Memory Iron Chamber - High-Quality Metal Puzzle Brain Teaser for Adults & Teens | Perfect for Stress Relief, Gifts, and Cognitive Training

With BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE FIRE wrapped up (or mostly so), a major software release just out the door at my day job, and the Memorial Day holiday giving me a long weekend, I finally had a chance to relax for a bit. In addition to catching up on the season finales of my favorite shows, I also had time this weekend to read Mr. John C. Wright's newest masterpiece, Iron Chamber of Memory.And yes, I do mean masterpiece. This isn't just one of Mr. Wright's finest works, although it is definitely that. It also now occupies a spot as one of my favorite fantasy works of all time. Yes, this work is really that good. Unfortunately, to say too much about it is to spoil it. So I will dance around the problem as best I may.First of all, this is one of Mr. Wright's most readable works. I must beg his forgiveness for that phrasing, and explain carefully what I mean. Although I greatly love the vast bulk of Mr. Wright's art, some of it is downright work to read. But the work is well rewarded, and well worth the effort. For what it's worth, I tend to feel the same way about my favorite band, Dream Theater. Iron Chamber of Memory, however, absolutely does not suffer from this issue at all. From the very beginning it's engrossing, and the reading simply feels effortless - as, indeed, Mr. Wright describes the actual writing of it:This book has a special and mysterious place in the author’s heart, because the whole thing from start to finish, all the scenes and much of the dialog, came to me in a dream not long after my conversion, and I spent the whole of the next day writing down before it escaped me. Those notes rested on my desk for decade. Only now did I have the time to compose them into a novel.The book is a deeply romantic (something that is lost in modern society), and contains a wonderful mystery that will keep you reading. And although I guessed one of the major twists quite early on, I truly didn't quite see where the story was heading. It's also a deeply spiritual story, and it reminded me quite a bit of one or two of the stories in The Book of Feasts & Seasons. Most surprising from Mr. Wright, however, is how deeply sensual the story is.This is truly a fantastic tale, and I can't recommend it enough. I give this one five stars out of five... and frankly, I find myself wishing for a sixth to give it.