Queens and countries
Aug. 13th, 2011 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrTwelve Kingdoms: Shadow of the Moon by Fuyumi Ono: Roughly the same story as the first arc of the anime, but without the extra characters of her schoolmates and only follows Yoko's POV. Otherwise very similar in broad strokes, but definitely different in ways I can't quite put my finger on. Anyway, I really liked it. Yoko's growth from passively trying to get everyone to like her to gaining backbone and determination is very compelling.
The books are apparently hard to get ahold of. This is the only one in the WA library system (and will be returned soon :)), here's a fan translation of the rest, I don't know if there's better out there.
The Theif by Megan Whalen Turner: I forgot to mention before but I wrote a spoilery rant about this book over onsqbr. Anyway, it's a good light fantasy about a loveable rogue on a quest in a well designed world based loosely on Greece, I mostly enjoyed it but certain aspects annoyed me. People told me the sequel is better and they were right.
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: This hit so many of my buttons, though I can't really say why without spoilers. There are crunchy complex webs of power and human relationships, focussing very much on two queens trying to balance the needs of their countries with ethics and more personal concerns. Imagine Avatar the Last Airbender from Sokka's point of view with Mai-as-Fire-Lady vs Katara and no Zuko or Aang (or bending. And set in Greece. ok this metaphor has some flaws) Still has an unfortunate tendency to warp the narrative in order to play games with the reader that I generally saw coming, I wish she'd just tell her story and be done with it.
The books are apparently hard to get ahold of. This is the only one in the WA library system (and will be returned soon :)), here's a fan translation of the rest, I don't know if there's better out there.
The Theif by Megan Whalen Turner: I forgot to mention before but I wrote a spoilery rant about this book over on
sqbr. Anyway, it's a good light fantasy about a loveable rogue on a quest in a well designed world based loosely on Greece, I mostly enjoyed it but certain aspects annoyed me. People told me the sequel is better and they were right.The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: This hit so many of my buttons, though I can't really say why without spoilers. There are crunchy complex webs of power and human relationships, focussing very much on two queens trying to balance the needs of their countries with ethics and more personal concerns. Imagine Avatar the Last Airbender from Sokka's point of view with Mai-as-Fire-Lady vs Katara and no Zuko or Aang (or bending. And set in Greece. ok this metaphor has some flaws) Still has an unfortunate tendency to warp the narrative in order to play games with the reader that I generally saw coming, I wish she'd just tell her story and be done with it.
