MYSTIC by Jason Denzel - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Mystic

Author: Jason Denzel

Format: hardcover

Published: 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from dust jacket flap):

I called to the Myst and it send us you.

For hundreds of years, highborn nobles have competed for the chance to learn of the Myst. Powerful, revered, and often reclusive, Mystics have the unique ability to summon and manipulate the Myst: the underlying energy that lives at the heart of the universe. Once in a very great while, they take an apprentice, always from the most privileged sects of society.

Such has always been the tradition—until a new High Mystic takes her seat and chooses Pomella AnDone, a restless, lowborn teenager, as a candidate.

Commoners have never been welcomed among the select few given the opportunity to rise beyond even the highest nobility. So when Pomella chooses to accept the summons and journey to the secluded forest dwelling of Kelt Apar, she knows that she will have more to contend with than the competition for the apprenticeship.

Breaking both law and tradition, Pomella undergoes three trials against the other candidates to prove her worthiness. As the trials unfold, Pomella must navigate a deadly world of intolerance and betrayal, unaware that ruthless conspirators intend to make her suffer for having the audacity to seek to unravel the secrets of the Myst.

Review:

I wasn’t going to write this review.

Not because Mystic isn’t a good read, but because I find myself in a peculiar position with this title, one that’s never happened to me before.

You see, I know Jason Denzel. And not just a little bit—I count him a close friend.

Knowing I was carrying a bias, and also conscious of the fact that I am genuinely excited and proud of him for accomplishing publication, I began reading Mystic with trepidation.

So I did what I do with any book when I’m afraid I’ve lost my objective viewpoint: I took notes. Copious notes. Kept stickies inside the front cover, and I marked every time my inner editor wanted to rewrite a sentence for him, and every time my brain wandered away with a thought—be it praising or criticism.

And you know what? Dude did good.

Mystic has a quick hook, and is plainspoken with a clear, definitive voice. It has the classic tropes expected of the fantasy genre and bildungsroman literature, but doesn’t feel recycled. The worldbuilding feels authentic, not forced. At times I thought some of the names were clumsy, but overall they worked, and the gleanings of culture—of Oakspring and beyond—were well done. I particularly liked the idea behind the Common Cord—where family-specific knots are tied on a cord in a show of community solidarity.

(Though I’ll admit every time the word “culk” is tossed out as a curse word my brain gravitated to a different four letter curse word... probably because I have issues, heh.)

It’s a quick little YA read that was a refreshing change of pace. It’s comfortable in itself, and I find that’s important—especially in a first novel.

But despite all this, and despite my note-taking (begun as a way to give Denzel feedback, more than anything), I still wasn’t going to write this review, and I wasn’t going to post it on my teeny tiny wee platform on my corner of the Interwebs. I didn’t even want to admit to him I was reading his book (and I almost kept that secret).

But then, Mystic’s ending surprised me. Twice.

Here I thought based on tropes I knew where it was going and exactly how it was going to end, and—whoop!—I was wrong. And the ending that’s there is built into the novel, it’s not some blindsiding to the reader, crashing in from left field unnoticed. No, it’s carefully laid in, yet subtle enough that it’s unexpected.

And that is why I’m writing this review. I’m a reader who tries to predict—it’s a symptom of the deconstruction that never stops happening in my overactive brain—so any time an author can flip the script on me and it works, well, I’m pleasantly surprised, and a satisfied reader.

So this is the review I wasn’t going to write, yet am proud to be able to put my—yes, biased, but carefully vetted—opinion out there.

Mystic is light, quick, and well done, and I know my kids will enjoy it. I’m proud to have it on my shelf, Jason, thank you.

Dude, you did good.

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.
 
Title: The Time Traveler’s Wife

Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Format: trade paperback, ebook

Published: 2003

Genre: romance, science fiction, speculative fiction

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from cover blurb):

When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity form his life, past and future. Henry and Clare’s attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it’s about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.

Review:

This book has been on my To Read list since its publication. After seeing the film I needed to wait until my recollection was fuzzy before I hit the pages, and by the time I decided to give it a go I discovered I owned multiple copies—a hardcopy on my bookshelf and an ebook copy. Apparently I’ve been, uh, determined to read this title.

So glad I did.

Why? Well, because it’s that rare book that thanks to its concept is a different type of story than anything else on my shelf. The Time Traveler’s Wife has a circular narrative that questions fate, and analyzes the connection between two people; how a fundamental relationship that circles back and forth through time molds them into who they eventually become. A nature over nurture kind of thing with a dash of chicken or the egg philosophy.

I expected fluff, so I was pleased to discover this is a book that makes you think.

There were surprises in this novel, too. I was glad to see that Henry’s time traveling ability did not exist in a bubble. Yes, out of necessity he needs to hide it from many people, but it’s remarkable how many characters in the story are aware of it. There is a the supportive community that develops around Henry, and it's interesting to see how they are affected by his affliction.

I enjoyed the writing, too. Niffenegger has lovely authentic-feeling diction, giving the characters individuality, as well as lending warmth to the writing that makes you anticipate your next chance to return to the narrative; it’s homey, natural, and comforting.

It’s soft science fiction, and it’s romance. The Time Traveler's Wife is not some fantastical jaunt across time that relies on its readers to stretch the limits of their ability to suspend disbelief; no, it feels genuine—as if this story could actually happen, or is happening now (tomorrow? yesterday? heh).

