Alcatraz versus the Shattered Lens

Alcatraz Versus The Shattered Lens Brandon Sanderson

This is the 4th book in the Alcatraz Smedry Series. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, start with Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians.

Alcatraz, Bastille, Kaz and Aydee are off to Tuki Tuki, where the Mokian kingdom is fighting its last stand against the Librarian invaders. There are giant robots, a Librarian sect that hates all types of glass, coma guns, teddy bear grenades, and worst of all, Alcatraz's mother.

This is the fourth book in a projected five book series (I think five. I'm often wrong on such things) And as such, most things go completely pear shaped (even more so than usual.)

But, it's a solid entry in the series. I love Alcatraz's voice, especially when addressing the reader. In this book in particular, he orders us to act everything out. He also numbers the chapters very oddly, to make Hushlander librarian's heads explode. And, there's still the same mad cap zaniness the series is known for. I mean! TEDDY BEAR GRENADES! An entire chapter where the dialogue is all quotations from Hamlet.

In short, if you like the series, you should like this book. If you haven't read the rest of the series, this is not the book to start with (it won't make any sense). If you don't like the series, this one won't change your mind so go read something else!

And beware the teddy bears. And the librarians.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia

Alcatraz Versus The Knights Of Crystallia Brandon Sanderson

Either you like Alcatraz or you don't. He plays with narrative and is very much talking directly to the reader which really annoys some people, but personally, I find it hilarious, which is why I keep reading the series.

Alcatraz has finally made it to the free lands, only the find that his dad's an emotionally distant, self-obsessed jerk and the librarians are all over the place, including his mother. Meanwhile, Bastille risks being stripped of her knightship because she lost her sword at the end of the last book.

Lost of sands changing hands, weird freelander technology, and many evil librarians trying to rule the world.

Like I said, it's not the story so much that keeps me reading, but just that I love Alcatraz's voice.

Brace yourselves. Something very, very strange is about to happen. Stranger than talking dinosaurs. Stranger than glass birds. Stranger, even, than my analogies to fish sticks.

Bastille got teary eyed. Then she hugged me.

Girls, might I made a suggestion at this point? Don't go around hugging people without warning. To many of us (a number somewhere near half), this is akin to pouring an entire bottle of seventeen-alarm hot sauce in our mouths.

I believe that at this point in the story, I made several very interesting and incoherent noises, followed--perhaps--by a blank expression and then some numb-faced drooling.

If you've enjoyed the earlier books, you'll like this one too. If you didn't, this won't change your mind.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

I Squeal for Sequels!

Happy Saturday to you all! How's life treating you? I am anxiously counting down the days to my vacation. (Where will I be next Saturday? MANCHESTER!) And, before vacation Dan's going to Guatemala, Seder, and some friends are coming from out of town. It'll be a busy week, but an AWESOME one.

Anyway, for books today, I bring you some series titles!

The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye Joseph Delaney

In the fifth book of the series, Thomas has been sent to spent time with a different spook. Studying under John Gregory was a walk in the park compared to what Bill Arkwright has in store, and Gregory's secrets are nothing compared to Arkwright's. But the study Tom must, for the Fiend is alive and well, and his children, including the evil witch Bloodeye are out to get Tom.

Exciting and scary, fans of the series will definitely want to pick this one up. New revelations about Alice, a different look at what a spook needs to know, and lots of scary water witches. PLUS! An examination of good and evil and if it's ever ok to use dark magic, and if the ends ever justify the means. I love the way this series looks at BIG ISSUES without it being like "Hi! We're discussing BIG ISSUES now!"

This series just keeps getting better and better.

The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons comes in August!

Alcatraz Versus The Scrivener's Bones Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz is back, this time looking for Grandpa Smedry and his father, who seem to be hiding out in the Library of Alexandria, which is just full of the evilest of all librarians.

I liked this one better than the first. We have several of the same characters, plus some new Smedrys to hang out with. I really enjoy the way Alcatraz talks directly to the reader and the general meta-ness of it. I know this annoys some people. If you liked that aspect of the first one, be sure to pick it up. If it annoyed, stay far away, because there's even more of it in this book. I saw that as a good thing, some people I know disagree.

I'm looking forward to the next one!

Argh

I am going insane. Rapidly. You know how people go slowly insane? Nope I'm hurtling towards insanity in the form of undone cataloging assignments and a term paper.

I really wanted to be done by today. Nope. When I take my final tonight, I'll go home (it will be late) and... I'll do more homework. I cannot wait until this class is all done, except, I can. I mean, I have to have everything in on Thursday, and now I'm really really really freaking out that there isn't enough time...

But, Friday I go home and my sister comes back with us.

So I should probably clean the bathroom first, right?

Anyway, I read another book. (I can't do homework and eat, I can read and eat though.)

Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians Brandon Sanderson

I have yet to be inducted into the Evil Librarian cult. This makes me sad. I'm hoping that really, they're just waiting until I get my MLIS.

Alcatraz Smedry grew up in a slew of foster homes in the Hushlands (that's the known world to you and me. We're also Hushlanders and are stuck with primitive technology and not knowing there are three other continents on this earth. Blame the librarians, they control all the information, they keep us in the dark.)

On Alcatraz's thirteenth birthday, his grandfather shows up because it's time to step up and fulfill the Smedry role of saving the world from Evil Librarians.

Full of Alcatraz talking directly to the reader about how awful authors are (himself included), it's hilarious and well thought out. You'll never look at the central downtown branch of a library the same way again.

(Also, I would like to point out that MLK branch of the DC library? Perfect place for librarians to have evil lairs. That building is weird.)

(And for those counting at home, every book I've ever reserved has just come in, so... I now have 26 books to read. Before January... um.... that's what 4.5 hour long layovers in Detroit are for, right? Right.)