Review: Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
Posted on July 3, 2017 28 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group (Hardcover); Random House Audio (Audiobook) (June 27, 2017)
Length: 416 pages (Hardcover); 14 hrs and 2 mins (Audiobook)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Ari Fliakos
What do you get when you mix clairvoyance and psychokinesis with Cold War secret agents, the Chicago mob, shady con artists, and a dysfunctional family undergoing a crisis of zany proportions? You get Spoonbenders, a wildly original, humorous, and unexpectedly heartwarming tale of paranormal drama. This book had everything in it—and I do mean EVERYTHING—but I’ve seen Daryl Gregory pull off some pretty amazing things with an even stranger mishmash of ideas, so I never doubted for a second that he would be able to pull this off.
Spoonbenders introduces us to the Telemachus family, whose members made brief waves in the 70s by dazzling late-night talk show audiences with their amazing psychic abilities. At the head of this act is Teddy Telemachus, who ironically is the only one with no real power of his own, though he does make up for it by being a smooth and charismatic master swindler. The true talent was his wife Maureen, who is said to be the most powerful psychic in the world. And in their individual ways, each of their children inherited a bit of their mother’s gifts: Irene is a human lie detector, able to fox out the smallest insincerities or fabrication in others’ words; Frankie is a telekinetic, enabling him to dominate the pinball machines of his youth and later the roulette tables of his adult years; and finally there’s Buddy, whose second sight allows him to perceive events far into the future.
But that was then and this is now—the mid-90s to be exact. The Telemachus family has fallen far after their act was debunked by the Astounding Archibald, a renowned stage magician and skeptic. Not long after that in 1974, Maureen also passed away, leaving young Irene to take care of Teddy and her brothers. Now Irene is in her 30s, flat broke and raising her teenage son by herself. She is left with no choice but to move back into the house of her father, a septuagenarian still up to his grifting ways. Frankie has also gotten entangled with the local mafia, owing them a fortune after every one of his get-rich-quick schemes have failed to pan out. And Buddy…poor Buddy appears to have lost his mind, refusing to utter a word to anyone. Instead, he spends his days in Teddy’s house, starting one DIY project after another with seemingly no plans to complete any of them. However, Buddy knows something big is coming, and he does have a plan—one that may involve Irene’s son Matty, who has just discovered that he may have inherited his grandmother’s powers of astral projection.
With such a huge cast of characters spread across three generations, I was extremely impressed with how Gregory was able to keep this book organized and tightly paced. Each Telemachus had their own story arc, including past history and current conflicts, but most amazing to me was how the author managed to tie these separate plot threads back to each other, allowing all of it to culminate into an elegant and well-reasoned finale. As a voracious reader, I have to say I encounter books with ambitious ideas and big, bold premises all the time, but rarely have I seen such deft and clever handling of so many moving parts in a story. This could have easily devolved into an ugly mess, but in fact the results were the complete opposite, so my hat is definitely off to Mr. Gregory.
I also found the story unique and unpredictable—which is always a plus. Readers are bounced between the decades, from the height of the Cold War amidst fears of Russian psychic espionage, to the nostalgic 90s with the advent of AOL and a new wave of organized crime in Chicago. Not quite a suspenseful thriller novel, but at the same time not quite a feel-good family piece either, Spoonbenders is perhaps best described as a light dramedy, combining the ups-and-downs of life with a dark sense of humor that is as absurd as it is funny.
What’s more, the book also delivers a surprising amount of heart. As events in the novel prove, having supernatural powers does not necessarily bring happiness, and in fact, often they actually have detrimental effects on their personal wellbeing and relationships. While they may not be a typical family, I found it easy to connect with many of the characters due to the fact they deal with real and relatable problems, from Frankie’s lack of self-confidence to Irene’s struggles with her love life. Still, even when life gets too tough, it’s clear that they have each other to lean upon. They might not always get along, but the Telemachus family stays together through thick and thin, and an attack on one of them is an attack on all.
In the end, I really enjoyed Spoonbenders, which easily ranks among the most imaginative and well-written books I’ve read so far this year. This novel is definitely not your typical story about family, but it’s fun and engaging all the same. Daryl Gregory is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, and I’m looking forward to whatever and interesting and offbeat ideas he can come up with next.
Audiobook Comments: I alternated between reading the ARC and listening to the audiobook for this book, so I thought I would mention some of my thoughts on the narration here. All told, I loved the performance by Ari Fliakos, who gave such life and personality to all the characters in this story. His accents and inflections were just perfect, varying them enough so that each person had their own unique voice, thus making it easy for the listener to distinguish between the many different speakers—an important factor for any book with a large cast of characters. I hope to listen to another book narrated by him in the future.
Tough Traveling: Adepts
Posted on July 2, 2017 8 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.
July’s topic is:
Adepts
The Tough Guide defines an Adept as ‘one who has taken what amounts to a Post-graduate course in Magic. If a Magic User is given this title, you can be sure he/she is fairly hot stuff. However, the title is neutral and does not imply that the Adept is either Good or Evil.’
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Our protagonist Irene may only be a junior librarian, but don’t estimate her skills with magic. At the beginning of this series, she is even assigned a new assistant to train, a young man with a mysterious past named Kai. As part of a secret society of librarian spies, their mission is to travel to different worlds, procuring and archiving important works of fiction from all across the multiverse. Not only is Irene educated by the best at the great Invisible Library, the central hub of this vast interdimensional network, she has also spent her entire life there raised by librarians.
The Burning Isle by Will Panzo
The protagonist of this story is a young spellcaster named Cassius, newly arrived on a lawless island ruled by two warring crime lords, though in truth, the real power resides with an enigmatic general who oversees everything from his stronghold deep in the wilderness. It is Cassius’ intention to shake up this system, though first he has to make a name for himself. He quickly manages this in spectacular fashion, defeating a rival spellcaster in a very public prize fight on the very first day. No one knows who this young man is or where he came from, but what’s clear is that he has been very well trained.
Balfruss is our main battlemage character, one of only six who has answered the King of Seveldrom’s call to arms against the mad Emperor Taikon’s invading army from Zecorria. It is said that their enemy is led by a powerful figure known only as the Warlock, prompting the need for powerful adepts like Balfruss and his peers to defend the realm, fighting in abstract and magical ways that deal more with the mind.
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
As the crown’s sorcerer, Zacharias Wythe is the first black man to hold the highest office in his profession in Britain, a fact that makes him the target of much opposition and bigotry from many of his so-called “socially-refined” peers who feel that a freed slave should not have risen so far above his station. And just when he thinks life couldn’t get complicated enough, along also comes Prunella Gentleman, a mixed-race young woman of considerable thaumaturgical power, and Zacharias takes it upon himself to mentor her in a society where women using magic is considered anathema.
The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
While many magicians may reach the status of adept by earning an education at recognized magical institutes under professional guidance, there are just as many who manage to reach those levels of proficiency through their own self-directed study. Arlen Bales is such a character, becoming the world’s greatest warder by traveling across the land and learning from the ancient texts he has uncovered.
Join us next month for another edition of Tough Traveling! The theme will be:
STRONGHOLDS
The Tough Guide offers information on various kinds of fantasy strongholds. For example, you might be looking for CASTLES, complete with ‘frowning battlements, slit windows and multiple defensible spiral stairways inside’ and which ‘occasionally adorn the heights for pictorial effect’. Or perhaps TOWERS, which ‘stand alone in WASTE AREAS and almost always belong to wizards.’ Towers are often ‘several storeys high, round, doorless, virtually windowless, and composed of smooth blocks of masonry that make them very hard to climb. The Rule is that there is also a strong no-entry SPELL, often backed up by a guardian DEMON.’
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 1, 2017 41 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.
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!
The Genius Plague by David Walton – My thanks to Pyr Books for sending me an ARC! I’m really looking forward to this sci-fi epidemic plague novel about a fungus that infects humans and makes them…smarter. It’s anyone’s guess how things will turn out, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting.
An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard – I was so excited earlier this week when an ARC of this arrived, with huge thanks to Saga Press! I really enjoyed Howard’s gorgoues debut Roses and Rot last year and I’m looking forward to checking out her next novel.
The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera – I was pretty surprised when a mystery package arrived and it turned out to be this ARC, but seeing as this book’s VERY high on my list of anticipated titles this fall, I’m definitely thrilled. With thanks to Tor Books.
Also thanks to Berkley for these two finished copies. I simply cannot wait to dive into Lost Boy by Christina Henry, from the author who also brought us the dark Chronicles of Alice duology. This time we’re delving into the world of Peter Pan to look at how his once greatest friend ended up becoming his greatest nemesis. Seeing as I’ve been yearning for a good Captain Hook story since forever, I’m really hoping this will finally be the one I’ve been searching for. Next up is a finished copy of Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine. The book will conclude her Great Library trilogy, and I’m practically on pins and needles with my eagerness to find out how things will end.
