cavalary's reviews
269 reviews

When the other characters tend to have such a hard time, and when it may even be said to be a good thing that it’s hard to keep track of the minor ones, considering what happens to plenty of them, the amount of hero’s luck that Paige has seems inexcusable. And when plenty of flashbacks do exist later, when they also break up the action and rhythm, it would have made more sense to use one to explain how it all began as well, letting her be imprisoned for some time instead of being captured just before an event that happens once per decade. And then you have the antagonists that seem to be such fools, allowing so much to happen right under their noses, and those final chapters, shrouded in the haze of Paige’s dimmed awareness, where so much is left unexplained, all the right things just happening to, well, happen. And all of the preparations for such an undertaking, which could and probably should have filled a book on their own, were largely skipped over, being summarized in a few pages.
That said, I’m tempted to consider Arcturus as the most important, and best, character. The fact that Paige takes so long to realize what he is and what he’s planning makes her a fool as well, but their interactions do have good moments, possibly the better ones for most of the book, and there is something to be said about how the bond between them develops. That and their powers would have been a great opportunity to display a deep understanding of people, and that’s not the case, but I’ll nevertheless say that, despite all of the above criticisms, this is not a bad book. It has some thrilling action scenes, most notably in the last two chapters, some characters are worth supporting and caring for, some even develop in a noticeable way, there are some good moments of interaction, and it depicts an unusual dystopian version of this world in a manner that didn’t drive me away… Which, in itself, is quite an accomplishment.

[RO: (EN below)]
Desi prezinta diverse moduri in care alte specii demonstreaza un anume nivel de inteligenta, autorul nu incearca sa sustina ca vreuna din ele se poate compara cu oamenii din acest punct de vedere, doar argumentand ca ar trebui sa acceptam ca, intr-un fel oarecare, acestea poseda inteligenta si, notabil, constienta, si ca o inteligenta mai dezvoltata ar fi mai bine descrisa ca mai extinsa decat mai inalta. Insa, mai mult decat asta, cartea subliniaza cum oamenii isi folosesc gresit sau nu-si folosesc extraordinara lor inteligenta, realizand mult mai putin decat ceea ce ar fi adevaratul potential de a face bine si cauzand si justificand enorm de mult rau si suferinta lor insusi, celorlalti, si cu atat mai mult celorlalte specii si ecosistemului.
Totusi, desi sunt de acord ca speciile cel mai putin inteligente si complexe au cel mai mult succes din punct de vedere al simplei supravietuiri, reproducerii si obtinerii de placere in prezent, ca oamenii in general isi folosesc gresit inteligenta, si ca mai multa inteligenta este in general asociata cu probleme mai grave de sanatate mintala si tinde sa aiba mai putin de-a face cu succesul decat norocul chior, cu siguranta nu sunt de acord cu concluzia ca ne-ar fi mai bine cu mult mai putina. Adica, pietrele exista epoci intregi, bacteriile prospera; evolutia, si viata in general, n-are niciun sens daca nu trece dincolo de supravietuire, daca nu atinge un nivel la care sa poata sa analizeze si creeze, sa imbunatateasca conditia sa si a lumii. Insa autorul nu ofera solutii pentru problemele ridicate, chiar spunand la final ca n-a intentionat s-o faca... Si argumentand ca, pentru ca viata pe Pamant va fi pana la urma distrusa de Soare, singura masura obiectiva a succesului unei specii este maximizarea placerii in prezent, in timp ce eu vad asta ca dovada ca masura reala a succesului ar fi salvarea de la o asemenea soarta, ceea ce necesita o inteligenta mult mai dezvoltata si mai bine folosita. Si chiar si traducatorul acestei editii a adaugat note care, dincolo de clarificarile tipice, prezinta si exprima frustrare fata de folosirea incorecta a unor termeni de catre autor sau, de cateva ori, critica mai direct, subliniind greseli de logica sau argumentatie.

