Book Review: Faller by Will McIntosh
Posted on October 25, 2016 11 Comments
A review copy was received from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own..
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (October 25, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
What a strange, strange book. But in a good way. Incidentally, that’s what I always think after finishing one of Will McIntosh’s novels. I’m a huge fan of the author, precisely because his ideas are always so unique and original—and yes, they can sometimes be off-the-wall as well. Faller probably isn’t his best work; the writing wasn’t as tight and the story’s many parts were a little incongruous, but that could be due to the book’s subject matter which admittedly is not my cup of tea. As long as you’re willing to accept a wildly unfeasible premise and some logical leaps though, this book is an overall fun time.
The story opens with a man suddenly becoming aware of himself while standing in the crumbled ruins of a floating city island. He has no memory of who he is, who his friends and family are, or where he comes from. He has even forgotten how to read. Looking around, he notices other people in the streets, but they all look just as lost and scared as he is. The only clue to the man’s identity are the items in his pocket: a toy soldier with a parachute, a candy wrapper with strange symbols on it scrawled in blood, and a photo showing himself smiling beside a woman he can’t recognize.
Before long, the survivors from what has become known as “Day One” are killing each other over the dwindling resources on the island. The weak, including children and the elderly, are deemed a burden and are mercilessly thrown off the edge to die. Our protagonist, inspired by the little toy soldier in his pocket, dubs himself Faller and decides to fashion his own parachute, initially as a stunt to help him and his newfound allies earn food. But unfortunately for them all, his big jump goes wrong, and to Faller’s horror he finds himself accidentally sailing over the edge and into the abyss.
Just as he thinks it’s all over though, that’s when he makes a startling discovery.
Alternating between Faller’s narrative and flashbacks to the lives of a group of scientists in the months leading up to Day One, McIntosh weaves a twisted tale of a world literally shattered—by war and by warped physics. Faller is a bizarre book and it admittedly requires no small amount of patience if you want to get down to the bottom of this mystery. On the face of it, I can understand why the author decided to structure the novel this way, but it also gave rise to many distractions and interrupts to the flow of both past and present stories. I also found myself more drawn to flashback chapters because that was where you would find the meat of the “science fiction” in this book, while the Faller sections were weirder and more confusing. Still, the mystery was tantalizing enough that at no point did I ever want to stop reading; I knew that the further I got, the more the clues will start leading to answers.
However, quantum physics and mechanics have never really been my favorite topic in sci-fi. While I enjoy reading about the science and theory, a lot of books that seek to tackle it often don’t do a satisfying job with the details. This is a problem I ran into with Faller. A lot of the scientists’ experiments and the scientific phenomena described in this book aren’t well explained, and in many instances you just have roll with it. If you don’t mind that a lot of the science is glossed over and rushed, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Otherwise, the many plot holes and questions left by logical gaps will make this one tough to get into.
But even with its implausible premise, I thought Faller offered a fun and engaging experience. You only have to see how quickly I devoured this book to know that. This is the fourth novel I’ve read by Will McIntosh, and even though it wasn’t my favorite of his, there’s definitely a reason why he will always be on my must-read list. While he admitted in the acknowledgements that this was a challenging novel to write, I’m glad he’s continuing to push the boundaries and experiment with bold ideas. I’ll always read anything he writes.
Spotlight and Giveaway: Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time
Posted on October 24, 2016 3 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
This one is for all the coloring book fans out there. On October 25, Tor Books is releasing Patterns of the Wheel, the first official coloring book based on Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, featuring forty exclusive illustrations by Amy Romanczuk.
Let the Dragon be drawn again on the winds of time. Patterns of the Wheel is an adult coloring book suitable for all ages featuring original art drawn from The Wheel of Time ®.
“Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. Over the course of fifteen books and millions of words, the world that Jordan created grew in depth and complexity.
Now for the very first time, fans of this astounding saga can color in the hues and vibrant shades of Robert Jordan’s most beloved fantasy world. Adorn the symbols of the Ajah and the patterns on Gleeman’s Cloak. Experience the peaks of Dragonmount, the depths of the Aryth Ocean, and other parts of the realm. Fill in evocative mandalas, depictions of Old Tongue, and an array of the Wheel of Time’s most well-known symbols and magical items.
Designed by officially-licensed Wheel of Time artist Amy Romanczuk, Patterns of the Wheel features 40 drawings inspired by pysanky, a traditional Ukrainian folkart, to provide hours of delight for The Wheel of Time’s legions of fans.”
ROBERT JORDAN (October 17, 1948–September 16, 2007), a native of Charleston, South Carolina, was the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time®, with millions of books in print.
AMY ROMANCZUK is a folk artist living in Charleston, SC. A licensed The Wheel of Time™ artist, she uses pysanky and pysanky-inspired design to interpret her world view. Her works can be found in several galleries, the Kolomyia Museum in Ukraine, and online at czukart.com.
