Book Review: The Last Iota by Robert Kroese
Posted on May 9, 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 Last Iota by Robert Kroese
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 2
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (May 9, 2017)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Last Iota is definitely one of those awesome and rare instances where a sequel surpasses its predecessor. All the elements that made The Big Sheep such a rollicking good read are back, and this time the mystery is even bigger, better, and more impressive than before. The humor has been cranked up a notch as well, thanks to the often witty, sardonic back-and-forth exchanges between the two main characters. Just to give you an idea of how much I enjoyed myself, I was still wiping away the tears of laughter as I sat down to draft this review.
It is the year 2039, eleven years after the great Collapse which decimated the world’s economy and caused a large chunk of Los Angeles to be abandoned by the American government, turning it into the Disincorporated Zone. Picking up shortly after the end of the first book, the story once again follows Blake Fowler as he struggles to keep his and his partner Erasmus Keane’s private investigation firm afloat following the fallout from their last assignment. Things have gotten so desperate that they are forced to take a job from an old adversary, the famous actress and movie mogul Selah Fiore. The Hollywood star is paying them a large sum of money to track down one of the nine rare commemorative collectible iota coins that were minted post-Collapse, back when the dollar was tanking and the powers-that-be were pushing hard for the use of a new virtual currency. But since the iota coin itself has little value, as it is only a physical representation of the iota currency which is all virtual, why would Selah be putting so much of her effort and resources into recovering just one? Even without the prospect of a large paycheck, Fowler knows that Keane will agree to take the job, if nothing else to satisfy his own curiosity.
Meanwhile, Fowler’s missing girlfriend Gwen has recently resurfaced, claiming to have been hiding in the Disincorporated Zone for the last three years. After finding out about his new case, however, she suddenly takes off again, presumably back to the DZ. Perhaps not coincidentally, her re-disappearance also occurs simultaneously with a series of online auction sales for iota coins, all to the same anonymous buyer. Someone else is out there is snapping up the coins, and they’re going to great lengths to do it. The mystery deepens further when Selah turns up dead, and Keane and Fowler are framed for her murder. Soon it becomes clear everything is linked to the coins, and our protagonists must somehow decipher the puzzle of the nine iotas before their enemy can get their hands on the last one.
Besides being hilariously funny and full of exhilarating plot twists, the premise behind The Last Iota is also incredibly fascinating. If you told me last week that I’d be on the edge my seat reading about the dollar index and currency markets, I would have laughed in your face. And yet, Robert Kroese has managed to make these concepts a huge part of his story, while at the same time making it easy for a complete banking and finance noob like me to understand. Most impressively, he made everything sound so exciting. After all, I’ve always asserted that the best reads are not only fun and satisfying, but they also leave you feeling like you learned something interesting and new. I found myself enthralled with the mechanisms and potential behind virtual currencies, and the events described in this book inspired me to read further on the subject after I was finished.
As well, the characters continue to be very well drawn, and I love the dynamic between Keane and Fowler. With the former’s genius and the latter’s tactical knowledge, together they make a formidable team. Still, while it’s hard not to compare their relationship to that of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Watson, the complexities behind their partnership go far deeper than that. Calling them friends would be stretching it, and sometimes they even feel like opponents who are sticking together simply because they both need something from the other. And yet, neither is it strictly business. Keane may be an eccentric, and Fowler may be keeping secrets, but at the end of the day a strange kind of trust exists between them, and against all odds they make it work. As a reader, I can hardly complain about the clash of personalities either, not when their interactions often result in such amusing banter and scenarios.
Compared to the first book, The Last Iota also features a tighter, more logical plot, and the twists are even more shocking and unexpected. My attention was gripped by the intensity of the story as the hunt for a simple coin gradually snowballed into a life-or-death race to unravel a conspiracy threatening to throw the world into another Collapse. Within this narrative Kroese has injected all the central features of classic noir and then some, combining mystery elements with imaginative world-building and social ramifications to create something that is entirely unique and stands on its own.
The result is a truly fascinating and unforgettable novel, one that was a distinct pleasure to read. I have a feeling the author has a lot more in store for us now that a strong foundation for the series has been established, and it will be interesting indeed to see what Keane and Fowler will be up to next. To the last line of the book, all I have to say is: Hell yes, I’m ready for another round!
