The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura, #1) by Martha Wells

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A big thanks to Jacqueline Carey for suggesting this one to me! I can't give this one 5 stars, as it wasn't quite a novel that I couldn't put down but it was a great read and definitely worth checking out!

The creation of her characters was very well thought out. Each race (and the combination of lifestyles (ability to transform from a 'normal person' to a flyer) really drew me in. Wells' writing style was simplistic, yet not too much so to where I would get bored easily with it. The farther I got into the book, the more I wanted to read it to find out what was going to happen.

The colors and descriptions really helped to visualize the worlds she was creating, three worlds, to be exact. Not much was mentioned of two of the worlds, though I'm sure they will come into play in future novels. More than anything, I want to find out more about the floating islands. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

 © Courtney Conant, 2010-12. All Rights Reserved.

Cell by Stephen King (zombification at its best)

Cell by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As everyone knows (or at least those that have looked at the books I read), I'm a HUGE Stephen King fan. Due to that, I am always trying to find time to squeeze in one of his books, be it a new one or an old favorite that I've read a dozen times already. This was the first time I've read Cell and I was pleasantly surprised.

I never thought that King would go the zombie route, since everyone is doing it, but his take on zombification and how it might happen was refreshing. The way our society is so digitally dependant, it's no wonder where he got the idea for this novel.

As with all his books, he draws the reader in with his fantastic descriptions and unique take on the possible. He never drowns the reader with unnecessary details though through choice words, it is easy to visualize all that is going on throughout the story. I think my favorite line in this book has to be "a flesh canoe filled with blood".

The reason that I only gave this one four stars is because of the ending. The story just ends and the reader is left with no knowledge of what actually came to pass. Guessing is out of the question because there is no real indicators of what might happen. King leaves it completely open with only one of two options but no way to know how it really goes. It would be one thing, if it were to have a sequel, but that isn't the case.

One thing that I love? There is a brief sentence that ties this book in with all the rest, linking it to his Dark Tower series. He slyly sneaks it in to where, if you haven't read the series, you would have no clue. I, having read just about everything he has ever done, caught it and it made me smile.


© Courtney Conant, 2010-12. All Rights Reserved.