I get giddy with the thought of this book's potential to be a gateway drug for women into science fiction. I’ve always read genres that defied so-called gender norms, and sadly I’m aware I buck the trends. Though the demographic of female speculative fiction readers is rising, these are ultimately genres dominated by male readers and writers.  

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a novel that will let realism readers ease into the waters of speculative fiction without causing a ripple of discomfort. It's my hope that with this book perhaps some female genre-snobs might be enlightened, realizing that good stories can and do exist outside of the realism label, and that maybe they’ll find something different that strikes heartstrings while sparking imagination at the same time.

NAAMAH’S KISS by Jacqueline Carey - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.
 
Title: Naamah’s Kiss

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Format: mass market paperback

Published: 2009

Genre: epic fantasy

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Landed in my hands: via self-purchase


Summary (from cover blurb):

A child of the Maghuin Dhonn, the fold of the Brown Bear, Moirin is raised in the wilderness of Alba by her reclusive mother. Only when she comes of age does she discover her own illustrious — and mixed — heritage: descended from Alais the Wise, princess of both Terre d’Ange and Alba, Moirin is also the daughter of a d’Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.

After undergoing the Maghuin Dhonn rites of adulthood, Moirin finds divine acceptance... provided she fulfills a mysterious fate that lies across oceans. Beyond Terre d’Ange, in the far reaches of distant Ch’in, she will need to survive the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, and aid both a noble warrior-princess desperate to save her father’s throne and the spirit of a celestial dragon.

Review:

Jacqueline Carey has long since landed herself onto my shelf as a staple, and returning to Terre d’Ange with a new cast of characters felt like coming home. Her steady, melodic, and comforting tone befits this pseudo-European-renaissance world.

Regardless of the above statement, I was leery of returning to Terre d’Ange without Phèdre or Imriel. I really didn't know if it would be worth it, despite the fact that there have been three books published in Moirin's storyline. I should have remembered Carey’s ability pack amazing worldbuilding and magical charm into a novel.

Moirin is no less enchanting than Phèdre, and her quest to discover her destiny takes her far from home; across oceans and encountering strange peoples and magics. Carey has the ability to drop a reader into the realm of the mystical and make it real. Legend is tangible, and adventure is constant.

Aside from the classical epic elements that I enjoy in Carey's writing, what I find endearing in her work is her frank and poetic attitudes towards love and sexuality. Her characters have relationships of all different shapes and sizes, and while it is culturally accepted and revered (or not, in certain places, which creates its own issues), this naturally lends tension, conflict, and delicious romantic longing to the narrative.

One particular line which has stayed with me for its poetic simplicity and romantic weight, highlights the gravity of duty juxtaposed with emotion; it's the conflict of a woman torn —

    She loved them both.

    But she'd wed the King.

   
So simple, yet within the context of the story, it pulls the proverbial heartstrings.

(Oy. Where's Hopeless Romantics Anonymous when you need them?)

The scope and scale of Carey's imagination, coupled with her ability to pull off such a grand tale with elegance, is why I will keep returning to her writing. And now I get to return to Terre d'Ange for another two visits.

And when I am in need of romance, adventure — and comfort food — I'll do just that.

SANTA OLIVIA by Jacqueline Carey - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com in the summer of 2011.]

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Santa Olivia

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Format: trade paperback

Published: 2009

Genre: urban fantasy

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from the cover blurb):

There is no pity in Santa Olivia. And no escape. In this isolated military buffer zone between Mexico and the U.S., the citizens of Santa Olivia are virtually powerless. Then an unlikely heroine is born. She is the daughter of a man genetically manipulated by the government to be a weapon. A “Wolf-Man,” he was engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and senses, as well as a total lack of fear. Named for her vanished father, Loup Garron has inherited his gifts.

Frustrated by the injustices visited upon her friends and neighbors by the military occupiers, Loup is determined to avenge her community. Aided by a handful of her fellow orphans, Loup takes on the guise of their patron saint, Santa Olivia, and sets out to deliver vigilante justice — aware that if she is caught, she could lose her freedom... and possibly her life.

Review:

Carey has an amazing ability to plunge you into a narrative. Immediately I was invested in Santa Olivia. I was reading along, and it seemed a ton had happened already, so I glanced at the page count.

Page thirty seven? Seriously?!

Carey (and I know this from previous reads) is deceptively simple in her worldbuilding, able to quickly sketch a grand, grand scope. Santa Olivia is very different from her Kushiel’s Legacy series, and just as engaging.

I don’t know why, but I found this book very mellow — in a good way. Very calm, matter of fact, gritty, yet eloquent. Not flashy, even while the tension was building.

It felt real.

A realistic fairy tale of a girl born of odd origins who rises up to be the hero of the Outpost, a town on the edge of a military base that has been scorned by the bordering countries, where its citizens are the citizens of nowhere.

Santa Olivia has feisty, almost morbid humour, and is delightful in its nonjudgmental delivery of the story. So the priest isn’t really a priest — he’s helping people, so who cares? The community needs someone to organize charity and lead their faith, and he stepped up, so he’s the priest. It works.

And at the risk of that spoiler alarm wailing, it’s about boxing. Yep. When the subject first edged into the plot, I thought it would remain in the periphery, but I discovered, happily, that it wasn’t. It’s a true tale of the underdog, sweaty boxing gloves, split lips, and desperation.