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Big Sheep (Book 1)
Audiobook Review Bites
Posted on May 8, 2017 15 Comments
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dark Hunter #1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (September 15)
Tiara’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Night Pleasures follows the misadventures of Amanda Devereaux and the hunter Kyrian of Thrace. Amanda comes from a family of magically talented women including herself, but her gifts have stagnated because she’d prefer to have a normal life as an accountant and marry a normal man. However, her family’s strangeness manages to run off the only normal man who seemed willing to marry her at the start of this story. Her family’s strangeness, specifically the fact that she looks exactly like her vampire hunter twin, is the reason she finds herself cuffed to Kyrian, who is a supernatural being akin to a vampire, a few pages later.
Kenyon created a story that fused the supernatural and myths (of the gods and goddesses variety) together well. I did enjoy learning about what makes Kyrian and his “brothers” different from a normal vampire, and the few other beings like Kyrian that we meet have interesting back stories including Kyrian himself. I liked the Devereaux sisters well-enough, and I sympathized with Amanda’s need for something normal and safe until she comes to terms with the fact that her life won’t allow such luxuries. Despite all the the things that I liked in the story, there was still something about the story that was a little off. Bits of it dragged for far too long in my opinion, and there were parts of the story that just felt too much like somebody threw up rainbows all over these characters.
The narration for this was pretty good. I liked that MacDuffie used the what I call the “old money” Southern accent for the sisters, but it did make them sound a bit older than they were for that reason. Her voices for the men were okay, nothing that really stood out aside from one of Kyrian’s human friends we meet in the beginning. I’ll definitely continue to listen to these books for however long I continue this series.
This wasn’t a bad book, but I just didn’t find myself overly impressed with the story I’ll read the next book or two in this series (and maybe backtrack to Dark Lover as a friend suggested) before deciding if I want to continue with this series or not because I did enjoy the characters and the elements she added to what could’ve been another stale vampire story and could see the lore of this world becoming something that I could enjoy.
Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie | Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Macmillan Audio (July 11, 2008) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Hidden Legacy #1
Publisher: Avon (October 28, 2014)
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Nevada Baylor is a detective tasked with trying to find a powerful suspect in a very tense case. She’s note sure if she has the prowess to handle the case. However, she can’t really afford to turn down the case. Soon, she finds herself in the clutches of Connor Rogan who happens to be rich, sexy, a powerful magic user, and rumored insane, and he has his own reasons for needing to find this same target.
Like all their stories, this book is fun. The characters are engaging, and as a reader you just find yourself wanting to keep going. I still think Dina from their Innkeeper Chronicles (review for Clean Sweep here) is my favorite heroine so far out of their books that I’ve read, but Nevada is probably a close second. Out of all their male heroes I’ve met so far, Connor is my favorite. He does follow the typical ‘bad boy who isn’t that bad” formula, but he feels the most nuanced of their male characters so far. I liked Connor much more than I did their other male characters upon his arrival in the story.
This husband and wife duo definitely writes some compelling stories, but I find that I’m often not that into the romance part of their stories. I’m being more forgiving about this because I enjoy almost every other element of their stories, and I’m going to assume that the romance will start to feel more natural in subsequent books. (Note: I’ve only read the first book in three of their series, including this one.) I also enjoy the narrator they use to narrate their books who really brings personality to their stories.
Narrator: Renée Raudman | Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins | Audiobook Publisher: HarperAudio (October 28, 2014) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
YA Weekend: Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Posted on May 7, 2017 29 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: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: HarperTeen (March 14, 2017)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I have a bit of a problem. It’s called an addiction to Beauty and the Beast retellings. No matter how often it gets done, or how often I get burned, I just can’t seem to get enough. Call it a personal interest or a guilty pleasure, I just can’t seem to say no.
Hunted is somewhat of a surprising entry into the genre though, in that it combines the traditional “Beauty and the Beast” fairy tale with another one from Russian folklore, “Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf”. The book follows Yeva (whose nickname is “Beauty”), the youngest of a rich merchant’s three daughters. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the family winds up losing their entire fortune, forcing them all to move back into their old hunting lodge in the woods. Obsessed with paying off his debts, Yeva’s father sinks deeper into madness and despair, raving about capturing a great beast that lives in the forest, convinced that once he is successful they will regain their wealth and prestigious way of life. So when he goes missing one night, it is Yeva who sets out to find him, since among her sisters it is she who possesses the most skill in tracking and hunting.
Sadly for Yeva, what she finds instead is death and ruination in a cursed valley, ruled over by a creature out of myth. Imprisoned by this strange Beast, she is forced to do as he commands, helping him hunt his elusive prey in the forest or risk him bringing harm upon the rest of her family. In time, however, Yeva learns the truth behind why the Beast has kept her close, and begins to realize that he may be as much a prisoner as she is.
