Grenouille’s olfactory abilities fit the trope of the defining superhero trait, as does his tragic backstory, his painful and challenging training arc, and his inability to fit into normal society, but he is no hero, protecting eighteenth century Paris from crimes with his beyond-bloodhound sniffer as some manner of odor-based vigilante.
The Wayfinder Review
What many people might consider to be reasons to put the book on their reading list were reasons I hesitated to put Adam Johnson’s The Wayfinder on mine, and I hesitated again before picking up the book to read. I was not entirely wrong.
The Dragon Waiting Review
A few, core, what-if questions form the foundation of Ford’s genre-blending The Dragon Waiting. The most important is what if Byzantium adopted a policy of religious toleration instead of Christianity? Oh, and what if there were vampires and wizards, too?
War and Peace Review
It luxuriates, meandering through lives and small events that stack up into occasional flashes of intense conflict. Instead of following a central plot thread all the way through in a direct fashion, as a modern novel would, Tolstoy leads the reader on a winding path that, while you’re walking it, can feel unfocused, but that somehow still conveys a sense of progress.
Laurus Review
If you are fascinated by faith, and constantly inquiring of history, like I am, then Laurus deserves a place near the top of your reading list.
The tale of Genji Review
I really don't know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it is well-written, well-translated, and culturally interesting. On the other hand, it is incredibly boring.
Niccolò Rising Review
The elements that I enjoyed about the Lymond Chronicles are all present: a brilliant protagonist, beautiful writing, fascinating historical context, and evocative descriptions. Despite all of that, I found it difficult to engage with the story.
The Lion Review
The Lion captures one of the most significant time periods in the history of the western world, the pact that helped forge the Hellenic peoples into a single culture.
The Gates of Athens Review
Maybe it’s because Herodotus is so aptly referred to as “history’s screenwriter,” but I was less impressed by Iggulden’s interpretation of the events in The Gates of Athens than I was with his interpretation of Xenophon’s adventures. Where the story he told of Xenophon’s exploits was very faithful to the history, The Gates of Athens seemed to include a lot more supposition on Iggulden’s part, mostly to add interpersonal drama. Yet he is telling a story about some of the most dramatic moments in recorded history, and I wonder if added drama is really necessary.
The Abbot’s Tale Review
The Abbot’s Tale, though, is something different, and in this Iggulden is serving more as a translator than a writer, or even a researcher. It is drawn almost entirely from a surviving manuscript written by Dunstan, a tenth century English monk, and the titular protagonist of The Abbot’s Tale. That manuscript is a sort of memoir or maybe a personal confessional, and it is clear that the original author never intended for it to be read, or even to survive.
IGC Publishing 