Patterns of the Wheel Giveaway
Interested in winning your own copy of Patterns of the Wheel? This book would make a great addition to any Wheel of Time fan or coloring book enthusiast’s collection. The BiblioSanctum is pleased to be hosting a giveaway for one copy of Patterns of the Wheel, open to addresses in the US and Canada. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “PATTERNS OF THE WHEEL” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Thursday, November 3, 2016.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winners and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Audiobook Review: Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
Posted on October 24, 2016 13 Comments
A review copy was received from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In, Young Adult
Series: Star Wars Canon
Publisher: Listening Library (October 11, 2016)
Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Ashley Eckstein
If you are a fan of Star Wars, especially the animated The Clone Wars TV series, then Star Wars: Ahsoka is certainly not to be missed. While that show may have ended a couple years ago, many were surprised when Anakin Skywalker’s young Padawan Ahsoka Tano, who left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, suddenly resurfaced again in the current run of Star Wars: Rebels. This Ahsoka is older, wiser, and carries a lot more scars. What exactly happened to her during those mysterious intervening years? How did she survive the Jedi slaughter following the execution of Order 66? What led her to join the Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Empire? I was excited to read this book in the hopes that it provide some insights into these questions, and I was not disappointed.
I was also fortunate enough to receive the audio edition of Star Wars: Ahsoka for review. With their high production values, sound effects, and music, Star Wars audiobooks are always a treat, but I have to say the very best part of this one is the narrator, Ashley Eckstein, who was also the voice actress for the Ahsoka on The Clone Wars and Rebels. If you’re on the fence about giving the audiobook version a try, this might end up being the deciding factor. Personally speaking, I thought that listening to Ms. Eckstein read the book gave my experience that extra little “coolness” boost, almost like I was listening to Ahsoka tell her own tale.
The story begins on Empire Day a few years after the end of Revenge of the Sith, where we find Ahsoka hiding out on the planet Thabeska under her new assumed name, “Ashla”. When circumstances force her to go on the run again, she decides to head for the remote moon of Raada, home to a rustic farming community. Here, Ahsoka hopes to continue eking out a quiet and simple life for herself, working as a mechanic. However, that peace is about to be shattered. Thanks to its rich soils and resources, Raada has suddenly come to the attention of the Empire, and the Imperial Navy has moved in to take over the agricultural industry. Needless to say, the locals aren’t too happy with this. The Empire is only interested in quantity over quality, and their crops are destroying the moon and the future of its citizens.
Against her original plans, Ahsoka finds herself unexpectedly pulled into Raada’s rebellion. The new friends she has made are humble farmers, full of anger towards the Empire but inexperienced when it comes to fighting. To prevent any more people from being hurt or killed, Ahsoka decides to help them put together a more organized resistance.
Star Wars: Ahsoka can be enjoyed by anyone, even if you only have a slight familiarity with anything to do with Star Wars, but obviously readers who already have a good knowledge of the character and her roles in the two shows will find it a lot more interesting and emotionally impactful. E.K. Johnston made her story accessible to new readers, but there are also a lot of references and flashbacks to past events—many of which were from The Clone Wars—which will no doubt appeal to fans of Ahsoka.
I imagine writing a Star Wars novel is no small task, especially when you’re tackling such an important and popular character like Ahsoka, but I thought Johnston did a fantastic job. Her writing and storytelling remained true to the Star Wars universe and the protagonist’s personality, detailing the thoughts and actions of the young Togruta. The former student of Anakin Skywalker has come into her own, and even though the Clone Wars has hardened and matured her, she still retains all of her courage and hopeful optimism.
With regards to the story, I felt there were some mild pacing issues, namely at the beginning and at the end of the book. The energy in the first few chapters was definitely a bit on the sluggish side, owing to the fact that the main conflict took too long to be introduced. This is understandable in some ways, since the setting as well as characters have to be established, and Ahsoka herself was trying to keep a low profile. After the first quarter of the book though, the plot’s pacing noticeably picks up. The reader’s patience pays off as the action and excitement gradually builds to an amazing climax. After this point, I actually wished there had been more to the finale! I won’t deny that the ending felt rushed and that the book could have been longer, but those complaints aside, I had an amazingly good time with this novel.
But of course, the biggest reason why you should read this book is all the wonderful and significant moments we get to see involving Ahsoka. We learn how she reestablishes contact with Bail Organa and joins the resistance, earning the codename Fulcrum. We also find out how she obtains her new set of white lightsabers, not to mention the fascinating new lore surrounding Force-attuned crystals.
All that being said, if you are relatively new to the wider world of the Star Wars universe, you can certainly still enjoy this novel for what it is—but I probably wouldn’t recommend starting here. This book feels first and foremost like it was written for an audience already familiar with Ahsoka. Johnston clearly knows and loves the character, and delights in sharing that love with her readers by giving plenty of nods to events that happened in episodes of The Clone Wars. Even if you haven’t seen the TV series you will have a great time, but for fans of the show, it’s the little moments like that which will give you an extra thrill. Needless to say, if you love The Clone Wars and Rebels, this is an absolute must-read, and you will get a well-written and entertaining story as well.
Additional Audiobook Comments: Other than stating how awesome it is that Ashley Eckstein is the narrator for this? She’s also amazing with voices and the fact that she voiced Ahsoka in the shows gave this audiobook an additional layer of immersion. She’s no stranger to voice acting, and her talent shines through in this performance.