Retellings can be tricky, because there’s a fine art to treading that razor thin line between going over familiar ground and offering something new and interesting at the same time. Hunted manages to strike this balance remarkably well, staying true to the essence of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale while still throwing in fresh and unexpected elements. We see much evidence of this approach in the beginning and at the end of the novel which, not surprisingly, I found to be the best parts. The middle section was a bit ho-hum in comparison, because we all know what happens is going to be some variation of the same events leading to our captive falling in love with her captor.
To Meagan Spooner’s credit though, Hunted does not exactly play out like your typical cringe-inducing tale of Stockholm Syndome (the way many bad retellings are handled). For one thing, there’s a lot more to her Beast than simply a man whose good nature is buried deep inside a savage creature’s body, just waiting for the right woman to come along and draw it out. Neither is Yeva a pushover like a lot of the so-called “strong and independent” YA heroines whose resolve crumbles the moment a bad boy deigns to show a hint of kindness (though, there was that facepalm moment in which Yeva stubbornly refuses to thank the Beast for saving her life, yet the gratitude comes gushing out like a waterfall the instant he shows her a few musty old books. Priorities, girl, priorities!) In fact, this is a woman who several times attempts to murder her captor and actually bloodies her hands while doing so, showing more balls than the vast majority of YA protagonists I’ve encountered in a similar situation. While Yeva might be forced to obey the Beast, she does not go quietly about it, and continues to fight his will right up until the later parts of the novel.
Still, considering how the Beast was so terrible to her at the beginning and the way Yeva was so intent on killing him, their eventual romance came rather abruptly and was not very convincing. Their intrinsic faults aside though, both characters were fascinating studies, especially the Beast, whose true self is revealed to us in snippets of his POV. I also liked how the story paid homage to the myths of the Firebird, a common motif in Slavic folklore that often symbolizes a difficult quest. By incorporating the tale of “Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf”, Hunted warns against being tempted by more when life’s simpler satisfactions may be right in front of your eyes. There’s a good dose of magic here too, which is both the cause and the cure for all the conflict, and in order to break the curse that binds her and the Beast, Yeva must undertake her own “Firebird quest”.
Everything considered, I had a good time with Hunted and thought it was one of the more enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retellings I’ve ever read. While it’s not entirely free of flaws, I liked how the story introduced plenty of clever and inventive elements to the table. All in all a satisfying read.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on May 6, 2017 36 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!
Kicking off this week’s roundup is a book I’m really excited about: Devil’s Call by J. Danielle Dorn doesn’t come out until July but I’ve already read it and LOVED it. Following a mixed-race witch protagonist named Li Lian, this fantasy-Western horror novel is a revenge story, told in the form of a letter written to the unborn child she is carrying as she travels across the American frontier hunting the men who murdered her husband. Already it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing me rave about it for a long time yet. Huge thanks to Inkshares for giving me the opportunity to read this marvelous book!
Next up, I received this pair of ARCs from the incredible Wunderkind PR team: The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson is the upcoming sci-fi novel from the author of Robopocalypse about a race of human-like machines that have been hiding among us for centuries; and The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente is a short story collection described as “a ferocious riff on women in superhero comics”. I’m especially excited about this one because it will be my first read by Valente! With thanks to Doubleday and Saga Press, respectively.
Also thanks to both Jo Fletcher Books and Broadway Books for sending me a finished copy of City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett – both the UK and US editions are gorgeous, and they look even better sitting side by side! In case you missed it, my review went up earlier this week; be sure to check it out to see how much I enjoyed the book.
I was also thrilled to receive this surprise ARC of Soul of the World by David Mealing from the amazing folks at Orbit. As you know, it was already on my list of highly anticipated books for this summer, so its arrival was certainly most welcome!
My deepest thanks also goes to Django Wexler for sending me a signed ARC of his upcoming Middle Grade novel The Fall of the Readers! Despite not being a big reader of MG fiction, I am a die-hard fan of this series. This will be the fourth and final book, and I can’t wait to find out what happens.
And speaking of endings, All Good Things by Emma Newman will be concluding the Split Worlds pentalogy later this summer, so I best catch up with book four before then! From the publisher I also received Sovereign by April Daniels, the sequel to Dreadnought, a YA superhero novel starring a transgender heroine. Thank you to Diversion Books for these ARCs.
Now for a trio of shiny finished copies! Courtesy of Orbit books, I received The Ship by Antonia Honeywell and The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey – I can’t wait to get started on both! And from Tor Books came this surprise copy of The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis, a steampunk and military fantasy mashup that looks extremely fascinating and I’m curious to check it out. My thanks to the publishers.
