Big Smiling Head

After nearly 4 years, the 5th book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series has been released! Let the reading of this great tome (over 3000 pages) commence! I know, I am using the hell out of exclamation points, but I am absolutely thrilled. I pre-ordered A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five in the electronic format for my iPad, and am pleased to say that the book was released yesterday (thanks for the email, itunes store) and when I booted up the Pad, there is was awaiting me. : ) There is no book review today, but I will definitely write something up once I have eaten this delicious treat. Thanks, Mr. Martin!

I recently finished up Declare, and I have to say I am sorry to have that world closed off to me. It was a very engaging book, and even ended reasonably, but I am still sad that Andrew Hale is no longer a part of my reading life. Like all the other Powers’ books I have read, this one caught me up in its spell and made me want to know more about great entities and deities, and how humans can align with these powers, or interact with them. The super-stars of this book were the Djinn entities, the protective angel of Russia, and the collective djinn city to be found on Mount Ararat. Add a little Arabian Nights spice with time among the Bedu and the great Saudi Arabian desert and you have a taste of the ground this narrative covers. If I ever wanted to meet a genie before, the interactions described in this tale suggest the best case would be knowing someone who had the experience and was willing to talk to you about it. Meeting the djinn, or being the focal point, seems to be pretty detrimental to humans – would you make your sanity roll?

Tim Powers: Declare

If you’re seeking a little light reading from the acclaimed author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series – this steamboat vampire novel set in the 1850′s was pretty interesting. I bought the title on a whim, and because I do love some of Mr. Martin’s other works – including Dying of the Light, which I recall with great pleasure (that one I’ve read a couple of times, and the book has made it through at least 6 big moves in my life). The life and times on the river with Abner Marsh proved fairly interesting, and by the end of the book I was pretty caught up in it all. It had it’s moments, and some fun characters, but this book will be passed along as rather luke-warm. Although, I do have a read-a-holic brother who might enjoy some of the poetic brutality and staunch characters – into the mail to wing your way north, book.

Fevre Dream – Worth a look, especially if you can borrow it from a friend. : )