Thursday, July 31, 2014

Dies the Fire

Do you want nightmares in which you are always looking for snacks? No, not your normal dreams looking for snacks, nightmares.  As in, THERE ARE NO SNACKS.  Or very very limited snacks. Like all the radishes you can eat.  Seriously, this book gave me bad dreams.  Not that it's a bad book, because it is not, but you've been warned.

Dies the Fire, which is a dumb title, is a dystopian novel in which something, or someone, killed all things that run on electricity and also guns and some explosives (which don't really run on electricity so that is weird). Dynamite doesn't work, but propane still works.  I'm not sure I get the logic, but I understand the parameter, because as I explained in my review of the dystopian novel Wool, with guns you can "obtain" a lot of missing resources.  In this one, archers and swordsman are supreme.  Hurrah!  I know how to use a sword, or at least a wooden one (well, kind of).  I'm saved (I think).

My friend Charlie recommended this book and it makes perfect sense. He likes dystopian novels and he is expert in weapons and use thereof.  He also loves REI, your one stop survival gear store, seriously you can't make any more stops because you have now run out of money.  This book makes you want to learn basic survival skills and realize that your 2 dozen powerbars you made this weekend are woefully inadequate for the Apocalypse. (Also, you have eaten them all by Tuesday for some reason).  The book is pretty good and it does move along (meaning you want to keep reading) but the many fight scenes are pretty confusing.  As much as I make fun of George R. R. Martin, that man can write a good fight scene.  In this book I felt confused, who got stabbed? Where did he get stabbed? Was he a bad guy or a bad good guy. I don't know.  I just wait for the next scene to see which character is missing a nose.

One of the main characters is Scotch-Irish and there are men and women wearing kilts.  Why not drink with a Rob Roy?  (Shhh...a Rob Roy is just a Manhattan with Scotch instead of Rye).  Rob Roy:  2 ounces decent blended Scotch whiskey, 1 ounce sweet vermouth (use a good one) 2 dashes either Angostura bitters or orange bitters.  Put all of these ingredients in highball glass with ice and stir well.  Garnish with a orange peel (twist the peel over the glass before garnishing). 

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