"The Sunrise Lands"

To: Mr. S.M. Stirling. Sir, if you would be so kind as to read the comment on my last post, in response to your comment...I would be most appreciative.

I've just completed the sunrise lands, and I must say, I'm very eager to go out and read the next book in the series, "The Scourge of God".

Other online reviews had stated that this series was becoming more and more of a fantasy series, but I honestly just don't see it. I keep waiting for the obvious signs of 'real magic' and fantasy...but it doesn't truly ever come. I believe this is intentional. Stirling's treatment of the old religion is very deferential and I think he wants the reader to make up their mind as to whether or not the old gods have truly returned to look after their people. When the series began and I saw a few online reviews to the idea that the books had magic and fantasy in them, I looked forward to that aspect. I think however, that Stirling's method of doing things is far better in the long run.

I've commented in the past that the Nantucket trilogy read like Homer's Iliad...an endless litany of battles and their participants and outcomes. This book on the other hand is much more akin to the Odyssey. Rudi and friends embark on a quest to Nantucket in an effort to retrieve a sword that has been preordained as Rudi's. Along the way, they hope to find some reasons for the change, which was rumored to have begun in Nantucket. Well, rumored for them. The readership obviously knows that, even if Nantucket were not the beginning, it was the epicenter. I like many of the new characters introduced, and I thoroughly enjoy the CUT. They remind me of an evil plague that needs to be destroyed.

Many of the classic Stirling problems are lessened in this novel. Primarily the editing, while not perfect, has been MUCH improved. I no longer get that lack of purpose feeling (which, given the content of this novel makes sense). I wish I could find something really bad to say, because it sounds like I'm backpeddaling on my criticisms from earlier posts for Mr. Stirling's sake. That's simply not true though. This book does solve a lot of the problems I had previously.

This book begins to create some sexual tension between Rudi and Matti (yay! go shippers!). I can't wait to see how their relationship develops as time goes on. Lastly, I'm primarily a reader of paperback novels (there would be no room in my house for hardcovers of all the books I own). The cliffhanger at the end of this book though leaves me so curious as to what happens next that I just might go out and get "The Scourge of God".

next up? I AM going to read "The city of ember". I promise. Mostly because I don't have the next book in the Pendergast cycle and I'm not quite certain as to whether or not I will break my paperback code for Mr. Stirling. "City of Ember"...and possibly a Steve Berry book. Or...maybe I'll just go out and get the next Pendergast novel. I've had enough of a break from him that I'm about set to dive back in head first.

In other news, the Bucs are now 9-6. We need a victory this Sunday against Oakland at home and a loss from Philly in order to seal up the last wild card spot. We are the first team in the NFC south to post back to back winning records, but we will not win our division this year. As a matter of fact, a victory by Atlanta and a loss by Carolina would preserve the 'worst to first' phenomenon in the NFC south. Too bad we can't slip past New Orleans for last place in the divison this year :/. Monte Kiffin has decided to follow his son to Tennessee. I blame much of our slide at the end of the year on him. Totally unprofessional if you ask me.

Lastly, I did complete the comuter I was trying to make. First one I've managed to create from scratch. I'm rather proud of myself. Merry Christmas everyone :)