The Once and Future King

 

The Once and Future King

By: T. H. White

Published: 1958

Rating: 2 stars

 

I didn’t enjoy I wanted to read as was a classic however I couldn't finish it. I only read the first part the Sword in the Stone which the Disney movie (of the name) in based on. Like the movie with the goofing around these silly lessons of being a fish and bird. I would say just watch the movie there are some differences but not enough to change the mention.

 

The things that bothered me was the use of third person omniscient. I'm really not a fan of this as I feel it take me out of the story when the author talks to the reader saying 'now in these days....' and referencing what in his time such as actor minor event to be common knowledge. As the story was written over 90 years ago these references are no longer relevant and have to be looked up to find out significance. I am of the opinion that pop culture shouldn't be referenced in fiction books. Unless it has a relevance to the story but then these references do become outdated as in this book.

 

Another thing I don't like in books is characters with Merlin Sickness in this case Merlin. He's been to the past and future knowing a lot about events that shouldn't be known of during the setting of the book I feel like it takes away from the story.

Maybe if I had read it when I was younger it may have been more enjoy about but it’s a children book.

I might go back and read the rest of the book but might not fearing the rest will be as bad as the first part.

The Eye of the World

 

The Eye of the World

Wheel of time book 1

By: Robert Jordan

Published: 15 January 1990

My Rating: 4 Stars

 

A classic fantasy book people in a small village minding their own business when a disturbance happens to the quite village. When mysterious figures come to the normally quite village.  The town is attack by Trollocs this sets the story in motion. The witch Moiraine, tells the villagers Rand, Perrin and Mat that they were ones the trollocs were after. They are joined by two other villages Egwene and Nynaeve. The book is of their fleet as they flee from all that they have known it the wider world. We learn a lot of the world Jordon has created. we are given a dark world where they are hoping for the dragon reborn to save them from the Dark lord. Our heroes learn of (some) his plan and go to stop him. It is hinted that one of the three boy the story is the dragon reborn, the one to stop the Dark Lord.

 

Reading reviews of the book I was hesitant to read this book and have been putting it off for years. The reviews were either good or it was “just a rip off of Lord of the Rings”. Reading the story, I did notice some similarities but not enough to say it was a rip off. (I actually had a look as to what people were saying the similarities were they are mostly tropes. There were some I would say were closer to being a rip then the tropes are (but I will make another post on this later).

 

It may have been that I went in with low expectation that I really enjoyed the book. I found the pacing is slow at times. the story was slow to start up with a bit of the mystery vibe with the fade appearing to only some people the get the town spooked. The story starts to pick up when the group runs from Trollocs. The pacing slows down again after the group are separated at Shadar Logoth and have their own adventures; for a what felt like most of the book. These adventures didn’t feel like they added to the overall story just felt like it was adding length to the story. Some of the events in Perrin and Egwene story feels like they will have bigger implication. Rands and Mats adventure felt like it was to add in characters it’s not until they get to the city of Caemlyn they their story picks up. We meet Loial and learn about the false dragons that are plaguing the Westlands. But once everyone meets up again, they learn of the Dark Lords plan to go and stop where the story picks up again.

 

The ending was good we learnt he dark One has gained some power and is prison is breaking.  Overall, the Book feel like its setting up a big world with history and prophecy of the dragon reborn and the end world.