Fools Die (1978) by Mario Puzo

Journeying through the moralistic quandaries of gambling, show business, and modern America, Puzo’s thoughtful story about the life of a writer called Merlyn is at once both beautifully written, and timidly feeble.

Few authors face the same kind of reputation that the man who wrote The Godfather does. Mario Puzo’s legacy within literature will be some outstanding stories about crime figures, and their place in the modern world. However, this deviation from his previous work, whilst admirable, fails to deliver enough punch to make it memorable, and, furthermore, offers weak introspective character development unlike that which made his previous works so cherished.

The story begins well enough, set in Las Vegas, following three characters who are all there for very different reasons. Within a few pages, one of these characters, after winning a substantial amount of money in a casino, proceeds to his hotel room and blows his brains out with a handgun. This exciting and thought-provoking introduction is about as good as it gets for the rest of the novel.

Merlyn, one of the gamblers, becomes the central protagonist, and we see the developments in his life, as he journeys through his career as a writer, into Hollywood films, and how the death of his gambler friend affects him during his life. Several key characters accompany Merlyn, and we see their variations on life perspectives, and how they go about achieving their goals.

Themes which arise during the story are compelling, Puzo tackles misogyny, illegality, the fickle nature of success, as well as the personal relationships which blossom out of these topics. The writer still puts forward his talent for exploring ideas about the nature of American culture, and the darker side of it, just without any action to cement it.

Not worth reading unless you are the hardiest of Puzo fans, it will bore most, and only few will enjoy the literary fruits which come sporadically.

Edge (2010) by Jeffery Deaver

A family is hunted by a notorious “lifter”, hired to extract information from them using any kind of leverage he can find.

Corte, a serious but ultimately kind special officer, is charged with the safeguarding of the Kessler family, after it is learned that they are being targeted by the awful lifter, and past nemesis of Corte, Henry Loving. The head of the family Ryan, who was once a celebrated hero cop, finds the situation ludicrous, until a failed attack on their homestead convinces him of the danger he is in, and also of Corte’s ability to outthink Loving.

The group, including Corte, Ryan, Ryan’s wife Joanne and her sister Maree, along with several agents, go on the run, attempting to elude the skilful hunter. However, Loving has proven himself in the past, finding any way to force information from his prey, so Corte must use all his smarts to stay ahead of the “game”, whilst avoiding his own urges to try and seek revenge against Loving which could endanger his current mission.

A spectacular example of why Deaver is one of the best crime writers in history. Never a let down, Deaver consistently provides exciting and well-plotted stories, with intriguing characters. His use of twists and turns is genius, few can be predicted, and they keep the story thrilling throughout.

Edge is a particular interesting story because it brings to light the parts of our lives which make is vulnerable, and how evil people will exploit this for their own ends. Corte, with his cupboard full of skeletons, attempts to keep his relationship with his charges completely professional, but cannot help but get sucked into the humanity, or rather inhumanity, of their predicament. Loving is a worthy villain, offering a brilliant mind with a professional maliciousness which makes him an extremely dangerous presence throughout the book, even though he is mostly terrorizing them from a distance.

Expertly written action/thriller, but with enough character development to make the book deep, Deaver will keep you page turning for days on end.

Bleachers (2003)

A small-town fictional drama about a beloved football coach on his deathbed, whose decades of influence and power over the town’s children is seen to have varying consequences.

Eddie Rake is the local football coach in Messina: a town known for its fanatical enthusiasm for high school football. The man brought the team to glory in the sixties, and since then has maintained a steady record of immense success. All the young athletes wanted to impress him, get a place on his team, and then become local legends themselves.

One local legend, and lead character, Neely Crenshaw, is back in town for the dying days of Rake. On the night he comes back into Messina, he heads to the bleachers of the football stadium where he was once hailed as a prodigy, and he finds other former players from across the decades, also holding small vigils for the beloved coach.

Through anecdotes, memories, and myths, we slowly learn more about this marvellous character of Eddie Rake; his status amongst the town, and how his lessons on the field have shaped the lives of the players off it, for better and worse.

An entertaining little read, the book has some brilliant pieces of dialogue between the players on the bleachers; showing their nostalgic, sentimental sides, whilst feeling some kind of emotion about the passing of their role model/father figure. The negative aspects to Rake’s coaching: such as the ferocious running drills, and endless demand for good results, make the most engaging parts. Furthermore, it is the slowly unravelled argument between Neely and his coach that becomes the book’s main plotline, which was well timed and developed by Grisham.

In places, the story becomes a little too sentimental, and players lose their intrigue once they recount the thousandth story about Eddie Rake, but for the most part, Bleachers is a telling portrayal of the effect of role models during growing up, and Grisham’s attention to the small details make the book touching and enjoyable.

The Player of Games (1988) by Iain M. Banks

From the incredible genius that is Iain M. Banks, comes his first Culture novel: a science-fiction adrenaline rush about a talented board-game player, who travels to another planet whose inhabitants base their entire infrastructure upon the outcome of one board game called Azad.

Jernau Morat Gurgeh, lives amongst the Culture: a sophisticated and advanced civilisation, who have mastered many technological and social developments, and created a world that is far less barbaric than those of its ancestors. Gurgeh’s role amongst the Culture is a player of games: his abilities within board, and other, games is unrivalled, allowing him a semi-celebrity status. However, bored with his board-games, Gurgeh longs for something new, something challenging, and is soon offered a game unlike any other.

The Empire of Azad is a tough and archaic civilisation, that base the most important aspects of their world on the game of Azad. A game so complex and meaningful, that Azadians learn their whole lives how to play it, and use it in order to establish political and social power. The emperor of Azad, is the one who can prevail amongst all others, in an Azad tournament, which takes place every six years.

Gurgeh is offered the special honour of attending the Azad tournament as a guest participant, which, at first, seems to be an attempt by the Culture to broker some kind of peaceful relationship with the Empire. With only the two year journey it takes to get to Azad to learn the game, the player of games must understand a game that takes others most of their lives to comprehend.

A compelling and forceful story, The Player of Games offers some of the best science fiction themes to work parallel with the fast tempo of the book. A clash of civilisations always provides for an entertaining journey, however, Banks gives us two worlds that seem incomparable, making the result fascinating. Whilst the Culture is peaceful, technologically advanced, and superior, the Empire is a brutal world, that seems to digress into the most sordid of behaviour, whilst engaging in a social structure that is based upon servitude and repression. The ulterior meaning behind this comparison of cultures is evident, allowing for some great moments of poignancy.

Characters are vivid, deep, and interesting, and the complicated web of deceit which inevitably traps Gurgeh is the most engrossing aspect of Banks’ writing. The book is like a game within a game, as Gurgeh discovers he is being played, magnificently, by both sides, and the plot becomes a complex affair of betrayal and power.

Brilliantly imaginative throughout, and thrilling as the story unfolds.

Fire Study (2008) by Maria V Snyder

SPOILER ALERT

The final book in the Yelena Zaltana series, as the young magician tracks down the elusive Soul Stealer, whilst battling the Fire Warper.

Yelena’s time in Sitia has not been the return to her homeland she wished for. Instead, she has been traipsing across the land in search of baddies, whilst facing the harsh scrutiny of the magicians at the Keep. Only her gung-ho attitude and ferocity have kept her alive so far, along with a handful of trustworthy companions. However, this final instalment will see her take on her biggest foe yet: magicians using Blood magic in order to harness greater powers to take over Sitia.

Friendships and loyalties will be put to the test, whilst Yelena must face her own destiny as the Soul Finder, and all that it entails.

Arguably the most frenetic of the three books, Fire Study is attempting too much in this story. The character of Yelena is sent through an endless string of punishing tasks, without any rest bite, seeing her in battle upon battle, fight upon fight. Her pursuit of Ferde and Cahil seems based on very little information, and yet she stumbles upon most of their plans with ease, making the plot seem a little thin.

This being said, Fire Study still embodies the thrilling aspects of Snyder’s writing: the wonderful fantasy, the captivating magical elements which seem original and heartfelt. Yelena’s journey, whilst mostly physical, also sees a lot of character development for herself, in particular about her fate, which adds depth to this book. Thematically, the story is quite unoriginal: a girl becoming an adult, the importance of friendship, courage versus cowardice.