Last but not least, I was pretty excited at the following surprise arrivals: The Emperor and the Maula by Robert Silverberg has an interesting history, having been written for a publishing project that never went forward, and as a result it was published only once in an abbreviated form. This edition will be restoring the complete version, for the first time bringing to light the author’s original vision. Next, The Crow’s Dinner by Jonathan Carroll is a debut essay collection described as the author’s “wide-ranging spiritual autobiography”, and River’s Edge by James P. Blaylock is a new novella in the series featuring the adventures of Langdon St. Ives. I wish I knew more about these books, but as of right now there’s still very little information, so be sure to click the links to the publisher’s website to find out more. Many thanks to the awesome folks at Subterranean Press, who are always spoiling me so!
I reached a feedback ratio of 92% at NetGalley earlier this month, so of course I felt obligated to wreck my stats again with new requests. Totally worth it though for these books though, don’t you think? My thanks to Pocket Star for approving me for Owl and the Electric Samurai by Kristi Charish and Tor Books for The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera. And Tor was also kind enough to offer me an eARC of Graveyard Shift by Michael F. Haspil, which is on the list of my most anticipated debuts of 2017.
Over on Edelweiss, I couldn’t resist requesting The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli either. It’s so rare for an YA epic fantasy to catch my eye; I figured it warranted a closer look, and I am grateful to HarperTeen for the chance to check it out.
I also want to thank Rob J. Hayes for getting in touch to let me know about his upcoming novel, Where Loyalties Lie. He had me at “piratical fantasy”!
And finally, cheers to Tor.com for sending a couple more eARCs, The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjob and A Red Peace by Spencer Ellsworth. I am quite intrigued by these.
Reviews
Time for a roundup of reviews posted in the last two weeks:
Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (4 of 5 stars)
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett (4 of 5 stars)
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (4 of 5 stars)
Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan (4 of 5 stars)
Tremontaine created by Ellen Kushner (3 of 5 stars)
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (3 of 5 stars)
The End of the Day by Claire North (2 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
And here are the books I’ve finished recently. I’ve been working hard on unstacking the review pile, and even though I’m still far behind, I’d like to think I’m gradually getting back into the swing of things. Look out for my reviews of the following books 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!
Friday Face-Off: Lion
Posted on May 5, 2017 19 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:
“If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off”
~ a cover featuring a LION
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
This is a very special book to me. After all, it was my first experience with Guy Gavriel Kay, and it pretty much made me a fan on the spot. Like a lot of his works, The Lions of Al-Rassan is a historical fantasy. Set in a time and place that recalls the period of Moorish Spain, the novel focuses its attentions on the turbulent relationship between three peoples: the Kindath, the Asharites, and the Jaddites. The story is basically a loose retelling of the Reconquista, compressing centuries into a much shorter time frame.
Of course, while the “Lions” referred to in the title may be metaphorical, that does not mean they do not appear as a frequent theme on the book’s various covers. A great many editions have come out over the years, and here is just a small sampling from around the world:
From left to right, top to bottom: Harper Voyager (2005) – HarperPrism (1995) – Penguin Canada (2010) – HarperCollins UK (1995) – Viking Canada (1995) – Voyager (2012) – Earthlight(1995)
French (1999) – French (2005) – Croatian (2006) – German (1998) – Russian (2003) – Spanish (2009) – French (Quebecois) (1999) – Portuguese (2010)
Winner:
I’m going to go with my heart on this one and choose the Viking Canada edition, because this is the version that graces my beloved copy. Yes, it’s a cop out, but I don’t care 😛
Feel free to tell me how way off base I am though, by letting me know your favorite!
Audiobook Review: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
Posted on May 4, 2017 32 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In
Series: Star Wars Canon
Publisher: Random House Audio (April 11, 2017)
Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrator: Marc Thompson
Unpopular opinion time: I never cared for the Thrawn trilogy. Though to be fair, I was late to the party and only started reading Heir to the Empire after college sometime in the mid-2000s, about 15 years after its original publication. In my eyes, the books did not age very well, and I think many tended to view them through nostalgia-tinted glasses.
Still, setting my personal critique of the books aside, as a character I do maintain that Thrawn is one of the best to come out of the Star Wars universe. And I suspect the powers that be agree as well, explaining why Thrawn was canonically reintroduced in the third season of Star Wars Rebels, despite the original trilogy having been classified “Legends” along with much of the old Expanded Universe. Timothy Zahn was tapped to reprise his role as author to a new novel about the titular character, which is intended to chronicle his early life and meteoric rise to power. It’s a rare opportunity for any reader to revisit a favorite character like this, and thus far I’ve really enjoyed Thrawn’s appearances on the show, which is why, come hell or high water, I knew I was going to read this book.
