Brief thoughts so I don't forget. Not edited / proofread in detail!
Keys to the Kingdom - Garth Nix [second read]
- Bittersweet and unusual ending that half makes you want to read it all again (but the bittersweet part makes you think twice about doing so - maybe when my daughter grows up and wants to read it with me)
- Height of series for me was around Drowned Wednesday and Sir Thursday where the usual / classic formula of Arthur fights villain was turned on its head.
- Thematically I quite enjoyed how each part of the house to some extent fit the powers of the keys and the seven deadly sins of each villain.
- It was a shame that Superior Saturday did not get more air time as a villain; similar story with Lord Sunday. The last two books did feel slightly rushed. The fights / focus on villians re: Saturday and Sunday were short. Even Mister Monday got more air time than them (as a proper "boss" or "villain" fight) . However, it was clear that Lord Sunday posed a very steep difficulty challenge for Arthur and I was worried for him at one point.
- I also felt like Lady Friday was the weaker point of the series - that part of the house and her powers are slightly weird and did not fit as thematically
- The ending - is one that I hated at first but looking back on it, it is quite a clever ending from Garth Nix and one I have learnt to enjoy
- Wished they would have explored the Will and the Old One in a bit more detail, specifically the suggestion that the Will (without spoiling anything) may have been up to no good and/or hiding things from Arthur. A confrontation with the Will would have been nice at some point, but I understand the counterargument is that the Will was just a manifestation of a process that Arthur just had to accept - as in real life - and it is just too bad that there was no closure.
- 4.2/5 - some very rough rankings: Mister Monday (4/5), Grim Tuesday (4/5), Drowned Wednesday (4.6/5), Sir Thursday (4.6/5), Lady Friday (~3/5), Superior Saturday (3.9/5), Lord Sunday (4.5/5)
Deltora Quest 1, 2 and 3 - Emily Rodda [second read]
- Easily my favourite fantasy series so far, even if childish and simplistic
- Each villain or obstacle is somewhat satisfying, albeit sometimes short or solved a bit too simplistically.
- The heroes tend to get out of trouble too easily, but I suppose that is to be expected for a series such as this.
- Thematically I love how each book in DQ1 covers the recovery of a gem and that even when Lief finds all the gems, it is not so straightforward fighting the enemy in the last book and there are more puzzles to be had
- DQ2 was obviously not as strong as the first, but still satisfying I think. Emily Rodda has a great way of revealing hidden histories and combining this with the spirit of discovery and exploration that comes from maps.
- DQ3 was probably better than the first - the idea that the Shadow Lord had planned a back up plan that acts as a double-bluff trap was amazing (if you do nothing you will die; if you do something about it, you will die too).
- Emily Rodda is definitely the master of puzzles, riddles, exploring the importance of forgotten history and knowing how to make a kid's adventure feel full of purpose and grand
- Should have scored each book as I read but I read it too many months ago to remember precisely. But let's say DQ1: 4.7/5; DQ2: 4.2/5; DQ3: 4.9/5
- Overall score for all 3 Deltora Quest series: 4.8/5
The Three Doors Trilogy - Emily Rodda
- The plot twist by the end of the Third Door is probably greater than any plot twist in Deltora Quest. It just so dramatically changes everything that you want to read the books again from the start.
- Rye's clumsiness with his bag of powers has a certain charm to it. And there is a certain mystery in the way in which he was given the powers
- The culmination of twists in book 3 is insane.
- I probably like this series a lot more because of the references to Deltora Quest and the Shadow Lord (it is set after DQ3), which probably makes me a bit biased. But it can be read on its own (but I would suggest reading DQ first)
- Books 2 and 1 are also quite different to one another, but I enjoyed seeing Rye progressively teaming up with more team members as the series went on.
- Golden Door (Book 1): 4/5; Silver Door (Book 2): 4.1/5; The Third Door (Book 3): 4.5/5
- Overall score: probably a 4/5
Rowan of Rin - the Journey (all 5 books in 1) - Emily Rodda
- Emily Rodda does it again - the puzzles in DQ are this time replaced with riddles and poems (lots of poems - to the point that you do get a bit sick of them.........."not again!!!!!!!!!!")