[EN:]
While pointing out various ways in which other species exhibit a certain level of intelligence, the author doesn't try to claim that any of them can compare to humans from this point of view, only arguing that we should accept that, in some way, they possess intelligence and, notably, consciousness, and that more developed intelligence would be better described as broader rather than higher. But, more than that, the book emphasizes how humans misuse or fail to use their extraordinary intelligence, realizing far less than what would be the true potential to do good and causing and justifying immense harm and suffering to themselves, each other, and even more so to the other species and the ecosystem.
However, while I agree that the least intelligent and least complex species have the most success in terms of mere survival, reproduction and obtaining pleasure in the present, that humans generally misuse their intelligence, and that greater intelligence is generally associated with worse mental health problems and tends to have less to do with success than plain luck, I definitely disagree with the conclusion that we'd be better off with far less of it. I mean, rocks exist for eons, bacteria thrive; evolution, and life in general, has no point if it doesn't go beyond survival, if it doesn't reach a level where it can analyze and create, improve its condition and that of the world. But the author offers no solutions to the raised problems, even stating at the end that he never intended to… And arguing that, because life on Earth will eventually be wiped out by the Sun, the only objective measure of a species' success is maximizing present pleasure, while I'd see it as proof that the true measure of success would be escaping such a fate, which requires far more developed and better used intelligence. And even this edition's translator added notes that, beyond the typical clarifications, also point out and express frustration with the author's incorrect use of certain terms or, on a couple of occasions, criticize more directly, pointing out flaws in the logic or arguments.

[RO: (EN below)]
Nu-s deloc dornic sa citesc in romana in general, iar fantasy-ul care-i chiar scris in romana e in mod special ceva ce pur si simplu nu pare sa mearga, sau cel putin experientele mele trecute, intr-adevar foarte putine, au aratat ca pur si simplu nu ma impac cu asta. Deci asteptarile mele de la aceasta carte erau scazute, dar a parut destul de promitatoare ca sa ma faca sa hotarasc sa-i dau o sansa, si trebuie sa spun ca faptul ca-i in romana chiar nu m-a deranjat, si tind sa cred ca timpii folositi probabil au in buna masura de-a face cu asta. Iar povestea se dezvolta intr-o maniera interesanta, incepand incet si bland, mult timp abia facandu-se aluzie la elementele fantasy, dar pana la urma crescand ritmul iar apoi practic explodand si extinzandu-se, cuprinzand din ce in ce mai mult si avansand in mod repetat in directii neasteptate.
Acestea fiind spuse, pare clar amatoriceasca. Nu stiu nici cum ceva cu atatea greseli a putut fi publicat o editura propriu-zisa, iar o problema anume e atat de ciudat de recurenta ca am tot crezut ca trebuie sa fie intentionat, insa n-am putut gasi nicio justificare pentru asta. Iar autoarea are probleme si cu gasirea numelor pentru locuri dar merge mai departe. Insa mai important decat asta e ca pare sa aiba o imaginatie buna si multe idei, dar nu si abilitatea de a pune multe din asta in cuvinte, rezultatul fiind lipsit de profunzimea si complexitatea necesara pentru epic fantasy, atat de multe ramanand nespuse si neexplicate, multe evenimente fiind pur si simplu aruncate catre cititor in timp ce explicatiile ocazionale sunt gramezi de informatie, astfel incat cu cat povestea se dezvolta mai mult, cu atat devine mai mult un basm decat fantasy propriu-zis. Si nici nu stiu ce sa comentez legat de "norocul eroilor", pentru ca majoritatea intamplarilor, bune si rele, pur si simplu li se intampla personajelor, Tan fiind probabil exceptia notabila, chiar actionand intr-un rol de erou. Bine, Tan si Lemongreen, bineinteles, dar asta intra complet la ce-i pur si simplu aruncat catre cititor, fara niciun fel de explicatii.

[EN:]
I’m not at all keen on reading in Romanian in general, and fantasy that’s actually written in Romanian in particular is something that just doesn’t seem to work, or at least my, admittedly very few, past experiences showed that I just can’t deal with it. So my expectations of this book were low, but it seemed promising enough to eventually make me decide to give it a chance, and I must say that the fact that it’s in Romanian actually didn’t bother me, and I'm tempted to think that the tenses used probably had plenty to do with that. And the story does develop in an interesting manner, starting slowly and tamely, the fantasy elements barely even being hinted at for a long time, but eventually picking up and then pretty much exploding and spreading out, encompassing more and more and repeatedly going in unexpected directions.
That said, it clearly feels amateurish. I also don’t know how can something with so many typos be published by an actual publisher, and a particular problem is so weirdly recurring that I kept thinking that it must be intentional, yet I could find no justification for it. And the author also has problems finding names for places but just rolls ahead. But more important than that is that she seems to have a good imagination and plenty of ideas, but not the ability to put much of it into words, the result lacking the depth and complexity required for epic fantasy, with so much that’s left unsaid and unexplained, many events just being thrown at the reader while the occasional explanations are information dumps, so the more the story develops, the more it turns into a fairy tale instead of proper fantasy. And I’m not even sure what to comment when it comes to hero’s luck, because most events, good and bad, simply happen to the characters, Tan probably being the one notable exception, actually acting in a hero’s role. Well, Tan and Lemongreen, of course, but that falls fully under what’s simply thrown at the reader, with no explanations whatsoever.

While it's becoming increasingly obvious that the Mistborn series is where all of the Cosmere will eventually come together, this remains not only "light" Sanderson, but even "light" Mistborn, if you compare it to the original trilogy... Or even to the previous two books. Yes, these books are meant to be something of a fantasy western, presenting a world undergoing its Industrial Revolution and most likely being lighter, shallower stepping stones towards something much greater, so you shouldn't expect anything like the level of worldbuilding and character development and portrayal, the social analysis and commentary, that deep understanding of how people and societies work, and what I'd even call the wisdom that shines through The Stormlight Archive and a few other works. However, this time I'm tempted to say that the author is making too much of a point of holding back, allowing some details about another layer of complexity to seep through but mostly indirectly, delaying what would be more notable revelations but doing far from enough to fill the remaining void... Not even with thrilling action, seeing as not much happens during the first quarter of the book, which serves mainly as a reminder of the characters' personalities, with the exception of the chapter that's essentially an information dump about the more complex aspects of the magic system. A thrilling action scene does follow after that first quarter, but it's only one of two, or three if you're feeling generous.

This doesn't make The Bands of Mourning a bad book. I recognize that it'd still be a competent effort by other standards, especially if you come with the right expectations, and I'm being undeservedly harsh, but it's underwhelming when it's written by an author who’s obviously capable of so much more, in absolutely every way. The action, the character development, the worldbuilding, the detailed magic system, the commentary and analysis, every aspect is present but muted, held back, leaving something that's mainly a slow-paced detective story that doesn't even benefit from a relatable antagonist and may be said to culminate with a huge serving of hero's luck.

[EN: (RO below)]
At least I just borrowed this from the Library, but I still feel cheated, expecting an actual book and getting a collection of essays already published over a span of several years, which isn’t mentioned anywhere on the cover, so you need to get quite a number of pages into the introduction to find out. And those essays are completely unchanged, resulting in content that’s more outdated and far shallower than you’d expect the book to be, plus that plenty of ideas are simply repeated time and time again. Admittedly, this also makes the book particularly easy to read.
The only sections that are written specifically for this book are the introductions for each part, and while they mostly just provide a little context for the essays, some are more notable and interesting, such as the one for part one and the parts about trade agreements and intellectual property from the one for part six. And it was pleasing to see trade agreements and intellectual property being approached in such a critical manner in itself. And I must definitely say the same about describing how capitalism currently works as privatizing the profits while socializing or nationalizing the losses, externalizing the costs, and freeloading on public services and infrastructure and state-supported research. And I could keep nodding along to plenty of other ideas.
The fact that the vast majority of the book is focused on the United States did make me feel rather disconnected, and the essays that are strictly about the 2008 crisis were even worse from that point of view. But, besides that, the problem is that the author remains such a staunch supporter of capitalism, just aiming to limit its worst excesses, when the system itself is the problem and it needs to be replaced with something different. In addition, he continues to push for growth and full employment, states that the major problem is the lack of demand, disagrees with prioritizing fighting inflation and supports the concept of people, businesses and states continuing to live on credit in itself, all of which I firmly oppose.