Which is why — especially for those guys out there who are leery of delving into the urban fantasy genre for fear of accidentally stepping into paranormal romance — I’d suggest you pick up this book. Sure, there’s a romantic interest, but while it is important to the main character, it is not central to the plot. And if knowing it’s about boxing entices someone who would normally overlook Santa Olivia to give it a try... well, I don’t think it counts as a big spoiler.

And there is sadness

Because that’s what this story is, at its core. A tale of the underdog, who brings hope to the downtrodden. I’m interested in seeing where the tale goes in the sequel, Saints Astray, which is scheduled for release in October 2011.

The next book probably won’t have as much boxing, but I think I’m safe in assuming that Loup will be kicking some ass...
permeating this tale, plenty of loss and realistic good-old-fashioned human assholeness, and it makes you root for the underdog even more.

TANGLED SOULS by Jana Oliver - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Tangled Souls

Author: Jana Oliver

Format: ebook

Published: 2013

Genre: paranormal romance, mystery

Publisher:  Nevermore Press

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from the author’s website):

Wiccan Gavenia Kingsgrave’s psychic gift, the ability to talk to the dead, comes with strings attached. As a Shepherd, she escorts them into the hereafter, but not all the souls want to cross over, and some can be downright vicious. When her latest case involves a heart-breaking hit-and-run victim, Gavenia is stressed to the max. The last thing she needs is a no-nonsense private detective on her tail, even if he is a handsome Irishman.

Former homicide detective Douglas O’Fallon possesses his own psychic gift, one he’s denied for years. Hired by a wealthy client to prove that Gavenia’s a con artist, he is skeptical of the witch’s claims she can speak to the dead. If he finds her gift as genuine, then he will be forced to accept his own. When their two cases intersect, opposites attract. But will they be able to set their differences aside long enough to outwit their foes – both the living and the dead?

Review:

I find I gravitate to a lot of young adult titles. Admittedly, it was one of the reasons I picked up Ms Oliver’s The Demon Trapper’s Daughter (and because I was familiar with her name from JordanCons past). It was refreshing to read a story where the main characters were more established, where their personal histories were more cluttered with baggage.

It was a nice change of pace to have characters second guessing the actions of others, but also having enough self-awareness to recognize and debate whether they might be unwilling to trust someone based on their own demons, not the actions of the other character in question. It was a tidy muddle that served to increase narrative tension. As an over-analyser, I could definitely relate.

Tangled Souls was a great book to pick up for a change of pace between epic fantasy reads, letting me reset my brain as it were. And it excites me because I’ve enjoyed Ms Oliver’s Demon Trappers series so much that I was holding my breath, hoping I’d fall in love with her other characters, too. Sure enough, Gavenia and O’Fallon are an idiosyncratic pair that feel genuine—exactly what I was hoping for.

And I’m not going to lie: I got teary at moments. Oliver has managed to tug at the heartstrings again. And because that’s the case, I’ll be picking up more of her work—she’s solidified herself as a good read in my books.

She has another series I have yet to check out called The Time Rovers, and I'm looking forward to reading her take on time travel.

FIRE by Kristin Cashore - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com February 2nd, 2012.]


Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Fire

Author: Kristin Cashore

Format: trade paperback

Published: 2009

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

Publisher: Firebird

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from the cover blurb):

She has been hidden away. Now she is choosing to use her power.

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. Young King Nash clings to the thorn, while rebel lords, in the north and south, build armies to unseat him. War is coming. The mountain and forests are filled with spies and thieves.

This is where Fire lives, a girl whose startling appearance is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Everyone... except Prince Brigan.

Review:

Monster.

What impression does the word carry? Does it make you think of an incredibly beautiful girl who has the capability of ensnaring the minds of people around her with her very presence, and the ability to compel those minds with her thoughts? A girl who is intimidated by her own power and inherent capacity for evil?

No?

That’s why I like that Cashore has chosen simple language. She hasn’t created a new term for her creatures — which is fortunate, since they take the form of every living thing in her universe — and she's spun the known sense of the word on its head. Fire is the last of the human-shaped monsters, and the world is populated with other monsters, born of every species, dangerous oddities within the realm of nature. Coveted for their rarity and power, and drawn to consume each other for their own monster nature.

It’s damn interesting.

Yes, I’ve read Cashore’s first book, Graceling, set in this same universe, and Fire is in effect a prequel, so I had no compunctions about reviewing it without having reviewed Graceling (excellent, by the way).

Cashore’s prose is elegant, a joy to read. It’s very relaxing. Comforting, even. And it has an impossibly sweet and poetic little romance within its narrative.

[He] had been unshaven, in black clothing, his boots spattered with mud. His light eyes standing out in a weary face. 

She’d very much come to like his face.

So simple, and so powerful.

The simplicity of this growing romance is so graceful, so heart-warmingly sweet and natural in its progression that I can’t help but fall in love with the two characters as they discover their mutual care for each other. It’s comfort food for the eyes.

Fire has that strong female lead I’m so fond of, as well as an interesting take on the nature of monsters and cruelty, and a relaxed approach to sexuality that I found refreshing. Cashore is character- and world-focused when writing, and her teens are not really teens in their actions, due to the medieval setting. Which is good — in the middle ages there was no teenage stage, you were simply a child or an adult (once you hit puberty), and Cashore's characters behave like adults, not modern day teens displaced from the local mall.

