The Wheel of Time | Robert Jordan

So, back when we still had double English in the seven-day cycle, we used to have library periods. Within one particular session holed up behind the bookshelves in an armchair, I ran into my English teacher, who literally thrust this book into my hands and told me she thought I would enjoy it. At the time, it looked massive, and it turned out it really was massive, but I am not one to shy from large books; I'll read anything that has print. So I took it home. Mrs Harris, I owe you.

Trying to encapsulate one of my true fandoms in a blog post is like attempting to pack for an overseas trip when you only own one small suitcase; you eventually come to the conclusion that ninety percent of what is important won't fit, and just end up bringing the bare essentials. Even the bare essentials will make this post far longer than any other- and I'm still only halfway through the series. The world of the Wheel of Time is an incredibly complex, well-developed, intricate fictional world spanning fourteen books, each of which is about eight hundred to a thousand pages in tiny print; there are inconsistencies, naturally, but on the whole it's one of the best-developed fantasy worlds I've ever seen. It sounds perfectly like yet another cliche magic series from the blurbs- those blurbs never do the books that they're supposed to summarize justice, do they?- but I was surprised by the maturity of the prose and the plots and how convincing the character development was, particularly that of the protagonists. Honestly, you English teachers- if you want a brilliant character arc to teach with, have everyone read Wheel of Time. It might take a little while for everyone to finish reading, sure, but you can't beat Rand's wrenching, uncomfortable, cogent and necessary path of change throughout the series as he grows from a simple shepherd to a formidable Dragon Reborn.

The setting of the Wheel of Time, and the incorporation of magic, is one of the best I've seen to date. The supernatural abilities displayed in the series largely revolve around something called the One Power, or the True Source, the force which the Creator made to power the turning of the Wheel of Time. Some special men and women are born with the ability to touch this power and weave it into threads that can affect their surroundings and other people; this is known as channeling. The One Power is divided into two halves, one known as saidin and the other as saidar; one which only females can touch and one which only males can. The two halves are very different, but saidin and saidar have always been used together, in harmony and conjunction, to produce optimal results; through this way of working together, men and women of the Aes Sedai- the Old Tongue for 'Servants of All'- have been able to create a paradisaical world filled with exciting technology and invention, a world of concord and progress. This was the world of the Age of Legends.

However, all of this ended suddenly and horribly. Since the beginning of time there had lain a force of evil, darkness, corruption and death, an antithesis to the Creator; this being had many names, but he was commonly known as the Dark One, as his real name nobody dared to speak. Sealed by the Creator since the moment of creation, the Dark One's objective was to break free and reshape the Pattern in his own image. Frustrated with the limits of the One Power, humanity began probing for a new power source that could serve them even better than the One Power had; however, when one found what she thought might be just be what they needed, and proceeded to tap into it, she unwittingly bored a hole straight through the Dark One's prison, allowing him to touch the world.

A great struggle ensued between the Light and the Shadow, and chaos reigned; the Shadow advanced, slowly but surely. This led Lews Therin Telamon, then champion of the Light and one of the strongest channelers ever seen, to lead a hundred men with him against the Dark One and reseal his prison with a patch they had devised. However, the Dark One managed to leave his mark: in the last moment before he was resealed, he managed to taint saidin, the male half of the Source, leading Lews Therin and his Hundred Companions to immediately go mad. Any men from then on that were able to channel would then also go mad and die; this triggered the Breaking of the World, where the madmen began to rent the world apart with the Power and changed the landscape entirely. When humanity finally struggled back out of the debris, nothing was ever the same. Almost all of the technology of the Age of Legends had been lost; and from now on, there could only ever be female Aes Sedai, since now only saidar was safe. Men able to channel were found by female channelers and cut off from the Source, or else killed; since no gentled man generally lived much longer after being cut off in any case, the ability to channel was also gradually culled out of humanity, leaving current Aes Sedai still very much respected by the non-channeler population, but generally much weaker and less common than the Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends. This is the world that the Wheel of Time is set within.

Well, perhaps we can begin with the first book in our suitcase-packing. The Eye of the World was not an epitomization of the series, in my opinion; the first book in epic-length series very rarely is, seeing as the author is only developing the characters and the world they live in for the very first time. The book begins in Emond's Field, a little village in the Two Rivers: in the middle of nowhere, utterly undisturbed and isolated from the comings and goings of the outside world, only supposedly part of Andor because of some lines on a map. The three male protagonists and two of the female ones are first seen here; none of them have left the Two Rivers in their lives, and many have not even ventured beyond the fields of Emond's Field. The journey begins, then, when on Winternight, the night prior to Bel Time, Trollocs and Myrdraal suddenly attack Emond's Field, frightening creatures of the Shadow who most believed to be a myth until now; nobody knows why they came or how, until an Aes Sedai suddenly arrives in the village with her Warder and takes the three boys Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara on a journey, with Egwene and Nynaeve and Thom Merrilin, the old gleeman, ending up tagging along. The plot follows their long crossing through the lands, far farther than any of them had ever been before, to the Eye of the World in the Great Blight; there, Rand first discovers he can channel, which kick-starts the events of the entire rest of the series.