YA Weekend: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Posted on October 23, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was received from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (October 25, 2016)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
On the face of it, the premise behind this book resembles something which might have resulted from an ill-considered bet, quite possibly after a wild night of tequila shots. “Duuuuuude, what if you made Breaking Bad take place during the French late Baroque period? Except everything’s, like, totally in the future? You could have Marie Antoinette peddling pep pills out of her panniers! Bet you couldn’t write a story about that.”
“Just watch me!” says my imaginary Aprilynne Pike. And so, we have Glitter, a novel featuring a weird cocktail of historical and futuristic elements, where you will frequently find things like tablets or servitor bots mentioned in the same sentence as corsets and petticoats. All of this is set to the backdrop of the Versailles, where the interiors have been transformed back to their 18th century royal court-and-pomp glory. While modern day life outside the palace goes on as normal, inside its marbled walls the people live much differently, dressing, acting, talking and even eating like it’s still the 1700s.
The reason for this bizarre scenario is soon given, and seriously, you have to read it to believe it. Sometime in this world’s past, a global famine swept the planet, and the only way people survived was thanks to a new kind of crop seed developed and sold by Sonoma Inc. The company then became so stinking rich that, when France fell into massive debt and started offering up its landmarks for sale out of sheer desperation, Sonoma jumped at the chance to purchase the Versailles under the guise of a historical society. After screwing France out of one its most beloved heritage sites, they decided to rename it Sonoma-Versailles and the palace became sort of its own little corporation-kingdom. And since the CEO of Sonoma back then was a huge Louis XIV enthusiast, he made himself and everyone that worked for him live like the decadent royals and courtiers did back when his favorite monarch sat the throne (only with all the luxuries of modern technology too, of course). The tradition continued after him, so that now, three generations later, it has become the culture within Sonoma-Versailles.
Understandably, it’s a bit hard to categorize this novel. I’m not even sure how to describe it (is there such a thing as historical sci-fi?) but whatever it is, it’s crazy and weird but also strangely appealing. If you can get past the sheer absurdity and logical gaps (for one thing, how does a company like Sonoma Inc. manage to stay so rich, when all of their top execs are literally doing nothing but LARPing the Court of the Sun King?) then you’ll find this story is actually quite an entertaining read.
Still, perhaps it is because so much convoluted background information was required to explain its ridiculous premise, the actual hook of the story doesn’t even come about until well into the novel. Our protagonist, Danica Grayson, was just a daughter of a low-ranking Sonoma employee until her father unexpectedly inherited an influential position at the palace. Her power-hungry mother Angela immediately uses this an opportunity to groom Dani to catch the eye of King Justin, Sonoma’s current young CEO. The problem is, Justin turns out to be a murdering megalomaniacal psychopath—not that it seems to bother Dani’s mom one bit. In fact, Angela only uses the King’s dirty secrets to blackmail him into agreeing to marry Dani, so that her daughter can become queen.
Desperate to escape her betrothal, Dani seeks out a crime boss in Paris to help smuggle her out of Sonoma-Versailles. Problem is, his fee is enormous, and she can’t come anywhere close to meeting it on her own. So Dani decides to make a bargain with the crime boss: she’ll mix and deal a highly addictive kind of new drug called Glitter for him, under the pretense of selling it as cosmetics to her unsuspecting peers at court. The plan is that they will all get hopelessly addicted to Dani’s new makeup products and keep throwing money at her to buy more of it without ever knowing why, and she will make her fee and be out of there before her wedding to the King.
Okay. So I had one major issue with this book, and after laying out Dani’s situation, you can probably guess what it is.
The blurb for this book compares it to Breaking Bad and I can see why one would draw that parallel. After all, the show’s main character Walter White also had to resort to cooking and selling drugs because he needed the money, even though it is a heinous thing to do. However, Walter still came off as sympathetic character not only because he was in a bad situation, but also because he was initially doing it to secure his family’s future and well-being. Dani, on the other hand, never managed to earn that kind of sympathy from me. Yes, she was in a bad situation too, but foisting a highly dangerous and addictive new drug on her unwitting fellow courtiers without their knowledge or consent, with the express goal to get them hooked so she can get rich fast?
That is APPALLING.
At first, I didn’t like it, but still had to admire Dani for her cajones. She didn’t want to have to marry her psycho King, I get that. But somehow, being in a bad place made her feel justified to put hundreds of others in a bad place too, even after the horrors of watching her own father deal with Glitter addiction. In the end, it was Dani’s complete disregard for innocent human life that really put a damper on my feelings for this book. To her credit, I think the author knew that her protagonist would be a tough sell, and tried to soften the blow by trying to convince us that Dani had no choice, or that she was frequently wracked with guilt. Thing is, I just didn’t buy it. Dani had plenty of opportunities to back out, but she made the conscious decision not to at every single turn.