Also a big shout out to St. Martin’s Press, as they’ve been spoiling me big time with surprise books in the mail lately. Some of them have fallen outside my usual genres, it’s true, but when Shark Island by Chris Jameson showed up, I was actually pretty intrigued. A gory thriller about some crazy shark action in Great White infested waters? Sign me the hell up.
The awesomeness of the kind folks at St. Martin’s Press continues with this arrival of Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff. The first book Nevernight was released to some pretty mixed reviews, but I found it a lot of fun despite its flaws. I could see myself continuing with the sequel, and now I definitely will be reading. I also received an ARC of In the Still of the Night by David L. Golemon, which I found out after some digging around is the sequel to a supernatural horror novel called The Supernaturals. I have not read the first book, but it looks interesting so I’m going to see if I can track it down before the second book’s release date rolls around. Next up is an ARC of What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong, the third volume in the author’s hit series John Dies at the End. Gah, I’m really hoping I can read this as a standalone, because it looks like so much fun. Finally, I received a finished copy of Unit 416 by J. Leon Pridgen II and A. John Vinci, a straight up military thriller described as The Dirty Dozen for the modern era. Not my usual kind of read, but it does sound like a rip-roaring good time. My thanks again to the publisher for all these lovelies!
And last but not least, my thanks to Subterranean Press for the following ARCs. I was beside myself when I received this copy of The Squirrel on the Train by Kevin Hearne, the next in the author’s hilarious Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries series starring Atticus O’Sullivan’s faithful Irish wolfhound from the Iron Druid Chronicles. What adventures will that pup be up to next? And finally, The Weight of Words edited by Dave McKean and William Schafer is a collection of McKean’s stunning and evocative artwork, presented along with narratives written by some of SFF most recognizable names.
Moving on to the digital pile, thank you to Tor.com for making my week once again with a trio of new e-galleys: Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey is the sequel to River of Teeth, which I actually just reviewed. It does feel great being caught up for once! That said, I also received A Long Day in Lychford by Paul Cornell and The Sisters of the Crescent Empress by Leena Likitalo, both of which are also sequels, and unfortunately I’m not so caught up there. Leena Likitalo’s The Five Daughters of the Moon is releasing later this month though, and I’d love to give that a read if I can fit it in, so I can jump right into the second one.
My NetGalley books were also looking a little lonely (according to me) so I also made a couple of requests this week. My thanks to Angry Robot for The Uploaded by Ferrett Steinmetz. I probably should have finished his ‘Mancer series first before jumping into this new one, but it just sounded too cool to pass up. Also thanks to Del Rey for The Core by Peter V. Brett. This series and I have a love-hate relationship, but I’ve always known that I will be seeing it through to the end. And from the wonderful team at Tachyon I was sent a widget of The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen, an anthology inspired by all my favorite fairy tales and fantasy classics.
Badlands by Melissa Lenhardt – My thanks to Hachette Audio for granting my request for the third installment to the Laura Elliston series, which I’m totally pumped up for after what happened in the previous book Blood Oath. I love the narrator too, so I’m super excited about this listen.
The Epiphany Machine by David Burr Gerrard – This book caught my eye as I was looking through Penguin Audio’s titles. An alternate history novel about a tattoo machine that inscribes a person’s inner-most thoughts on their forearm, with irreversible consequences…like, whaaaat? It might or might not work, but it just sounded too bizarre to pass up. Crossing my fingers it will be good! With thanks to the publisher.
Reviews
Roundup time of my reviews posted since the last update. Highlighted spot goes to the uproariously funny A Study in Brimstone.
Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Waking Land by Callie Bates (4 of 5 stars)
A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden (4 of 5 stars)
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (4 of 5 stars)
Blood Oath by Melissa Lenhardt (4 of 5 stars)
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold created by Lindsay Smith and Max Gladstone (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Only Child by Andrew Pyper (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Ship by Antonia Honeywell (3 of 5 stars)
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (3 of 5 stars)
Vanguard by Jack Campbell (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
These are the books I’ve “unstacked” from my shelves recently. Yay! Reviews for a few of these are up already, and the rest will be up 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!
Friday Face-Off: Hat
Posted on June 30, 2017 16 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:
“It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself ”
~ a cover featuring a HAT
Mogsy’s Pick:
A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway
A good hat was crucial to a respectable lady’s ensemble in Victorian times, as I’m sure Evelina Cooper would tell you if could. Our protagonist in A Study in Silks is also the niece of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, plucked from a childhood of growing up with a traveling circus to be dropped into a world of lords and ladies, and now she must learn to live a life caught between two worlds. But Evelina’s famous uncle’s work has clearly rubbed off on her too, given how eagerly she aspires to follow in his footsteps. When a young servant girl is killed at the home of her best friend, Evelina does what she can for the investigation, going as far as to use her gift of the Blood, which allows her to communicate with minor spirits and recruit them to her aid.