Though truthfully, the Young Adult label of this title makes it a little shocking when the sexuality of the characters is broached: they are teens by age and our own society's standards, so the blasé attitude about lovers is a touch surprising. (Oh, I hear that damned spoiler alert — no worries, no names attached.) This is especially true when one character manages to impregnate two ladies — at the same time. And aside from some social awkwardness, it's all taken in stride.

Despite this event, I think the message is less a promotion of promiscuity and more about being cautious of your actions and remembering that everything has a consequence. It's not preachy, it's realistic to setting, and because of that, I like it.

Aside from a particular set up that felt more plot device than anything else (won't go into it, that spoiler alert is making my head hurt), this book would have top marks. As it stands, both of Cashore’s novels will be on my keeper shelf.

Happy reading!

THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.
 
Title: The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One)

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Format: ebook

Published: 2007

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Orion Books

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from cover blurb):

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.

Review:

No doubt about it, The Name of the Wind jumped to the front of my To Read list because Patrick Rothfuss is JordanCon 2014’s Author Guest of Honor, and I want to be familiar with his work before I meet him.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised by The Name of the Wind.

Split between the present and the recounting of the past, it’s also divided between third person omniscient and first person viewpoints. There’s a structure to the book—and clearly the overarching trilogy—that Rothfuss has orchestrated with purpose, giving more tension to the narrative—which is good, because it falls into the coming of age category (a category that I find becomes tired easily). This structure paints Kvothe as a tragic figure, a regular-dude-come-legend, and it lends much interest to the tale he has to tell.

Of the two viewpoints, I found the first person voice to be more natural—another good thing, because it’s the lion’s share of the book. Kvothe recounts his life, with a self-reflexivity to his tale that’s entertaining—occasionally mentioning how “in stories” such-and-such happens, but his life is not so simple (heh).

Overall, I found The Name of the Wind had a familiar feel to it—in a positive way. It reminded me of those comfort food books—warm and nostalgic—that make you eager to get back to reading. With its relatively short chapters and good pacing, it was rather addicting.

Definitely looking forward to starting The Wise Man's Fear, and seeing what it has in store for Kvothe.

THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com on April 6th, 2011. The second installment of The Stormlight Archive, Words of Radiance, should be released in early 2014.]

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: The Way of Kings (Book One of the Stormlight Archive)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Format: hardcover

Published: 2010

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Publisher: Tor Books

Landed in my hands: as a gift

Summary (from cover):

I long for the days before the Last Desolation.

The age before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.

The world became ours, and we lost it. Nothing, it appears, is more challenging to the souls of men than victory itself.

Or was that victory an illusion all along? Did our enemies realize that the harder they fought, the stronger we resisted? Perhaps they saw that the heat and the hammer only make for a better grade of sword. But ignore the steel long enough, and it will eventually rust away.

There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to put aside healing to become a soldier in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar’s mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the highprince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the past as his thirst for battle wanes.

The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days can become ours again. These four people are key.

One of them may redeem us.

And one of them will destroy us.

Review:

Old world magic reawakening, fierce battles, political scheming, and nobility grasping at the last strands of what it is to be noble. If epic fantasy is your thing, you’ll be happy to crack the brick that is The Way of Kings. It’s the first of The Stormlight Archive, a series that is expected to span ten novels and the next decade — at least! — in publishing time. (Seriously. I’m not kidding. I’ve been reading Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series since 1992. I never joke about publishing waits.)

So. Yes. The Way of Kings. It's meaty. As well it should be: it’s 1001 pages before the end notes — that includes gorgeous illustrations — and I’m more than a little curious as to how Tor is going to manage to repackage this behemoth into a mass market paperback.

In the first installment of this ambitious series, Sanderson has believably created a world where the violent weather has shaped its geography, its inhabitants (including its creatures), its cultures and the way they create war with each other.

As a regular listener of Sanderson’s joint project podcast, Writing Excuses, I’m well aware that he is known as an outline writer — a planner. This habit reassures me, especially regarding the scope of this series. This meticulous planning doesn’t only project to his plot and character arcs, but his worldbuilding as well. A few years ago, I became a little beleaguered of the fantasy genre as a whole, and I think it was because of the lack of thorough worldbuilding I had encountered in new reads at the time.

Okay, yes, I’ll admit it: when I begin reading fantasy, my brain opens a little file of 'what’s different?' in the novel’s setting. What are the defining aspects of the cultures? What sets the world apart from our own (aside from the presence of magic)?

And sometimes? Sometimes I’m a fantasy snob. Yep. It's true. If the worldbuilding is done poorly, if it feels slapdash and 'just to be different’ instead of traits embedded within the culture through evolving traditions, it’s a big mark against the author, in my mind.

So, when I read in The Way of Kings that the high society of the Alethi culture (Damn it! My anti-spoiler alarm is kicking in. Annoying thing!) do something in particular for propriety's sake, I crossed my fingers that the reasoning would be traced through the history of the people; that there would be a reason more than simply creating a token cultural difference.

Well, Sanderson did one better, in my mind — he used this cultural oddity in the narrative! No spoilers, but the peculiarity came up in the plot, and worked, oh, so well. I was silently cheering him on. I’m also hoping the reasoning behind this cultural oddity will be revealed in a later work (with nine books forthcoming in the series, I figure he’s got a lot of opportunity to do so. Ha!).

Sanderson has talent for skillfully rendering intense, battle-ridden scenes. With the unique geography, there is fascinating strategy and setup to the tactics, like nothing I’ve encountered before. Enough so that it flipped something I don’t usually pay too much attention to (battles and war — gasp!), into an interesting element of the narrative. The straightforward day-to-day technicalities of running a war camp in this unique geography lend reality to the strife and internal struggle of Kaladin, one of the central characters.

And can I just say it’s extremely satisfying to read parallel story lines and discover they artfully dovetail together? It's one of my favourite things, as a reader — the inevitable yet unexpected, and how two analogous plot arcs collide. There's that Sanderson planning for you.

Now, there were some nagging questions (see above, re: basis for cultural oddity in Alethi society), and while some of the questions plaguing me during my read were eventually answered, mostly it was while creating more questions to tantalize and whet the appetite for the next book. As meaty as The Way of Kings may be, it’s truly setting the groundwork for an epic series, introducing a world cracked and ready to be remade, for good or bad. There is enough meat here that the ambitious projection of another nine books in the series doesn’t feel quite 'ambitious' so much as 'completely necessary' by the end of this tome.

Sanderson has created a world in the middle of astronomical change, and has a handful of pivotal characters on standby ready to shape that change.

If you’re a fantasy fan wanting a story that you can sink your teeth into, The Way of Kings has all you’re looking for: unique worldbuilding, interesting magic systems, classic battle clashes, and believable, noble characters, and humour, too. Enjoy!

ETA: It also has some amazing artwork by Michael Whelan. Breathtaking.

A COMPANION TO WOLVES by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com on January 26th, 2011.]

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title:  A Companion to Wolves

Author:  Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear

Format: mass market paperback

Published: 2007

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher:  Tor Books

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from cover blurb):


“In a harsh northern land, the towns of men huddle close around the walled keeps of their lords.  Those keeps, in turn, look to the wolfcarls — men bonded to huge fighting wolves — for their safety, when the trolls and their wyverns come down from the icy mountains to prey on manflesh.

Isolfr is a young nobleman who is called to the wolf pack.  His father is hostile to the wolfcarls and refuses to send his sons, but Isolfr is deeply drawn to the wolves.  When the konigenwolf, Vigdis, comes to visit with her human brother Hrolleif, the young man chooses to disobey his father and answer her summons.


Review:

This was one of those books that made me sit up and realize the gaping hole that has previously been in whole "companion animal" fantasy sub-genre.  Totally an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of thing until I read it and went, “THAT’S what’s been missing!”  To put it succinctly, it’s a psychological and sociological view on the influences of men on the wolf pack (and vice versa), as well as prickly questions of honour.

To be honest, I never would have stumbled upon this book if it weren’t for Brit Mandelo’s excellent post for the series Queering SFF on Tor.com.  I’m always glad to add titles to my To Be Read list, especially if it fits a niche that has previously sat empty.  That’s not to say that I haven’t read any queer fiction, it’s more to say that on my own I gravitate towards the mainstream, and I enjoy the opportunity to explore titles that are more obscure or for whatever reason are marginalized.

I loved the subversiveness of this book.  It grabbed the romanticized ideas of bonding with wolves and put a realistic slant on them.  These ladies obviously asked some hard questions and have thought their concepts through well, and as a testament to their skill, they’ve also delivered an engaging plot to accompany it.  It's a shame this book wasn't written earlier, and hasn't had the time to implant into the fantasy canon.

One thing I’m forced to question, though, is the authenticity of two women writing from the perspective of a young man.  To their credit, this didn’t stand out until I had finished the book, and that’s probably because everyone can relate to feeling alone, feeling in over their head, and feeling bitter that the right, moral answer doesn’t always align with what the heart wants.  I’d certainly be curious to hear a man’s take on this narrative.

A Companion to Wolves is a coming of age story — it’s the tale of how Isolfr becomes a man by being forced into hard decisions.  It’s not for everyone, and while I certainly don’t advocate censoring what people read, I do advocate age-appropriateness.  There’s a harsh honesty to the way this book deals with sexuality that requires a level of maturity in a reader, and therefore I’d recommend a parent be familiar with the content before handing it to someone under the age of fifteen.

This book loses a star only because the names of places and characters are at times difficult to follow — unfortunately, what aids in verisimilitude might distance some readers.

And the only other comment I have to make is more of an innate reaction to the use of the word "kitten" to describe baby trolls.  Maybe it's the cat lover in me, I don't know, but it twigged an extremely base-level knee-jerk disgust every time I read it.  Cognitively I can understand that the term was chosen because the trolls are the natural enemies of the wolves.  Wolves have pups, so it's only logical for the trolls to have kittens, in a cat vs. dog opposition.  But every time it came up, it gave me the heebie-jeebies, and this entire passage probably sounds like it's a negative critique of Monette and Bear's choice — it's not.  I was thoroughly disgusted by those baby trolls, and that's exactly what these writers were going for.  Good work, ladies!

KISS CHRONICLES by Virginia M. Sanders - Book Review

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Kiss Chronicles

Author: Virginia M. Sanders

Format: ebook

Published: 2013

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Smashwords

Landed in my hands: downloaded it myself


Summary (from Smashwords):

When I turned 30 without getting my first kiss — yes, you read that right. Read over it again if you need to. Anyway, when I turned 30, I decided I had to take action and get a first kiss to be remembered. So I devised a method to get my first kiss in a way that would be guaranteed to make it meaningful: I would auction off my first kiss for charity.

In this quirky memoir, I share details from my life, exploring exactly how it was that I came to a kissless crossroads at age 30, and I tell all about the exciting and challenging experiences I faced as I developed the Kiss Chronicles project.