I also didn’t like the romance too much. It was like a light switched on and Dani and Saber went from hating each other one day to professing their undying love the next. Their relationship was an awkward match right from the start, when Dani was halfway to throwing herself at Saber the moment she laid eyes on him—even though they’d barely spoken two words to each other. If only she had showed even a fraction of that regard for the clueless folks she’s secretly doping up in Sonoma-Versailles.
Glitter was a very interesting book though, I have to give it that. I was intrigued the moment I read its synopsis, not to mention a little skeptical, but Aprilynne Pike pulled it all off with unashamed poise and gusto. The world-building is a bit iffy in places, but I really didn’t mind that too much. My main complaints had to do with the protagonist, and had she been a tad less despicable I probably would have enjoyed this book even more. If the next book promises growth for Dani, I just might be convinced to continue the series.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on October 22, 2016 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
Almost all the new acquisitions this week were surprise arrivals in my mailbox. My digital haul, on the other hand (which seems to have a real blue/tan color theme going on there) is another story. Let’s face it, I have a book addiction, though in my defense more than half the titles there are audiobooks and I am always in need of something to listen to. These days, I seem to be running around with my headphones/car stereo/bluetooth speakers on more than I am actually sitting down reading. I’d like to thank the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and for more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages!
The Burning Isle by Will Panzo – This book’s blurb had me at “Grimdark”. I’m always looking for my next great dark fantasy read, and I hope this one is as amazing as it sounds! My thanks to Ace Books.
Children of Exile by Margaret Peterson Haddix – I was unfamiliar with this one, but after some research I learned that it is the first of a Middle Grade sci-fi dystopian trilogy. The MG tag immediately made me hesitate, but I can’t deny I am intrigued and also excited by the number of positive reviews. I’ll probably end up giving this a look. My thanks to Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Keller’s Fedora by Lawrence Block – Another novella from the amazing folks at Subterranean Press! This is a book in the John Keller series about a hit-man in New York City, which I have to admit I’m not familiar with. I like the sound of it though, and if I can read it on its own without any prior knowledge of the series and character, I may give it a shot.
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu – In case you missed my review about how awesome this book is, the link is in the review roundup section below! This was a gigantic tome but I loved every moment. Thank you so much to Saga Press and Wunderkind PR.
The Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee – At first glance, I thought this book might be a contemporary feel-good book about dogs. Then I looked it up. Let’s just say the actual description couldn’t be farther from my first impression. It’s actually a psychological thriller/horror, but there is an extraordinarily gifted dog involved. I hadn’t heard about this before, but now I want to read it so bad! Thank you for the introduction, Pegasus Books.
A new week also brings some new arrivals from Tor: This edition of Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn is a reissue of the first book of his YA series Dragonback, and I’m really digging that new cover! Next is a finished copy of Faller by Will McIntosh which I’ve already devoured. There are some really wild and fascinating ideas in this one! I should have a review scheduled soon. Finally, I was really excited to receive a hardcover of Invisible Planets edited and translated by Ken Liu – this is an anthology of contemporary Chinese science fiction in translation, and whoa there are some really cool stuff in here. Huge thanks to the publisher for these goodies.
Patterns of the Wheel by Amy Romanczuk – One more little gem from Tor, and if you are a Wheel of Time fan or a coloring book junkie, then you are going to be very happy to know that finally the world is about to get a coloring book based on the world of Robert Jordan’s epic series! I’ll be hosting a giveaway of Patterns of the Wheel next week too, so keep an eye out for that! I can tell you the right now the illustrations are gorgeous and I’m looking forward to tackling some of them come this winter when I will have more time to hit the coloring pens and pencils (a set of which Tor was also kind enough to send!)
Timekeeper by Tara Sim – I just couldn’t resist downloading this. I know Victorian-era steampunk is one of those ubiquitous tropes, but I just love it. With thanks to Sky Pony Press via Edelweiss.
Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor – Also thanks to Tor.com for sending me this e-galley of the sequel to Binti. While I had mixed feelings about the first book, I still want to read this–but I may try out one of Okorafor’s full-length novels before I do.
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones – Another impulse request because of this novel’s gorgeous cover and description. I’m definitely in trouble, because there’s already so much incredible YA coming out next year. My thanks to Thomas Dunne Books and NetGalley.
A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong – I slammed on the request button as soon as I saw this pop up on NetGalley, and no regrets! Earlier this year I read my first Kelley Armstrong novel, the absolutely phenomenal mystery-thriller City of the Lost. This is the sequel and I am just crazy overjoyed to be approved. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books.
The Tourist by Robert Dickinson – Audiobook with thanks to Hachette Audio. The description for this book caught my eye right way, though I won’t lie, I’m actually quite nervous about the mixed reviews. I’m hoping the audio version will help alleviate some of the common complaints, plus I am I also a big fan of the narrator Peter Kenny so I decided to go for it.
Iron Cast by Destiny Soria – Audiobook with thanks to Audible Studios. I had been drooling over this one for a while, so I jumped on it the moment I saw that the audio version was available for request. Looks perfect for when I’m in the mood for some light and fun historical fantasy YA.