Like many origin tales, Thrawn begins with our Chiss protagonist in humble circumstances, alone and exiled on a planet at the edge of known space. For those familiar with Zahn’s Mist Encounter, this first section is essentially a fleshed out and updated retelling of the events in that short story. A good chunk of the novel is also told through the eyes of Eli Vanto, a lowly Imperial cadet who is taken along on an investigation of this jungle world because of his knowledge of these backwater systems. When the crew encounters Thrawn, they are immediately impressed by his survival skills and knowledge of military strategy, traits that are said to be valued by the Chiss Ascendancy. Obviously, these skills are also highly sought-after in the Empire, leading the Imperials to bring Thrawn to Coruscant so that Emperor Palpatine can decide his fate.
Despite being an alien, Thrawn manages to impress the Emperor with his eloquence and persuasiveness, and immediately gets assigned to a military academy to hone his skills and knowledge of the Imperial Navy. Eli Vanto is sent along with him, in order to be translator and guide to all things related to the Empire’s culture and society—a role that the cadet resents at first, but in time he learns to respect Thrawn’s intelligence and personality, especially when after graduation, the Chiss starts getting promotion after promotion.
Meanwhile, on a mining planet called Lothal, another origin story for a Rebels character is beginning to unfold. Before she became the governor of her planet, Arihnda Pryce was a young company heiress, forced to watch everything her family has built fall into the Empire’s hands. Secretly vowing her revenge, Pryce agrees to work for an Imperial Senator, already making plans to worm herself inside the political machine where she will bide her time until she has enough power to take what she wants. Along the way though, she’ll need some help—and Thrawn, who is making his own way up the ranks at this point, may prove to be the perfect ally.
Not surprisingly, Thrawn is a very character-focused novel, detailing how the Chiss became so successful even in the face of the Empire’s xenophobia, as well as to put readers into his head. The first is accomplished by simply by giving examples of Thrawn’s genius and describing the processes that led to his victories. It didn’t matter that many in the Empire held anti-alien attitudes; the Emperor saw potential in Thrawn and he only cares about results. It is clear that Thrawn eventually achieved Grand Admiral status on his own terms and merits, and his leadership skills naturally drew others to him despite what they might think of his origins.
However, putting readers into Thrawn’s head is another, more subtle, matter. Zahn’s writing has always struck me as rather stark and clear-cut, in a whatever-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done kind of way. I daresay without the glimpses he offered into Thrawn’s mind, this book could have been a very dry read indeed. Fortunately, peppered throughout the novel are brief looks into what makes his character tick, from his journal excerpts at the beginning of each chapter to his furtive observations on how others are behaving and reacting around him (though there must have been at least a couple dozen mentions of “facial heat” or “cheeks tightening”, making me wish there’d been more variation in the descriptions). A lot can also be gleaned from Thrawn’s interactions with the other characters. Through Vanto’s and Pryce’s eyes, we see how much Thrawn values and rewards hard work and loyalty, and he puts just as much of both into the men and women who work under him. In many ways, Thrawn serves as a counterpoint to a lot of traditional Star Wars villains as well. For one, he does not possess the Force, mainly relying on thinking rather than fighting to win his battles. He also views unnecessary loss of life as a waste, a point that I think earns him a lot of sympathy from readers. While it’s true Thrawn may be a symbol of the Empire, Zahn nevertheless makes it so easy to root for him.
All told, Thrawn isn’t among the best novels I’ve read from the new canon, but neither is it among the worst. It’s actually quite a decent book, and in my eyes, “New Thrawn” certainly beats out “Old Thrawn” hands down. In theory, you’d think Thrawn would also appeal most to fans of the character, the original trilogy, or Star Wars Rebels, but I would urge anyone—even if you do not consider yourself to be a hardcore Star Wars fan—to give this one a look. There’s a reason why Thrawn as a character is so beloved, and this is his story.
Audiobook Comments: At this point, I think anything I say about Marc Thompson will sound like a broken record. But if all of my praise for him happens to sound the same, it’s only because it’s true! The guy is great at voices, and I love his Thrawn, the way he made him sound similar to the Rebels version. Do yourself a favor and listen to this one.
