"Graceling", by Kristin Cashore

I loved Graceling.  When I read it last fall, I'd been wasting time with a lot of rather dull novels, and this I actually made myself ration so I could prolong the enjoyment. 

I liked the characters.  Yes, Katsa is violent, but that's part of the horrors inflicted on her by her talent (grace) and her ruthless uncle's use of it.  She does struggle to gain mastery over the violence, which is a fight many people can relate to.  I'm often annoyed by superhuman characters, but I could accept her unequaled speed and strength and resistance to the elements, because her grace explains it.  My only critcism is that Katsa's character is so well defined at the beginning, but fades a bit, turning her more normal.  It's hard to keep up such a strong personality, and she does change and grow during the course of the story, but her changing and the author's relaxing of her personality don't quite match up.

I loved Po's casual arrogance and sense of humor.  His grace is intriguing and ethically difficult, and provides for very good conflict. 

The world-building completely satisfied me, as I'm the type who thrives on pseudo-medieval settings.  The fantasy element intrigued me, but didn't drown me in mysticism.  I wasn't confused for the first thirty pages, as is the real danger of much fantasy.

The traveling went on a little long—like many other fantasy novels—but overall it was the type of book I didn't want to put down. 

I've read some negative reviews railing on the poor quality of the prose.  Though I participate in several writers' critique groups and find myself not enjoying reading as much anymore, because I tend to pick it apart, I have to admit that I didn't even notice any problems in Graceling.  I was too engrossed in the story.

My hesitation in recommending it without a warning is Katsa's firmly—almost militantly—anti-marriage philosophy.  She vehemently espouses the idea that two people can love each other more truly without the fetters of marriage.  I believe this thought-provoking stance adds to her character, but many people may object to the glorification of premarital relations in a YA novel.  Parents should be aware.

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore:  Robin Hoodish societies, believable magic, fascinating premise, tingling romance:  a great read. 

My rating:  5

See her blog or buy the book at Amazon.

Vartovna View Tower—A Czech Hike

I love the hiking in the Czech Republic.  Well-marked, color-coded trails branch off everywhere.  In Wallachia, a peaceful corner in the northeast part of the country, low mountains, lush woods, sunny ridgetop panoramas, and clear little rivers make hiking a delight.  Here are some pictures from the hike to Vartovna, a popular view tower near the village of Liptál (near Vsetín).  It's one of the most easily accessible of the towers in the region, and also one of the most modern.  As you can see from the pictures, it doesn't matter when you're there:  hiking is in vogue any season.

Wallachia, Czech Republic

Vartovna view tower near Liptal, Czech Republic

Vartovna tower in winter (well...March)

View from the tower, Vartovna, Czech Republic

Winter views, Vartovna.

Czech Trails, Vartovna

If you go:

The trails around here aren't flat, but if you take your time, they're not difficult. 

Vartovna is a 2-3 km hike each way from Liptál, a village between Vsetín and Zlín.  Look on www.idos.cz and put your destination as Liptál,Sirákov,Lůžko (for the green trail) or Liptál,Sirákov,motorest (for the yellow trail).  These are the first and second stops after the center of Liptál, if you're coming from Vsetín.  From the Lůžko stop, you'll have to backtrack along the road toward Vsetín for a few hundred yards until you find the road and trail heading south.  Be aware that not all Vsetin-Zlin buses stop at these minor stops, but most will let you on or off at the center of Liptál. 

If you go to www.mapy.cz and click on the box in the top left corner, then on turistická, you can find interactive colored hiking maps online.

After scaling the tower and admiring the views, you can return to Liptál or take one of the other various trails that split off from the mountaintop crossroads.  One possible route is the green trail to Valašská Polanka (about 5 km) to where you can catch a bus or train.  The blue trail leads all the way back to Vsetín (about 10 km more), along airy ridges and dark woods.

Hostel in Zdiar, in the Slovakian Tatras

Looking for a budget getaway in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains?  Like to get off the beaten track?  Then the hostel in Zdiar, Slovakia, is a great choice.  Here's a riddle to figure out its name:  a root that adds flavor plus a cute primate that's not an ape.  I think this particular combination has been earning me a lot of spam and shady traffic, so I will mention it no more.  So...maybe not the best name.  But a great hostel.    

Hostel, Zdiar, Slovakia

It's a small hostel, but social.  When I was there, it felt like visiting old friends.  We all ate dinner together, went out for drinks together, watched a movie together.  One of the staff was a real comedian, and had us in fits of laughter several times.  I learned Texas Hold 'Em and lost a dollar in a tournament—but wrapped myself in comfy blankets and drank hot chocolate while I watched the finalists duke it out.  I found a girl to go hiking with, and two patient guys to act as ski instructors.  I didn't want to leave.

Hiking in Zdiar with my new friend, Lauren.

Me with the peaks of the Tatras behind me.

For more about the hostel's amenities and the town of Zdiar, read my article here.