I also had the pleasure of connecting with Penguin Random House Audio last week, and I’ve already been set up with a trio of amazing audiobooks. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is definitely a must-read for me this fall and I am doubly excited about the chance to experience it in this format. If this book is anything like its predecessor Illuminae, this should be very interesting. I’m also rocking the media tie-ins with these next two: I’ve already binge listened to and completed Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston, which was so good, and Starcraft: Evolution by Timothy Zahn should satisfy my Starcraft itch. My deepest thanks to PRHA!
Sci-Fi November
Now should also be the perfect time to announce that for the third year The BiblioSanctum will be participating in November Sci-Fi Month hosted by Rinn Reads and Over the Effing Rainbow. As the name of the event implies, next month we’ll be bringing you all kinds of sci-fi goodness in addition to our usual content, including sci-fi related reviews, giveaways, and special features. In addition, the SF/F Read-Along group will be celebrating with a read-along of A Closed and Common Orbit this winter since last year we covered the first book A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. If you’ve been planning on reading this sequel too, why not come join us? You’ll find the details as they are updated here.
Reviews
Time for a roundup of my reviews! Top featured spot goes to The Wall of Storms, the truly epic sequel to The Grace of Kings. Seriously, this series is blowing my mind.
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu (5 of 5 stars)
Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives by Sam Sykes (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Apartment by S.L. Grey (4 of 5 stars)
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (4 of 5 stars)
Like A River Glorious by Rae Carson (4 of 5 stars)
Children of the Different by S.C. Flynn (3.5 of 5 stars)
Forsaken Skies by D. Nolan Clark (3.5 of 5 stars)
Reanimatrix by Pete Rawlik (3 of 5 stars)
We Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson (3 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
Interviews & Guest Posts
Big thanks to Jason Arnopp who stopped by The BiblioSanctum this week! If you’re looking for another great read, check out his spectacularly entertaining and creepy new horror novel The Last Days of Jack Sparks.
Exposing Jack Sparks: An Interview with Jason Arnopp
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve been reading lately. A bunch of these books haven’t been reviewed yet, but I’m working on getting them up so stay tuned!
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!
Exposing Jack Sparks: An Interview with Jason Arnopp
Posted on October 21, 2016 7 Comments
In case you missed it, earlier this month I reviewed The Last Days of Jack Sparks, a book which has shot its way up onto my list of all-time favorite horror novels and is right now easily one of my top reads of 2016. Today, it is with great excitement that we welcome the author Jason Arnopp himself to The BiblioSanctum, because believe me I was practically bursting with questions to ask him about his book! Halloween is fast approaching and if you’re still looking for that perfect read with just the right mix of humor and terror, you need to check it out now. I hope you enjoy our Q&A!
Welcome to The BiblioSanctum, Jason! Thank you so much for the interview!
No, I insist, The BiblioSanctum: thank you for inviting me! Oh, we could go back and forth like this all day.
Indeed, we should just dive in! I’d really like to talk about your new novel The Last Days of Jack Sparks, which completely blew me away. But first, can you give us a rundown of what the book is about, and what prospective readers can expect?
Wow, thanks – I’m very glad you liked! The book is about an arrogant celebrity journalist who sets out to debunk the supernatural with his latest non-fiction book, only to end up dead. And on a more pretentious, thematic level, it’s about ego, certainty and belief, and how those three things intersect in the social media age. Oh, and death. But then, most horror stories are.
I also learned from your website that you have a background in journalism. Did your professional experience influence you or play any role in the writing of this book?
I guess it’s likely I might not have chosen a journalist as my main character, had it not been for my past life in journalism! And it certainly helps, having an intimate knowledge of what your protagonist’s professional life entails. On a practical level, too, working in magazines trained me to deliver to deadline and also work out which sentence to place first in any given newspiece. A skill which can be useful in prose too, when you’re about to embark on a new chapter.
What is it about horror that draws you in, and what do you hope The Last Days of Jack Sparks will bring to the genre?
Horror has always been in my DNA, ever since I saw Doctor Who as a kid. The genre is a safe place to vicariously explore frightening and horrendous things, exactly comparable to a ghost train. I do always want to try and bring something new to the genre, as much as you can. Hopefully Jack Sparks brings the odd new idea to the table. I feel like I know horror pretty well, so I aim for the cutting edge, regardless of whether I actually achieve it!
What scares you? And did you incorporate any of the things you fear into this book?
As I said, this book is partly about death and what lies beyond (if anything), so that implicitly answers the question of what scares me. I’m not a big fan of death, I have to say. Broadly speaking, I just don’t think it’s a good idea. We should all vote to ban it or something.
Seriously, you’d get my vote. I have those exact same fears about death and the unknown beyond! Let’s talk a bit about your main character, the titular Jack Sparks. He’s funny as hell, but not exactly the kind of guy you want to hang out with, or can count on to watch your back. His personality can also be a bit…difficult. When you were writing, what was the greatest challenge about getting into the mind of someone like Jack Sparks?
I probably should never confess this, but I found it all too easy to adopt Jack’s mindset. Being an author involves see-sawing between Total Ego Mode (“Everyone must read this masterpiece!”) and Total Self-Loathing Mode (“No-one should ever read this wretched crap!”), so it was nice to let the ego run free for a while in a fictional character. The hardest part was deciding how fast, or how slowly, to reveal what’s going in Jack’s head, while also considering the external mask he’s presenting to the world. Personality layers can be tough to manage.
