October 6th, 2021
Hello Fellow Journeyers,
I'd like to wrap up the first little leg of Journey of Finding the Best Books and where it's gone so far. There have been a lot of books read and reviewed and I think a consolidated wrapping up is in order for what's come to past and what may be coming in the next three months:
Best Books Reviewed in June - August 2021:
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson - If you want a book that will satiate your desire for heroic fantasy and Vikings, look no further than this brilliantly told tragedy of Skaloc and his quest to defeat his enemies and find love.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin - A fantasy classic of the coming of age story of Ged fighting his demons and becoming the greatest wizard of Earthsea. A lovely character-driven tale of redemption, conquering fears, and facing the unknown.
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K Le Guin - Following A Wizard of Earthsea, this similarly coming of age story takes on a mentor mentee relationship that is warm, heartwarming, loving, and sweet, if full of pain too.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown - Red Rising is the best blend of Roman history mixed with space operatic bombasity. It's as wonderful as it gets in terms of deep internal character conflict and has some of the best action, humor, and emotional depth that I've read in all of science fiction.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown - It seems a little unfair to include another book in a series in this list, but I bloodydamn have to because Golden Son is simply how sequels should be written. It expands upon the world, gives the characters room to develop even more and hits with punches that really hurt. Just gorydamn read it.
Best Surprise Read:
Smile of the Wolf by Tim Leach - This book took me by surprise and is a wonderful read in the realm of Icelandic sagas. It's a slow burn thriller that keeps you attention at all times and has you rooting for the main character despite all.