Musical Discoveries

Here's a question for you: how do you discover new music?

I'm asking, because yesterday I re-read a story I first read... two years ago? I think it was two years. And then there was an author's note mentioning Ian Hunter, which suddenly reminded me that, yes, that particular author is to blame for me liking Ian Hunter. I'd never even heard the name before.
That wasn't the first time either, another story made me start listening to ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, another band I'd never heard of. I think Snow Patrol was such a case, too, and I really wouldn't be surprised to find more examples.

Of course there's also the tried and true method of simply listening to the radio - hello Misery Loves Co. and Backyard Babies, not to mention Savatage.

Friends usually are also a good source for music recommendations. I solely blame Katie for my fangirling of Kenny Wayne Shepherd (brand new album, check it out!), and Dani has made me start listening to so many bands, I can't list them all up here. (Okay, I could, but I'm lazy like that.)

My very first source for music was my brother, who is almost eleven years older than me. Yes, the age difference is worth mentioning - I was born in 1980, he in 1969. Regarding music it makes for a world of difference. The first two bands I really listened to were Die Toten Hosen, a German punk band, and AC/DC. Granted, I had no idea what the lyrics of the AC/DC songs meant, seeing as I was 10 years old at the time and didn't speak English, but still. He is also to blame for Metallica, Megadeth, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Idol, Guns 'N' Roses, and lots more hard rock and metal. Yes, my taste in music was vastly different from most of my friends during school.

Then we have the bands/artist that you just can't escape - because everybody you know likes them, or they get played on the radio all the damn time. Bon Jovi comes to mind there, for one.

Movies and tv shows are also a good source for music. The Supernatural soundtrack alone has almost everything a rock lover like me could ever want. Anime of course startet me on J-Rock.

So, that's me. I don't usually go and search for new artists - I don't have to. How about you?

Out of My Depths

Today I had the brilliant idea to sort my music files by genre, to get a little more order into my folder mess. It was... enlightening? Especially considering that I had to use the help of Wikipedia and MySpace to figure the respective genres out.

In conclusion... what the fuck? Post Grunge? Funk Metal? And what is supposed to be so alternative about Alternative Rock or Alternative Metal? It seems that these days pretty much every band and musician makes alternative something. My favorite is without question Alternative Country. (A/N: that was sarcasm.)

There's a reason why I never cared about music genres. There's music I like, and there's music I don't like, that's it. Okay, so let's divide that into a few groups:

Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Classical, Electronic, Instrumental, Musical, Country

That pretty much covers everything I usually listen to. You can call it Alternative Rock if you want, to me it's Rock. Or Metal, or Country, or whatever else. What's up with all those pseudo genres?

Years ago I read something about that - in fact it was something the singer of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead had written as an answer to the often asked question what kind of music exactly his band was making. The short answer was: nothing specific. They don't care about genres, because they play what they like and are in the mood for. They experiment. You can't put simply one label on that.

I guess I listen to music the same way they make it - experimentally. Yes, I will always favor Rock, but that doesn't mean I'll let myself be bound to that genre. Or to any genre.

...where is my point, has anybody seen my point? I think I had one when I started writing. Music genres are bloody confusing? Let's go with that.

Brandon Sanderson - The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Spoilers are blacked out, highlight to read.

Oh ye gods, I'm done! While I really liked the first book in the Mistborn trilogy, this one was... a serious letdown. Let me count the ways...

The Characters.
Vin should be renamed to Mary Sue. That's really all there is to it. While the tendency was already developing in book 1, it really came to the fore here. And without Kelsier as a counter point to Vin it really became too much. Vin is just too good. It doesn't matter that she gets hurt, in the end she always wins without any dire consequences. Be it luck, amazing skill, or a brilliant idea that comes to her just at the right moment, you know every time that she'll get out of it alright. Which takes pretty much all the suspense out of any fight and conflict she's in.
Her teenage angsting about Elend and their relationship just makes her all the more annoying.

