The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson
I reread the existing books in preparation for the release of the latest book:
Lord Foul's Bane
The Illearth War
Gilden-Fire
The Power That Preserves
The Wounded Land
The One Tree
White Gold Wielder
The Runes of the Earth
This is high fantasy at its finest, and covers thousands of years an a multitude of characters in its scope. I am really glad to reread these books before the new one came out - you would be very hard pressed to find any fantasy series that is so intelligently written and quietly explores so many deep issues on what it really means to be human. on the top level you can read it as fantasy - but there are deeper levels that explore the meaning of the individual, ethics, and life itself.
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris, third book is her paranormal mystery series about a character named Harper Connelly. When she was a teenager, Harper got hit by lightning. It left her with the ability to find bodies, and know what killed them. She now makes a career out of that, with the help and support of her stepbrother, even though most people think she is a fraud. In this book, she is called to a remote town in North Carolina, where a number of teenaged boys have vanished. What Harper will find there is horrible beyond words, beyond comprehension. Everything that happens in Doraville will change ger life, whether for good or ill. Thsi book is grittier in its content and language than the two previous books in the series, but the violence and horror of what has occurred in this little town warrants the greater grit.
The Fire Opal by Catherine Asaro is the fouth book in her Lost Continent fantasy romance series. This one is set in the desert nation of Taka-Mal and tells the story of a lovely young priestess named Ginger-Sun, who has a dead body dumped at her feet. When she realizes that the body is not quite dead after all, her entire life - and that of her country - gets turned upside down. As always, there is a more than a bit of Mary Sue traits in Asaro's heroine - but I wanted a fluffy read, and this did deliver just that!
Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik is the fourth book in her Temeraire fantasy series about the Napoleanic War and its dragon bourne aeriel forces. This book was not quite as smoothly written as the first three, and could have used some editing. I hate saying that, as I loved the first three books so much, but I really do think that is true. The primary action in the book takes place in Africa - which is quite unlike our world's Africa durign that time period - and for the better, IMHO. A huge moral dilema hits the two main protagonists at the end of the book, leaving for a huge cliffhanger ending. It will be very hard to wait for the next book!
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