Sunset

Over the weekend I completed Sunset, the 6th and final book from the "Warriors: The New Prophecy" series by Erin Hunter. This is a young adult series and follows up the original "Warriors" series, also six books long. There is yet a third series of six books still to come as well as a couple of longer single volumes that tie the whole thing together.

The story picks up where book 5, Twilight, leaves off. The badger attack on the cats of Thunderclan was devestating and now the clan has to put the pieces back together. That combined with the old nemesis of Tigerclaw (now in "ghost" form) trying to lead his two sons, Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost in a strategy to take over leadership of all the clans makes for a good story. There are quite a few sub-plots as well that need to be wrapped up, not the least of which is the overarching prophecy that has been largely in the background through these six books. There is a lot to be wrapped up here but I never felt like the plot was rushed in order to get it all done. I was a little let down by the resolution of the prophecy though, quite anticlimactic when you compare it to all of the other huge events that take place in this universe.

This will be my final reading of books in the series. While I admire the way the authors developed their universe and I really enjoyed the first series, this second series has had too much of a soap opera feel to it. As in the soaps, as certain story lines are completed, the characters can't just sit there and have a happy life or else there would be no more story to tell. So therefore, either more conflict has to occur, relationships have to change, or there has to be something that happens to drive the plot forward. After a while the reader (or soap opera viewer) can grow tired of the constant change. That is where I'm at. I choose to stop reading now and let the characters rest rather than read yet another 6-volume set. I have a whole shelf-full of young adult books to read (actually three shelves) including lots of Newbery award winners. Having said all of that, I will always look back fondly on this series and highly recommend them to parents looking for good books to read with their children. Just don't start them too young because there is a fair amount of violence and death among the clans.

I also completed the second-to-last short story ion Stephen King's collection, Skeleton Crew: "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet." This story is more of a novella, coming in at about 50 pages. The term "flexible bullet" refers to the narrator's belief that insanity is like a flexible bullet...it may take a while but it will eventually kill you. Ths narrator, a magazine editor, tells the story of a brilliant young writer (and insane) who sent him a story that was so good he fights to get it included in the magazine even though the magazine is closing it's fiction section down. The writer believes (and the editor comes to believe because of his alcoholism) in the existence of "Fornits", tiny elf-like creatures that live in their typewriters that bring inspiration and good luck. The story had an interesting premise but could have been shortened in my opinion. It is likely he wrote it to specifications since it was first published in"The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" in 1984. Only one more story to go...I'll blog about it under a seperate heading when I discuss the entire collection.

Next up: Way of the Wolf by E.E. Knight.

Twilight

No this blog entry is not about the publishing phenomenon Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Although there is an interesting coincidence here in that we watched the movie version of that book this weekend for our family movie night. Perhaps someday I'll read the book; if so I'll be the last in my family to do so which has got to be some kind of a first.

No, this blog entry is about Twilight (Warriors, the New Prophecy, Book 5). I completed it in fairly short order this weekend, mostly on Sunday when I was letting my back recuperate after helping move some friends into their new apartment on Saturday. I surely did need the downtime! Anyway, this book is the 5th of this second series of books about a large group of anthropomorphic cats living in the wild, divided into four clans, and experiencing the harsh realities of life. This book in my mind is a bit of a filler before the 6th and final book of this series. It serves to nail down the lives of the clans in their new home and to come to grips with the new, necessary politics of how the clans will deal with each other. Most of the subplots deal with individual issues among the more prominant members of Thunderclan, including two cats from different clans torn between their love for each other and their duties to their clans. Sort of a Romeo and Juliet situation. Two other young cats continue their digression away from love only to realize in the end they truly do love each other. Lots of soap opera like mini plots here. The obligatory action this go round deals with an invasion of badgers that are after their homeland once again, having been chased off when the clans first moved in a couple of books ago.

These books, in general are very good books for younger teenagers, say 10-15. This particular book is a bit week on plot in my opinion but does a good job of delving into the more emotional aspects of the upheaval that all the cats have recently experienced. I have a lot of confidence that book number 6 will be the climax I have come to expect from this series. Judging from that one I will decide if I will read the the third set of 6 books, already published.

Just before beginning this book I, of course, read another short story In Stephen King's Skeleton Crew collection. "Mrs.Todd's Shortcut" was a bit difficult for me to follow for some reason but it does serve to demonstrate King's versatility. This is not a straight out horror story but a very subtle one. Mrs Todd is obsessed with finding shortcuts on roads in Maine, always wanting to cut time off her trips. The story is told by Homer who at first admire's Mrs. Todd's hobby but grows more and more concerned as she discovers short cuts that aren't even there...and grows younger as she finds more shortcuts. Even Homer gets sucked into the phenomenon and compares finding a shortcut to folding a map, kind of like transversing a wormhole except it appears they go into another world on their way through. "Odd" is the word that came to mind when I read this one but I like "odd" so I continue to enjoy these stories.