Which brings me to Elend Venture - and I'm still hung up on the name, I'm sorry. But Sanderson really should've checked first what Elend means - and I sincerely hope that he didn't and the name isn't intentional. (For the confused ones, Elend is a German word and means misery.)
Aside from that... As with Vin, it only gets worse in the second book. We already knew that Elend is an idealist, but I didn't think he would be that much of a naive, stupid idealist. The man grew up as the heir to one of the most powerful noble houses, and he still behaves like a bumbling idiot who knows nothing about real politics and human nature. Elend, of all people, should know that in the end almost everybody does what's best for themselves, not the 'people'. The only surprising thing about the council getting rid of him, is that it took them so long.
(Or not, I guess having a king who lets his council walk all over him wasn't the worst situation for them.)

Sazed; I have to say, I wish there'd been more about him. He and Breeze are about the only the characters in this book that experienced some development. I enjoyed learning more about Breeze and his thoughts and motivations, but as with Sazed, there should've been more.

Zane had, without a doubt, a lot of potential, and that made me miss him all the more for the last part of the book. I don't believe he's gone though. Come on, you think Sanderson would throw a revelation like that at us and then just kill him off? Especially knowing that there's pretty much only one way to kill him, which Vin didn't know and therefore didn't use?
I hope to see a lot more of him, and please please go deeper than just the surface. All the potential in the world doesn't do any good if it's not realized.
(If he actually is dead, then I can only wonder what the hell his purpose in the story was.)

The most interesting character in this book was the Kandra. And that was even before finding out about TenSoon. Again, I'll hope he'll be back in book 3, or that at least there'll be more about the Kandra in general.


The Story.
Over all not bad, though given how much the two main characters annoy me that's not much of a saving grace. I think there was exactly one thing in this story that came as a surprise, and that was TenSoon. Well, and Zane's secret.
Aside from that...

Zane turning against Vin? Don't tell me you didn't see that coming.

Vin finding a way to control the Koloss? Do I have to mention the Mary Sue factor again?

Marsh turning on them? Please, it was mentioned right from the beginning that he was changing. And after finding out what it was that caused Zane to go around the bend it really wasn't that much of a logical leap.

The Well not being the salvation everyone thought it would be? Now there's the least surprising thing of all.

Or maybe the least surprising thing was Elend becoming an Allomancer. No really, I was expecting that since the beginning of the book.

I'm sorry to say this, but I just could not get into this book. The characters were mostly too flat or annoying to get invested in them, the story didn't really hold any surprises, and the whole thing dragged like old chewing gum. I sincerely hope that the third book will be better than this.

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Ilona Andrews - Magic Slays (Kates Daniels #5)

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you ever want to read something that has humor, horror, mystery, magic, steamy romance, shapeshifters, vampires and witches (oh my), and that is simply entertaining and fun to read, I fully recommend the Kate Daniels books. Of course there's also blood and gore, but what else would you expect from sword fights, gunfights, and half human huge beasts with fangs and claws?

In this book of the series we have vampires on the loose, a scientist and his super secret project gone missing, a murder sacrifice, a cranky and jobless hyenawere, and a foul tempered as ever ex-merc/ex-Order employee turned PI. Oh yes, she's also the brand new mate of Curran, the local Beast Lord.

Not only has Kate a crime to solve, she's also frustrated with her overprotective mate, not to mention pack business. And with learning new things about her mother and foster father she suddenly has to wonder why exactly Curran chose her of all women to be his mate - and if his decision had anything to do with Kate's heritage.

Like all other books in this series it is almost impossible to put this one away again once you've started reading.

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Joe Abercrombie - The First Law #3

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I keep wanting to write a review for this book now that I've finally finished it, but to be honest I just don't know what to write. I really liked the first book, loved the second one, and the third is... I don't even know. About halfway through I lost interest in the characters, even those I originally liked. (Logen being the exception.)

The finish line of this trilogy seems to be 'There is no good or evil, only ambitions. And the different ways how to fulfill them.' Which in itself is not a bad thing, after reading so many fantasy books the whole good vs. evil thing gets old, so it's refreshing when someone mixes things up. Abercrombie made the mistake to sacrifice his characters for that goal, and I don't even mean that he killed them. Someone else wrote in their review that it seems like Abercrombie already started distancing himself from his characters, knowing how things would turn out - and that's exactly it. If it feels like the author himself isn't invested in his characters anymore, why would the reader be?
This is especially frustrating since most of them were so unique (albeit over the top) and realistic in their flaws and strength, that one almost can't help but like them.

