"My Man Jeeves (Jeeves #1)" by P.G. Wodehouse

I wouldn't say I'm particularly enchanted by short stories, so in general, I avoid them. But in the case of Jeeves, I decided to try it anyhow- I had become familiarized with Jeeves during my childhood thanks to the website that had been AskJeeves.com (once they retired Jeeves, I never used their site again- who wants to use Ask.com? No one!). Although Jeeves isn't the main character of this novel- the story is told through Bertie Wooster's eyes- he is the reason you keep reading.

For your information, I love British humor. The more outrageous it is, the more I tend to love it. The reason why I disclose that is I think you need a love of that sort of humor to properly enjoy this book (and likely, this series). This is also a play on manners comedy, situational comedy- really every type of comedy, but it most certainly has a British slant to it.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Who can forget our beloved gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves, who ever comes to the rescue when the hapless Bertie Wooster falls into trouble. My Man Jeeves is sure to please anyone with a taste for pithy buffoonery, idiotic misunderstandings, gaffes, and aristocratic slapstick.'

Another thing this book has in spades is slang- some of which I can't even decipher myself. It makes for fun and quirky reading. For example instead of b.s. or straight out bulls**t, it's b.-and-s. There are a thousand more examples, but the fun of it is in the discovery- just make sure you have internet access on hand when you read this.

But what really makes this book are the characters- Wooster and Jeeves are the central bromance, but every other sort of character you could imagine (or even beyond that) comes into contact with them. Without the strength of the characters, the comedy in this book would fall completely flat. Even with the wonderful wordplay, it would simply not be a five star read for me without them.

A favorite quote beginning to one of the funniest (for me) stories in the book, "Absent Treatment":

I want to tell you about dear old Bobbie Cardew. It's a most interesting story. I can't put in any literary style and all that; but I don't have to, don't you know, because it goes on its Moral Lesson. If you're a man you mustn't miss it because it'll be a warning to you; and if you're a woman you won't want to, because it's all about how a girl made a man feel pretty well fed up with things.

            ~My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse, 41% Kindle edition


My Man Jeeves is one of those books that best represents the human condition- in a wickedly humorous manner. With a cast of characters I simply adore, cutting dialogue that is right on target, and situational humor in the vein of too strange to be fiction, it isn't any wonder why I didn't hesitate to rate this five stars. I recommend My Man Jeeves for those who love British humor, un-monotonous writing, and life in general.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars for an extraordinary collection of misadventures!

Content: Ages 14+ for satire that sometimes goes a little too far.

Page Count: 256 pages
FYI: You can get this online for free as a digital version, here.

"Warbreaker" By Brandon Sanderson

This book is available to read for free (FREE BOOK) online here. I read this book for free online, and so I'm giving my honest take on it. I also declare Brandon Sanderson now be called "Brandon Sanderson (the Benevolent)" for sharing the book love with everyone. (At least on my blog.)

Look at me, judging a book by its cover. It's just so very pretty, colorful, and it has both the heroine and a sword on it. Luckily, this is a book you can judge by its cover, in some ways.

Brandon Sanderson (the Benevolent) is one of the few authors that can get away with multiple protagonists without it ending in a giant headache. He is also one of very few male authors who can craft a believable heroine. I also like that he almost always includes at least one female protagonist in each of his novels, which there automatically should be in fantasy, though it isn't always the case.

The Main Viewpoints:
Siri: She's the younger princess of Idris, and little is expected of her, until she takes the place of her sister Vivenna, who was to marry the God-King of  Hallandren. I still don't understand why she got away with it, despite all Sanderson's reasoning. But that's what he wrote.
Vivenna: The elder princess who was painstakingly prepared to become wife of the God-King, but is ultimately shoved aside. She decides she'll go rescue Siri, and enlists a spy in Hallandren, who promptly dies off and leaves her with his lackeys.
Lightsong: a minor god (under the God-King's reign), who does very little, save entertain and inform us, until the end. Some people only liked his viewpoint. I thought he was witty, but not that witty. I skimmed his passages.
Vasher/Night-Blood: By far my favorite point of view. Vasher (who reminds me of Kelsier from Mistborn) willfully imprisons himself so he can escape and kill Vahr in the cells, in trade for his Breath. Vasher has a sword called Night-Blood which really REALLY enjoys killing people. He has banter with Night-Blood about killing people. Therefore, he is a boss. Also, you can find him in Words of Radiance as Zahel. Weird, but true.

The Plot:
Siri takes Vivenna's place to be bride of the feared God-King. Mysteries and chaos ensue.

The Magic System:
Every person in this world is born with a Breath. You can give that Breath away, and then you become a Drab: a person that sees very little color, and cannot perceive if he is being watched, but otherwise, you're perfectly normal. You can use Breath to make things move (ex. Vasher uses his Breath to animate a straw doll into fetching the keys for his cell), and then retrieve the Breath after you're done "Your Breath to mine".

Pros:
-As per usual, Mr. Sanderson (the Benevolent) creates beautiful magic. Systems.
-Compelling characters
-Intriguing plot
-Kick-ass cover
-It's free, people. Need I remind you?

Cons:
-Perhaps a little overzealous with the page count
-Why was Siri sent? The reasons make little sense, to me.
-Not enough Vasher
-Too much Vivenna (for me. Maybe someone loves Vivenna. Somewhere.)

The Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Content: This book has violence, and not much else to complain about. Suitable for teens and adults, though not a YA book.

Page Count: 688 pages

Upcoming Reviews

Here's a look at what I've been polishing:

Critiques On Books From NetGalley:

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Mark of the Tala By Jeffe Kennedy: Is to be released May 27th, so expect the critique to drop about 2-3 weeks before its publication. I devoured this one, and already have most of the review done.
Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Chasers of the Wind (Cycle of Wind and Sparks, #1) By Alexey Pehov: Expected publication is June 17th, so again, I'll post the critique 2-3 weeks before its release to drum up interest. I haven't finished this yet, but have a good vibe from the first chapters.
Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy

Critiques On Books I've Read:

Rebecca By Daphne du Maurier: Yes, I realize this is quite unlike me, but I do read classics, and not the snore yourself awake kind. A book that should be read by every girl worthy of her heels.
Genres: Mystery, Classic, Romance, Historical

The Hero and the Crown By Robin McKinley: Indeed, I am reviewing an awful lot of R.M. books (two), but she's in the Society of Authors I'm Obsessed With, so bite me.
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons!!!

Warbreaker By Brandon Sanderson: This book is available for free, online. I read it for free, online. I am writing a review to show my everloving appreciation to authors, like Mr. Sanderson, who share the love of books to people who can't afford them. Because I was once book-poor myself.
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Romance (as a subplot, mostly)

Books I'm Currently Reading and May or May Not Critique:

Ink Mage By Victor Gischler: This was released as a Kindle Serial, and many people hated on it because of that. Now it's available as a full length book, so I'm reading it. Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic