Sunday Musings: Back to School
Posted on September 3, 2017 13 Comments
The list of 300 Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once rolled around Facebook earlier in the summer. Without counting the books on the list that I totally plan to read within the next year or so, I managed to score a pathetic 87/300 books read. I’ve read lots of books, but I guess these are the ones that make me look intelligent and cultured, so clearly, I’ve got lots of reading to do before I die in order to upgrade my reputation!
Examining the list, I noticed that a lot of the books that counted towards my read pile were books that I read in school. A lot. The Shakespeare titles accounted for a quite a few, but there were others, such as The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace, books I likely would never have read if the education system hadn’t forced me to. But, grudgingly as I may have flipped those pages, I do have fond memories and still treasure the fully dogeared and underlined and notes-scribbled in the margins copy of A Prayer for Owen Meany on my shelf.
Prior to checking out that list, I had already embarked on a little reading challenge related to my school days. I’ve been rereading some of the books that really stood out for me, though at the time, I probably didn’t understand why.
First up was The Handmaid’s Tale, which I reread last year, prior to learning about the show. I’m glad I did reread it, as it makes the show that much more interesting. But the reread opened my eyes to one particular element of the book: sexism. I mean, obviously, the concept of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian future where women’s bodies are a commodity and fertility their only purpose is pretty messed up and I would like to think that my teenaged brain picked up on that. But upon rereading the book, it struck me that this was not the topic of any of our classroom discussions. In fact, there were also no discussions about the sex and displays of sexuality that occurred within the story. Granted, talking about sex with teens in our immature society would probably lead to lots of stifled giggles, but that’s part of the problem our society faces, isn’t it? Too afraid to talk about sex, making it taboo and causing books like this that should offer opportunities for healthy discussion to end up on banned books lists instead because they are too explicit and immoral and blah blah blah. Obviously, since I read it in high school, it wasn’t banned by our school board, and it’s great that we got to read it, but I fear much of the purpose of including a book on the curriculum is lost if all of its issues, including the controversial ones, aren’t actually addressed in the discussion.
Still, I must of gotten something out of it. And I don’t just mean two of my favourite quotes:
“Pearls are congealed oyster spit.”
This quote comes back to me now and then to remind me not to put too much value in items of status.
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum”
Now more than ever, this Latin phrase has come to mean so much, as has the book itself as well as the show since Trump’s inauguration…
Much like The Handmaid’s Tale, Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World‘s sexual content shocked me — not because sex is shocking, but because when I first read it, I didn’t really notice it I guess, and again, it never came up in our discussions. But I really loved this book. Probably because I watched Demolition Man shortly after. There’s nothing like relating something pop culture-y to homework to get a kid like me invested. That was also the year I tried to work the Terminator saga into every project I possibly could.
I didn’t manage that with A Brave New World, but I fondly remember the related group project I did with three other classmates where we created a heretical magazine that would have been banned within this dystopian utopia for all of its blasphemies. Oh yes, we dared to suggest cross-caste dating! We got an A- on that project and I couldn’t have been prouder of our work.
We railed against the classism we encountered, but we didn’t notice the sexy stuff. And we also didn’t notice the complete lack of diversity. Both of these books made a big point of shipping off people like me to colonies. Because too often in science fiction and fantasy, people of colour and other marginalized groups don’t get to live happy or even unhappy dystopian lives. In science fiction stories like these that intended to show us a world that could be if society continues careening on without any kind of empathy and understanding of each other and our diverse experiences, it sometimes becomes tedious to keep reading about a society where marginalized people still have to struggle for acceptance. Science fiction — and most certainly fantasy — have the opportunity to step beyond the boundaries society places on such things, and yet, too many authors continue to fall back on perpetuating what already exists.
The recent screen translations of both stories try to do better with diversity, at least. And now that I’m older and wiser, I can appreciate the sexuality and the more explicit and controversial themes, even if I remain disappointed that my high school teachers didn’t stray from the assigned curriculum enough to discuss such things back then. Discussion opens the door to greater understanding, for those who are willing to listen, and through that, we may all just start getting along a little better. And who doesn’t want that?
Book Review: Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Posted on September 2, 2017 14 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Anthology
Series: Temeraire
Publisher: Subterranean Press (August 31, 2017)
Length: 180 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Golden Age and Other Stories is a charming little anthology that is sure to please fans of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire, though if you are just getting started on the series or are hoping to sample some of the stories here before diving into the main books, this will not be the most ideal entry point. For that, I highly urge you to simply pick up His Majesty’s Dragon, one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. While I don’t think you have to complete the series to appreciate this collection (I myself have only read the first six of the nine volumes), having some basic knowledge of the world to start will definitely help you out a lot.
This anthology also features an interesting format, consisting of six short stories which are then followed by about two dozen snippets termed “Drabbles”. All of them are accompanied by a piece of fan art upon which these tales are based, so not only are you getting plenty of dragon-y goodness with this collection, you’ll also be receiving a generous helping of gorgeous eye candy.
But how do the stories themselves stack up, you ask? Well, as with most collections, the offerings here are somewhat unbalanced, hitting both highs and lows. I don’t mind admitting that I was largely unimpressed with the first few stories or any of the Drabbles at the end, but sandwiched between them are several amazing gems that are so good that I would say they are worth the price of admission alone.
To begin, we have the first tale called “Volly Gets a Cow”, a short humorous piece that nevertheless left me feeling lukewarm towards it. One thing I did like though, was how this was one of the few stories in here that featured Temeraire displaying a deep font of patience as he tries to reign in one of his dragon friends, the playful and distracted Volly who only has eyes for a delicious yummy cow.
Next up is a story called “Planting Season”, which fortunately I enjoyed a lot better than the first. It stars a dragon in the Americas named John Wampanoag, who has fallen into a sort of mediator role between the Native Americans and the European settlers in the aftermath of the Revolution. Offering his services as a courier, John has a talent for making negotiations and a sharp mind for getting the best deal out of a trade. I liked how this one offered another view of the world from a different context, accomplishing just what a side story should do.
Then comes another dip, I’m afraid, in “Dawn of Battle”, a story starring a young Jane Roland that gives a bit about her background. To my disappointment, of the six full tales in this collection, I thought this was probably the least memorable, though if you’re a big fan of her character then this one may impact you a lot more.
Now comes the good stuff: The title story “Golden Age” is a reimagining of Laurence’s first meeting with his dragon. This alternate version has Temeraire’s egg washing up ashore on a desert island following a shipwreck. After hatching and falling in with a group of feral dragons, the lot of them decide to turn to a life of piracy, and their subsequent looting and plundering prompts Laurence to investigate and bring them to justice. Do I really need to spell out why this story was so awesome? PIRATE DRAGONS! Not to mention there’s also a heart-pounding encounter at sea involving dragons and a kraken, which hopefully shouldn’t be a spoiler considering how the image depicting this scene is plastered all over the cover.
After all the action, a more emotional, quiet tale is told next in “Succession”, a story about Temeraire’s mother. After laying twin eggs, Qian has to make a difficult decision in order to prevent a rivalry between the princes in the Chinese imperial family. This one really tugged on my heartstrings, reading about a nervous parent fretting for the precarious wellbeing of her growing child, only to find out about a second dragonlet. Something that should have been a blessing becomes the source of even more heartbreak in this beautiful story about motherhood and sacrifice, and I think fans of the series will also enjoy the little insights we get into Temeraire’s origins.
Without a doubt though, the crowning glory of this collection is “Dragons and Decorum”, and yes, the title should clue you in on the story’s inspiration, even without the mention of Elizabeth Bennet as the main protagonist. In this lovely, delightful mashup featuring a blend of the worlds of Temeraire and Jane Austen, Elizabeth is sent to the Aerial Corps as a young girl to become a dragon rider, returning home a few years later as Captain Bennett accompanied by her gabby Longwing named Wollstonecraft. Similar to the novel Heartstone by Elle Katharine White, this is a re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice with dragons, but what I loved about this story is that Elizabeth is the dragon rider instead of Mr. Darcy. It’s also quite a close retelling, though I did wish the story had ran a little longer because it was so cute and endearing. Novik also shows what a versatile writer she is, perfectly channeling Austen and the Regency-era style.
And finally, we come to the Drabbles, a series of 100-word paragraph-long stories which I honestly could have done without. Like a collection of random notes or passages clipped out of a book, I can see writing them being a fun little exercise for Novik and pairing them with pieces of fan art was also a very unique and cool idea, but for the most part none of them made much of an impression.
So, is Golden Age and Other Stories worth reading? If you’re a fan of Temeraire, the answer is absolutely yes. While the early stories and the ending Drabbles may be on the underwhelming side, I wouldn’t let that discourage you from seeking the real treasure found in the intervening pages. I would even go as far as to say standouts such as “Golden Age”, “Succession”, and “Dragons and Decorum” are must-reads, and happily, these three stories make up the bulk of this book. The world of Temeraire is rich and marvelous, and a collection like this reminds me that there’s always something more to discover.