Book Review: City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Posted on May 3, 2017 17 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of The Divine Cities
Publisher: Broadway Books (US: May 2, 2017; Jo Fletcher (UK: May 4, 2017)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Robert Jackson Bennett is back with the third installment of his Divine Cities sequence, and so ends one of the most brilliant and extraordinary fantasy series in recent times. First, we were introduced to this incredible world of Divinities and miracles in City of Stairs, joining protagonist Shara Komayd as she fearlessly stood against a god. That was soon followed by the even more impressive City of Blades, a thrilling mystery starring the indomitable General Turyin Mulaghesh. And now, with The City of Miracles focusing on the fan favorite Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, the trifecta is finally complete.
When I first read the synopsis though, my reaction was pure shock. Our beloved Shara Komayd, the character who was the glue that held this series together, dead? Surely it had to be a mistake. Or a trick. But that is indeed the way the story starts, with the news of Shara’s assassination being the catalyst that sparks Sigrud into action. For years he had been living alone in hiding, silently punishing himself for the brutal crimes he had committed. However, Shara’s murder changes everything. To avenge his dearest friend, he would return from his self-exile and risk his life to hunt down those responsible.
But the investigation soon leads Sigrud to uncover a lot more behind Shara’s death. Someone very powerful had arranged for her assassination in order to get their hands on some dangerous knowledge, for Shara had been working on a secret project right before she was killed. Not even her closest friends and allies had any idea what she was up to, but there were just enough clues left behind for Sigrud to find the next step. To his dismay, they lead him to a list, on which the name of Shara’s own daughter appears. Clearly, the girl is in danger, but no one has known the whereabouts of Tatyana Komayd since even before her mother’s assassination. Shara had made sure to keep her daughter safely hidden away from the public eye, but unfortunately, those protections are about to come under threat. To keep Taty safe, Sigrud must find her before the enemy gets to her first, but how does one keep ahead of enemy who is quite literally everywhere?
This might come as no surprise, but once again, character development was the clear standout for me. Before I continue though, I must confess, I’d never really been that taken with Sigrud. While I have nothing against the character, it has always mystified me why he is so popular. After all, it’s not like the fantasy genre is lacking in large, hulking berserker types who always come off as calm, quiet, and collected—until they are not. Sigrud is a great character, but just…nothing special. Sure, we saw slight character growth from the first book to the second, but that was still not quite enough to convince me he’s that much more than another cookie-cutter archetype. Hence this is why City of Miracles delighted me. Here, not only are we given a deeper, more intimate look into Sigrud’s inner workings, we also get to witness how he is ultimately transformed by the experience. He might have not reached Mulaghesh-levels of awesomeness, true—but I was still nonetheless impressed with the evolution of his story arc.
Next, I must praise the excellent plot. Following the trend set by the previous books, City of Miracles is another blend of fantasy and mystery, leavened with a dash of action and suspense. Calling it a revenge story might be accurate, but it also belies the complexity behind Sigrud’s mission. His hunt for Shara’s killers is only the tip of the iceberg; discovering what his old friend was up to—and how her secret project ties into the fate of Continent itself—is the real meat of this tale. The mystery is also constantly shifting into thriller territory, and one of my favorite scenes even reads like something straight out of Mission: Impossible. I love the way Bennett combines all the different themes, taking the trappings of traditional fantasy and giving them a modern makeover. The Divine aspect is also further explored in this one, and the revelations to come out of it are epic to say the least.
Of course, there’s a lot more I can say about the story, and especially about the new characters, but I’m afraid anything more would be risking spoilers. Suffice to say it was a good book, and though City of Blades still holds the distinction of being my favorite of the series, City of Miracles was certainly no slouch either. Only time will tell if the author will ever return to this world, but for what it’s worth, there’s a strong sense of closure to this one. If this is indeed the end, there’s no doubt in my mind that The Divine Cities got the send-off truly worthy of its scope, imagination, and impact. I will be looking forward to Bennett’s next project with great enthusiasm.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of City of Stairs (Book 1)
Review of City of Blades (Book 2)
Waiting on Wednesday 05/03/17
Posted on May 3, 2017 19 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
Magic of Wind and Mist by Cassandra Rose Clarke (October 24, 2017 by Saga Press)
This is actually a two-novel volume containing the books of the Hanna Duology. Sadly I never got to check out book one The Wizard’s Promise back when it was first published by Strange Chemistry, right before the imprint’s shutdown. After that, it got hard to justify picking it up when the fate of the sequel was in question, as much as I adore CRC. But now, Saga Press has given the series a new home…and book two The Nobleman’s Revenge is finally happening! It will be included with the first book in this omnibus, which I’ll most definitely be checking out.
“Taking place in the world of Cassandra Rose Clarke’s Magic of Blood and Sea, this is the story of a would-be witch who embarks on an adventure filled with intrigue, mystery, mermaids, and magic.