But let us now focus on her hats, shall we? Let’s take a look at the covers…
From left to right, top to bottom: Del Rey (2013) – Piatkus (2014) – French (2015)
Winner:
The French version is easily my favorite. Now that is one elegant hat! Also, this 2D image doesn’t do the actual cover enough justice. The decorative gears and flowers around the side of the book, as well as the lettering, are in fact gold foil, and just to give you an idea of how beautiful this is, I found this photo of the actual Bragelonne edition on the net.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Witch Who Came in From the Cold created by Lindsay Smith and Max Gladstone
Posted on June 29, 2017 16 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold by Lindsay Smith, Max Gladstone, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Ian Tregillis, Michael Swanwick
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate History
Series: Book 1 of The Witch Who Came in From the Cold
Publisher: Saga Press (June 13, 2017)
Length: 624 pages
I may not be the biggest fan of spy fiction, but out of all the Serial Box series released so far, The Witch Who Came in From the Cold was probably the one that excited me the most. To know why, you just have to take one look at that dream team of an author line-up. There are even a couple on there who are on my auto-read list. I mean, that’s a lot of talent in one place, and of course, I was also curious to see how their different styles would work together, because as you know this book is a serialized novel made up of a number of individual “episodes”, similar to a season of a TV show.
As you’ve probably gathered from the title, The Witch Who Came in From the Cold draws its inspiration from the Cold War spy novel by John le Carré. Offering a quirky mix of politics and espionage, the story also has a fair bit of magic and other paranormal elements thrown in for good measure. The scene opens in Prague, where both KGB and CIA agents conduct covert operations amidst heightened hostilities between their respective countries. Gabe Pritchard is an American agent who has been struggling with some problems as of late. Ever since returning from another assignment in Cairo, he has been experiencing some strange effects, like headaches and other distractions that seem to strike him at the worst possible times. Eventually, his actions lead him to cross paths with his Russian counterpart, a KGB operative named Tanya Morozova. While Gabe is aware that she is an agent for the other side, little does he know Tanya is actually more than she appears.
For you see, behind the tensions between the US and Russia, there lies another conflict—the struggle between two magical factions, Ice and Flame. Secretly, Tanya is a sorceress for Ice, working to prevent Flame from realizing their vision of a new world born from the ashes of the old. However, after some disturbing new developments, she is beginning to wonder just how much she can trust her own organization. Complicating matters is the fact that an ally in politics does not necessarily mean an ally in magic, and caught in between are the mundane agents who are blissfully unaware that a whole other sphere of reality lies hidden beneath their own.
After an action-packed intro in the first episode, the story does admittedly slow down somewhat, focusing instead on developing the characters’ backstories and how they came to their positions. The magical aspect is made known very early, following Tanya and her colleague Nadia as they track a target through the streets of Prague. This was our first taste of how magic operates in this world, via elementals and human hosts. It’s a fascinating system, and this section also does double duty in revealing where Tanya’s true loyalties lie. Then there’s Gabe, whose chapters alternate with Tanya’s. He is an ambitious CIA agent, and sometimes a bit rash, which often puts him at odds with his superiors throughout the course of the novel. His character is also important because initially, he is just your mundane guy who has no idea magic exists. Through his eyes, we are gradually eased into the secret war between Flame and Ice, once it is discovered that his migraines have a magical cause and he is forced to work with Tanya in order to find out more.
I have to say, I really enjoyed the authors’ take on the Cold War premise here, especially the added layer of complexity thanks to the imaginative inclusion of the magical war. That said though, due to the constant back-and-forth between the themes of espionage and magic, the pacing did sometimes feel a bit uneven to me. To be fair, I don’t read a lot of spy novels, and when I do, they’re often of the thriller-suspense variety, so subtler types of plot developments tend to be wasted on me. Not that I didn’t appreciate all intelligence gathering, underhanded backstabbing, or sowing seeds of doubt, but after a while, it was clear that I so much preferred the paranormal aspects like ley lines, magical golems, and sorcerous cults. In the end, I was not surprised to find myself gravitating more towards Tanya’s chapters, because hers often featured more magic, while Gabe’s dealt more predominantly with spycraft.
