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Visually lush, but conceptually ranges from silly to farcical. There is something infectiously fun in the tribal warmth of its characters, as clans Bearkiller and Mackenzie form their new civilizations. It is beautiful and fun to see, but the suspension of disbelief is hard to maintain in the way these characters think and the unrealistic prevalence of ideologies. More specifically, the way characters are either Wiccan or eventually will be. This isn't a conscious selection of Wiccans; it is a purportedly random jumble of characters who, coincidentally, all are either Wiccans or have so little preexisting religion that they quickly adopt a Wiccan belief system for reasons ranging from peer pressure to nothing. I don't find fault in a book centered around the Wiccan belief system and culture; it is the laziness in justifying the belief systems prevalence that leaves me unsatisfied. This would go for any belief system. There need to be reasons for every aspect of a story, and the pacific northwest is religiously diverse certainly, but not enough to make this a convincing story. Telling the reader something is such-a-way and telling them to believe it 'just because' is lazy writing. That massive rant aside, I enjoyed the book but don't feel there is enough of a focus to its narrative to keep me reading the series. Even within this book the story meandered too much, didn't feel to have an actual consistent narrative arc. I expect the series to wander in like fashion, and poetic imagery isn't enough to earn my readership.

Ends too abruptly, but otherwise a fine contribution to the series. Would have loved to see this carried on further. Such gorgeous art.

With a scalpel-sharp economy of words, Lois Lowry fleshes The Giver's increasingly unsettling utopia hauntingly. The reader grows along with Jonas, seeing more and more of the reality and experience, both beautiful and ugly, that hides behind Sameness' grayscale veil. Beautifully rendered, in a way that is engaging but doesn't compromise an affecting narrative for superfluous delivery. A must-read exploration on the place of experience and individuality in community.

'Severed Souls' sees Terry Goodkind continue Richard and Kahlan's story, torturing readers with the couple's increasingly tenuous grip on life and each other's place in it. I say torture, and there is no better word for the journey Goodkind leads the reader down this time. For anyone who has grown with these characters - seen their travails book after book, shared in their joys and sorrows - 'Severed Souls' is torture through and through. Not in the regrettable way, though. True, the book suffers from the same artlessness, the same linguistic mediocrity that has simplified Goodkind's recent releases, but the story - the narrative he unfolds here - is as emotionally potent and relentlessly captivating as ever. Goodkind may not put as much emphasis on the way his stories are told as simply getting them told, but taking the book's heartrending last stretch into consideration, I'd go so far as to say he is still at the top of his game in the realms of conceptualization and simple storytelling. The world Goodkind conjures with this series has always been painfully real, and 'Severed Souls' puts the pain in that claim. It reminds the reader just how much of their own souls they've invested in the joys and immeasurable sorrows of Richard and Kahlan.

Sherry Chandler's poetry collected here unwinds with a quaint but smoldering nostalgia. The messages she threads through verdant metaphor and various observational poems come with a power that grabs the attention more elegantly than any poetry I've encountered lately. Poems like 'Ephemera' and 'Christmas Day, 2010' throb with a silent strength, the held breath of witness, and the nature-rich images Chandler conjures here are too potent to resist, sticking in the mind long after the poem has ended, concoctions of tension and authentic emotion like that in the multilayered slow burn 'Jaws of Life', which unfurls with the stillness of a bear trap but left me reeling and headed for a second reading by its ending. 'The Woodcarver's Wife' is a gamut of visceral expression, divulging the embers of eroticism and love while also exploring common thoughts with uncommon lenses. A lovely collection of poetry, and a pleasure to read.

Without question the most visually and conceptually mind-blowing manga I have ever encountered. Every page is drawn with a discernibly painstaking craft. The settings are atmospherically nightmarish, and Nihei's art style serves these grisly abominations and looming smokestacks with a jaw-dropping perfection. Story-wise as well, Biomega sucks the reader in and holds us hostage there. A most ingenious take on the zombie apocalypse fixation.

This book was an amazing insight into the real tangible Hell. I already knew that it was a place of very real punishment and suffering, but this account put very visual images and faces to the denizens and locations therein. A terrifying vision, and a necessary read for everyone. Not just anyone, but everyone.