Review:

I’ve done something here I’ve never done before. I’ve read a self-published book I heard about through word of mouth.

(Mouth... kiss... am I the only one chuckling? Yes? That’s okay... it’s pretty lame. I’ll own it.)

Anyhow. I enjoyed this foray, despite going against the grain of my self-published-book snobbery (yes, usually I avoid them—even tiny presses are a better, in my honest opinion, if only from the more polished result). I think I lucked out and hit a winner with Kiss Chronicles, though, as I’ve encountered a lot of garbage floating around out there, and this book wasn't part of it.

Ms Sanders is genuine and her tale is identifiable. She’s putting herself out there with an honesty that is endearing, and her voice (and personality) come through loud and clear. Kiss Chronicles doesn’t read like a flat project outline. It’s got heart.

Now, that’s not to say it doesn’t have its problems. There’s a point early on when Mr Sanders plays an icebreaker with her readers, and well... meh. In her defense, she clearly states the reader can skip it and fall back in at a later point without missing anything. Naturally, since I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to review it, I read every word. The ice breaker game didn't grab me, and I wouldn't advocate telling your readers they can skip parts of your book... and... meh. I wouldn’t’ve put it into the book, but that’s me.

And while I enjoyed the added shorts about first kisses from other writers (she’s got mini chapters dedicated to tales of kissing), it was the source of a moment of confusion for me. I (stupidly) had to put the book down mid-chapter, and when I returned I hadn’t remembered I was in the midst of one of these shorts... since the entire book is written in first person viewpoint, there wasn’t a reminder that I was outside the main narrative of Kiss Chronicles. So I was stymied when suddenly there was a kiss in the middle of what one would suppose would be a kissless book (at least until the end, right?).

Oops.

Reader fail, yes, and I’ll own it.

Otherwise, I enjoyed those kiss-dedicated shorts. They were a nice break from the main event, the tale of the ups and downs of the Kiss Chronicles fundraising project.

Overall, I commend Ms Sanders on her job here. She’s put herself on the line with a diary-like honesty. She recounts her life growing up, her struggles, and the events (some hilariously creepy) that led to her kissless status at the age of 30.

I dare you to read this and not identify with Ms Sanders. Yep, daring you. Because you’ll be touched by her, and then be moved to donate to her cause. The book is free, but she's politely requesting a donation in lieu of a sticker price. Read Kiss Chronicles to understand the significance of the donation, but trust it’s a good one. And not because of the charity benefiting, but because Ms Sanders has earned it and more.

LET’S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED by Jenny Lawson - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on July 10, 2012, on PostWhatever.com.]

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

Author: Jenny Lawson

Format: hardcover

Published: 2012

Genre: Memoir

Publisher:  Amy Einhorn Books

Landed in my hands: via self-purchase


Summary (from inside the jacket flap)

When I tell people that my father is kind of a total lunatic, they laugh and nod knowingly. They assure me that theirs is too, and that he’s just a “typical father.”

And they’re probably right, if the typical father runs a full-time taxidermy business out of the house, and shows up at the local bar with a miniature donkey and a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator, and thinks other people are weird for making such a big deal out of it. If the typical father says things like “Happy birthday! Here’s a bathtub of raccoons!” or “We’ll have to take your car. Mine has too much blood in it,” then yeah, he’s *totally* normal. Still, I don’t remember any of the kids from Charles in Charge feeling around the deep freeze for the Popsicles and instead pulling out an enormous frozen rattlesnake that Charles had thrown in while it was still alive. Maybe I missed that episode. We didn’t watch a lot of TV.

That’s why whenever people try to tell me how their “insane father” would sometimes fall asleep on the toilet, or occasionally catch the house on fire, I put my finger to their lips and whisper, “Hush, little rabbit. Let me give you perspective.”

-- from Let’s Pretend This Never Happened

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a childhood of wearing winter shoes made out of used bread sacks. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humour in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is a poignantly disturbing yet darkly hysterical tome for ever intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud. Like laughing at a funeral, this book is both irreverent and impossible to hold back once you get started.

Review:

Are you familiar with The Bloggess?

Yes? No?

I’ve been a follower of Jenny’s for a while now — I found her back when she had her own ill-advised advice column, Ask The Bloggess, that has since been discontinued — and she’s always a breath of fresh air. A hysterical, humanizing, humble breath of fresh air.

Seriously.

Lawson views the world through a filter that is all her own. And she embraces life, her struggles, her humour, and shares it in such a way that you can’t help but feel the perspective radiating from her words. She has the uncanny ability to summarize events with a combination of irrational paranoia, pop culture references, off-colour quirkiness, but most of all, heart.

One thing I found a touch disappointing with Lawson’s book was that I had expected her to delve more into her struggles with anxiety and depression. Having followed her blog, witnessing her downs and celebrating her ups, I was hoping to have a further peak into that aspect of her life.

And if you’re familiar with her blog, you may notice some repetition (and Jenny’s signature entertaining rambling) though I’m pleased to see it — some of my favourite Jenny-isms are fleshed out more fully in this book, along with classic back and forth conversations between herself and her husband.

What at first seems to be a rather scattered rambling through the logical progression of her life, the chapters are interspersed with conversations and anecdotes. I won’t lie, I was watching for growth, for that progression, for that epiphany, and I was pleased to see it appear. Even more so to see it show up with Jenny’s natural circularity — a quirky-yet-natural propensity to appear as if she’s lost direction, only to discover that she was narrowing in on a point all along.