I also noticed similar themes or story ideas repeated in some episodes. Not sure if this might be a hitch in the editing process, but I suppose when you have multiple authors working on the same project, there’s going to be more potential for such issues. Of course, it’s possible too that reading the episodes week by might would have given me a completely different experience. On the whole though, I felt that the serialized format actually worked quite well in this case. Transitioning between the different episodes was practically seamless, and there was clear synergy between the authors’ writing styles. Books like these are also fast making me rethink my initial skepticism for serial novels. Though I think I will always prefer consuming my serials like my TV shows, i.e. binging full seasons all at once, I’m definitely starting to see their potential for creative storytelling as well as a more entertaining way of reading.
Bottom line, The Witch Who Came in From the Cold is another sophisticated and innovative series, perfect for readers who might be feeling up for some fantasy in their spy fiction. Despite some minor obstacles, I had a good time with this book, and it was a treat and joy to see the amazing work done on it by some of my favorite authors.
Waiting on Wednesday 06/28/17
Posted on June 28, 2017 15 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
Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe Marshall Ryan Maresca (March 6, 2018 by DAW Books)
This week I’m waiting on the sequel to The Holver Alley Crew, the second book of The Streets of Maradaine. For those keeping count, that’s THREE series Marshall Ryan Maresca is working on now set in his world of Maradaine, but this one might just be my favorite yet. What can I say…I love my stories about heists and thieves.
“Mixing high fantasy and urban fantasy, the second novel of the Streets of Maradaine series follows the Rynax brothers’ crew of outlaws as they attempt their biggest heist yet and restore justice to the common people.
The neighborhood of North Seleth has suffered–and not just the Holver Alley Fire. Poverty and marginalization are forcing people out of the neighborhood, and violence on the streets is getting worse. Only the Rynax brothers–Asti and Verci–and their Holver Alley Crew are fighting for the common people. They’ve taken care of the people who actually burned down Holver Alley, but they’re still looking for the moneyed interests behind the fire.
The trail of breadcrumbs leads the crew to Lord Henterman, and they plan to infiltrate the noble’s house on the other side of the city. While the crew tries to penetrate the heart of the house, the worst elements of North Seleth seem to be uniting under a mysterious new leader. With the crew’s attention divided, Asti discovers that the secrets behind the fire, including ones from his past, might be found in Lady Henterman’s wardrobe.”
Book Review: The Waking Land by Callie Bates
Posted on June 27, 2017 22 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Waking Land by Callie Bates
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Del Rey (June 27, 2017)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Waking Land is a gorgeous new fantasy novel from debut author Callie Bates, and it was on my wishlist long before I had the opportunity to read it. There are just certain types of stories, while not entirely groundbreaking or new to the genre, that are just irresistible to me, and this is one of them. The book encompasses a lot of the elements I love, including a courageous heroine, an evocative magic system tied to the living earth, and a complex world built upon the political alliances and animosities between various kingdoms.
Things get off to a rather intense start, with the prologue opening on the scene of an interrupted dinner party. Our protagonist Elanna Valtai, five years old at this point, watches as her nurse is murdered in front of her eyes. Meanwhile, King Antoine and the rest of his royal guards are storming the house downstairs, putting an end to her father’s rebellion. To ensure no more attempted uprisings, Elanna’s parents are banished back to their ancestral home of Caeris, while Elanna herself is seized as a hostage, to be raised in the king’s household in Eren.
Fourteen years pass. For all that she is an outsider and the daughter of a known traitor, Elanna has been treated well by King Antoine, whom she regards and loves as a father. She has not seen her real parents since the night of the party, and Eren has become the only place she feels at home. In fact, she even has her future all planned out; once she comes of age, the king will send her off to study botany, where she will hone her gift of working with plants.
But then one day, King Antoine sickens and dies. And unfortunately, his heir Princess Loyce has never accepted Elanna, always ridiculing her for her Caerisian heritage. Worse, it has been ruled that the king died of poisoning, and being the botanical expert, Elanna is the number one suspect. With no other choice left to her, our protagonist is forced to flee back to her homeland and reunite with her estranged blood kin. It is there, however, where she discovers the truth about her birthright and the mysterious magical powers she always knew she had—and with that knowledge, she must lead a rebellion against the very kingdom to which she once pledged her loyalty.
While I realize this was not the most original plot, I didn’t care; books like The Waking Land are usually well represented in my reading repertoire despite their familiar elements, simply because I always know I’ll have a good time with them and they remind me of why I love the genre. Plus, there are certain aspects which were handled extremely well, like the world-building and magic. Under Bates’ deft touch, some of these well-known tropes are transformed into something slightly different—just enough to offer a bit of flavor without too much distraction. Take Elanna’s powers, for example. Earth magic is certainly nothing new in fantasy, but nevertheless, I enjoyed how the story introduced fresh context for it by incorporating some unique history and lore. Likewise, the conflicts between the kingdoms were interesting. After all, it’s rare to meet a heroine whose loyalties are torn in such a way, her dual roles of dutiful daughter vs. brainwashed hostage giving the political landscape a whole new dynamic.