Very weird, very interesting story. The drawings included are nice tone-setters without being distracting, complementary instead. Great book of a bizarre, bizarre, and even more bizarre event.

This book is a startling account of one's struggle against the substances and influences that are striving to conquer that person and those in her life. No punches were held in showing the terrible power and potential of substances and drugs to destroy, making this a startling Danteic trip through one's seemingly infinite Hell. One of the things that sets this story apart from the many drug-terror stories is the supernatural aspect. A brilliantly crafted metaphor runs the duration of the novel; the tangible forces of destruction that the protagonist is constantly vying against and resisting are given a spectral twin just as horrendous in a completely alien, inveterate will that would see Angie, the protagonist, dead and gone along with her bloodline. The reader can't help but begin to feel asphyxiated and panicked for Angie as she spirals down into the dregs of a life she is so vehemently trying to escape. This is a story of death and resurrection, of will and resignation. Awfully painful yet greatly inspiring.

A really fun, visually satisfying manga. The story draws from the television show well and also goes in interesting varying directions. Great first volume of a promising story.

Ross Campbell has an art style completely unique, and fantastic. This world he has created filled with fragmented and flawed, yet beautifully adorned punks and goths is one I welcome warmly. The story is very intriguing, pulling me in immediately and not letting go for a second. A great graphic novel and introduction to the series.

A great story, complete with humor and realism, and as is always the case, Ross's visual style is nothing short of amazing. He is the master of anatomy and movements, and it really comes out in the illustrations here.

A beautiful story that unfolds as tranquilly as the soft lapping of the sea on the shore. Very lovely, with rich imagery and observations above the typical author.

I've read few works so capable of emotional manipulation like this one. I already knew Terry Goodkind was an absolute master of his craft, but with the series' second book, "Stone of Tears", I was taken to new extremes I had not imagined. This book took me from the heights of Heaven and delight to the lowest, most emotionally excruciating moments fathomable. I was drawn in immediately, and so intensely bound to the characters fighting to survive, fighting to save that and those which they love. This book created an emotional connection I have honestly never achieved elsewhere, and it is the power of that connection that makes those heights astonishing and those depths heart-rending. There were moments in this book that made me, in absolute truth, want to die. Likewise, there are moments that make me want to weep and leap for joy, for the joy of the characters that I have come to know and love over this journey. I love this book. Goodkind is, without question, the master of the field.

I'll just say this: Anyone that has a problem with an army of gars has their head way too far up their own chute. If you can seriously read that segment and not well up with excitement at what is happening, you have my pity.

Absolutely brilliant. Goodkind keeps up expectations again with his ability to plunge the reader into the reality of his characters. There are points so low, where it is simply impossible to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and this makes the resolution all the sweeter. Another fantastic composition, leaving me immediately eager to devour the next offering.

Why, Ross Campbell?! Why?! Ross Campbell proves himself the master of the gut-wrenching cliffhanger with this offering. The ending aside, this book finds him expressing many truly beautiful moments with poignancy and wordless emotion. A beautiful addition to the series.

As I have come to expect from Mr. Kieth, this graphic novel was nothing short of inspiring. It reaches deep and makes even the most particular of events seem applicable and familiar. As was the case of The Maxx as well, I left this book with some tears and a widened understanding and concept of what it is to exist. It may sound odd saying this of a graphic novel, but no, Sam Kieth's work is important and reaches to that level every time. It moves the reader, it inspires the reader, and this was no exception.

This, while still an amazing book, definitely has been the first to disappoint me at points when held against its predecessors. The writing is as captivating as ever (though I am growing tired of the rehashing/brief introductions - I know what's going on, I'm not taking long lapses between books...it's just becoming a tiring device), but the direction the bulk of the book went rubbed me the wrong way. My main issue: ANDERITH AND ALL THOSE DWELLING IN IT! Now, I realize the importance of the place and its characters, and by the latter third of the book, I was genuinely captivated by even that aspect of the story - but the build up to it was so drawn out and just painfully dull, I had a really hard time getting through the first half or so of the book. The book started with my beloved characters Richard, Zedd, Kahlan and so on, and then out of nowhere cuts to a totally different place with these monstrously boring characters that I just did not care about. It was really hard for me to read through chapter after chapter recounting the events of these seemingly brainless, magicless dolts. Of course, like I said, this eventually wore off, but it is the mechanics of the book, the transition to this other plot and character-set, that annoyed me and ultimately made the book less-than-stellar. That factor aside, though, I still enjoyed the book and raced through the second half within a day, constantly on the edge of my seat, fingers flying from page to page in eager anticipation and anxiety over what would happen next. Goodkind is still good at this kind of literature, creating worlds rife with the evil of ignorance and the virtue of perseverance. Ultimately beautiful, as always.