This circularity occurs in her blog posts, in her chapters, and it ties the entire book together overall; into a neat package that reflects her unique spirit, and the wonder of self-acceptance.

If you're unfamiliar with Jenny, check out the classic Bloggess post about Beyonce the giant metal chicken (seriously, Beyoncé has a following on Facebook, it's that popular.) It'll give you an idea of what the book entails, and hopefully a laugh, too. Enjoy!

BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on April 27, 2011, on PostWhatever.com.]


Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Author: Anne Lamott

Format: paperback

Published: 1994

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher:  Anchor Books

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from the cover blurb):

Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

Review:

Today I’m offering up a little something different for perusal. Non-fiction. Not a place I’ll be delving very often, but this is a book that had first been recommended to me, oh, ten years ago or so, and I’m a lazy ass who takes forever to get to non-fiction recommendations it’s taken me this long to seek it out. I’ve finally come to a place in my life where I not only needed to read Bird by Bird for my creative sanity, but I needed to read it for my soul.

The subtitle says it all: some instructions on writing and life. Lamott has poetically put forth a writing manual that not only gives excellent insight into the writerly condition — anecdotally painting the same situations and insecurities I know I, myself, have felt viscerally — but she also manages to gently tap the glass of the window into the soul. Lamott simply and elegantly describes the human condition, and that mutual need we all have to be understood, to be special, and to be heard.

As a writing handbook, it has wonderful tips on allowing those shitty first drafts, on observing everything around you, and on the importance of cheerleaders. While I disagree with the statement that "nothing is as important as a likable narrator" (I'd argue an interesting narrator is an excellent substitute — I'm sorry, but Vladmir Nabokov's Humbert Humbert in Lolita was anything but likable), there are many other gems that rang true for me. Overall it describes discovery writing more than outlining, though it does touch on the importance of working structure. There are excellent jump-start ideas for blocks, and delightful anecdotes and metaphors for process, and inspiration, and attitude. There’s also a healthy dose of humanity and humour.

It's stories from someone who's been in the trenches.

One of my favourite passages illustrates perfectly the writer’s slow progression into paranoid insanity from being solitary.

[Research] is one great reason to call around. Another is that if you make the phone call while sitting at your computer, you can consider it part of that day’s work. It’s not shirking. Being a writer guarantees that you will spend too much time alone — and that as a result, your mind will begin to warp. If you are in a small workspace, your brain will begin breathing and contracting like the sets in Dr. Caligari. You may begin showing signs of schizophrenia — like you’ll stare at the word schizophrenia so long that it will start to look wrong and you won’t be able to find it in the dictionary and you’ll start to think you made it up, and then you’ll notice a tiny mouth sore, one of those tiny canker sores that your tongue can’t keep away from, that feels like a wound the size of a marble, but when you go to study it in the mirror, you see that it is a white spot roughly as big as a pinhead. Still, the next thing you know — because you are spending too much time alone — you are convinced that you have mouth cancer, just like good old Sigmund, and you know instantly that doctors will have to cut away half of your jaw, trying to save your miserable obsessive-compulsive head from being cannibalized by the cancer, and you’ll have to go around wearing a hood over your entire face, and no one will ever want to kiss you again, not that they ever really did.

I love it.

Bird by Bird is honest. It’s relaxing. It’s quirky. It’s charming. It flows. It’s as if Lamott were whispering secret truths about writing in your ear, sharing humanity and weakness, and in that quirky vulnerability, lending strength. It’s a heartening read, probably for anyone, but especially for writers. She gives writers permission to be insecure, permission to be courageous, permission to be human.

Without going into details, I was lucky to have found this book when I needed it. Perhaps it found me.

Thank you, Ms Lamott, for writing this book. The writer in me thanks you, and my soul thanks you, as well.

WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com on Sept 20, 2011.]


Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Author: Max Brooks

Format: trade paperback

Published: 2006

Genre:  Science Fiction, Horror

Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Landed in my hands: purchased myself


Summary (from cover blurb):

We survived the zombie apocalypse, but how many of us are still haunted by that terrible time? We have (temporarily?) defeated the living dead, but at what cost? Told in the haunting and riveting voices of them men and women who witnessed the horror firsthand, World War Z is the only record of the plague years.

Review:

When I heard about World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War I was instantly dying to pick it up. (Zombies... dying... heh.) Despite the subtitle, I had no idea what I was getting into.

Both fascinating and terrifying, World War Z interviews those who were in the trenches and otherwise affected by a not-so-future zombie outbreak and its residual conflict. Brooks achieves realism through a methodical approach to events, be they on the battlefield (as it were), part of the civilian response, or the political ramifications of a zombie apocalypse.

And I can’t forget the healthy dose of survivor cynicism. It wouldn’t be complete without the cynicism.

I was delighted to see the recycling of interviewees, but I wish I’d noticed earlier so I could better appreciate their continued tales. And since these are transcribed interviews — all first person viewpoint — the speakers themselves can occasionally blur together.

This is not to say that Brooks doesn’t do a good job of creating distinct voices for his interviewees, it’s more that certain voices are similar and can become muddled further on in the book. Battle strategies, emergency plans, the heart and heartlessness of humanity... each interview clearly progresses the narrative or fleshes out a previously undiscussed area of life.

The fact that it’s about war put you off?

