I just put up a review for Roger Zelazny's 'Jack of Shadows.'  I liked the book but all told it's kind of a minor work by Zelazny that exhibits just enough originality to garner a Hugo Nomination but not enough to win the award outright, especially in a year that saw both 'To Your Scattered Bodies Go' and 'The Lathe of Heaven.'  I've read a few of the other nominees but 1972 still seems to have a few books left for me, it seems I still have to read Poul Anderson's 'Byworlder,' never heard of that one.

'Jack of Shadows' was an enjoyable read, but not exactly uplifting.  I liked how it played around with some of the heroic cliches you expect to find in modern Fantasy, but it still kind of creeped me out when our protagonist turned into a despot.  In my review I talk a little about 'Lord of Light,' what I consider to be Zelazny's best work (Also in the recent Oscar winner 'Argo' Ben Affleck was making a fake SF movie based on Lord), and a much more uplifting work than Shadows.

So this is the first review I've written for one of the books I read while on vacation.  Next up I've got quite a bit of work left to do.  To be honest I'll be luck if I don't end up finishing off a book for every review I write.  I've already finished 'Iron Council' by China Mieville and started 'The Embedding' by Ian Watson.  I think maybe I'll review Council next, I haven't written a review for any Mieville yet.