Tough Traveling: Dragons
Posted on September 1, 2017 20 Comments
Back in 2014, the idea for Tough Traveling started with Nathan of Fantasy Review Barn who came up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in (and inspired by) The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, a tongue-in-cheek parody of the fantasy genre by Diana Wynn Jones. It was widely successful, with over fifty bloggers participating at one point before it went on hiatus. But now Tough Traveling is back, with huge thanks to Laura from Fantasy Faction for reviving the feature! Every first of the month we’ll be posting a list of books that fit a particular theme, with the next month’s theme also to be announced. Interested in participating? Well, grab your traveling packs and come along! You are welcome to post your Tough Traveling lists anytime during the month.
September’s topic is:
Dragons
The Tough Guide advises that Dragons are ‘very large scaly beings with wings and long spiky tails, capable of breathing fire through their mouths. They can be almost any colour or combination of colours, though green, red and black are preferred. They are always very old. Most of them seem to have flown to Fantasyland aeons ago across the void. This migration was almost certainly to get away from our world, where people would insist that they were dangerous monsters that had to be exterminated. Dragons, as all Fantasyland knows, are no such thing.’ Or are they?
The Age of Dragons
Well duh, of course I’m going to include Dragon Age on my list. How can I not? This BioWare series is so named because the people of the world of Thedas like to define eras by a prominent factor. In this case, the return of dragons to the skies prompted the Divine to name the tenth age thusly. And what an auspicious age it has been! Dragons play an important role in this series, but they are rarely helpful — and even when they look like they might be helping, it’s only because their plans align with the hero’s — for the time being.
The Soultaken
In Steven Erikson’s Malazan series, several dragons take to the skies. They are the alternate forms of the Soultaken, a group of shapeshifters who gained their powers through ritual. Anomander Rake’s soultaker form is that of a black dragon, the largest anyone has ever seen.
The Dragons of Earthsea
Earthsea’s dragons are neither good nor evil, but it is wise to avoid them. They have no use for humans, save for the dragonlords, those humans who can understand the language of the Making and who may know the true names of the dragons and can, therefore, will them to do their bidding.
The Celestial Dragon
In Jacqueline Carey’s Naamah’s Kiss, Moirin meets a princess who is locked away, bond to a celestial dragon that is far more than a mere guardian.
The Luck Dragon
“Never give up, and good luck will find you.” So says Falkor, the luck dragon who shares his wisdom and his back with Atreyu and Sebastion, the protagonists of Michael Ende’s Neverending Story.
Listing all the books on my shelf that fit this month’s theme would take forever, so let’s try something a little different today. Behold, my top five favorite books/series featuring dragons!
The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
I’ve seen fantasy deal with the subject of dragons in many ways: sometimes they’re the monsters for the heroes to kill, sometimes they’re intelligent and have the ability to speak, forming partnerships with humans or even taking human shape, etc. However, I personally liked how this series tackled the matter by painting dragons as simply another kind of wild animal species, as well as the main character’s biologist/naturalist perspective to want to observe and study them. As indicated by the series’ title, these novels are told in the form of a memoir from the venerable Lady Trent, leading research and expert on the topic of dragons. Earlier this year, we saw the fifth and final book and it was a bittersweet experience for me, but I was also glad that I finally got to see all of the author’s ideas come to fruition.
The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood
Todd Lockwood is one talented guy. Not only is he a professional illustrator and a painter of beautiful dragons (in fact, he is the artist who provided all the covers and interior art for Marie Brennan’s series above), apparently he’s one hell of an author too. His debut, The Summer Dragon, takes place in a world where dragons are used as mounts in war, and protagonist Maia and her family are breeders who supply the army with young dragonlings. For as long as she can remember though, Maia has wanted a dragon of her own to love and train and ride, but as Brood Day draws nearer it seems once again the army will be demanding their entire stock this year. A new threat is emerging, and it has already destroyed another one of the Dragonry’s most productive aeries. To fight the enemy, the army is going to need every single dragon they can get their hands on.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Of course, no list about my favorite books featuring dragons can be without A Game of Thrones, a novel that is close to my heart. I won’t go into my mixed feelings about some of the later books in the series, but this first one sucked me in right away and left me in awe of the world and characters brought to life by George R.R. Martin’s addictive storytelling. I recall an interview I saw with him one time in which he stated that too much magic can ruin fantasy, and I have to say I can see where he’s coming from, for while I have nothing against excessive magic, in general I do find myself preferring fantasy fiction that is heavier on the realistic elements. Dragons, however, are the exception to this rule. Everyone knows that for instant awesome, just add dragons, and the ones in A Song of Ice and Fire are some of the best in the genre.
