Outside of a Dog: Kate Nepveu's Book Log

[Originally part of one post discussing the 2004 Hugo Nominees for Novel, broken up for MT import; see that post for comments]

I'd never read anything by Wilson before, and I'm glad I did now, as Blind Lake is quite a good book. Chad has a useful summary of the premise, which I will refer you all to and save myself some typing. I actually think the Stephen King comparison is fairly apropos, and leads to one of my minor quibbles about the book: the character who melts down the most seems just a touch over-the-top, in a way that King might pull off but Wilson doesn't, for me. And I don't object to myffic endings in general, but I appear to have lost my taste for sweeping-statements-about-the-universe endings; it's sad getting old and cynical, I know.

Those are minor issues, and I think Blind Lake is a very good book indeed. On reflection, though, it didn't engage me quite as much as Paladin. It was very enjoyable and I read it all in one sitting, looking forward to what was happening next, but I was never metaphorically on the edge of my seat, never breathless for the next revelation or development. Paladin dragged me under and didn't let me up. As a result, my first-place vote goes for Paladin by a hair, but I wouldn't be sorry to see Blind Lake or even Ilium win.