Throughout the series, the bonds between the characters have strengthened, something which is important within fantasy literature. Also, Snyder has raised a larger question about societies: how the governing of a nation will inevitably be flawed. The two nations Sitia and Ixia are governed with extreme polarity: the former being a magical land with separate tribes/clans who make their own rules for their own people, whilst the latter is a military country, where a strict code of behaviour is followed. Rather than promoting one style of leadership, Snyder finds flaws and strengths within both, an admirable achievement.

An pleasurable series of books for those requiring a fantasy trilogy which will not keep you bogged down for months. The pages are turned fast, the twists and turns come quickly, and the story moves with increasing amounts of danger and peril.

Magic Study (2006) by Maria V. Snyder

SPOILER ALERT

The second book of the Yelena Zaltana trilogy, this time seeing the young magician travel to Sitia, the land of the magicians.

Having been banished from Ixia by the Commander at the end of the first book, Yelena is forced to flee the land with her magical friend Irys. They head to Sitia in the south, where Yelena will be reunited with her estranged family, whom she hasn’t seen since she was kidnapped and brought to Ixia when she was six. Alongside the awkward family reunion, Yelena will also have to begin her training as a magician, at the glorious Citadel, home to four Master Magicians (one of whom is Irys), as well as other students with magical gifts.

New enemies are brought into the fray, including Yelena’s brother Leif, who seems angered by his sister’s sudden return. Also, the son of a former Ixian royal emerges, claiming to be raising an army in order to attack, and reclaim, Ixia from the Commander. However, Yelena’s attention to these matters pails in comparison to her newest, and greatest, foe. A man killing and torturing innocent girls in order to steal their magic. With the help of some of her new and old friends, as well as her lover in Ixia, Yelena will take on this monster, whilst coming to grips with her own magic.

A worthy successor to the first novel, Snyder’s writing moves with fluency and pace throughout, meandering through the wondrous world of Sitia gracefully. New characters are instantly engaging, creating some fascinating development for Yelena, and the overarching battle between Ixians and Sitians is a very compelling theme. The magical elements are creative, making this world seem both exciting and dangerous.

Slightly on the shallower end of the reading pool, the Yelena Zaltana books are meant for pure fantasy enjoyment, not a challenging read. And while the pace is a positive factor in most places, sometimes in this book the story tends to move between action scenes too quickly, with little time for reflection. This aside it was a fun read, and the third book looks like it could be the most exciting of all three.

Poison Study (2005) by Maria V. Snyder

Enthralling fantasy, that should leave a good taste in your mouth.

The first instalment of a trilogy about Yelena Zaltana, a troubled nineteen-year-old girl, whose life is continuously placed within harms way. Beginning the book in a jail having killed the son of her former master, Yelena is due to be hung for her crimes. However, in the land of Commander Ambrose, her life may be saved if she agrees to become his food taster, a role only reserved for that of prisoners due to be executed. Thinking pragmatically, Yelena agrees, and is taken under the wing of one of the Commander’s generals, a legendary assassin named Valek.

Valek was essential to the Commander’s rise to power, orchestrating many assassinations of the former King’s men, and hunting the elusive magicians that roamed the lands. In Ambrose’s new nation Ixia, anyone with magical ability is to be killed.

As she and Valek perform a tug-of-war relationship, Yelena adjusts to her new role brilliantly. Being the food taster for the most important man in the country has its dangers though, and Yelena knows that her time on earth is only secure until the next assassination attempt. She therefore plans her escape from Ixia, hoping to go south where Ambrose has chased any of those disloyal to his cause, including any remaining magicians.

Quite an easy read, Snyder’s book is fraught with peril and disaster that will keep a reader hooked if you are a fan of dialogue and fast action. A far distance away from heavy fantasy that will bury you in mysterious syntax, Poison Study is a short and sweet story, in particular aimed at younger readers, or those wishing for a book between books.

The character development is typical of books for younger people, with very predictable consequences, and the division between enemies and friends becoming starkly evident from the onset. However, Snyder does create some interesting characters, without having to cast a whole host of other people to keep the story entertaining. There are only a few key players within the book, and this makes for a far more interesting read.

One to delve into if you like easy fantasy, and chapter climaxes.