Half broke horses by Jeanette Walls

Romantic Vignettes by Marcia Lynn McClure

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

“Ender’s Game” -Orson Scott Card

This book was a bit of a leap of faith for me. I don’t usually read science fiction because I’ve had several bad experiences with stories from this genre. Ender’s Game however, was a gripping story that kept me entertained and impressed throughout the entire volume. The basic storyline is set in a not too distant future where earth is at war with a bug-like alien race. Sounds typical of the genre doesn’t it? However, looking past the less then promising premise this story is a believeable tale about human nature, government corruption, friendship, responsibility, and a child-genius school reminiscent of “lord of the flies”. Throughout the series there were many characters that are as believable as they were captivating. I was somewhat dissappointed in the cliffhanger endings to both the “Ender’s” series and the “Bean” series, but it leaves me with hope that someday Card will continue these entrancing tales. I loved these books and would suggest them to anyone. The amount of research and study Orson Scott Card must have put into the books is incredible. I was very impressed with the depth of thought from history, psychology, mythology, science, politics, biology, philosophy and many other elements all well written and informative.

“Split Infinity” -Piers Anthony

This series is about a science based world that is juxtaposed with a world of magic. The story is interesting enough with good elements of plot and suspense, but other than that I have come to expect much more from the science fiction and fantasy realms. Part of the attraction of these genres is the ability to write a story with little or no rules about the nature of reality, however; ignoring the rules of reason has the unfortunate consequence of producing an unbelievable story with little intellectual appeal. I felt like I was reading a child’s bedtime story (except for the frequent adult themes in the books) because something crazy would pop into the story out of nowhere and then have some sort of lame explanation like “anything is possible ’cause it’s magic!” I have come to appreciate writers like Robert Jordan and Christopher Paolini because of the depth of thought put into how magic works and what the strict guidlines are concerning it. I think these guidlines make for a better story with much more suspense. All in all I would suggest the aforementioned authors before Piers Anthony. They are more appropriate for all age groups and are much stronger writers. I think I can some up this entire experience wth the phrase “watered down”.

The Sword of Shannara

I loved this book when I first read it years ago, but after reading it again recently I was somewhat disapointed. This was one of Terry Brooks very first works and it was a tremendous success. It is a beautiful piece of work with a classic feel. The book has some amazing art work furnished by the finest artists in the realm of fantasy, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt.  Unfortunately, the story itself was less picturesque. I found many parts of the narrative to be a little bland and repetitive. Since this novel Terry Brooks has gotten steadily better at portraying characters and describing the world his story is set in. I guess these are skills that have just improved with time. Of course, I did admit this was a favorite in my youth so maybe it is just my failing imagination which leads me to beg for more descriptive narrative.  The book shows a few other signs of a beginning artist: plots held little suspense and at times the characters seemed more whiny than winesome.

“A Knight of the Word” -Terry Brooks

In my mind this is Terry Brooks’ crowning series. The story starts with “Running with Demons”, followed by “a Knight of the Word” and concludes with “Angel Fire East”.  The story is set in preapocalyptic America and is somewhat dark. This is for a more mature audience because of the violence and intensity of the novel.  It is totally captivating and was one of the few series which truly kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this series to any reader.

“A Knight of the Word” by Terry Brooks

 This series was a breath of fresh air! When I was a bit younger, I read the Sword of Shannara series and then the Kingdom of Landover series. At the time, I practically ate the books up.  However, this second time through I was somewhat disapointed.  This is due, I am sure, to the fact that I just finished reading the Knight of the Word series.

Sword of truth