Compared to the first two books of The First Law, this one is a disappointment.

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---

There are two reasons - well, at least two - to read these books anyway: Logen Ninefingers and Sand dan Glokta. One a Northman who is known for his ruthlessness and violence, the other an Inquisitor who knows exactly how to break people, physically and mentally, to get what he wants.

The Blade Itself starts off with Logen running for his life, and his inner monologue had me laughing almost at once. An outlaw in the North, running from his former friend Bethod, who crowned himself King of the North. A warrior with only one real skill: killing. Have I mentioned yet that he's also a berserker? When Logen Ninefingers turns into the Bloody Nine you better run for your life, no matter if you are friend or foe. The Bloody Nine doesn't care about that, he just wants to kill.
The thing about Logen is, he's not a nice man. But when Jezal said that Logen was the best man he's ever known, that's still true. Logen might never get it right, but after everything he's done he still tries to be a good man, which is more than can be said about almost all other characters in this trilogy. And you want him to win, you want him to succeed, no matter what.

Then there is Glokta. Sand dan Glokta, once a dashing young officer and an incredible sword fighter, now a broken and crippled cynic. Tortured for years in a Gurkish prison, he now has become the torturer himself, since torture is something he knows very intimately. Glokta reminds me of no-one so much as of Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire). Both are physically weak/damaged/unattractive, but their minds more than make up for it. Though Glokta's is a good bit darker than Tyrion's, and a love for pitch black humor helps a lot when reading about him. And despite that, he still has a conscience. After everything is said and done, it is Glokta who at least partly manages to save the day and comes somewhat close to winning.

There are a lot more good reasons to read The First Law, but these two stand out to me. You can read an excerpt of The Blade Itself here.

And now for something completely different...

Enough about books for now, how about some music?

...well, this isn't really what I wanted to write about, but Maybe just started playing on my radio and I always have to grin when it does. Maybe is a song from the Sick Puppies, an Australian band who released their album Tri-Polar at the beginning of this year in Germany (it's the first they released here), with Maybe as the first single. I had already known the album for over half a year at that point, and listened to the song, oh, maybe a few dozen times? When I first heard the single on the radio - I didn't recognize the song. I don't know if this is only the case for Germany, but the single version was... a disaster.
So after I'd finally recognized the song and listened to the whole thing in the vain hope that surely it had to get better somehow, I sat down at my computer and did something I had only done once before: I wrote an email to my radio station, with roughly the following content:

Please, I beg you, don't ever play that version if the song again and use the album version instead. The single has so obviously had its teeth pulled to make it suitable for the general public that it almost physically hurts.

I'm not even kidding, I really cringed when it dawned on me that this was supposed to be Maybe.

So, now you might be wondering why I have this strange reaction now when I hear that song on the radio. Easy, because they listened. It was the one and only time that I heard them play the single version. (I also want to note that another station, which is supposed to be for 'young people' and usually plays music even I don't really want to hear, still plays the single version. Which is laaaame.)


Right! Now back on track. What I did want to write about was singers. And voices. And how some singers and their voices ruin their music for me.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has some voices that just grate on my nerves. I have to admit that Adele is one of them, though I think the only song of hers I know is Set Fire to the Rain. But I just don't like her voice. The Fray is such a case, too, as is Kings of Leon. Though it's not so bad with Kings, I still listen to them.
Strangely enough I never had any problem with listening to Brian Johnson, though Bon Scott is pretty borderline. Andrew Stockdale? Bring it on. Anastacia? Love her. (What? She has a great voice, but I'm pretty sure it's an acquired taste for a lot of people.)

With Sophie Ellis-Bextor it's the other way around: I think she has a great voice, but I don't like her music. Just can't win, can I?

If anybody is actually reading this blog, tell me which singers you just can't listen to.

Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn #1

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spoilers are blacked out, highlight to read.

Wow, okay, after the book I read before this, Mistborn really was a breath of fresh air. It has heroes that are likable, not perfect, do in fact make mistakes, and are aware of not being invincible. It has magic that doesn't automatically make the good guys better than everyone else. It has a fast paced plot, filled with action, while still making time to ask some important questions and take a closer look at society. (Theirs, not ours. ;)) What's more, you have to respect an author who isn't afraid to kill off their hero when it is necessary.

