Timewaster's Guide Archive
Departments => Books => Topic started by: Chimera on November 11, 2005, 01:55:09 PM
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Chimera, how was Levin Thumps? I keep getting tempted to pick it up, since I want to help LDS writers who are writing stuff I'll actually LIKE.
Leven Thumps was okay. The story wasn't bad, had some original elements to it, and was entertaining enough to keep me reading.
However, I wouldn't call it good either. I would not recommend it to people if I wanted to give them an idea of excellent YA fantasy. It was a little too cliche--I got all sorts of Harry Potter wannabe vibes. Not that no one will ever be able to use the archetypal elements that are in Harry Potter, such as an unwanted orphan who turns out to be the only one who can save the world, but because of Harry Potter it has to be done in a NEW and UNIQUE way. And Leven Thumps didn't quite make it to this distinction.
Also, the writing style drove me crazy at times. I had two major complaints. The first was that the narrator would give us some plot element in narrative and then, like two chapters later, give us the same plot element in almost the same exact words. Which made me, as the reader, want to ask: Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I can't remember something you told me a chapter ago? I'm not sure if this was just a poor writing choice, or if the author was under the mistaken impression that because he was writing for kids he had to repeat things or else they would forget and not "get it." The latter is a stupid attitude. Kids are perceptive and smart readers. And no reader, of any age, likes to be treated like an imbecile.
The second thing was a more minor editing choice that just drove me up the wall. I literally wanted to throw the book across the room at some points, but once I start a book I get a little OCD and as long as it has some merit I feel compelled to finish it (if nothing else, I learn what not to do). This irritating choice was that whenever the villian spoke--and I mean every stinking time there was dialogue--his personal pronouns were italicized. I.e. "I was wrong. I see now that the path I was on is futile" or "Show it to me." Perhaps the author was trying to emphasize what an egomaniac the villian is. Nevertheless, italics should be used sparingly. Someone should have told the author, whoever Obert Skye really is, that this editing choice had the potential to irritate his readers and lead them to desire to harm inanimate objects.
But it wasn't a terrible book. It just wasn't a good book. And with some different editing choices, it could have been better. The action scenes, like when Leven and Winter are fighting a mud monster, are quite good. And a lot of the magic events are fun--almost enough to get over the tired cliches. But the narrator just did not work for me, and the villian needs to stop italicizing his personal pronouns. But perhaps that was his evil plot--to drive readers insane.
Oh, and I just remembered that there were some plot holes that made me shake my head. I don't want to put any spoilers here, so I will refrain. But even magic has to have logic within the magic system created, and sometimes this did not occur.
I really wanted to like this book, partly because it is a smaller press's attempt to get into the big time. Unfortunately, Leven Thumps feels like a rough draft with potential that wasn't fixed enough to go to print. It does not equal the best YA fantasy being published currently.
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well, I don't need a book to be the best. But I'd rather have it *good*. ANyway, sounds like I definitely won't buy it in hardcover then.
With all that, chimera, you should expand just a little and make it a full review we can run on page 1.
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Yeah. I found I had a lot to say once I got going. I'll have to do that--and then I can go into more "spoiler" detail.
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While we're on the subject of LDS fantasy, has anyone read Farland's new book: "Of Mice and Magic"? Skar and I are both in the acknowledgements, from helping brainstorm a lot of the ideas, and I'd like to see how the story turned out.
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Really? I'm in the acknowledgements? I don't remember ever helping him with that kind of thing unless he just listed all the people in his class at BYU.
?
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Is it out? Amazon says October, but then it also says "not available" and I can't find any reviews online for it.
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I appreciate this review. I thought about buying the book, but I couldn't bring myself to do it because it felt too much like publishers trying to cash in on the HP craze. I haven't been able to find others who had read it yet.
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Yay! Someone liked my review and found it useful. That makes me happy. ;D
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Of Mice and Magic is out, but only in Seagull Book and Tape. I have not read yet had the chance to read it. I know that Skar and I are in the acknowledgements, and I think Skar's wife is in there too, but other than that I don't remember any names from TWG or the BYU class--just people I from our Farland Productions meetings.
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MsFish and I saw Of Mice and Magic in Waldenbooks in the Provo Towne Center Mall, along with like a million copies of Elantris, probably in anticipation of EUOL's book signing there. They had a sign up announcing the book signing for the day after Thanksgiving. Hopefully EUOL will be mobbed by bargain shoppers--in the sense that they will buy his book, not actually maul him. ;)
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If they actually maul him someone needs to be there to get it on video.
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Rumor has it around the LDS writing world that Obert Skye is actually Robert Farrell Smith. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's the rumor.
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If they actually maul him someone needs to be there to get it on video.
I designate that to you, Sprig.
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Rumor has it around the LDS writing world that Obert Skye is actually Robert Farrell Smith. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's the rumor.
Hmm, I didn't recognize the name but when I googled it I saw he is the author of the Trust Williams books and Baptists at Our Barbeque. I haven't read them but have actually heard of them--and have heard that he's a pretty humorous writer. If so, it's too bad that his humor didn't have a more smooth transition into the YA fantasy genre.
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Baptists at Our Barbecue is a fun book. I used to own it, till someone borrowed it and never returned it.
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Speaking of which, you and Old One both owe me books. ;)
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Augh! And you know what? It's sitting right here at work in my drawer, waiting for me to send it. I don't have an envelope here at work... Hm. Wait--do I have your most current address?
EDIT: No, I don't. Well, I'm looking in my email and it could be there, but it's not in my PMs.
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Ok, now it's in your PM's.