Speaking of which, Elanna was a great character. At nineteen, she is dealing with a lot of “new adult” type problems on top of being accused of regicide, so it’s a bit of an emotional journey. The occasional moment of angst aside though, I found her to be likeable and down-to-earth (no pun intended). Undoubtedly, the author’s biggest challenge was to make Elanna’s transition from one side to the other believable, and I think for the most part Bates succeeded. Gradually, her protagonist’s eyes are opened to see beyond her upbringing, letting her take control of her own life and decide for herself what she wants to do.
In terms of criticisms, I only have a few, and none of them are deal breaking. I felt the pacing was a little off in places, especially with the amount of filler in the middle. There was also a romance plot that was emotionally flat and did little for me, its only saving grace being the fact that it probably wasn’t meant to be a big part of the story. I also wish that we’d gotten to see more of Elanna’s powers in the first half of the novel, though in all fairness, the book ultimately makes up for that with an epic magical showdown in the ending.
When all is said and done, I very much enjoyed this book. The Waking Land is not out to reinvent the wheel as far as the premise or the story goes, but I was nonetheless delighted and satisfied with the way it turned out. Callie Bates has concocted a magically captivating tale that will draw you in from the very first page, exactly the kind of fantasy novel I crave. A strong protagonist, an entertaining plot, and a well-crafted world are all reasons why this would make a great pick for any fantasy reader, especially if you enjoy a dash of enchantment and magic. The author has a bright future ahead of her, and I look forward to her next project.
Book Review: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning
Posted on June 26, 2017 44 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Warlock Holmes
Publisher: Titan Books (May 17, 2016)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Any book that could make me laugh like a maniac deserves high marks from me. It’s been a while since I’ve read something so funny—and I do mean funny, as in exploding-in-uncontrollable-giggles-so-that-nearby-bystanders-are-staring-at-you-sidesways-and-backing-up-slowly funny. This was something I did not expect. When the Warlock Holmes series was pitched to me, I figured it would be your run-of-the-mill classic literature mashup with paranormal elements. Oh, little did I know.
The key to this book’s success, I think, was balance. Denning stuck close to the source material while still keeping the tone light and readable, and he dressed the story up with just enough of the fantastical to make it feel unique and different. After all, everyone knows of the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes whose logical reasoning and powers of observation are unparalleled. But what if, instead of a brilliant genius, he was a bit of a dippy eccentric, albeit endowed with arcane powers and the scary ability to tap into the world of demons? This, in essence, is Warlock Holmes. He’s well-intentioned, but rather dim. To make up for it though, at least he’s something of an expert in the supernatural and occult.
Fortunately, Warlock also has the help of his more sensible roommate Dr. John Watson to keep him in line. In time, we also discover that Watson’s actually the true detective with the astute deductions, desperately coming up with perfectly reasonable explanations to try and cover up all the weird stuff his partner gets into. In this first book, we join him and Warlock in a retelling of many of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories, so that “A Study in Scarlet” becomes “A Study in Brimstone” and “The Adventure of the Resident Patient” becomes “The Adventure of the Resident Sacrifice”, and so on and so forth in this same hilarious vein. Along the way, we even get to meet Inspector Lestrade, who is now Vladislav Lestrade, a vampire, and Inspector Tobias Gregson is now Torg Grogsson, a ballet-loving ogre.
Honestly, I was surprised at how much I loved this. For one thing, I wouldn’t say I’m too familiar with the classic Sherlock Holmes tales. For another, I’m often wary of books described as humor. What can I say though, but Warlock Holmes ended up being right up my alley. It was funny in a way that worked for me, silly in places but not over-the-top, thanks to the moderating effects of the writing style which stayed relatively close to Doyle’s. And yet, it was also a bold and relentless riff on the source material. It’s important not to get the wrong idea though, for all of this is clearly done out of love and in good fun. Denning takes the original stories and just runs with the idea of “supernaturalizing” them, while having a blast in the process.
