Call It an Exercise in Mirrored Value Judgement

[ase]

I didn't intentionally read two novels of alternate history focusing on the UK this week, but that's what happened. If you ever need an illustration in the difference between honor and reputation*, do Empire of Ivory and Ha'Penny as paired reads.

*The Bujold definitions, with honor being what you know about yourself, and reputation being what others know about you.

I'm a lot more worried about Carmichael's ultimate fate than I am about Laurence's, but that's what having a dragon who's smarter than you will do for your luck roll.

Comments

[ase.livejournal.com]

Re: world breaking: bad way of putting it. Novik's doing a brilliant job of creating a world that looks, on first blush, very familiar, but taking her initial premise - "with dragons!" - and letting it affect her worldbuilding. There are secondary effects! These secondary effects have big impacts on how the world works! (If only the dragons made evolutionary sense - anyway.) I'm rocking the worldbuilding, which is why I like the second book (China, with dragons!) and the fourth (Africa, with dragons!) so much. I was okay with the first book as a concept book, but I'm enjoying seeing the concept followed on and evolved in sequels.

Hannah Erasmus was the abolitionist missionary's wife, the one who elected to stay in Africa with her daughters during the Capetown evacuation.

I'm glad you liked the Evanovitch. What are you reading at the moment?

[toraks.livejournal.com]

I do like the secondary effects. Especially, as I mentioned, the inability to colonize. :-)

Ah, right, Hannah didn't sound like any of the dragon people's names. She was cool.

Hmmmm...rereading Nora Roberts at the moment. And hunting through my Bujolds for bioscience bits.

I did reread the Orson Scott Card Ender's Game books (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) before going to Nora Roberts. But they were a bit too disturbing/absorbing. I actually spent 2 hours at lunch one day when I really didn't plan on it. I figured it'd be about an hour and when I saw the clock, I freaked! I was recovering from a stomach bug at the time, but still. I really need to buy a new watch.

I read a couple more Patrick O'Brian books before that and 2 Pratchetts too. Oh, and I was rereading the L'Engles but got stalled because I want to buy some more before doing te rest of the rereads. I did enjoy reading the couple of series in order that I did get through. I'll have to buy some more when I get a spare second. Not very soon though!