Oh man, that description of the see-saw mindset is hilarious – and captures Jack perfectly to a tee. So in this story, there’s an exorcism in rural Italy. A spirit cleansing ritual on a haunted houseboat in Hong Kong. A psychokinesis experiment in Hollywood. I imagine a lot of specialized research must have gone into the book. What was that like? Did you come across anything interesting?
Oh yes indeed! I think the only actual research I did for the exorcism was to find an exorcism prayer. Apart from that, I’ve seen so many onscreen exorcisms that I felt I knew the ropes! The point of that particular exorcism, after all, was for it to be relatively standard – it’s Jack’s reaction which hopefully makes the scene different. For anything to do with the Hong Kong combat magician Sherilyn Chastain, I interviewed my fine friend Cat Vincent (@catvincent on Twitter), who is a retired combat magician. Plenty of what Cat told me ended up coming out of Sherilyn’s mouth, more or less word for word, which made it all the weirder for Cat when he read the novel! And the Hollywood experiment was based on an actual 1972 experiment called The Philip Experiment, which I had already read up on in the book Conjuring Up Philip: An Adventure In Psychokinesis. Can’t say I’m a big fan of research in general, but all this stuff was fun to learn.
Speaking of fun stuff, what are your other creative outlets besides writing? Do you have any hobbies you like to do in your spare time?
Writing seems to be the sole creative thing I do. Apart from that, I have a few faintly eccentric hobbies like collecting VHS films (which inspired a novelette of mine called Auto Rewind), retro video gaming and magic (as in old-fashioned conjuring, as opposed to summoning demons!)
Do you have any other writing projects you’re working on, currently or coming up soon, that you can share with readers at this point?
I’m working on my second novel for Orbit Books, which is a standalone affair unrelated to Jack Sparks. It’s a supernatural thriller in a completely different way. So that’s currently my main focus. Folks who have chanced upon my work via The Last Days Of Jack Sparks, though, might be interested in checking out some of my previous short-form work like Beast In The Basement and A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home. The former is a surprising thriller novella, while the latter is a short story set in the home of whoever reads it.
I definitely will look into these! And I’m so excited to hear about your next project, can’t wait to find out more. It’s been wonderful chatting with you, Jason! Can you please leave readers with three things that they might be surprised to learn about you?
Likewise! Hmm, let’s see. I was once held at gunpoint at the Vatican (you can Google for a blogpost in which I tell that story, if you like); I’ve written sleeve notes for albums by Judas Priest, Machine Head and Fear Factory; and I’m a big fan of seagulls, to the extent that I sometimes confront people on beaches who throw stones at them. Just call me Seagull Cop. How’s that?
Thank you so much again for stopping by! Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
JasonArnopp.com should be your first point of call – lots of info on there and some free downloadable fiction! You can also find me quacking into a void at Twitter.com/JasonArnopp and Facebook.com/JasonArnoppWriter. Thanks very much for your time, BiblioSanctum – much appreciated! Jack Sparks salutes you FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE.
Book Review: The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu
Posted on October 20, 2016 9 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: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Dandelion Dynasty
Publisher: Saga Press (October 4, 2016)
Length: 880 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
“Not all wars are fought with swords and spears, and not all foes are found on the battlefield. The times are changing, brother, and we must change along with them.”
I think it’s safe to say, if you loved The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu’s phenomenal debut that took the genre by storm last year, you will also be blown away by its magnificent sequel. Liu’s prose is as beautiful and lyrically expressive as ever as we dive once more into this scintillating world where history and mythology collide. You will again be met with epic battles and court intrigue, the triumphs of victory and heartaches of defeat, the timeless fiery passions and ambitions of people touched by fate.
And yet, like the above quote so poignantly suggests, the winds of change are sweeping across the realm, and The Wall of Storms is a story of transformation and adaptation. The empire of Dara still faces challenges but now they come in other guises, and those who want to survive will need to learn to understand the forces they are up against. Conflicts come from both within and without, and yet sometimes your foes are not flesh and blood but philosophies and concepts.
Hence the war continues, even though the long uprising is over and Kuni Garu now sits on Dara’s throne as emperor. In the first part of the novel, we look at how the clashes have persisted, though now the focus has shifted from the arts of war to the scholarly ways of learning. We also have another generation enter the equation. The book begins as Emperor Kuni’s children—Timu, Phyro, Thera, and Fara—sneak out of the palace to enjoy a day of listening to stories in a local tavern. Through the storyteller, we are briefly brought up to speed on the tumultuous relationship between Kuni Garu and the now deceased legendary warlord Mata Zyndu, a subject which was a major part of The Grace of Kings. All hell breaks loose, however, when a disgruntled patron in the crowd accuses the storyteller of sedition for glorifying Zyndu, the Emperor’s one-time friend turned bitter rival. Thankfully, someone else steps in to defend the storyteller and tavern-goers—a character who is new to the series but whom nonetheless plays a very important role in this novel.