In turn, I had a hell of a good time with this book too. I enjoyed the premise of Holmes as a warlock, as well as the idea that Watson is the real brains behind the duo. They make a comedic pair, though much of my delight was in the fact that most of the humor in the book is plot-driven, going beyond simple one-liners or relying on slapstick. In other words, the author did not go out of his way to create funny situations, but rather, the characters reacted in entertaining ways (that also fit their personalities in this context) to the events unfolding in each story. Nothing irks me more than forced humor, so I was glad to see this was not the case.
In terms of criticisms, I don’t actually have anything too negative to say. After all, we’re talking about a book called Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone here, so it’s really not too hard to guess its shtick, and as long as you know what you’re in for, it’s hard to be disappointed. As creative retellings so, I thought it was a good one, with plenty of charisma. The storytelling is also straightforward, with a clear eye as to what it wants to achieve, and the characters are compelling in their re-imagined forms, with fascinating new personalities and backgrounds to match.
All in all, I had a wonderful time with this book, and boy am I glad to have the sequel Warlock Holmes: The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles already on hand because I’m really looking forward to continuing this series. I’m sure I’ll be diving into it soon.
Novella Review: River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Posted on June 25, 2017 22 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Alternate History
Series: Book 1 of River of Teeth
Publisher: Tor.com (May 23, 2017)
Length: 152 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Fun fact: The hippopotamus is widely considered to be the most dangerous mammal in Africa, responsible for more human fatalities there than any other large animal. Although they don’t look very threatening, they are extremely moody and territorial, often known to attack boats in the water or people on land with little to no provocation. Another fun fact: Back at the turn of the 20th century, U.S. Congress actually considered a bold initiative to import these animals to the bayous of Louisiana, in the hopes of creating these “hippo ranches” to solve the nationwide meat shortage as well as the growing ecological crisis caused by the invasive water hyacinth.
Obviously, this wild scheme never came to pass. But you just have to wonder, what if it had?
Happily, author Sarah Gailey was awesome enough to oblige us in River of Teeth, her alternate history novella envisioning an America that might have been if the “American Hippo Bill” had been passed…along with an added few hitches, of course—like, say, if about a hundred hippos had broken loose somewhere along the way, resulting in an out-of-control feral population making safe travel along the southern waterways nigh impossible. Taking place in the marshlands of Louisiana, the story follows a diverse group of hippo riders who come together to pull off a caper—or rather, I should say, an operation—to help the U.S. government rid the Mississippi River’s Harriet section of its feral hippo problem once and for all.
However, as the leader of the group, former hippo rancher Winslow Houndstooth has other plans. Gathering a team that consists of Regina “Archie” Archambault, a corpulent master thief; Hero Schackleby, a gender-neutral demolitions expert; Adelia Reyes, a very effective (and very pregnant) killer-for-hire; and Cal Hotchkiss, a hard-drinking, cards-cheating gambler who just so happens to be the fastest gun in the west, Houndstooth is prepared to pull a few strings in his contract in order to accomplish his true goal of revenge. Floating somewhere on the Harriet is the riverboat casino where he will find Travers, the ruthless businessman who took everything from him. Houndstooth means to see his enemy pay—that is, if only he and his allies can somehow survive the never-ending barrage of obstacles, including double-crossing backstabbers, huge explosions, and a river full of killer hippos.
Hands down, the best part of this book is its concept, which is worth the price of admission alone. It’s just so damn cool! To me, this is what speculative fiction and especially alternate history is all about: taking an idea inspired by a real event—in this case, Congressman Robert Broussard’s proposal of the hippo ranching bill in 1910 (that fell just short of being passed, alas)—and running with it, creating a wonderful new world full of potential. I simply love picking up books like these, knowing that anything is possible. Not to mention, hippos are a great subject; for one thing, they’re fascinating creatures, and two, many people underestimate just how dangerous they are, but Gailey does both these points justice by highlighting the environmental, cultural and societal impact of these animals every chance she gets in her story.
My major complaint, however, is one that I often have with novellas—River of Teeth was just too short, preventing anything from being fully developed. World building, plot elements, and characters all felt a little sparse, leaving me worked up by the end, yet still feeling strangely unfulfilled. Part of me wishes that the story had provided more background information behind the process of hippo farming, or hey, maybe even a mention from someone on what eating hippo might be like (I’ve heard that hippo steak is delicious, but don’t take my word for it). I was also disappointed in the characters. Save for maybe Archie, whose charm I found irresistible, I felt no real connection to or interest in the rest of the cast. Thing is, while I love diversity in my books, I am less enamored with “diversity for diversity’s sake”, which often leads to characters becoming defined by labels and not who they really are, leaving their personalities themselves paper thin and forgettable—especially in the case of this book, where a good number of them are killed off or taken out of the picture rather quickly in a short period of time. It’s worth keeping in mind too that we have a relatively large cast for a novella, so opportunities to get to know each of them well were already limited.
