Qw Zeng Zeng itibaren Ijurin Ekiti, Nijerya
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** spoiler alert ** I really hated this book. I read it for modern world lit and almost died of boredom. I dor5n't understand how many times she can right about the same thing. The main story was okay but not great. Her writing really reflects her personality, BORING. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK
I loved this book, it was so... exciting, interesting, clever, relevant and laugh out loud funny! In fact I almost choked a few times I laughed so hard. This is the second installment of the fictional memoir from the life and times of Benjamin Weaver. I recommend reading his accounts in the order they are presented; A Conspiracy of Paper, A Spectacle of Corruption. Weaver is a charming, handsome, capable man of action and former pugilist who makes an honest living as a thief-taker, debt-collector and sometimes body guard. In this adventure Weaver has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang to death. He is innocent of the crime and determined to find out who framed him and why. The backdrop to his story is London circa 1722 on the eve of the first Parliamentary election since King George took the throne. Thief-Taker General Jonathan Wild plays a part in this story and there are references to Jack Sheppard the notorious thief who escaped prison four times. (Another good book featuring Wild and Sheppard is 'The Thief Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner' by T. F. Banks.) The corruption and greed of the day is intricately woven into Weaver's story. A love interest and past heart break also play a part in this account and I think the story is all the richer for it. So much of the historical politics in this book mirror our politics today. I'm always so surprised by the fact that so many things have remained unchanged even after hundreds of years...Greed and the lust for power are still such powerful motivators. Did I already say that I love Ben Weaver? Did I mention before that I hope this becomes a series? Well I do. And the end of this book certainly feels like it will be. If any of you know for sure if there will be another story from Ben Weaver please let me know with a comment. Mr. Liss you should be busy writing right NOW! :0)
Second book in the series, second book I've read in Spanish and I want more! The events of book two take place between 10 and 15 years after the conclusion of book one. Dana is the Mistress of the Tower. She is in charge of four students. Salamandra is the newest addition to the Tower. She is a young and impulsive creature who has a thing for mysterious elf-wolf Fenris ever since he saved her from the stake... though she probably could have done that herself. Let's just say that her name Salamandra is a name she's chosen for herself and not the one her parents gave her. Following Maritta's death, Kai briefly visits Dana to warn her of the soon to come revenge of her old Master. Dana is split between finding a way to keep Kai by her sides and her duty as Mistress of the Tower to protect her students and her school. But an elven powerful witch who has been entrusted the security and education of spoiled though talented elven princess, Nawin, visits the Tower. This only mean one thing for Dana: further complications. I enjoyed this book more than I did the first one in the series. Gallego Garcia abandons Dana's sometimes flat character to explore the new members of the school, especially Salamandra who is nothing like her Mistress. This character brings a bit more spice to the overall series. Additionally, certain revelations are made: we learn a bit more about Fenris's past. If you've enjoyed the first one, this second one will also fulfill your expectations. A fantastic, light and fast paced read. Recommended to younger readers. ...less
Enjoyment of this book (and its companion, The Litte Ice Age)doesn't reallly doesn't depend on whether you think that global climate change is human-induced or a natural phenomenon. Both books provide an interesting and global overview about what climate change means to human civilizations that are based on specific growing seasons, rainfall amounts, and hungry populations (which includes all of us). Both the Great Warming and the Little Ice Age most probably were caused by that natural climatic swing, but that was little comfort to the millions who died of starvation. My biggest surprise was the fact that the fanitastic European weather during the great warming was mirrored by horrendous droughs and starvation elsewhere. On the downside, when I finished both books, I was left wondering what the author thought we should do with the information and historical perspective he provides. Whatever he recommended would have been attacked by one end of the political/social spectrum or the other. If you liked this book, try "Collapse" by Jerad Diamond. The two books overlap on the fate of the Mayan Civilization.