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
It’s the Napoleonic wars…but with dragons. As with A Song of Ice and Fire, the series Temeraire and I have had our ups and downs, but this first book remains one of my favorite dragon books of all time. Not surprisingly, in here you’ll find many incredible scenes of intense aerial combat and draconic battles, but my favorite aspect of the book was probably the main character’s relationship with his dragon. Captain Will Laurence was happy with his seafaring life serving in the British Royal Navy, until a chance encounter results in him becoming bonded to Temeraire, a newly hatched dragonlet seized from a captured French frigate. Though I enjoyed the thrilling action in these books, I was much more interested in the dynamics between these two characters, and devoured His Majesty’s Dragon while savoring every moment as master and dragon bonded over time.
The talented Todd Lockwood once again, this time with Temeraire
Rounding out this list is something a little different. Meet Julius, the protagonist of this series, which is a mix of magic, dystopia, humor and urban fantasy. Julius is the youngest, smallest, most powerless dragon in his family, the Heartstriker clan. Still, he isn’t a pushover so much as he’s just downright terrible at being a dragon. For one thing, he’s nice, considerate, has no designs on taking over the world, all of which makes him an absolute failure in his mother’s eyes. After twenty-four years of watching Julius hide out in his room in the mountain, Bethesda the Heartstriker has finally had it. Sealing him in his human form, the dragon matriarch banishes her son to the Detroit Free Zone where he’s left to either get with the program or fend for himself.
Friday Face-Off: Horse
Posted on September 1, 2017 12 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“Being born in a stable does not make one a horse”
~ a cover featuring a HORSE
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
When I was a kid, I was obsessed about this book called Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. What little girl doesn’t like a story about horses, am I right? Well, The Scorpio Races is a book for that inner little girl in all of us, all grown up. In this novel, people from all over the world would swarm to the small island of Thisby every November to see the famous Scorpio Races, an event where tourists and locals alike would place huge bets on the horses and their riders.
Thing is though, the horses here aren’t your usual Thoroughbreds or Appaloosas. Instead, the jockeys ride the capaill uisce, a breed of water horse native to Thisby. They’re also carnivorous predators, known to prey on livestock and other animals on the island. While their strength makes them fast mounts, their fierce aggression and unpredictable temperaments also means they have no qualms about attacking humans, and it is common for riders to die in accidents or attacks every year. Though our protagonist Kate “Puck” Connolly has had no experience with racing, she decides to sign up anyway, being the first female to ever do so. And instead of choosing to ride a capaill uisce, Puck also shocks the world by choosing to compete with Dove, her plain old regular dun mare.
There are a lot of covers for this book, so I’ve only picked the best to feature. Let’s take a look at them now:
First row, from left to right: Scholastic (Hardcover 2011) – Scholastic (Paperback 2011) – Scholastic (2013)
Scholastic (2017) – Italian (2012) – Polish(2012) – Spanish (2013)
Czech (2013) – French (2012) – German (2012)
Winner:
This was a tough week featuring a lot of strong covers, especially with my favorite color combo of red+black+white being the predominant theme. But at the end of the day, I think I’m going to have to go with the Scholastic 2013 edition. I’ve loved it ever since I first saw it, though I wish that Printz Honor badge didn’t distract so much from the gorgeous image.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
“Can’t Wait” Books of Late 2017
Posted on August 31, 2017 35 Comments
So maybe you’ve heard, but I love lists. My day-to-day life might not be as organized as I would like, but I do enjoy creating book lists and putting together reading schedules because I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to things like that. It also has the added benefit of focusing my attention to the “must-read” releases that I’m excited about, so why not? I made lists for Early and Mid-2017 after all, so I’ve decided to do it once more for the final four months of the year. So here we go, these are the Science Fiction and Fantasy titles I’m really looking forward to in the rest of 2017…or at least I’ve tried to narrow down the list! What’s on your late-2017 “Must-Read” TBR? Anything you think I missed?