However, as you can probably tell from the positives I highlighted, River of Teeth was still a book I enjoyed. While it didn’t draw me in as much as I thought it would, at no point did I find the story slow-moving or boring, and I can also see the world and characters becoming more fleshed out as more books are added to the series. Sarah Gailey has written a fun little adventure with lots of potential, and already I am eyeing the sequel Taste of Marrow with great interest.
Book Review: Vanguard by Jack Campbell
Posted on June 24, 2017 24 Comments
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of The Genesis Fleet
Publisher: Ace Books (May 16, 2017)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I really wanted to like my first venture into the military sci-fi of Jack Campbell, but sadly it was just not meant to be. To be fair though, Vanguard is the first book of The Genesis Fleet, a new prequel series to Campbell’s The Lost Fleet which I have not read, so it’s possible that I may be missing some of the context required to fully appreciate this book. Still, to the novel’s credit, I also think it was set up to be a perfectly fine jumping on point, so that, at least, was not a source of my issues. It actually took me a while to gather my thoughts and put my finger on what didn’t work, because after all, the book had an interesting premise, the characters were awesome, and the writing style was as good as I remember from the author’s fantasy novels, but ultimately I think it was the execution of it all that failed to hook me.
As I said, Vanguard is the start of a new prequel series, meant to explore the founding of the Alliance, one of the two major human powers involved in the interstellar war featured in The Lost Fleet books. While the technology for faster-than-light travel is still relatively new at this point, Earth is already no longer the only major hub for humanity in the universe, with new colonies springing up on more and more worlds. That also means, however, that the old order of law and protection has ceased to exist. Earth forces no longer have the will or resources to police the systems, and as a result, space piracy and corruption are on the rise.
In other words, it’s everyone for themselves as the rules start to break down and a lawless frontier mentality quickly takes hold. As aggressive worlds begin to prey on the weak, a new pacifist colony called Glenlyon is one of the first to fall victim to this rash of unruliness. Threatened by an enemy warship in their system, the desperate colony has little in the way of defense and thus are forced to turn to a group of former Earth soldiers for help.
At first, things were great with this book. I really enjoyed how it began. Something about the idea of wild space really appeals to me, and humanity’s uncontrolled spread through the universe was a good backdrop to the chaotic events taking place in this story. Life in the new colonies is full of danger and uncertainties, and the writing really gets that point across. In addition to the attack on Glenlyon, we also get to see how settlers traveling to new worlds face the risk of being captured and enslaved by pirates, or how new colonies can be the targets of sabotage or persecution. Only a few are willing to stand up for justice and do what’s right.
Which brings us to the characters, who are all compelling at least on paper. Heading up the main cast is former junior Earth fleet officer Robert Geary, whose name should be significant to fans of The Lost Fleet, since the character is supposed to be an ancestor of the main protagonist from the original series. Up next is a onetime enlisted Marine named Mele Darcy, a strong and capable woman trying to follow her own moral compass. Then there’s Lochan Nakamura, a disgraced politician who has left his old life behind for a chance at a brand new start, and he was probably one of the more interesting of the main characters. And finally, Carmen Ochoa was my favorite—an Earth official from Mars who was in charge of “conflict resolutions”, she has her own reasons for getting into this mix.
Everything was going well for the first few chapters, but then everything fell apart. One of the problems, I think, was pacing. I couldn’t help but feel much of the first half of the book could have been compressed because so much was the story here was filled with aimless back-and-forth between the characters, resulting in a narrative that kept spinning its wheels in place. The characters themselves I found intriguing, but my disinterest in their individual plot threads made it a struggle to connect with them on any deeper level. If I were in the habit of abandoning books, I might have thrown in the towel right then and there, but I pressed on in the hopes things would get better. The good news is, the story did pick up again after a while, but by then it was too late to turn my disappointment around, and I’m afraid even the superb action scenes at the end could not save the book’s lackluster and forgettable middle sections.
In the end, I suppose the potential of the story was there, but it was presented in a way that tried my patience and wore me down. This is not my first experience with the author, but this is my first time trying his military science fiction and admittedly I was tempted by the promise of a new series, new characters, and new stories when in retrospect I probably should have started with The Lost Fleet. You can be sure that’s in my plans now, and who knows, perhaps I will even revisit this series once I’m done to see if it gives me a new perspective. For now though, I’ll probably set The Genesis Fleet aside.
The BiblioSanctum 