Sam Kieth creates such a twisted, darkened vision of the world we live in, yet it is wholly accurate. Injecting The Maxx with equal degrees of realism and fantasy, the story comes to life magnificently. The fragmented, fragile states of the characters is mirrored in the fluctuating artistic mediums used throughout the comics, to create an entirely magical hallucinatory trip for the reader. As far as storyline, Kieth tugs at heartstrings, bringing the reader to a place not dissimilar to that of Julia Winters or Maxx, or even Sarah. Through the occurrences and lessons the characters must undergo in the book, Kieth does nothing short of forcing the reader to ruminate over his or her own life and hurts. It really brought me to a point of tears multiple times throughout. It's just a beautiful narrative, and the art only works to boost that quality.

This was without a doubt my favorite book of the series thus far. Goodkind exceeded his previous standards by unprecedented extremes in this offering. The beloved characters we've known for so long appear in a new and acutely-focused light, exposing sacred and truly invaluable traits, and revealing to the reader the absolute truth of the importance of life, of will, and of spirit. I loved this one, the passion and vigor are without equal.

Another fantastic entry into the Sword of Truth series. I am always amazed how Goodkind is capable of plunging the reader into such lightless despair, creating these scenarios with such perfect mastery of the tools of prosody that the reader cannot help but feel the hopelessness that the characters are feeling. Things always seem like they couldn't get worse, and yet there always ends up being a light at the end of the tunnel, we just never can conceive of how that light may come about. It ultimately does, though, and the joy at the appearance of that light, at the discovery of the solution, is just amazing. As a reader I have rejoiced with Richard and Kahlan, as much as I have grieved with or over either of them. The ups and downs of these beloved characters become my ups and downs, and this is no small feat, but something I have certainly come to expect of Terry Goodkind. His writing is nothing short of phenomenal, and this book is no exception.

While for the bulk of this book I found it a constant struggle to care about the main characters, as always, it finished strong and picked up eventually. This book was a test in agitation and tolerance for me. I not once cared for Jennsen. I found her infuriatingly ignorant, and while that was a constant annoyance, I recognize the importance of her being that kind of character. I could never attribute that as a fault to Goodkind; he wrote this book as skillfully as ever - he is just really good at creating characters. Jennsen was unbearable in her ignorance and obstinate nature, but she was created believably and consistently. Goodkind's skill was surely present throughout this book, it just happened that the book was populated by the evil and the easily deceived. Of course, as always, the book had a great ending. After 500+ pages of following these characters I could care less for, it was nice to finally see Richard, Kahlan and Cara again. It took long enough, but longing makes the heart grow fonder, no? 3 out of 5, in that I simply did not want to spend as much time with Jennsen, Sebastian, or even Oba as I was forced to through this book. 5 stars would have seen a more equal distribution of scenes and character appearances.

Chillingly disturbing. The 'Watchmen' equivalent of the Batman universe, 'Arkham Asylum' brings some horrifically deep-seated issues to the surface, displaying Batman as nothing so much as a human - suffering on the same plane as the rest of us.

Stirringly tragic, hauntingly inspiring in its conviction. The artwork is perfectly paced and matches the context to the letter.

The cover art and first couple pages drew me in, absolutely threw me to the floor with the detail and color. The rest of the book did not disappoint me. The art is amazingly detailed, refreshingly so, being fantastically epic in times of action, and laughingly lighthearted in times of comedy. I really enjoy this manga and can't wait to pick up the next volume. For fans of Trigun, give this one a read. Definitely a winner.