September
September 1 to 3 – Star Wars: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson
September 4 to 10 – Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff, The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente, A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
September 11 to 17 – Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham, The Twilight Pariah by Jeffrey Ford
September 18 to 24 – Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda
September 25 to 30 – Provenance by Ann Leckie, Paradox Bound by Peter Clines, An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard, Invictus by Ryan Graudin
October
October 1 to 7 – The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan, A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne, The Core by Peter V. Brett, 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough, Blackwing by Ed McDonald, The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera, The Genius Plague by David Walton
October 8 to 14 – The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear, Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson
October 15 to 21 – N/A
October 22 to 28 – The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso, The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
October 29 to 31 – Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
November
November 5 to 11 – Shadowborn by David Dalglish, Jade City by Fonda Lee, The Realms of God by Michael Livingston, The Speaker by Traci Chee
November 12 to 18 – Artemis by Andy Weir, Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, The Nine by Tracy Townsend
November 19 to 25 – N/A
November 26 to 30 – Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren
December
December 3 to 9 – The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan, Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey, The Fall of the Readers by Django Wexler
December 10 to 16 – Killman Creek by Rachel Caine
December 17 to 23 – N/A
December 24 to 31 – N/A
Waiting on Wednesday 08/30/17
Posted on August 30, 2017 14 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Killman Creek by Rachel Caine (December 12, 2017 by Thomas & Mercer)
Barely a month has passed since I read the first book, and the sequel already has a cover and synopsis! Good to know the novels of this series are on the fast track to being released, with Killman Creek set to drop this winter a mere five months after Stillhouse Lake. I love it when I don’t have long to wait, especially when it’s looking like this second installment will be just as intense and addictive as its predecessor.
“Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.
Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…
You’re not safe anywhere now.
Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.
But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.”
Book Review: An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock
Posted on August 29, 2017 25 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Risen Kingdoms
Publisher: Tor (August 29, 2017)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
An Alchemy of Masques and Shadows turned out to an incredible surprise and one of the most engrossing reads I’ve had in a long time. In truth though, I hadn’t known what to make of the novel’s description when it first crossed my path. Its story’s scattered allusions initially prompted me to approach this one with a wariness I usually reserve for unknown quantities, but ultimately this mishmash of genre elements ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the book. There seems to be something for everyone, whether it’s science fiction, fantasy, historicals, steampunk or action and adventure that tickles your fancy.
The story predominantly follows two characters: Jean-Claude, a stouthearted and valiant musketeer who must nonetheless act the drunken fool in order to protect Princess Isabelle, who hails from a powerful family of sorcerers despite possessing no magical aptitude of her own. Their fates first collided on the day of Isabelle’s birth, when the discovery of her congenitally deformed hand almost led her to be killed on the spot. Only through Jean-Claude’s intervention was her life spared, and from that moment on, the musketeer became something of a surrogate parent for the princess.
As Isabelle grew up, her real father was cold and cruel towards her, disappointed in her disability and lack of magic. By trying to force her powers to manifest, he ended up destroying the mind of Isabelle’s best friend Marie, who became a “bloodshadow” after his traumatic magical assault on her psyche. Nevertheless, Isabelle found other ways to flourish, finding joy in secretly studying science and mathematics, two fields that are forbidden to women. She has even conducted her own research, publishing works under a male pseudonym. The only one who knows about this is Jean-Claude, who has looked out for Isabelle for years, making sure she is well-protected from those who see her deformity as proof that she is evil, or cursed.
Jean-Claude’s job is about to get more complicated, however, when one day a half-human-half-clockwork messenger arrives with a missive from the Kingdom of Aragoth, whose Prince Julio has asked for Isabelle’s hand in marriage. Not only are the politics behind the arrangement messy, with a high threat of assassination attempts and other dangers, things in Aragoth are also very different from Jean-Claude and Isabelle’s home of the Isle del Zephyrs in l’Empire Céleste. Instead of using blood-based systems of magic, the sorcerers of Aragoth are Glasswalkers who can pass in and out of mirrors.
Musketeers, Bloodshadows, clockwork cyborgs, Glasswalkers, airships and floating islands…is there anything this book doesn’t have? And as if that wasn’t enough, in the middle of all this is also a disorienting jumble of court intrigue and deadly politics. At certain points, this avalanche of information almost got to be too confusing, too much to take. And yet, just before my brain could short out like an overloaded circuit, Craddock started bringing it all together. Massive in scope and imagination, the world of The Risen Kingdoms became more immersive and real to me the longer I stayed in it. As evidenced from some of the naming conventions, the author draws a lot of inspiration from European history, but most of everything in this story is completely fresh and new.
Also, I can’t tell you what a breath of fresh air it is to read a book where the heroine actually SHOWS readers how smart, strong and capable she is through her actions, as opposed to having the text TELL us again and again—which is never as effective as authors might think. A lot of debuts tend to fall into this trap, but I’m glad this book managed to employ “Show, Don’t Tell” by allowing us to develop a connection to Isabelle through experiencing her actions, words, and feelings instead of resorting to unwieldy exposition. To wit, she stood out to me without the narrative having to idealize her character or use any “Chosen One” clichés, not to mention Isabelle being an overall worthy protagonist also allowed me to sympathize with Jean-Claude’s fierce loyalty towards her. She’s someone who earns the respect and admiration of those around her, and this in turn made it easier for me to root for her too.