Next up is a mystery novel but also by Stephen King: The Colorado Kid is a part of the Hard Boiled Detective imprint.

Starlight

I've completed the 4th book in Erin Hunter's "Warrior: The New Prophecy" series, Starlight. My regular readers will remember that I'm working my way through this young adult series that depicts the lives of an entire culture of cats living in the wild. This is the second set of six books about these cats and I am happy to report this book returns to the roots of what makes these books great.

I really enjoyed the first 6 "Warriors" books and felt the series stood complete at the end of that first set of novels. It was a complete cycle. I had been sceptical about starting a new set of books, wary of a "next generation" syndrome that may have succombed to being only a copy of the original. Trying to "do it again" only to enhance the financial income of the authors/publishers as opposed to moving on to something else is something I am always concerned with because I tend to read quite a few series. And sure enough, when I tried the first book of this "New Prophecy" series, Midnight, my worries seemed well founded. It was difficult for me to switch gears to a new set of protagonists while the old ones were still around. The Firestar character from the first 6 books was a genuine hero but now he would have to be squeezed into a supporting role.

The books were still well written, and absorbing in their own way but it has taken me until this 4th book to get comfortable in the new skin. Perhaps I am just used to this new set of heroes now but I think it is due more to the plot settling down. The first 3 books of this set were all about moving the entire society of cats to a new home due to the infestation of human activity at their old home. Danger was everywhere with no time to rest. But now they have found their new home and this book is much more about building their new home, setting clan boundaries, and becoming 4 clans once again, instead of one bigger uneasy clan. We get to see a return to normalcy in many respects including naming ceremonies, warrior training, and consultations with the spirtual Star Clan ancesters. Clan differences are once again allowed to provide conflict and adventure instead of relying on the great unknown for everything. In short, this novel brings the series back to its roots. And it doesn't hurt that I am comfortable with the new heroes now.

Don't get me wrong; I don't blame the authors at all for having to uproot everything we have come to know and love about this feline society. That's the only way to prevent the "let's do it again" syndrome. And now, after completing Starlight, I am confident that I will look back at the end of this second set of 6 books and see it as another fantastic addtion to the universe of young adult literature. Two more books to go and I'll be sure to let you know!

Next up is Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon, completing a 5 book science fiction series that I began last year. The weekend cometh as well with plans for a World of Warcraft dungeon crawl and plenty of time for my "Empire: Total War" Swedish world domination plan to continue. Paris fell last night along with the remaining Russian provinces. The big push south continues as well as sweeping across the French-controlled Canada. England is still out there of course but the American colonies sure look tempting so I will soon have to bite the bullet and face down their navy, not an easy task I can assure you. Hehe I love it!

Dawn

I've been reading a series of young adult books for a couple of years now, usually reading 4-5 each year. The series is called Warriors and is about a society of cats (house cats, not lions, tigers, etc.) that live in the wild and are forced to cope with "real life" issues like hunting for prey, maintaining shelter, and the inevitable cycle of life. There are major issues to overcome including the politics of the four clans as well as the deaths of major characters. The books are suprisingly philisophical and readers are introduced to an entire theology that the clans of cats live by and, of course, the warrior code of honor is prime.

We bought the first few books at the behest of our kids back when we were home schooling; they had really cool looking covers, you see. Well, as usual, I started to read them as well and really enjoyed them so I've kept going. The first series contained 6 books and was a self-contained story arc, basically describing the rise of FireStar, the protagonist of all 6 books. Then there is a stand-alone book that serves as a bridge to a follow-on series of 6 more books. Dawn is book number 3 in that series, Warriors, The New Prophecy. There is yet another 6 book series that follows. The author, listed as "Erin Hunter" is actually a pen name for a group of women (3 at first but now 4) who jointly build the world and write the story.

I really enjoyed that first set of 6 books; it was unique, it was exciting, I cared very much for the characters, and I was really impressed with the well thought out world that had been created for this society of cats. I felt the authors did a great job of letting us see this world through the eyes of the protagonist, watching him struggle as he made onerous practical as well as moral decisions. That first set of books was great. The second set is still very good but it does suffer from the "this is great but what is new" syndrome. We no longer have Firestar as the chief protagonist although he is still a key player in the clans. But now we have the next generation taking on bigger roles and there is more than one key player on the stage. I think something is lost in that aspect. Dawn, being book 3 of a 6 part series has the burden of being the one that depicts the "just when you think things can't get any worse...they do" part of the story arc. Our cats are in dire consequences and when it rains, it really pours. That means this is a dark book, a real downer. But that should lead to better times ahead, the darkness before the "dawn".

Anyway, these books are a quick, easy read and they do keep you turning the pages. I will finish out this set of 6 books but may not continue as, even now, I can see some repetition creeping in.

Next up will be a combination of things as I make my reading selections for this week's business trip. For now that will have to remain a surprise since I haven't yet made my choices :)