All of the characters change much throughout the series, maturing and developing from farm children wide-eyed at the world to leaders, commanders and rulers. Much struggle marks their personal journeys, external and internal; after the first book, most of the original cast go their separate ways, particularly the three ta'veren, each with their own central role in the fate of the world. Rand, once a gentle, naive farmboy, learns his fate as the Dragon Reborn, and is forced on a difficult, painful battle with himself and with the world to prepare for Tarmon Gai'don and his destiny, fighting with unwilling nations, hate-ridden Forsaken, duty, sacrifice, his own conscience and, above all, sanity; his struggle is both forceful and compelling, leading the reader to feel deeply his anguish and his change in his incredibly convincing journey. Perrin and Mat, both once carefree and innocent, are forced to shed blood and lead wars against their will, drawn to Rand and his purposes through the ta'veren connection like leaves in a whirlpool, while Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne learn what it means to be part of the world of Aes Sedai manipulation, scheming and the pursuit of the Black Ajah, and struggle to pull the White Tower together once more in support of Rand, in time for Tarmon Gai'don. Every journey is poignant and brilliant, and the characters extend a compulsion like no other as they grapple with romance, duty, power, manipulation and morality. It's a thousand times more mature than Harry Potter, I guarantee you, great as the HP series is; if you don't believe me, tell me after you've read the fourteen books.

All in all, a powerful, profound and intricate series, the best thing in this reading blog all year, and the reason I wrote more than 1,500 words in this post. It's not without its faults, of course, a few examples being the tendency towards verbosity and the slightly shallower development of the supporting characters; however, the positives far outweigh the minor negatives. It now has a place in my heart second only to Homestuck, on a par with Harry Potter; I intend to see the end of the series if it takes me a year to finish it all. I recommend it to anyone who calls themselves an avid reader; you will not regret it, I promise.

Day of the Predator | Alex Scarrow

Sometimes, a nice light read as a break from something heavier can work wonders. This was only about four hundred and fifty pages, I think, the text was large, and the themes simple; at the time I was trying to plow through this mammoth of a book series that unfortunate fans know as The Wheel of Time, so this book was a relief, of sorts.

I read the first in the series a few years ago. The vibe the series gives off is less science fiction than a set of fast-paced action novels; rather than exploring in detail an aspect of technology that could bring hope and trouble to a futuristic world, the technology- of time travel- is more of a setting, a setting for the dangerous and desperate adventures the three agency recruits journey through, particularly Liam, as they jump back and forth through time putting history right when it's pushed from its original course by the use of time travel. Perhaps it does set the Time Riders series firmly in the children and young teenage fiction section; I think I've grown out of this kind of story somewhat- a few years since, I thought the first book was utterly riveting- but the plots are still suspenseful and exciting and the characters intensely likable, leading the reader to share their ups and downs.

Perhaps it's because nothing truly new was introduced in this, only a different undertaking through history and an extension of what the first book begun, but I think this book has lost some of the original's sparkle, as is often the case with adventure series like these. There are plot holes, as there almost always are with this sort of story, but the background and the development of the fictional world and the technology that shapes the story is appealing and engaging, if not overwhelmingly convincing. The intended readership age is a little queer to try and perceive; clearly, the story was designed for younger readers, but I get a vague feeling that Scarrow is maturing as an author: not yet delivering the complex themes and intrigue of adult literature, but there are some elements that don't quite belong, somehow. Perhaps the next six-something books show a continuation of this budding trend; I wouldn't know.

All in all, the prose isn't seamless, the development isn't perfect, but I think it would be a wonderful and engaging series for someone a little younger than I am now. As for me, I think I've outgrown these books by now, which is something of a shame considering I only ever read two of them, but I would definitely still recommend them. Great reads.

Me Before You | Jojo Moyes

You know that feeling that a particular book is haunting you and begging to be read? One that seems to follow you into every bookshop display and library shelf? Well, I got that feeling with this book. I first spotted it in a Whitcoulls Top 50 display last year, on FPS camp; the next Whitcoulls I set foot in, it was there, and on the 'recommended reads' display in the school library, too. The latter event was when I finally gave in and borrowed it. I'm not precisely one for romance, and this book neither took me in with its plot, nor touched me in some deeper sense, but I thought it was a valid reflection on life and purpose and spoke eloquently on a prominent contentious issue featuring today: euthanasia.