Evocative and creatively imagined, An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is a gorgeously written debut encompassing a splendid mix of speculative genre elements. Lovable characters made this one a joy to read, not to mention my delight at how almost every page would bring something new and awe-inspiring about the world to the table. If you haven’t made reading this a priority yet, you should get on that right away. As a series opener, this book made a huge impression on me, and I can’t wait to see where the story will go next.
Book Review: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Posted on August 28, 2017 18 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Bobiverse
Publisher: Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency (April 14, 2017)
Length: 308 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Every time I go to Audible my account page is always bombarding my recommended list with this one, and well, it’s hard not to be curious when the book’s page is filled with literally tens of thousands of five star reviews. I figured it was high time to find out what all the fuss was about, and am I glad I did! For those of you who have already been initiated into We Are Legion (We Are Bob) fan club, I beg your forgiveness for being skeptical at first, but can you blame me? This whole time, I’d been going on what was written in the arguably bland and generic publisher description, which—I have to stress—is not a good reflection of the story AT ALL. Trust me, this book is so much more.
Meet Bob Johansson, who has just sold off his software company and is looking to take his new fortune to a service offering their clients the option to cryogenically freeze themselves in the event of their deaths. You can probably guess where this is headed. Sure enough, while enjoying his new life of freedom and leisure at a convention in Las Vegas, Bob gets distracted while crossing the street and—BAM! Pain and blackness is the last thing he remembers before waking up more than a century later to discover that he is now an artificial intelligence created from a brain scan of his consciousness. The country has turned into a theocracy which has declared that replicants like Bob are without rights. He is also now the property of a government program developing a self-replicating interstellar von Neumann probe with the goal of exploring the galaxy. If all goes well, Bob will be uploaded into the probe and sent on journey into space to look for habitable planets.
Unfortunately, the mission will be dangerous. Other nations have the same idea and are all in competition with each other, and indeed a large chunk of the book involves Bob’s run-ins with his Brazilian replicant counterpart who is following the same directive from his handlers. As Bob travels deeper into space, he also begins to realize the need for more processing power, leading him to clone himself multiple times in order to distribute all his responsibilities. And thus, we end up with a “legion” of Bobs, each one going about their own way and chronicling their own adventures in deep space.
This is sci-fi done in a way I’ve never really seen before. While the tone of the narrative is familiar, with its snarky humor and heavy infusion of geek pop culture jokes, the story and the characters and the worlds feel different and fresh. Like a funnier, more action-oriented version of The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet, it is presented in a format that feels almost episodic and digressive, but I was surprised to find I didn’t mind the divergent plotlines too much. Mostly, this was because of how fun it was to follow all the “Bobs”. Dennis E. Taylor has turned what could have been a lonely tale about a solo space explorer into an uproariously entertaining experience filled with many vibrant and unique personalities. The characters in this book are all one person—but they are also not. The story actually makes it a point to emphasize that the Bobs are distinct individuals, each possessing different aspects of the original.
The plot was also very clever and dynamic. Admittedly, I didn’t really care for the first few chapters, finding Bob aloof, standoffish and unlikeable. Little did I know though, this was intentional set-up for the later parts of the novel. Bob eventually learns some interesting lessons about his identity and his life, which I suppose comes with the territory of interacting with multiple versions of yourself. In fact, despite the tensions involved during the earlier parts of the book involving the development phase of the space probe and Bob’s training, I didn’t feel that things took off until well into the story—right around the same time he started replicating himself, which shouldn’t be too surprising given how so much of this book’s awesomeness is directly related to the shenanigans of the many Bobs. I won’t ruin it by going into details, but I adored following Riker, Bill, Homer, and all of the others (each iteration of Bob gets to choose their own names, most based on their favorite childhood TV shows and interests growing up int the 90’s) along on their respective adventures.
Consider me a new fan and follower of the Legion of Bob! Having finished this book and seen for myself what it’s all about, I can understand now why the popularity of this book blew up in such a short time. I highly recommend taking a look for yourself, especially if you enjoy space opera or sci-fi comedy that manages to be both smart and funny. I can’t wait to dive into the next book.
Audiobook Review: Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks
Posted on August 27, 2017 13 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Media Tie-In
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House Audio (July 18, 2017)
Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Jack Black
I never thought I’d see a book like this, brought to us by the author of World War Z no less. A month ago, if you had floated me the idea of a Minecraft novel adaptation, I would have laughed and said it would never fly. I mean, what would it even be about? Won’t it just end up being a three-hundred-page instruction manual on how to play the game?