[RO:]
Macar doar am imprumutat-o de la Biblioteca, dar tot ma simt inselat, asteptandu-ma la o carte propriu-zisa si primind o colectie de eseuri deja publicate de-a lungul mai multor ani, ceea ce nu se mentioneaza nicaieri pe coperta, deci trebuie sa ajungi niste pagini bune in introducere ca sa afli. Si acele eseuri sunt complet neschimbate, rezultand in continut care e mai depasit si mult mai superficial decat te-ai astepta sa fie cartea, plus ca multe idei sunt pur si simplu repetate iar si iar. Sigur, asta face cartea sa fie deosebit de usor de citit.
Singurele sectiuni care sunt scrise special pentru aceasta carte sunt introducerile fiecarei parti, si chiar daca in principal doar ofera putin context pentru eseuri, unele sunt mai notabile si interesante, cum ar fi cea pentru prima parte si partile despre acordurile comerciale si proprietatea intelectuala din cea pentru partea a sasea. Si a fost placut sa vad acordurile comerciale si proprietatea intelectuala abordate intr-o maniera asa de critica in sine. Si cu siguranta trebuie sa spun acelasi lucru despre descrierea modului in care capitalismul functioneaza in prezent ca privatizarea profiturilor in timp ce se socializeaza sau nationalizeaza pierderile, se externalizeaza costurile, si se profita de serviciile si infrastructura publica si de cercetarea sustinuta de stat. Si am putut sa tot aprob multe alte idei.
Faptul ca imensa majoritate a cartii este concentrata pe Statele Unite m-a facut insa sa ma simt destul de deconectat, iar eseurile care sunt strict despre criza din 2008 au fost si mai rele din acel punct de vedere. Dar, pe langa asta, problema este ca autorul ramane un sustinator atat de loial al capitalismului, doar vizand sa-i limiteze cele mai grave excese, cand sistemul in sine este problema si trebuie schimbat cu ceva diferit. In plus, continua sa sustina cresterea si ocuparea deplina, afirma ca problema majora este lipsa cererii, nu este de acord cu prioritizarea luptei impotriva inflatiei si sustine in sine conceptul ca oamenii, agentii economici si statele sa continue sa traiasca pe credit, toate fiind lucruri carora eu ma opun ferm.

Compared to the first two books, the way the writing style improved and how Marigold developed as a character continue to be impressive, but the epic story from the third book, while not forgotten, is pretty much set aside, this one once again depicting a heroic fantasy adventure. It’s not the one that Marigold initially signs up for, however, and while he rather accidentally happens to be there at the conclusion of the “main event”, his primary goal once it begins is simply to survive the night, preferably along with a few of those who happened to be around him at the time, the other battles and the push towards the source of the problem being left to others and “off camera” until the end. The high point comes halfway through, in chapters eight and ten, when the thrill and the desperation of the battle reach their peak while somehow still leaving room for a few moments of grim humor.

The main problem is that the chapters alternate between Marigold and Helman, and I could have really done without the latter. Sure, they present how and why things are happening and will probably have some relevance in future books, but that could have been achieved without constantly breaking up the action for that despicable, infuriating, nauseating depiction of “chaotic evil”, an utter moron incapable of seeing anything other than his most basic and selfish desires, bringing about a localized apocalypse without realizing much of anything even when it’s quite literally staring him right in the face, and constantly behaving in a manner that will trigger the entire gamut of negative reactions from anyone on this side, or in fact on either side, of unrequited love, or of abuse, or who simply has any shred of morality, ethics, empathy, or even simply sanity. Otherwise, I’d still mention Marigold’s unbelievable strength and fortitude, all of the hero’s luck and the fact that, after the end of the actual adventure, too much is spent on presenting the aftermath and most probably setting up the next book or books, but those are lesser problems.