Google the hostel and you'll find it.  I don't want to link because of aforementioned shady traffic.

View of the Tatras in winter from the hostel

My Rapunzel Poem

You can now read my first poem published online!  It's a rather dark narrative poem which I submitted to Fairy Tale Magazine for their Rapunzel contest.  Described by the editor as "hauntingly lovely," it still only came in fifth place, so they put in on their sister magazine, Diamonds and Toads, as a teaser for the four main contest winners, which you can find here.

Enjoy the Read.

"The Tower" by Melinda Brasher

Sharon Shinn's The Safe-Keeper's Secret

I read the Safe-Keeper's Secret partially because I'd heard good things about Sharon Shinn.  Now I realize that her popularity might be mainly based on her adult fiction, of which there seems to be quite a lot. 

I was somewhat disappointed, because very little actually happens in The Safe-Keeper's Secret..   I don't need a lot of car-chase-sword-fight action, but I do need conflict, and all the main characters are just so nice to each other.  There's not even a real villain. 

The most exciting part is at the beginning, when a mysterious rider drops off a baby we believe to be the king's illegitimate child, to the house of a safe-keeper who is also bearing a child the same night. The story is a slow (though nice) account of Fiona and Reed growing up, and how their mother's friends all gather every holiday, so it seems like the whole book becomes a cycle of what they do at the holidays each year.  It's warm and pleasant, but not very tense. 

Reed's rambunctious and life-loving but strangely sensitive character is interesting and well-drawn, even amusing in parts, and contrasts sharply with Fiona's calm and practical personality.  I enjoyed watching them get along so well despite their differences.  

There's not a whole lot of overt magic.  I tire easily of overpowering and mysterious magic, so I liked the balance here.  The magic settles mainly into three strange occupations.  Safe-keepers keep people's secrets (just so they can have the relief of sharing heavy burdens with someone) until the secrets are ready to come out.  It's not explained how the safe-keepers know this, or how the magic keeps the secrets in.  There are also truth-tellers who may only tell the truth, though it's not clear if the magic shows them truths they wouldn't otherwise know.  The dream-maker leaves a trail of fulfilled dreams, though she doesn't actually do anything to facilitate these dreams coming true.  So the magic is all a little hazy. 

Otherwise, the world-building is good, and you get a real feel for the place.  I loved the kirrenberry tree.  It's the emblem of the safe-keepers, and whistles made of its wood make no sound.  Very poetic.   

Shinn weaves in a few nice philosophical questions.  For example, Fiona wants to be a safe-keeper like her mother, who listens to people's secrets and then keeps them.  Fiona can't always be content to just listen.  She wants to fix people's problems.  It's the classic dilemma of priests, therapists, best friends, and spouses everywhere.  I kept expecting something bad to come of her benevolent interference. 

There's also a lot about the danger versus the importance of the truth, and how honesty may not always be the best policy.    

The question I found disturbing was whether it's okay to fall in love with an adoptive brother.  One of the themes seemed to be that love and shared experience make a family, not blood.   Fiona and Reed know they are not biological brother and sister, but they grow us as close as any siblings.  I found it a little creepy that they begin to fall in love.  I suppose it's a valid issue, but it was still disturbing, especially since it seems to clash with the above theme.  I've read a few reviews that say this romance is only "hinted at," but I think you'd have to be pretty dense not to pick up on it. 

The end was a little disappointing, making the whole book feel like a joke on us, an excuse to have a secret that in the end comes out.  Then everything ties up so perfectly for all the main characters.  I like happy endings, but 90% happy for 90% of the people is more than enough. 

The writing itself is very smooth, drawing the reader in even when not much is really happening.  I did enjoy it.  I cared enough for the characters to keep reading, and to be happy for them at the end.  But I think if you haven't read Sharon Shinn before, you might want to try one of her other more highly acclaimed books.  See her website for possibilities. 

My rating:  3


Addendum, 8-16-11:  I just read and enjoyed Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn.  A much better book, in my opinion.  To see my whole review, click here.

Fairy Tale Magazine--"Rumpelstiltskin"

I like magazines with themes.  It's fascinating to see how people can create such different stories based on a single line or idea.  Tone, characters, plot, setting...it reaffirms my faith in human imagination.

I also like fairy tales, especially when rewritten in a more immediate, show-not-tell style.

Fairy Tale Magazine (previously Enchanted Conversation) bases each issue on a specific fairytale.  Check out their "Rumpelstiltskin" issue for 10 completely different takes on the classic fairy tale.  Some are clever and funny, some sad and beautiful.  Take a little break today to read a fairy tale:

http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/2011/03/table-of-contents-for-rumpelstiltskin.html

Jacarandas in Spring

In my last post I wrote about spring in the desert, and the purple flowering jacaranda tree.  I've taken about twenty pictures, and none of them capture it, but here's a hint.  This year they've been flowering since about third week of April.