven - Robin Hobb

RATING: FOUR STARS

Kelsingra, the lost city of the Elderlings, seems as distant as ever for Captain Leftrin, his crew and the ragged band of dragon keepers as they break new ground through the Rain Wilds. There is no indication that they are even heading in the right direction as they search for the city; the weather is worsening inclemently; and, worse still, tensions are beginning to mount as their supplies diminish and tools are lost. But hope remains and the keepers’ determination to find the ancient city and a safe haven for their dragons is as strong as ever. 

But even as the Rain Wilds are bringing the humans to the knees, the dragons are becoming stronger. They are being hardened by the adverse conditions, growing more competent and deadly with each passing day. Their deformities are vanishing as they eat more and more, and they are beginning to fill out with muscle. Soon, the dragons know, they won’t need keepers. Soon, they know, they will be able to take what they need as they did in the days of yore . . . 

The Good

Robin Hobb has outdone herself in Dragon Haven, both in imagination and storytelling. The book is even better than its predecessor and really develops the ideas of the series. Despite being set around a small river barge that journeys through inhospitable wilderness, the plot is exciting and the story does not become stale. This is mainly due to Hobb’s skill at balancing the social dynamics of her story with surprise and shocking events that come out of nowhere. In fact, Dragon Haven is a real page turner that is very difficult to put down!

As I have briefly mentioned above, Hobb’s characterisation is particularly good. She has really managed to create a diverse cast that are relatable and really seem like living people. This adds a refreshing sense of realism to the story (that fantasy often lacks), which Hobb uses well for dramatic effect in the calamities that befall them. 

What is particularly impressive is Hobb’s creation of characters from completely different classes and walks of life. Aboard the Tarman, she has characters ranging from rich and spoilt merchant traders that have never done a day’s hard work in their lives, to those that are so low born that they have been ostracised from society due to their genetic deformities. Hobb develops these characters well and is convincing in their thought process, beliefs and motivations while using their ‘point of view’, which has allowed her to tell the same story from multiple angles!

The Bad

As in Dragon Keeper, Hobb writes in very long chapters that have seldom few brakes in them. While this doesn't really diminish the story itself, it does make the novel a bit of a chore to read (which is why I have raised the issue here). It takes a real time commitment to read a chapter (unless you are happy to break yourself in an unnatural part of a story) and means that the book isn't really suitable for 'light' reading. It was a particular problem for me as I mainly read books on the bus to work, which meant that I frequently had to stop reading in random parts that disjointed the story somewhat.

Secondly, these very long chapters do make the story and its chronology slightly hard to follow in places. It’s not actually their length per se, but due to Hobb’s use of multiple points of view in one chapter. I've never really been a fan of this (and think that’s it’s clearer if writers stick to one character’s viewpoint per chapter, such as George R. R. Martin does in A Song of Ice and Fire), which makes the story easier to follow.

My Thoughts

Overall, though, Hobb has excelled and Dragon Haven is a fun, exciting book. She has put her own unique spin on dragonlore that I really liked and has penned quite a unique novel. I definitely recommend reading it (or beginning the Rain Wilds series) to any fan of fantasy, as Hobb is certainly worthy of her reputation as a master.