- The best parts of the series imho are Books 1, 3 and 5 - Book 3 (The Keeper of the Crystal) is my favourite (maybe a 4.5/5), but the ironic thing is that it is the book that has the least impact on the broader plot of the series.
- Book 2 I felt was the weak point but still interesting (maybe a 3.5/5). Book 4 is OK (say a 3.8/5) but I felt the way it was resolved was a bit too easy or convenient, given all the circumstances and what they were up against. Since I am giving scores maybe Book 1 - 4.2/5 and Book 5 - 4.3/5
- Rodda is again great at focussing on forgotten histories. The key themes of this series to my mind are: belonging, don't underestimate people - the strong are weak and the weak are strong, the natural order of things, hidden secrets from the past have effects on the present day.
- I probably liked this series less than the Three Doors trilogy, but am not quite sure. It's a different type of series that focusses more on the village of Rin and the bad things that happen to it that need to be overcome, so it makes it a very different type of adventure vs DQ and the 3D trilogy.
- The ending does have a certain poetic harmony to it and makes you think about the series as a whole.
- I would also score this series around a 4/5.
Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
- Had fun reading it but too bittersweet for my liking - the main characters just end up being completely jaded at the end
- Thoroughly enjoyed the games and arena moments - which made book 3 quite a different type of book
- Gale to me represents what Katniss could have had if life was ideal and she was dealt a fair hand. But the war and real life got in the way.
- Catching Fire (Book 2) was my favourite
- Quite enjoyed the dynamic between Haymitch and Katniss in Book 1, in the sense of Katniss guessing what Haymitch was up to behind the scenes as a sponsor
- I am neutral about the love triangle between Peeta and Gale
- I would have liked to learn more about the districts and each of the contestants - I don't think this was explored in too much detail (including which district correlates to which state of the US - I know this is revealed in TBoSaS movie but it would have been nice to read more about it).
- Difficult for me to give scores to each of the books, after knowing the ending. The feeling I have about the series as a whole completely supersedes me giving scores to each of the books - I would give the series a 3.8/5 or 3.7/5. The first two books are probably closer to a 4/5 (without knowing the ending).
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins
- Clever book, but again too bittersweet for my liking
- The backstory of Cornelius Snow seems too unbelievable and how he fell out with his cousin Tigris isn't apparently explained
- The way in which Snow and Lucy Gray's romantic journey is portrayed was something that I read with dread because I knew it was all going to fall apart somehow.
- I did enjoy the games themselves
- I would score this a 2.9/5
Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
- I don't know exactly why but I think I like this better than the Hunger Games.
- There is a plot twist at the end regarding the main character - while I have mixed feelings about it, I feel that this is a better ending than the Hunger Games
- The different factions are interesting.
- I read this too long ago to remember specific thoughts but I do recall thinking the last book was not as enjoyable as the first two - the plot twists felt a bit rushed or non-sensical.
- Overall I think I'd give it a score of 3.9/5
Contest [second read]
- A very clever debut novel from Matthew Reilly
- I wish some of the alien powers were explored in more detail - some only got passing mention
- Exciting action packed book
- 3.6/5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series, Book 1)
- Very violent - a bit too much for my liking but I understand the broader point the author Larsson appears to be making - there is too much unacceptable sexual violence against women. I liked how he gave the heroine her revenge.
- I thoroughly enjoyed the synergy between Lisbeth Salander and Blomkvist, and I always particularly enjoy seeing a strong female protagonist who is bright.
- The mystery / investigative part of the novel was amazing.
- The book took too long to get into the swing of things. I think the first 5 or so chapters can be skim read.
- Score: 4.1/5
The Gathering - Isobelle Carmody
- First 50 pages was kind of boring but I surprisingly enjoyed this book
- It's a fantasy fiction book set in early 90's Australia about some kids who are grouped together and called for a special purpose - to defeat an evil in their school.
- The book focusses on the concepts of fate, "the forces of good and evil" and the past repeating itself. '
- Whilst set in a school setting (which is intended to be realistic), there is an added element of surrealism and mystery regarding how to defeat the evil blended into it that makes for an enjoyable read.
- Score: 4/5