Fidel has crafted a book of truly beautiful poetry with this, his first release. There is a steady rhythm to his writing, not unlike what one would find in the spoken word scene, and the content of his poetry has the heart and drive to match. Covering an array of topics, Fidel's poetry comes with a strikingly genuine voice, addressing things with the most intimate of care, inviting the reader in to niches and corners of the world often forgotten or never really known to begin with. This book is a gem of memorable and heartfelt poetry. Definitely not to be missed.

There are plenty of reasons Jeremy Robert Johnson is a name on so many tongues. 'We Live Inside You' is just one of the more recent ones. This anthological follow-up to 'Angel Dust Apocalypse' touts a discernible growth in style and execution for the author. The stories still bubble with enough oddities to warrant keeping a bottle of Purell nearby, but the strength of 'We Live Inside You' is its range. Johnson has honed his bizarro-scope with this collection, offering bouts with parasitic organisms that taste like cinnamon and split vitals like overcooked hot dogs, things terrifying in their own right...and then infinitely more terrifying when you find Wikipedia pages about them. There are also several stories that operate on significantly subtler levels, though, and these stand to show Johnson's range. Not every story involves microscopic grotesqueries. Some are humorous, others emotionally haunting and grounded in reality. The collection of stories is just a well-rounded book that shows Jeremy Robert Johnson has lost nothing in either skill or bravery throughout his career.

If only Williams could tell a story as well as he conceives one. Decay Inevitable is a prime example of an author's imagination getting away from them. It becomes painfully clear to the reader plodding through this zigzagging novel that Williams could not decide what kind of book he wanted to write. There is far too much going on, far too many ideas with little to nothing connecting them. The story suffers from the author's overzealousness, such effort to be unique or different, the actual narrative gets lost and forgotten along the way. Not worth the time to read it. Skip it.

Interesting in concept, but blandly written. This isn't a problem for the bulk of the book, as the ideas are vivid and engaging enough to compensate for the artless writing style, but for the first 100+ pages, nothing happens and that nothing is dreadful to have to slog through.

The Tale of Narsi DeFleur feels very much like the story you'd get if C.S. Lewis wrote his Chronicles from the perspective of a Narnia-less Susan Pevensie. A story that seems to take place entirely in the pre-Prince Charming phase of fairy tale. The story C.A. Rogers tells us is one of despair and tragic brokenness, with the flitting rays of hope always on the fringe of the narrative's emotional valleys. Narsi's tragedies hit all the more devastatingly because they are so readily familiar. The shape and size of her struggles may differ from those of the reader, but the color of her sorrow - the sehnsucht threading the book up to its absolutely beautiful climax - is one unmistakeably common among the canvas of humanity. The story Rogers tells is a recognizably difficult one, but as dark and dismal as Narsi's tale may be, her ending casts a transcendent warmth and hope on both her own travails and those of the reader. There is hope, and this hope will never remove Himself from us, though dark the days may seem.

'The Third Kingdom' shows author Terry Goodkind continuing in a discernibly different direction from that of the Sword of Truth series. While the story is still as ably conceived as ever, the manner in which Goodkind tells it has changed significantly since that 11-book series. Longtime readers will have no trouble noticing a more simplistic vocabulary, a less poetic delivery of the narrative. 'The Third Kingdom' strips much of the colorful language of former books down to something much easier to digest. For some this won't be a problem, while others may find the simplified tone tedious and immemorable. Fortunately, the story itself is still wildly engaging and outshines any of Goodkind's stylistic changes. The passion and believability of character is still palpable in the story the author presents. As Richard and Kahlan again find themselves neck-deep in otherworldly troubles, the way Goodkind pulls them (and vicariously we, the readers) through them is unrelenting in intensity and menace. In typical Goodkind fashion, he brings the characters to the depths of despair, making it seem like the story can't possibly end on a good note with the few pages left to go...but then he does it anyway. The ending doesn't feel contrived or artificial. It ends satisfyingly. Heartbreakingly so, but satisfying nonetheless. His characters are as real and unforgettable here as they ever have been. Tone-wise, the book (in conjunction with its predecessor 'The Omen Machine') shows a new bent for horror-tinged fantasy, as opposed to the high fantasy of Sword of Truth's early novels. So natural is the transition in setting and opposition, from the known regions of the New World to the occult and mysterious Dark Lands, that the necromantic horrors lying in wait feel appropriate in the world Goodkind has shown us, even if they have not been explicitly encountered before. While not the most linguistically artful book to his name, 'The Third Kingdom' is emotionally resonant and faithful to the characters whose personalities he has been channeling for so long. A powerful contribution to the series.

