My final read of 2015:

The Grace of King – Ken Liu (courtesy of Netgalley)

The first in a planned series, The Grace of Kings was a good fantasy epic, with solid world-building and a fascinating mythology angle. It’s being hailed as the next Game of Thrones… I wouldn’t go that far, I’m afraid.

What worked…

Set in the fictional islands of Dara, relying heavily on China and Japanese history, the world building was really well thought and built. The author added an element of mythology reminiscent of the Iliad, which I thought worked wonderfully.

What didn’t work…

The book was just a bit too long, and the character development was odd. Some characters are given quite a lot of description, only to be discarded very quickly without much regard. After a very slow and paced build, the novel seems to rush to the end too quickly, and perhaps underwhelming.

Verdict

The novel could’ve used major editing, as it was just a bit too long and not paced well enough. Nonetheless, an interesting and enjoyable read, particularly as it had some great mythological elements that made it stand out of the rest. Would be looking out for the next in the series, but won’t be holding my breath for it.

4 out of 5 stars.

2015 is now in the books. Here’s a quick look back at what I read, watched, and played.

What I read

I read a total of 32 books this year. Those days were I could read over 50 books a year are long gone. In any case, 2015 won’t go down as a banner year for my reading… in fact, there were few books I rated particularly highly this year. Readers of this blog will note that I found most books read this year okay at best. Oh well… below my top reads of the year, those that came close, and those that completely missed the mark:

Top reads:

• The Martian – this book came out in 2014, but I only got around to it this year. And what a book it was. Probably among the best sci-fi books I’ve ever read. If you haven’t read it (and haven’t seen the great movie adaptation either) please don’t hesitate to grab a copy.
• The Bone Clocks – Another 2014 book, that I managed to read in 2015. David Mitchell can do no wrong in my mind, and The Bone Clocks was an incredible novel. Part sci-fi, part adventure, part dystopia, part thriller, part everything. Fantastic read.
• Fantasy Life – People that know me know I’m mad about Fantasy Football (and pretty good at it as well!). Any person interested in the game (or the sport), should give this book a go. And even if you don’t, but want to understand why it drives such obsessive behaviour, then give the book a go as well!

Worthy mentions:

• The Water Knife – a very clever view of the future where water has gone… if dystopia is your genre, then this is the book for you.
• The Just City – Athena decides as an experiment to create Plato’s Republic, with incredible consequences. Extremely well-thought up book, worth a read.
• Boo – A lovely read, about life and finding redemption after death. Very sweet.

Disappointments:

• Armada – After the incredible Ready Player One, Ernest Cline’s follow-up was very hyped… it failed to meet its lofty expectations.
• Queen of Fire – Blood Song was an incredible epic fantasy novel… but the rest of the series was quite underwhelming.
• Uprooted – I’m a fan of the first few Temeraire books, but I found Naomi Novik’s latest very derivative and bland.
• The Great Zoo of China – a blatant Jurassic Park rip-off with none of its charm.

 

What I watched

Having a child has made movie going very difficult (and expensive!!) For someone that used to go to the cinema almost every weekend, it has been quite a difficult adaptation process. Nonetheless, still managed to see a few movies and TV series worth noting on the blog:

Top movies:

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Yes, it wasn’t very original. Yes it was too much like Episode IV. No, I didn’t care, I loved every minute of it. Can’t wait to see it again and again.
• Jurassic World – It was wonderful going back to Isla Nublar. The movie falters in its last act, but still, the magic of the film made it stay with me for a long time.
• Kingsman – The Secret Service – This movie was soooo much fun. I’m sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Worthy mentions:

• Spectre – I’m a fan of Daniel Craig’s Bond, and this was a
• Spy – So bloody funny. Laughed throughout. Highly recommended.
• Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation – The MI movies have stopped taking themselves too seriously, and they are now just fun to watch. Really enjoyed Rogue Nation.
• Mad Max – Fury Road – Incredible action sequences. Great fun.
• Whiplash – “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’.” What a great film

Disappointments:

• Avengers: The Age of Ultron – Was looking forward to it… wasn’t impressed.
• Ant Man – Very average, very mediocre.

Top TV shows:

• Daredevil – What a show. Loved every episode. So well done… and that hallway fight scene. If you haven’t seen it, go to Netflix now.
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – A fantastic adaptation of one of my all-time favorite books. You should give it a go.

 

What I played

At least I managed to squeeze some PS4 time late in the evenings… And did enjoy some good games this year (but not that many)

Top videogames:

• Arkham Knight – The Batman videogames have been incredible, and the conclusion to the Arkham trilogy was really good. I think I preferred Arkham City, but this was still a great game.
• The Witcher 3 – A proper RPG, so much to do, so much to see, with beautiful graphics, acting, storytelling. Fantastic game.

Disappointments:

• The Order 1866 – So looking forward to it… so difficult to get into it.
• Destiny – After all the anticipation… just not good enough.

And that’s it. Bring on 2016… Many movies to look forward to (Batman vs Superman, Deadpool, Fantastic Beasts, Suicide Squad…) and many books too (finally Stilleto, the sequel to the Rook).