Well, apparently yes and no. This “first and only official Minecraft novel”, trumpets the publisher blurb, tells the story of a hero stranded on an island based in the Minecraft world. The book starts off with our unnamed protagonist (whom I will refer to as “he” since I listened to the version of the audiobook narrated by Jack Black) coming to consciousness in a freaky new reality where everything—the land, the trees, the animals, the sun, and even the character’s own body—is made up of square blocks. This shouldn’t be too hard to picture in your mind, if you’re familiar with Minecraft, though if you’re not, then this book—not to mention the rest of this review—is probably going to sound very strange.
Reading this story, I flashed back to early 2010 which was when I was first exposed to Minecraft. The game was in Alpha phase at this point, very early in its development cycle, and the only mode available was Survival where players must collect resources, build shelter, fend off hostile mobs, and manage your health and hunger in order to survive. Like the character in this novel, you literally started with nothing but the clothes on your back. To flourish and thrive, you had to explore and gather raw materials which can in turn be used to craft other items like tools, weapons, and furniture. At night, you wanted to be safely ensconced in a well-lit shelter because that’s when monsters like zombies would spawn, which our protagonist discovers to his horror and dismay. This book is essentially the story of his experience and serves as a proxy for a new player who might be seeing this confusing and disorienting game world for the first time—except, of course, there are no game guides or online wikis to help him out.
As surprised as I am to admit it, Minecraft: The Island ended up being very good. Much of the enjoyment came from listening to the audiobook, I am sure (which I will go into later), but I was overall quite impressed with how the author managed to dramatize the new player experience, making even the most mundane tasks feel like a race against time. Brooks also did a great job capturing the spirit of the game, perfectly portraying that giddy sense of excitement whenever you make a new discovery, or even that satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you survive your first night without being killed by a zombie.
For a story based on a desert island scenario, the tone of the narrative was also much more enthusiastic and upbeat than I expected. Thanks to unconventional personalities like Moo the cow and other barnyard animals that our protagonist befriends (hey, it sure beats talking to an inanimate volleyball), we avoid the usual problems involving loneliness and tedium. As this book is geared towards children and young adults, the humor we get is light and clean, though I’m also confident that readers of all ages will be able to appreciate the story’s universal themes. The table of contents, which ostensibly reads like a list of guidelines to help you succeed in Minecraft, show chapter headings like “Never Give Up”, “Details Make The Difference”, “Take Life In Steps”, “Take Care of Your Environment So It Can Take Care Of You”, “It’s Not Failure That Matters, But How You Recover”, or “Books Make the World Better”—all good lessons that can be applied to the real world, no matter how old you are.
Bottom line, Minecraft fans will undoubtedly get the most out of this, but it would also be a shame to dismiss it out of hand. Having sunk plenty of hours into this game back in Alpha, reading Minecraft: The Island was a nice shot of nostalgia, with the main character’s challenges reminding me lot of those early days where no one really knew what was going on and any progress was made mostly through experimentation and sheer dumb luck. Overall, I thought this was a fun little book filled with tons of game lore and Minecraft-y goodness—along with a surprising amount of introspection, which is always a nice bonus.
Audiobook Comments: The audiobook for Minecraft: The Island comes in two versions—one narrated by Jack Black, the other narrated by Samira Wiley. Since the protagonist is undefined by gender, this allows the reader/listener to select their own “character”, so to speak. I personally went with the Jack Black version because I love his work as an actor and comedian, and it was a choice I did not regret at all. His energy was a great fit for Max Brook’s humor and writing style, and his voice acting really took the story to a whole new level. I also liked how the audiobook incorporated sounds from the game, and though the music could get a bit loud and distracting at times, I doubt I would have enjoyed myself as much if they hadn’t included these nice little touches. Indeed I am happy that I decided to go with the audiobook, and I would not hesitate to recommend this format to anyone thinking of checking out the novel.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on August 26, 2017 48 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
I’m back home now, after spending a week on Cape Code to visit family. There was a lot of beach time, like you’d expect. And of course I got almost no reading done – also like you’d expect. Needless to say, my visions of being able to stretch out on the warm sand while basking in the sun with my nose in a book were swiftly replaced with the reality of chasing after my kids all day long, making sure they didn’t get into any trouble. On the other hand, I was quite productive when it came to audiobooks, thanks to the hours of listening time on the long drives there and back. Hopefully it won’t take too long for things to ease back into their normal schedule now that I’m home, because there will be another big shakeup to my routine once September rolls around and my oldest starts kindergarten. Time sure flies, doesn’t it!
Received for Review
Thank you to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received. For more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages!
