But wait, it isn't, for I have indeed been reading fantasy fiction! True, it's just one book out of the fifteen books I've read so far this year, but hey, it's a start. So what did I read? A classic.
Yes, the first book in Roger Zelany's classic Chronicles of Amber series. What drove me to read this was two things: First, Daniel Greene included Nine Princes in Amber in a video of books that he wanted to read this year and that planted the seed. While I've read classic fantasy before, NPIA didn't really catch my interest for some reason. Seeing someone include it in their TBR in a YouTube video was evidently enough to do so. The second thing is that my favorite used bookstore happened to have a copy and I felt like it was worth the $2.50 to at least see if it was something I wanted to read. And it was.
So how was it? It was fine. I liked the way Zelany mixed the real world with a wholly fantastical one. I didn't expect it to go where it did in the last part, but I liked that it did. I plan or hope to read the next book in the series, provided I can find a copy.
I do feel like I'm starting to recover from this slump I'm in. I've been reading The Black Prism, which I need to get back to soon. My hope is that I can read at least four or five more fantasy novels before the end of the year. Far from what I've read in the past, but it's something.
The first series of Amber books are pretty darn good, and for the most part they're short (fast) reads. I've read 'em a couple times over the years. But they're very "light" reading...good stuff for Summer reading, preferably while sitting in view of a lake. 'Good yarns,' as REH might opine.
ReplyDeleteThe second series bogged me down a bit...haven't gotten past the 2nd or 3rd book.
Hummm, so far I've brought in from 2020 Vietnam by Max Hastings. Still havn't finished it but have purchased, consumed and finished Hue 1968 by Mark Bowden and Marine Rifleman by Wesley L Fox.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of going through the Belgariad again this year. Cause I like it, it's not going to involve a vast intellectual investment and I'll enjoy it.