I admit that, the closer I got to the end, the more I started wondering what was left to tell of this story - considering that Mistborn is the first part of a trilogy. But once I had finished the book I knew that this was only just the beginning. There will be no fade to black and a happy ending yet, fortunately for the readers, unfortunately for our heroes.

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Something is fishy

I started reading the first book of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy two days ago. I like the book, the characters, the concept of 'magic'. I even like the female leading character, and that's not necessarily guaranteed with a man writing.

But sometimes I think that the male lead, Kelsier, is just too good to be true. Not in the 'he's too perfect' way of Mary Stu, Kelsier isn't invincible, he's not all knowing. He has more abilities than most others, but that doesn't mean he's better than them. On the contrary, those who only specialize in one of his abilities will most likely always be better than him, his strength is that he can combine the different aspects. (Yes, I know I'm cryptic, but I'm trying not to spoil anybody.)
But I admit that at some points of the story I start thinking that he can't really be what he seems. He has his secrets, yes, but everybody accepts him as one of the 'good guys'. Maybe I've been infected by Vin's mistrust, but somehow I'm just waiting for Kelsier to betray her in some way.

To be honest, I'd prefer if there was a darker side to Kell, I have a weakness for the mysterious badass anti-heroes. ;)

Robin Hobb - Soldier Son Bk. 1

Shaman's Crossing (Soldier Son #1)
by Robin Hobb

Phew, done!

I have rarely read a book that was so hard to continue and so captivating in turns. It is, over all, not a bad book, but it is also not nearly the best one Robin Hobb has written.

The introductory part alone makes it very difficult for readers to stay with it, since for the first 200 pages almost nothing happens. Instead Hobb, through the eyes of Nevare Burvelle, introduces his world to us. In every little detail, it seems. This may help the reader to get a good picture of what is happening how and where, but- there are too many pages of endless descriptions of the surroundings and happenings. There comes a point at which the author needs to stop and let the readers use their imagination. If I wanted to be told every little detail I'd watch a movie instead. This isn't just true for the beginning of the book, after things finally have been put into motion and the story becomes interesting - again, pages and pages of descriptions and details. I admit that in some cases I only skimmed a few pages, and still managed to gather what the point in all of it was.

Then of course there are the parts that make it damn hard to lay this book to the side and do something productive instead...

I really don't know if I would recommend this book. I'm sure there are enough people who would really enjoy Shaman's Crossing, but as for me I can only hope that the next two books will be better.

Not really fantastic

Something that... well, not really annoys me, but that I notice more and more often, is that sometimes fantasy authors make especially the simple things too easy for themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I know that there's a lot of research that goes into a book, and that goes for every genre. If it doesn't, it's imply not a good book. Fantasy takes a lot of its clues from history, so there's one area of research. Then there's usually the animals, how they behave, their characteristics, or how to tend for them. Do you know how many different ways there are to harness a horse or the types of bridles, saddles and so on? I don't. There are battle tactics to be studied, as well as how an army would behave and be provided for during a campaign, and so on...

There are surely some cases in which the research took longer than the actual writing of the book. And then again...

I'm currently reading Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb, which plays in a completely new world. Believe me when I say that alone the making of that world in the literal sense - as in drawing the map - is difficult enough. I've done it once. Then there are cities to name, as well as the characters, giving it a history, all the details that a reader probably won't necessarily think about. And after all that is done, all those big things taken care of, it's the small things that sometimes shake the impression for me.

In Shaman's Crossing there are not only hours, days, weeks, months and years, but they also apparently use laudanum to numb injured soldiers. Why? This is a completely new world, who says that our rules have to apply there? Why are the hours sixty minutes long? Why do the weeks have seven days? Why are they even called hours, weeks, months, etc? I'm not even expecting that the author makes up a whole new calendar (though given that three of her other trilogies take place in the same world, at least Robin Hobb only would've had to do it once for nine books), but how about at least thinking up different names?

I'm sure there are more examples for this, and as I said, they are small things. But still something worth thinking about.