An absolutely amazing mosaic of interweaving narratives and cosmic commonality. Its message is deeply moving and emotionally rewarding to the reader.

Once in a blue moon will the voracity-tongued reader encounter an author with David Mitchell's combination of fearlessness and skill. "Cloud Atlas", his third novel in a steadily increasing catalogue, is an exemplary work attesting to just how brilliantly those traits commingle in the author's craft. Simply put, "Cloud Atlas" is phenomenal. To be more precise, "Cloud Atlas" is an unprecedented and inimitable work of art, a masterpiece the world of contemporary literature should be proud to see issue from its inveterate loins. If this praise seems too high to be truly warranted, a week-long sojourn in the book will confirm what I theorize: "Cloud Atlas" is unlike anything you likely have ever read, or will ever read again. The glory of Mitchell's creation is in its transcendent nature. "Cloud Atlas" tells a story, of course, and an engaging one at that, but it is so much more than the events of its ongoing narrative. There is an attention to detail the likes of which literature had theretofore (2004, the book's release) never known, not just in its literal composition, but in the very arrangement of its contents. The order in which Mitchell chose to unfold his expository sextet is so profound and brilliant I, in all my obvious verbosity, am left grasping for the appropriate descriptors. I hesitate to go further into detail for fear of shattering prematurely what is a truly mind-blowing and rewarding mosaic. I can only report that it is an incredible, unfathomably connected set of stories, and hope that you take me up on my promises. There is heart to "Cloud Atlas." In its entirety, there is a revelry in the spectrum of human existence; sadness and joy, life and death, love and hate. "Cloud Atlas" is a celebration of all it is to be both human and spirit, a rapturously written map of the latter's effect within and around the former. It challenges the reader to rethink human purpose, the function of life and relationships, and most of all the infinite nature of our actions and choices. It challenges, but the payoff is, for all my wordy attempts, wholly indescribable. You will not regret a single moment spent drifting through this atlas of clouds. You have my word.

This was without a doubt my favorite book of the series thus far. Goodkind exceeded his previous standards by unprecedented extremes in this offering. The beloved characters we've known for so long appear in a new and acutely-focused light, exposing sacred and truly invaluable traits, and revealing to the reader the absolute truth of the importance of life, of will, and of spirit. I loved this one, the passion and vigor are without equal.

One of the best short story/vignette collections I've ever read. Jeremy Robert Johnson shows himself amazingly talented with this book, providing stories that are skillfully scary and funny when not simply unnerving. These are eerie visions of a world "not post-apocalyptic, but post-yesterday." It's a dark, creepy world seemingly inconceivable with its absurdities, but real enough to be looming just off in the distance, a world quickly falling on all of our shoulders. Intriguingly bizarre, cleverly creepy, and everything in between.

A brilliantly and beautifully arranged collection of diverse comics. All sharing a common thread, like pieces of a massive puzzle, the stories shift from dark and horrific to strangely eerie to ironically comical. They depict a world not unlike our own, but just a few steps ahead. A definite collector's item for any fan of horror fiction or Lovecraftian comics.

Some have a writing style you could call "sensory", a lushness of word and imagery. Patrick Süskind epitomizes this with Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. It is no coincidence that in writing a book all about the olfactory sense, his outrageously vivacious descriptions actually conjure up that very sense in the reader. From beginning to end, this bizarrely misanthropic narrative is a banquet of delicious description after delicious description, as if Süskind is sticking your nose right into the thick of this world and bidding you inhale. Luscious and unique imagery, Perfume's two primary exports. For me, someone who craves unique imagery and new ways of looking at the familiar, it gets no better than this book, exemplified in the pro(ant?)tagonist's neonatal awakening: "The tiny wings of flesh around the two tiny holes in the child’s face swelled like a bud opening to bloom. Or rather, like the cups of that small meat-eating plant that was kept in the royal botanical gardens," (12). I tell you, it gets no better than that...and frankly it doesn't need to. This book floored me with its literary prowess and ingenuity. The contrary personage of Jean-Baptiste Grenuille, so misanthropic and detestable in his detesting...well that only served to elevate the story to some legendary tale of Sadean telling. A terribly lovely story. Not to be missed (and a fine complement to the film adaptation of the same name (not to be missed either)!).