Hanna has spent her life hearing about the adventures of her namesake Ananna, the lady pirate, and assassin Naji, and dreams to have some adventures of her own.
One day when Hanna is with her apprentice—a taciturn fisherman called Kolur—the boat is swept wildly off course during a day of storms and darkness. In this strange new land, Kolur hires a stranger to join the crew and, rather than heading home, sets a course for the dangerous island of Jadanvar. As Hanna meets a secretive merboy—and learns that Kolur has a deadly past—she soon realizes that wishing for adventures can be deadly…because those wishes might come true.”
Book Review: Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander
Posted on May 2, 2017 10 Comments
Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander
Genre: Science Fiction, Gaming Tie-In
Series: Mass Effect Andromeda #1
Publisher: Titan Books (March 2017)
Author Info: jasonhough.com and kcalexander.com
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Join the Initiative, she said. It’ll be great, she said.
The Andromeda Initiative is the massively ambitious brainchild of one Jien Garson, an entrepeneur with lots of money and a wanderlust. The result? A 600 year journey aboard the Nexus from the Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy. Buuuut it turns out the brochures didn’t warn about all the wild and crazy things that could happen to a galaxy while everyone is sleeping for six centuries.
When the Nexus arrives in the Andromeda Galaxy, things are the opposite of good and Security Director Sloane Kelly is rudely awakened from cryosleep to find everything in disarray. Worse still, most of the Initiative’s leadership has been killed, including the enigmatic Garson. No one left has any of the pluck and gumption that can hold this mission together, even though the defacto leadership tries their best to do so.
Players of BioWare’s latest scifi adventure, Mass Effect Andromeda, are well aware of bad things that went on prior to our Pathfinder’s arrival in the Andromeda Galaxy, but there is little information in-game about the uprising that led to many people being exiled. Now’s our chance to fill in the blanks. But be warned. If you’re expecting fast-paced adventure, this is not where you’ll find it. For some, the book might seem slow, but mutiny doesn’t happen over night.
The story begins with the Nexus’ horrific encounter with what comes to be known as the Scourge, a deadly energy field that tears through the ship seemingly without rhyme or reason. When Kelly awakes, she finds herself fighting to survive. She is quickly joined by Superintendent Nakmor Kesh, the krogan engineer who knows the Nexus inside and out. Security. Engineering. That’s a pretty good start to trying to get things under control, but with Jien Garson dead, they are forced to turn to Colonial Director Foster Addison and the assistant accounting guy, Jarun Tann as the only other sources of leadership. As can be seen in-game, none of these people get along very well for various reasons, but surely, with survival and the mission at the forefront in all their minds, they can set aside differences to get things done?
Unfortunately, it is those differences, and the continued threat of the Scourge, that ultimately lead to the uprising — though not in terms as simple as the people turning on their leaders. As I said, the book’s pacing is slow, but I appreciate the time it takes to dig into the heads of the main characters and understand their role in the failure of the mission. Because, while they all will blame one another, they each know where they failed the mission too.
And the moral of the story is that none of this would have happened if Jien Garson had survived.
Of course, that’s just speculation, but it is interesting to see how much weight the book puts on Garson’s ability to convince tens of thousands of people to work together to begin this mission, and the belief that without her, it could not possibly succeed.
Overall, this book does not necessarily provide further insight into the uprising than can be gleaned from the wiki page, but for me, delving more deeply into gaming lore is all about better understanding character motivations. It’s less about the how we got here than the why. With that in mind, I am not at all disappointed. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve been so engaged in a book that I stayed up late to finish it, but when I got half way through, I simply had to know more. And by the end, I came out a little more heartbroken and sympathetic towards the people who tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, did it really matter? I guess only my Pathfinder will be able to tell…
Tough Traveling: Assassins
Posted on May 1, 2017 22 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.
May’s topic is:
Assassins
Assassins are ubiquitous throughout fantasyland. Sharp-eyed readers (or even dull-eyed ones) will notice that their hooded forms often adorn book covers, and that they frequently appear – rather improbably – not to mind being the sole focus of our attention. Whether they’re spotlight hogs or camera-shy and brooding, most assassins will have trained for years and are very, VERY good at their job (i.e. killing people for money).
“I love assassinating assassins. They always look so surprised.”
— Sith Assassin, Star Wars The Old Republic
The Reaper’s Bride
Assassin’s Charge by Claire Frank: Rhisia Sen leads a life of luxury as one of the emperor’s highest paid assassins. She can afford to take assignments as she pleases, but when she takes one that demands she kill a child, she suddenly has a change of heart. This is her line in the sand and she will not cross it, even at the risk of her own life. Now the assassin is being hunted by assassins… Who says assassins can’t have honour?