Despite ending by stating that “to change the world, we need to be unrealistic, unreasonable, and impossible”, this book's title is particularly fitting, as it depicts a far too realistic “utopia”. It tackles major problems like poverty, inequality, too much focus on work, especially of the wrong kind, or the systems that stifle progress, but a good part is dedicated to advocating for a universal, unconditional basic income that’s enough to live on, which concept has been proven to work long ago only to be scuppered by lobbying and politics. And UBI logically leads to a much shorter work week, freeing time not only for leisure and relationships, but also for volunteering, education or art, focusing on beneficial and necessary jobs, like garbage collectors, nurses and teachers, embracing automatization, and eliminating “bullshit jobs”. Also perfectly logical, but somewhat bolder, is pointing out that the jobs that currently bring the most benefits, like lobbyists, bankers, advertisers and many lawyers, tend to actually harm, and asking for penalties for them. Advocating for open borders, which the part about using science and studies to direct development aid can be said to follow from, may currently appear bolder still, but it’s also pointed out that restricting migration is actually a very recent phenomenon.
It starts and ends well enough, stressing how terrible things have been throughout human history, asking to bring back an idea of utopia now that the developed world has mostly become a Land of Plenty, and calling the left to wake up and fight for it, with courage, determination and a clear vision, aiming to make the impossible, inevitable. In between, however, it only briefly touches upon what could and should become the utopian goals of tomorrow, like aiming for what would now be seen as full unemployment, conforming to environmental limits or eliminating the financial system, and doesn’t tackle something like overhauling the concept of the nation state at all. So, again, the concepts advocated here, while necessary, depict what could and should have been the present, the push towards a daring vision of utopia being left for others.

[RO: (EN below)]
Aceasta este o colectie de proza scurta cu elemente fantasy care este plasata in general in timpul invaziei curente a Ucrainei. Singura exceptie, din punct de vedere al cadrului, este prima, care este prezentata din punctul de vedere al unui ucrainian, dar are loc intr-o realitate alternativa, distopica, in care Rusia pare sa conduca practic lumea. Si aceea este si una dintre cele mai bune din carte, si transmite si un mesaj corect. Si acelasi lucru poate fi spus despre a treia, desi probabil ca exagereaza cu efectul propagandei de stat asupra rusilor, cel putin in momentul asta. Pe de alta parte, nu prea stiu ce sa spun despre a cincea, intrucat este practic fan fiction Doctor Who si cei care sunt familiari cu acel univers sunt intr-o pozitie mult mai buna sa comenteze, dar pare ca s-a pus destul de mult efort in ea... Desi cineva a "reusit" sa piarda numarul capitolelor...
Celelalte, cu exceptia uneia, sunt mici franturi de imaginatie care nu tintesc prea sus, dar cel putin a patra si a saptea sunt destul de bune per total, cel putin pentru astfel de proza scurta. A sasea, mai putin, si nici n-as considera ca are un element fantasy, plus ca sa "reusesti" sa scrii gresit National Geographic m-a facut sa ridic o spranceana, dar n-as spune ca-i neaparat rea nici asta. Voi face asta cand vine vorba de a cincea si a opta, in schimb, si daca a opta e doar o mica chestie care poate ca nu s-a intentionat sa aiba mare noima oricum, a doua pare sa fi tintit mai sus si esuat, lungindu-se ceva fara a spune prea multe, fiind scrisa intr-un stil care nu ma atrage, si avand aspecte fantasy care nu prea au niciun sens.

[EN:]
This is a collection of short stories with fantasy elements that generally take place during the current invasion of Ukraine. The one exception, in terms of setting, is the first one, which is still presented from the point of view of a Ukrainian, but takes place in an alternate, dystopian reality, where Russia seems to pretty much rule the world. And that's also one of the better ones in the book, and it makes a good point as well. And the same can be said about the third, though it probably overdoes the effect of state propaganda on Russians, at least at this point. On the other hand, I'm not quite sure what to say about the fifth, since it's basically Doctor Who fan fiction and those familiar with that universe would be much better placed to comment, but it does look like quite a lot of effort was put into it... Though somebody "managed" to lose count of its chapters...
All but one of the rest are little bits of imagination that don't aim too high, but at least the fourth and the seventh are good enough overall, at least for such short stories. The sixth is less so, and I wouldn't even consider it as having a fantasy element, plus that "managing" to misspell National Geographic made me raise an eyebrow, but I wouldn't necessarily call it bad either. I will do so when it comes to the second and the eighth, however, and while that eighth one is just a little thing that might not have really been meant to make much sense anyway, the second one seems to have aimed higher but failed, dragging on for a while without saying much, being written in a style that I'm not fond of, and having fantasy aspects that hardly make any sense whatsoever.