When I came home there were a few surprise packages waiting for me. Inside one of them was Jade City by Fonda Lee which is actually a book I’ve been looking forward to, so I couldn’t have been more pleased to get a copy, with thanks to Orbit Books! Inside another was a finished copy of The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter courtesy of Crown Publishing. In case you missed it, I reviewed this official sequel to The War of the Worlds earlier this week, and you check it out here. Next up is an ARC of The Sky is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith from the awesome folks at Hogarth Publishing. I hadn’t heard of this one before, so I looked it up right away, discovering that the story is a bit of an oddball mix of epic fantasy and sci-fi dystopian. With that quirky cover calling to me, I think I’m going to have to give this book a shot. Apparently, it also has dragons!
From the wonderful team at Tor Books, I also received a treasure trove of new books this week. First up is Playing to the Gods by Melanie Rawn which unfortunately is listed as the fifth and final book in her Glass Thorns series and I haven’t read any of the previous installments. Since Rawn is an author I’ve wanted to read for a long time though, I know I’ll eventually find a good jumping on point to try her work. I also received a finished copy of An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock, which I’ve already read and LOVED! Be sure to keep an eye out for my review in a few days! And I was also thrilled to receive a finished copy of The Dinosaur Princess by Victor Milán, book three in the Dinosaur Lords sequence. I’m still enjoying this series, but things got a little shaky in the last book so I’m hoping the story will pick up again in this one.
The Tor Books haul continues with a couple of their titles from their Tor Teen imprint. Ferocious by Paula Stokes is sequel to last year’s Vicarious which I have not gotten the chance to read yet so I’ll have to catch up before diving into this one. I also received a surprise ARC of The Dark Intercept by Julia Keller, a YA sci-fi dystopian which admittedly sounds a bit derivative from its description, but I’m nonetheless very curious to try it.
And speaking of books I want to try, The Castle in Cassiopeia by Mike Resnick is the third novel in the author’s military sci-fi series called Dead Enders. I don’t know if I’ll ever catch up with previous books considering the amount of reading already on my plate, but I’m definitely going to keep them on the list. Next up is an ARC of The Nine by Tracy Townsend, a book I’m highly anticipating. It’s on my must-read list for this fall, so I’m sure you’ll be hearing me talk more about it in the coming months. With thanks to Pyr Books for the review copies!
An finally, rounding out my new arrivals in the mail this week are a couple of unexpected but drool-worthy ARCs courtesy of Thomas Dunne Books. One of Us Will be Dead by Morning by David Moody caught my attention with its title right away, but the description is even more intriguing. The thing is, the book is listed on Goodreads as the fourth novel in the Hater sequence, though I’ve also heard the first three books called the “original trilogy”, implying this might be a standalone or start of a sequel series. If it turns out I can jump on board right here, then you can be sure that I will. Last but not least is Glass Town by Steven Savile, a novel of magic pitched as “reminiscent of Clive Barker’s Weaveworld and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.” The author has also been a writer for popular TV shows such as Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Stargate, so I have a feeling that this book, described as his US debut, should be very interesting!
Moving on to the digital book haul, I was emailed about The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan earlier this week, and after researching it a bit, I found that I could not resist its gorgeous description and decided to accept it for review. From NetGalley, my request for The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert was also approved this week, to my absolute joy and delight. A couple of YA digital ARCs also came in from Edelweiss, first An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson and then Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre, both of which are books I’m champing at the bit to read. With thanks to Harper Voyager, Flatiron Books, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Katherine Tegen Books for the review copies.
I was also happy when I heard that the audiobook of The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis will finally be released at the end of this month. My thanks to Macmillan Audio for offering me a chance to review it. Another audiobook that caught my eye was Warcross by Marie Lu, an upcoming YA release that has been getting tons of buzz lately. I decided to check it out, with thanks to Listening Library for the review copy. And with the finale approaching for the serial Geek Actually by Cathy Yardley, Melissa Blue, Cecilia Tan, Rachel Stuhler, I was recently contacted by the publisher Serial Box with an opportunity to review the entire first season in audio, which I gratefully accepted. This series has been on my radar for a long time, but as with all serialized releases I always prefer to binge the entire thing in one go, so I’m fantastically excited that I’m soon going to be able to do so with this one.
Reviews
A quick look at the reviews I’ve posted since the last update:
Swarm and Steel by Michael R. Fletcher (4 of 5 stars)
Raid by K.S. Merbeth (4 of 5 stars)
The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst (4 of 5 stars)
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark (4 of 5 stars)
Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter (3 of 5 stars)
House of Furies by Madeleine Roux (3 of 5 stars)
Dreamfall by Amy Plum (2.5 of 5 stars)
The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett (2.5 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve “unstacked” from the TBR recently. Reviews are coming soon!
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!
The BiblioSanctum