Books, books, books!

There is one thing that can always make me happy: books!

So, I was really excited when I got a couple of books in the last week.

The first book was The Great Bazaar. This is a book of short stories and bits and bobs by Peter V. Brett, the author of The Painted Man. It was brilliant to whet my appetite for more about Arlen while waiting for the next book in the series, The Desert Spear. It was really insightful, and actually, it helped make a few things to make sense in both The Painted Man and The Desert Spear. I think I would like to see a longer glossary at the end of the book, though. It's something that really helps to keep straight who's who and what's what, especially when it's another language.

So, two days after I received The Great Bazaar, I also got The Desert Spear. This is the second book by Peter V. Brett, and it followed along from The Painted Man. I was so excited to get it, and it didn't disappoint. I re-read The Painted Man about two months ago in anticipation of the new book, so everything was fresh in my mind. I dived into it immediately, and with a few exceptions (French class, for example) I didn't stop reading. I finished it in less than 24 hours, and it's not a small book. And now...I'm dying to read the next book. It was absolutely brilliant and amazing.

I never really liked Jardir in The Painted Man. He's a horrible person, but Brett has created a world where one can come to respect, if not like, Jardir. Well, at least for me. I am able to see how he became the person he did, and even if he is a bit misguided at times, greedy, selfish, and a murderer, he is fueled by good intentions.

Arlen was always my favorite character, and I was delighted to see more about him and his developing relationships with those around him and himself.

I am really looking forward to seeing how the two Deliverers resolve their differences in the next book.