Zomi Kidosu is her name, and much of The Wall of Storms is dedicated to the story of her life. The first half of this book tells of Zomi growing up in a poor fishing village, scarred and crippled from an accident which left her with little prospects for the future. But fate leads her to a chance encounter with Luan Zya, the wandering philosopher and former adviser to the emperor. Recognizing Zomi’s intelligence and latent potential, Luan decides to take the girl on as a student, and thus begins one of the most beautiful and heartfelt friendships I have ever read.
Zomi’s efforts eventually lead her to sit the Imperial Examinations. Once again, we can see how history has inspired Ken Liu’s writing and the world of The Dandelion Dynasty. It was a delightful surprise when I saw that the author had taken a fascinating piece of history from ancient China—the real Imperial examination system—and mirrored it for his purposes here. Intended as a way to select the best candidates for civil service, the examinations were indeed as tough and exclusive as Liu portrayed them in this book. Such exams helped shape ancient China’s history, and over time became one reason for the shift from militaristic policies to more scholarly and bureaucratic ones in the early dynasties—a shift that is happening in Dara as well, as this sequel hints. The examinations also encouraged cultural unity, and that really fits one of the key themes in both The Grace of Kings and The Wall of Storms: the idea that there’s more than one way to win a war and conquer your vassals. Again, we talk about change in this sequel—like putting down swords and picking up pens instead.
But if you think this book is going to be dominated by talk of the scholarly pursuits, you are also mistaken. The second half of the book goes back to all out warfare as a rebellion threatens the stability of Dara. In addition to that, a mysterious force also invades from beyond the wall of storms. This is where Princess Thera steps up and becomes an impressive figure in her own right, pushing back against her detractors who are practically in fits at the absurd idea that a mere woman can hold and wield power. These attitudes are summarily smacked down as the sexist, stupid views they are as Thera proves why she is regarded by her father as the strongest and wisest of his children.
Indeed, in this sequel, the women steal the show. I think those who noted the relative absence of major female characters in the previous book will be happy to see that this is not the case here. Between Zomi and Thera, we have two very influential women rocking these pages, but there’s also the behind-the-scenes conflict at court between Empress Jia and consort Risana. While their war of wills involves more subtle attacks rather than overt fighting, it very much parallels the battle of ideologies we saw between Kuni and Mata in the first book. Yet another example of The Wall of Storms displaying familiar themes, but coming at them with a different approach.
Still, the evolution and transformation of this series notwithstanding, if you didn’t take to the style of The Grace of Kings, you’ll probably experience the same issues with this sequel. Liu’s writing is elegant and rich, and like I said in my review of the first book, his evocative prose is meant to be savored. Together with the mini-tales and historical asides he injects into the main plot though, this can sometimes slow the pacing and weigh down the overall story. But if, like me, you were enchanted with this book’s predecessor and enjoyed every moment of its epic, far-reaching narrative, you will love The Wall of Storms just as much if not more.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: whether he’s penning short stories or 800+ page novels, Ken Liu’s writing is so inspiring. If you are a fan of epic fantasy and you haven’t read The Grace of Kings yet, you are missing out on some of the best writing and storytelling this genre has to offer. Now having finished The Wall of Storms, this sequel only served to cement this series in my mind as a true work of art.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Way of Kings (Book 1)
Interview with Ken Liu
Book Review: The Apartment by S.L. Grey
Posted on October 19, 2016 14 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Anchor Books (October 4, 2016)
Length: 272 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Being a huge fan of author Sarah Lotz, naturally I just had to check out The Apartment, since she’s one half of the writing duo of S.L. Grey. While I’ve never read anything by her collaborator Louis Greenberg, I do know he’s quite an accomplished dark fantasy and horror writer as well, and together the two of them have created something truly startling here.
The book is told through the eyes of a married couple from Cape Town, South Africa. Mark Sebastian is a middle-aged English professor struggling both personally and financially after a terrible event seven years ago had shattered his first marriage. Steph is a young woman who had to put her life on hold after she got pregnant and married Mark, deciding to be a stay-at-home parent to take care of their young daughter Hayden. Despite the couple’s difficulties though, the Sebastians’ marriage was loving, happy, and idyllic—that is, until their home was violently invaded by three masked men who threatened Mark and Steph at knife point and robbed them of their already meager possessions.
Unfortunately, while the family came out of that agony physically unharmed, the psychological trauma has taken its toll. Mark and Steph are unable to return to their normal lives, due to the constant fear and paranoia. So when a friend refers them to a house-swapping website and suggests that they take a nice relaxing vacation, the two of them are intrigued by this money-saving option. Almost right away, Steph connects with the owners of a charming little apartment in Paris, a young couple who would just love to visit Cape Town and stay at the Sebastians’ place. Despite a few lingering doubts, Mark and Steph decide to take the leap and plans are swiftly made for childcare and travel. After all, who can resist the draw of the city of light and love?
However, once they arrive in Paris, their dream vacation quickly spirals out of control and becomes a living nightmare. Instead of rest and romance, they find only darkness and terror.