Lou Clark, the principal narrator of this story, is immature, somewhat shallow and perfectly content in her purposeless life, in whichever job she can find and stuck in a loveless relationship, at least in the beginning; Will Traynor was self-centered and insufferable. Will's accident confined him to a wheelchair with dead legs, limited use of his arms and hands, pain and a hopeless life that he wants ended; Lou loses her job, and is hired as a caretaker to Will. The characters here were never extremely likeable, for me, as you can probably tell; the storyline was a little too shallow. However, I appreciate the depiction of the way they both grow and develop with the interaction with each other, Lou learning to dream in Will's company and step out of her comfort zone and Will learning to love and care for people other than himself. The steely undercurrent that traverses the fluff on the surface is the most intriguing thing about the book: does someone have the right to end their own life instead of suffering pain? Should they, considering all those who love them and would give anything for them to live? Is there anything that can replace what they've lost, that can make life worth living again? What if there isn't?

This book has been enormously well received by the general population; I can't set foot in Goodreads without seeing rave review after rave review. Personally, this book somehow missed the target by a few hairs for me, but I can still agree that it was deeply moving and carried a surprising profundity that is so rarely found with romance novels (Twilight, I am looking at you), which made the whole story more meaningful. Euthanasia is an issue on which people are extremely divided, not without reason; this book delivers a truly relatable and touching message about euthanasia without seeming an opinion. That still takes skill, however much I dislike the protagonists.

Deception Point | Dan Brown

In my opinion, this one is a far cry better than the Da Vinci Code, and probably deserved the hype more. I've always had a soft spot for science fiction, and the blend of that genre with underhanded politics in this book makes it quite riveting.

Deception Point begins with a nearing presidential election, set in the USA; the main female protagonist, Rachel Sexton, is the daughter of the favoured narcissistic challenger to the incumbent President, Senator Sedgewick Sexton. With the tip-off of his pretty advisor and mistress Gabrielle Ashe, Senator Sexton gains popularity through focusing his campaign on NASA's failures as an example of government overspending. Unknown to him, though, NASA's new Polar Orbiting Density Scanner has supposedly uncovered a meteorite bearing insect fossils, proving the existence of extraterrestial life, a discovery that could unravel his entire campaign- that is, if the entire thing isn't a fraud.

The book weaves manipulation, romance, science, politics and scandal intricately into a masterful plotline; particularly the science, being the person I am. Rachel Sexton, Gabrielle Ashe, Mike Tolland, Corky Marlinson, William Pickering and Sedgewick Sexton are all very interesting characters in their own respects, the protagonists characteristically irresistible if a little unusual, with Rachel's clever and witty beauty, Mike's endearing charm and Corky's perpetual awkwardness, the clown personality. And, after all, we all like to see the antagonist get their thorough and unmitigated comeuppance in the end; it's a satisfaction like no other, which Deception Point certainly provides.

I found it a wonderful read. It was a little simplistic, in retrospect, and lacked a more profound thematic undercurrent despite all the plotwork on the surface, but the mash of genres, coupled with the adventure-thriller storytelling, made it a very satisfying book indeed for me.

The Casual Vacancy | J.K. Rowling

You will forgive me for doubting J.K. Rowling; whatever her fame, there was sort of a general opinion among her critics that she only became so renowned through some mysterious stroke of luck, and even those of us who had a little more faith in her literary ability were skeptical that she could make the transition from children's to adult fiction where so many failed before- half the million-plus presales were probably more due to curiosity than genuine anticipation for another masterpiece. She must have known that producing another book would immediately mean that the world's critical eye was on her, but she met the challenge and surprised everyone; although The Casual Vacancy was no second Harry Potter, and yes, if it had come from a less famous author it probably would  have received less attention, it certainly proved her worthy of her reputation as a master storyteller.

The Casual Vacancy, for starters, is nothing like our beloved HP series; it is very real, and very down-to-earth, and yet just as fascinating and somehow structured to a perfection and elegance only J.K. Rowling can achieve. Set in the tiny town of Pagford, somewhere close to London in England, The Casual Vacancy describes a small, isolated world that thinks it is much bigger than it is; the book tells of the complexly interwoven, intertwining lives of the citizens in this pint-sized city, full of small-town politics, wars, disputes, families, teenagers, manipulation, gossip, infidelity, pride and tragedy. And through the center of it all runs the recurring theme around which the whole book is built, a tiny event in a man's brain one night with huge consequences; the death of the Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother, the casual vacancy on the council and what it means for the tiny township. It turns out to have more consequences than could have been expected.

It's a difficult novel to summarize in a few words; very unique, very intriguing, and with that spark of ingenuity particular to this master raconteur. The characters are unique, constructed with care, entirely believable and interwoven into one town-wide tapestry with an aptitude that's difficult to believe; perspectives are delivered extremely convincingly, reflecting the life and point of view of all ages, genders, races, and they all fit together like a sculpture. It reminds me of another book, The Swimming Pool Season, which I enjoyed very much a few years previously and which I also recommend; all in all, J.K. Rowling is definitely not one of your average authors, and no doubt it gave her her claim to fame in the first place.

The Da Vinci Code | Dan Brown

Okay, so that was the book I was looking for when I accidentally picked up Earth; I'd heard two of my friends raving about it, which was enough to convince me to go looking for it. To be honest, I didn't seem to enjoy it as much as they did, but hey, it was more reading material.

The Da Vinci Code has become quite acclaimed recently, not without reason, I suppose. It tells of an adventure mystery story that begins with a murder of a prominent museum curator and goddess theologist Jacques Saunière in the Louvre, Paris, that brings together two unlikely people: Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor in symbology, and Sophie Neveu, a codebreaker for the French Judicial Police and the granddaughter of Saunière. Together, they work to crack the mysterious clues Saunière left them in his dying moments, locate and protect the Holy Grail and discover the truth regarding Sophie's mysterious family, while being mistakenly pursued by the Judicial Police for Saunière's murder. It's quite full of action and excitement, and not a bad read, although the plot was a little linear and the story too predictable for me; it, in my opinion, lacked some depth.

Overall, it was a cool book, and it brought out some very interesting things to contemplate about the Holy Grail, Mary Magdalene and Jesus's remarkable life. Maybe it wasn't exactly to my taste; nevertheless, this led me to borrow Deception Point, which I thought was much better, even if it was only because that was a sci-fi novel and the plot was way more exciting. I would recommend it; perhaps not overly so, but it was still a nice read.

Earth | David Brin

Another of my random-book-grabbing expeditions; maybe it's that I can read almost any book, or that libraries only have good books, or maybe I have psychic powers, but I always seem to end up with nice reads even if I just pull a random book down. I actually found this one when I was looking for the Da Vinci Code, but I like sci-fi and this looked massive and juicy so I took it. (I borrowed three books on this day, to keep me sane while I hunched in a corner of Swimming Sports with the smell of chlorine in my nostrils and a backache.) This was a particularly interesting read, and it left me with a lot to think about.

Earth is a science fiction novel, set in the future; but unlike most futuristic novels I've read, somehow despite all the things gone wrong in this world it doesn't register as a dystopia. As Brin puts it: 'As writers go, I suppose I'm known as an optimist. So it seems only natural that this novel projects a future, (now less than forty years from now), where there's been just a little more wisdom than folly... perhaps a bit more hope than despair. In fact, this is just about the most encouraging tomorrow I can imagine right now. What a sobering thought.'

Earth paints a picture of the world of 2038, fifty years onwards from when the book was first written; a world where technology and the Internet is more immersive and critical than ever before, a world where a human population of ten billion struggle to extract the last out of the mother planet's dwindling resources and save the last of the wildlife from extinction, mostly futilely, a world where the demographics are aging fast and young people's freedom is crushed by the increasing numbers of the old, a world where people try to claw back desperately from their sinking homes as the rising sea levels swallow the land city by city, and a world where a new religion has risen- a religion that worships the mother, Gaia, as a subconscious reflection of the pressure being put on Earth that will soon become unbearable if something isn't done. And amidst it all, a young British physicist, an old physics professor and a Maori billionaire discover something terrible within the Earth's very core that threatens to destroy everything... and only they can save the world from annihilation.

Earth is less of an fiction story than a projection, a prediction of a future for humankind. Brin uses many different characters' perspectives to bring together a vivid vision of the world in forty years' time, from a group of three young people with big dreams and small hope of realizing them to a female astronaut who loses her husband to the mysterious forces threatening to destroy the planet. The book forces us to take a step back and take a long, hard look at ourselves, and ask ourselves some fundamental and troubling questions: who are we really? What gives us the right to exploit the resources and the planet so generously given to us like we do? And most hauntingly: standing in the face of extinction, would we be able to put our problems past us and make a better future? Or are we only ever going to die out, riddled with our own flaws and poisoned by our own carelessness?

It's not perfect; the plot is a little bumpy and the prose sometimes not so elegant, but it's a compelling read, especially for those of us (like me) who are deeply interested in the future, and I admire both the author's hindsight and foresight; only with excellent use of both could one construct such a book.