“Discern” and “The Princess Bride”

Wow, it’s been a busy week!  I finished “Discern,” by Andrea Pearson (my digital book), “The Princess Bride,” by William Goldman (my read-aloud book), and “Steelheart,” by Brandon Sanderson (my hardcover book) within this last week!  I’ll give you a review on the first two today, and since I’m mostly already through “Steelheart”‘s sequel, “Firefight,” I’ll review those two together.

So, here we go, “The Princess Bride,” by William Goldman.

If you haven’t read it, go, buy, and read it now.  That’s exactly what I did when I learned my husband hadn’t yet read it.  Yes, if you’ve seen the movie, you’ve basically already read the book, since they practically took the dialogue and turned it into a script.  So, all-assured, you know it’s hilarious and witty.  But the book came first, and it’s totally worth the read for the behind the scenes of the Goldman family, the deleted sections of the Princess of Guilder, and the comparison between the Zoo of Death and Pit of Despair.  There’s also the extra 50+ pages of Buttercup’s Baby, but I’m honestly satisfied before then.

The main reason I love this book so much, is that every time I read it, I have no idea what Mr. Goldman is making up.  I’m totally convinced Florin was a kingdom, S. Morgestern is real, and William Goldman is a famous script writer.  He makes you love the book before you’ve even read it.  I’d probably give it five stars if it wasn’t so sexist and stereotypical.  Still, totally worth ****4 stars****

Then there was “Discern,” by Andrea Pearson.

I’ll admit, I had high hopes for this one.  I’ve personally met Mrs. Pearson and am impressed by her friendly and authentic personality.  Also, real kudos to anyone who can make a living off publishing PURELY via ebooks.

Concerning the main character/protagonist, I found her relate-able, and appreciated the exploration of history, flaws, and strengths in the star characters.  Others did seem to fall a bit flat, but that was honestly the least of my qualms.

The magic system’s intriguing, as it’s based on their hair color and personal “focus.”  I really liked the shout-out to cellos and “Prof. Stephen Nelson.” (For anyone who’s unaware of the highly entertaining PianoGuys, check them out on YouTube, and note the cellist’s name is Stephen Sharp Nelson.  Coincidence?  I think not. 😉 )  I did have a qualm with the magic as people’s skills seemed either AMAZING or meager.  There wasn’t much in between and it seemed like once you passed the meager stage, you could be amazing.  No in between stage.

My biggest qualm was actually in the multiple events or creatures that were never really given explanation.  Legends are mentioned, but never explained, and more than a few moments I was wanting more background information or history on certain ideas that became important… and I didn’t even know why.  Really, I think this could have all been fixed with a solid content editor, but I guess that’s what you get with Indie publishing. **2 Stars**.