No worry, the diversity of the interviews creates a well-rounded look at the changing world. It’s not entirely military. It’s not entirely North American. In fact, it spans the globe, to space and the bottom of the ocean. These interviews impressively touch areas affected by the conflict, be it environmental, psychological, technological, ecological, economical, political, and more.

It examines aspects of a zombie apocalypse I never fathomed, and with a thoroughness that makes me glad I paid for my copy — Mr Brooks, you deserve my money, sir. You have given me plenty of entertainment, thank you.

It’s highly readable, and scarily identifiable. What makes it a good read also makes it a horrifying one. These characters are telling the height of their experience, the horrible parts, the terrifying parts. The graphic parts that get your pulse racing and your chest tightening.

It’s why they’re being interviewed — to share their experiences.

And of course, the slow, paralyzing truth of a situation can be the most frightening thing of all:

All human armies need supplies, this army didn’t. No food, no ammo, no fuel, not even water to drink or air to breathe! There were no logistics lines to sever, no depots to destroy. You couldn’t just surround and starve them out, or let them “wither on the vine.” Lock a hundred of them in a room and three years later they’ll come out just as deadly. 

It’s ironic that the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy its brain, because, as a group, they have no collective brain to speak of. [...] There was no president to assassinate, no HQ bunker to surgically strike. Each zombie was its own, self-contained, automated unit, and this last advantage is what truly encapsulates the entire conflict. [...] 

They had no limits to endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.

If you’re interested in zombies and thrillers, or like war stories and need something new — try this one. It’s earned its place on NPR’s annual fan-compiled list of the 100 top Science Fiction and Fantasy titles.

This is one of those books where I realize someone else has clearly put more thought into their apocalypse emergency plan, and I probably won’t make it to the second day...

I guess Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead should be my next read then, yes?

FEED by Mira Grant - Book Review

[Note: This review was originally published on PostWhatever.com in January 2011. Seanan McGuire is the Author Guest of Honour at JordanCon 2013, and I am positively stupid with excitement!]

Rating: 4/5 -  A satisfying read that’s worth every word.

Title: FEED (book one of The Newsflesh Trilogy)

Author: Seanan McGuire writing as Mira Grant

Format: mass market paperback

Published: 2010

Genre: Horror/Thriller/Science fiction

Publisher:  Orbit

Landed in my hands: purchase myself


Summary (from the cover blurb):

The year was 2014.  We had cured cancer.  We had beaten the common cold.  But in doing so we had created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.  The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives — the dark conspiracy behind the infected.  The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Review:

Okay.  Here’s where I trot out the first of my many dirty secrets:  I’m a genre bigot.  Yep.  I read speculative fiction, but I’ve never read a zombie book before, and I wouldn't deny it if I was accused of turning my nose up in the general stinky, sticky, gory zombie direction.  Last January, though, I decided that the year would include new reads — stuff out of my usual norm.  And with that in mind, when Rebecca from Dirty Sexy Books proclaimed Feed as the winner for the December book club slot, I decided to give it a go.

And I’m certainly glad I did.

Feed bucked my vision of what a zombie story would be.  Sure, there were gory undead running around, along with super-charged security to help keep the living alive, but I didn’t expect to find a political campaign and an engaging conspiracy theory inside this book, regardless of what the cover blurb said.

Immediately the story opens with action, and keeps moving.  If there isn’t action on screen, then the narrator, Georgia, is explaining the dystopian, zombiefied world in an engaging way.  It helps that Georgia is a blogger, used to reporting the news and keeping to facts.  She’s entertainingly observant when it comes to her companions and the events around her.  I’m surprised I managed to put the book down, because every time I picked it up, I was shocked at how quickly I was engrossed again.

There were several things about this book that I found refreshing, including the shocking fact that the coverage of the US political campaign didn’t bore me.  (Seriously — this is big!  When people say "politics" my brain hears the wordless wonh-wonh of adult babble from Shultz' Peanuts.)  Georgia has a snarky, smart slant to her that makes her recount of politics interesting -- she’d gloss over the boring parts or pick it apart in an amusing, grumbly way, or focus briefly on technology or a historical tidbit that added to the story’s realism.

The presentation of technology in 2039 is realistic and yet not too tech-y.  The lockdown procedures and constant testing for infected individuals are logical, and though they feel paranoid at times, it’s mostly due to culture shock.  I couldn’t imagine wandering around constantly being pricked, basically every time I enter or leave a place (or want to get into my own vehicle).  And every time someone had to have their hand jabbed, I thought of how freaking painful that would be — constantly?  And yet, no one really complains until the very end!  (Thankfully someone did — it was beginning to drive me bugnuts!)

What I absolutely love about Feed, though, was the close brother-sister relationship between Georgia and Shaun.  I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such realistic sibling closeness, and given the circumstances of their lives and the world they’re in, it makes perfect sense.  This quote from Georgia kind of sums it up:

Steve’s eyebrows arched upward.  “You two would rather share a room?”

His expression was a familiar one.   We’ve been seeing it from teachers, friends, colleagues, and hotel concierges since we hit puberty.  It’s the “you’d rather share a room with your opposite-gendered sibling than sleep alone?” face, and it never fails to irritate me.  Social norms can bite me.  If I need to have someone guarding my back when the living dead show up to make my life more interesting than I want it to be, I want that someone to be Shaun.  He’s a light sleeper, and I know he can aim.

So yeah, overall?  Feed is one of those books that makes me happy I forced myself out of my comfort zone.  Cheers!