Ardalan’s Assassin
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: When we first meet the infamous assassin, she is a slave at the king’s mercy. She has already killed many of her jailers in an attempted escape. She will not be broken. This makes her a perfect contestant in the king’s challenge to find a new royal assassin. This is reality television at its finest as we follow Celaena through her training regiment and personal life.
Master Durzo Blint
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks: Durzo Blint is a wetboy. An odd name, certainly, but no one in town makes fun of this deadly assassin — or lives to tell about it. He spends the better part of The Way of Shadows training the young, Azoth, how to walk in his deadly footsteps. Alas, my greatest disappointment of this book is the fact that it is not actually about Master Durzo Blint, but instead this snotty, whiny, brat kid and his cliche problems and magicness that ruins what could have been a great assassin story.
Seishiro Sakurazuka
Tokyo Babylon and X by CLAMP: Why are the blossoms of the sakura (chery blossom) trees pink? It is because they feed on the blood of bodies buried beneath them. Such is the grim work of the mysterious Sakurazukamori Clan, assassins who kill without remorse or compunction and leave no witnesses. There is only ever one Sakurazukamori at a time. The irony being that each Sakurazukamori is killed by the one they love most, though the Sakurazukamori are raised to be devoid of emotion. And so it was his mother’s life that Seishiro took in order to become the assassin of all assassins.
The “Guild of Assassins” topic was one of my favorites from the original run of Tough Travels, so I’m very glad it’s back! Here’s my chance to add to the roster some newer reads that didn’t get a chance to make it to the list the first time ’round…
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb – FitzChivalry
Color me shocked that I had not included FitzChivalry the first time we covered this theme. This first novel of the Farseer trilogy introduces us to the character and covers his early life as a royal bastard living at Buckkeep Castle. During his time there, Fitz goes from being a stable boy to become a “King’s Man” to King Shrewd, with this rise in station accompanied by weapons and basic combat training. Soon, he also makes the acquaintance of an assassin named Chade, who takes Fitz on as his apprentice.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff – Mia Corvere
Mia Corvere’s father was a famed military leader – until he led a failed rebellion and was consequently executed along with his followers. Mia was then captured with the rest of her family, but managed to escape, surviving alone for the next few years in the cold, merciless shadows of the city. Desiring revenge on her father’s enemies, Mia ends up under the tutelage of a shady man named Mercurio who sends her to a secret academy for assassins. However, to pass all their trials is an honor only few attain. To get what she wants, Mia will need to first gain status as a full-fledged Blade – if she can survive that long to do it.
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – Nona Grey
Red Sister introduces us to the icebound world of Abeth, populated by people who descend from four main “tribes”, each distinguished by special talents. Children who manifest even a single one of these are highly sought after by various institutions, from churches to schools for killers. Across the land, young boys and girls are given away or sold if they show potential, which is how protagonist Nona Grey ends up in a cage, on her way a prospective buyer. But things don’t exactly work out for Nona. Soon, she finds herself facing the hangman’s noose for committing a savage crime, but before her execution can take place, she is rescued by a nun who whisks Nona away to the Convent of Sweet Mercy where young girls are trained to be mercenary fighters and assassins.
Skullsworn by Brian Staveley – Pyrre
When the story begins, Pyrre is still an acolyte, twenty-five years old and pledged to Ananshael—the God of Death. For years she has trained in the arts of assassination, learning countless ways to deliver victims into her god’s embrace. But before she becomes a priestess, she must pass her final trial, which states that in a span of fourteen days, Pyrre must assassinate seven specific targets that fit the descriptions named in a sacred verse. The trouble is, one of her targets will have to be someone she loves, but Pyrre doesn’t believe she has ever been in love. And if she hasn’t been in love, she can’t kill the one she loves, and if she can’t kill the one she loves, she fails her trial. And considering how all acolytes of Ananshael who fail their final trials must offer themselves to their god…well, you see her dilemma.
Shy Knives by Sam Sykes – Shy
Shaia Ratani, Shy to her friends, is a scrappy young scoundrel who specializes in the kind of jobs that no one else can handle. For one thing, she’s not afraid to work outside the law. For another, she’s also not above getting her hands dirty. She has cheated, stolen, maimed, and killed – and though she doesn’t exactly condone or relish doing harm to others, it’s not like she can afford to regret her past decisions either. For a rogues, thieves and assassins like her, sometimes a job is just a job…nothing personal!
Join us next month for another edition of Tough Traveling! The theme will be:
The BiblioSanctum 