What a conclusion! I will do my best to write this review without any spoilers, but the emotions this book Rioted in me are tethered to very spoiler-riffic occurrences. Anyway, I'm not going to cover the plot or synopsis here. There are other, better reviews for that information. What I will offer is an explanation for the 5 stars I gave this, Sanderson's third and final book in his Mistborn Trilogy. After establishing various characters and settings, and then bringing them through two previous books’ worth of struggle, this third offering sees this dramatis personae we’ve (hopefully) become intimately bound to tested across the board. Tested…that’s saying a lot considering the monumental opposition Vin and co. have already faced down and overcome, empires and gods (you know, just the soup du jour...). This third book, though. Sanderson does not let you for a moment forget that this is indeed the end. With an atmosphere of dangerously palpable despair, The Hero of Ages wraps up the trilogy…perfectly. Sanderson has this seemingly magical talent for correlating every single detail he presents. There are no loose threads fluttering from this tapestry of eschatological conflict. The smallest things, things we may have encountered only in passing two books back, are suddenly revealed to be of incomparable significance, every piece, every little thing, coloring the whole of this narrative. I love that, knowing that nothing is forgotten, but everything has a point. Everything has a purpose. I believe Spook and Sazed would appreciate the notion. Speaking of characters, I read high fantasy (oddly enough) not for its fantasy (although the magic system of the Mistborn Trilogy is without equal in sheer awesomeness - allomancy, feruchemy, and hemalurgy? Come on! Sanderson is not just a genius, but a wordsmith after my own heart.) - but for the depth and believability of its relationships, and here, Sanderson’s craft shines strikingly. Characters are thrown over the edge of their own capabilities and expectations, millstones tossed to the ocean, and the way they meet and deal with the challenges they are presented is painfully realistic. You will watch your favorite characters crumble. You will watch the faithful embrace despair. You will watch the strong stultified, the brave cowering. In the midst of the darkest circumstances conceivable, Sanderson’s characters must reevaluate what it means to hope and persevere, and find its power in themselves. These are not one-dimensional aspects of humanity, but each person comes across beautifully and tragically…flawed. Real. This is, I maintain, the most powerful aspect of the Mistborn Trilogy. It is the reason we fall in love with these characters - with Vin and Elend, Sazed and TenSoon, Spook and Ham and Breeze - and it is the reason bidding them farewell at the story’s culmination is the scar-inducing ordeal that it is. If you loved this series, don’t expect to leave it unscathed. Then again…would you want to? 5 stars for a story mesmerizingly unpredictable, exploding with cosmic intrigue and the very mysteries of creation. 5 stars for a story written well, but for characters written even better.

A very interesting spin-off of the familiar Sword of Truth series. While there is truth in the criticism that stylistically this book is not the poetic treasure a la "Wizard's First Rule" or "Stone of Tears", the storytelling is still strong and carried out with the same engaging, edge-of-the-seat skill. Generally I can't enjoy fiction in contemporary settings. This book worked though. The connections to Sword of Truth abound in a very rewarding way, triggering pleasant recognition and a fond familiarity for those who have journeyed through the adventures of Richard and Kahlan. Not a masterpiece by any means, but a fun and worthwhile read all the same.

Far ahead of its time in style and content. Matheson's writing here is bizarro before bizarro, I'd hazard to say. These short stories feel like myriad little windows into one strangely unsettling world. Ranging from under-the-radar terror to speculative bordering on sci-fi, the stories here are (generally) a pleasant read for one who likes to read outside-the-box literature. Having been written so long ago, it is easy to now recognize shades of Matheson in pretty much any alternative author you can think of, from Jeremy Robert Johnson to Chuck Palahniuk.