[EN: (RO below)]
The small size of this book makes it clear that it doesn’t go in depth, but it does a good enough job of pointing out not just the problems generated by planned obsolescence, which are all too obvious, but also that the concepts and practices that it’s based on are hardly new, some having existed throughout human civilization and only becoming worse and more widespread as more methods became available to those who stood to gain from them and the general public became more complicit. It also stresses the undeniably harmful role of marketing and advertising in general, points out the impossibility of endless growth and that environmental limits will soon put a stop to humanity’s current production and consumption patterns, and eventually, in the conclusion, presents some solutions.
However, I’m actually tempted to say that the author tried too hard to be balanced when presenting the matter from the point of view of the economy, and even let those economic considerations cloud the attempt to discuss the ethical aspects of these practices, to the point that I found that entire section more or less meaningless. There was also far too little emphasis on the environmental aspects, at least in my view. But perhaps the biggest problem is that the proposed solutions come too late, are presented too briefly and, despite complaining that some of the quoted works and authors don’t go far enough with their proposals, may be guilty of the same thing. Yes, at the end it is stated that the solutions will need to be imposed through regulations and require overhauling the economy and even society, reducing consumption most preferably without reducing the standard or quality of life, but some of the specifics are only briefly mentioned at the very end and the intermediate steps that are presented in more detail tend to bother me, especially when it comes to renting.

[RO:]
Dimensiunile reduse ale acestei carti fac sa fie clar ca nu ajunge in profunzime, insa face o treaba destul de buna in a prezenta nu doar problemele generate de obsolescenta programata, care sunt doar prea evidente, ci si ca practicile si conceptele pe care se bazeaza nu-s deloc noi, unele existand pe parcursul intregii civilizatii umane si doar inrautatindu-se si raspandindu-se pe masura ce mai multe metode au devenit disponibile pentru cei care aveau de castigat din ele si publicul larg a devenit mai complice. Subliniaza de asemenea si rolul incontestabil negativ al marketingului si publicitatii in general, arata imposibilitatea cresterii continue si ca limitele ecologice vor stopa in curand tiparele curente de productie si consum ale omenirii, si pana la urma, in concluzie, prezinta niste solutii.
Insa, chiar sunt tentat sa spun ca autorul a incercat prea mult sa fie echidistant cand a prezentat problema din punctul de vedere al economiei, si chiar a lasat aceste consideratii economice sa umbreasca incercarea de a discuta aspectele etice ale acestor practici, atat de mult incat am considerat acea sectiune mai mult sau mai putin fara sens. S-a pus de asemenea prea putin accent pe aspectele ecologice, cel putin din punctul meu de vedere. Dar probabil cea mai mare problema este ca solutiile propuse apar prea tarziu, sunt prezentate prea pe scurt si, in ciuda plangerilor ca unele dintre lucrarile si autorii citati nu au mers suficient de departe cu propunerile lor, pot sa fie vinovate de acelasi lucru. Da, la final se spune ca solutiile vor trebui sa fie impuse prin reglementari si vor necesita schimbarea din temelii a economiei si chiar a societatii, reducand consumul foarte preferabil fara a reduce standardul sau calitatea vietii, insa unele dintre specificatii sunt doar mentionate pe scurt chiar la final iar pasii intermediari care sunt prezentati mai in detaliu tind sa ma deranjeze, in special cand vine vorba de inchiriere.

I randomly picked this up for free at some point, but it's not even worth that, because there's still the cost of the time wasted reading it, in case you actually do. As such, its one saving grace is that the page count seems wrong, because it only took me about an hour to read it and I could get it done in a single sitting, since it'd have been difficult to make myself continue if I'd have stopped.
I didn't check, but maybe it was written by a kid, in which case that may be an excuse. And I'm not even referring to all of the mistakes, but to the childish story, structure and characters, the events that don't stand the slightest scrutiny and, in general, the fact that it offers no reason whatsoever to put up with it even for that one hour, unless you really want to avoid leaving something you happened to grab unread. It's the sort of thing that should make whoever put it out there want to hide from the world in embarrassment.