Before I go further, there are some quibbles I have to mention. The first and biggest discrepancy that leaped out at me was, of course, Mark and Steph’s decision to agree to a house-swap in the first place, opening their house to complete strangers after we’ve been repeatedly told how uncomfortable and traumatized they were following their home invasion. I would think that the last thing they’d want is to have more unfamiliar people coming into their private living space, sleeping in their beds, eating off their plates, handling their personal belongings, etc. (I thought maybe it was just me, but after seeing other reviews that also point out how this made no sense, I actually feel somewhat vindicated.) More of these puzzling irregularities pop up especially once the characters arrive in Paris—leaving aside the fact they’re quite possibly with the worst credit card company in the world, I also don’t think they tried anywhere near hard enough to exhaust all possible options before resigning themselves to stay in that awful, freaky apartment. If it were me, I would have found some cheap hostel or even slept on a bench at the train station before going back to that place.
Still, despite a few things that didn’t add up, I had a really enjoyable time with this novel. The tensions are thick enough that I was happy to push aside those little inconsistencies if it meant I could just sit back and let the story take me where it wanted to go. Indeed, what I appreciated most about this book was its atmosphere. There was a gradual shift from oppressive and dreadful at the beginning to downright creepy towards the end, leading the reader through several different stages of suspense and horror before letting the conclusion come crashing down on us. I was up way too late many nights reading this book, breaking the promise to myself that “I’ll go to bed once I finish this chapter” multiple times because I kept caving to the temptation to peek at the next page, getting sucked into reading another chapter, and then rinse and repeat.
A couple more comments before I go (though I doubt too many avid horror readers would be surprised by what I’m about to say): You’re probably not going to find any of the characters very likeable. Like many horror novel protagonists, I think both Mark and Steph were meant to be a little foolish, unstable and reprehensible—all by design. And like in most ghost/haunted house stories, there will also be some ambiguity, so don’t be surprised when the book ends without providing all the answers.
All told, The Apartment is a creepy little tale combining traditional horror story-telling elements with the uncertainties and struggles of a recently-married couple who probably don’t know each other as well as they think they do—and some of the shocking revelations from their alternating POV chapters really serve to emphasize that. Despite the story being riddled by little inconsistencies, my overall pleasure at reading this book was unaffected. The Apartment was a very addictive read and I had a lot of fun with it.
Waiting on Wednesday 10/19/16
Posted on October 19, 2016 16 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
Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron (February 28, 2017 by Orbit)
I was browsing Amazon earlier this week when I happened on the cover and description of the second book in the Empire of Storms trilogy and just knew right away I had to make it my Waiting on Wednesday pick. I really enjoyed the first book Hope and Red and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Book Review: Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives by Sam Sykes + Book w/ Signed Bookplate Giveaway
Posted on October 18, 2016 13 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives by Sam Sykes
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Media Tie-In
Series: Pathfinder Tales
Publisher: Tor (October 18, 2016)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
While this is only my third venture into the world of Pathfinder Tales, I swear the experience is only getting better with each book. And my latest read, Shy Knives, just completely stole the show.
Backing up a bit though, I was excited when I first learned that the wickedly funny Sam Sykes had been asked by Paizo to write a novel for them and that he would be joining the Pathfinder fun, but I think I would have jumped on this book even if I hadn’t been getting into the series already. I knew I was going to enjoy myself, but still—I had no idea just how much!
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. Sometimes a job is just a job, and nothing personal.
One day, Shy is approached by a young noblewoman with an interesting case. The Lady Dalaris Sidara is the sole remaining heir to a destitute house, her already precarious future shattered by the death of her betrothed just days before their wedding. They said that her fiancé had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, overseeing his family’s trade business at a caravan stop when it was attacked by a marauding band of centaurs, but Dalaris suspects that there is more to the story. With the other nobles watching her like a hawk, she needs someone resourceful like our protagonist to poke around and shake out the truth. Some jobs may require heroes, but this one definitely calls for a rogue.
I loved the characters in this book. Shy’s voice is as delightful as they come, with her sharp mind and sharper tongue. Sam Sykes did a wonderful job with her personality, finding that perfect balance between “hardened criminal” and “rogue with a heart of gold” so that Shy came across as lovable protagonist without being too mawkishly sentimental. She also won me over from the very first page with her clever wit and hilarious anecdotes and one-liners. I could probably fill a dozen pages with my favorite quotes, easy. In multiple places, this book literally had me laughing out loud.
Then there’s Dalaris. My favorite description of her comes near the end, from an observation by Shy herself: “There are two types of people in this world: tough people beneath a layer of tears and teary people beneath a layer of toughness. Dalaris, thankfully, was the former.” Despite the relationship getting off to a rough start, this unassuming and ostensibly meek noblewoman ultimately earns Shy’s respect and friendship, and it’s easy to understand why once you get to know her strength (as well as some mind-blowing revelations about her past).
Now that I have three Pathfinder Tales novels under my belt, I’m also struck by the variety of stories. Despite them all taking place in the great wide world of Golarion, the setting for many of the events in the Pathfinder RPG, my reading experiences have vastly differed each time. I liked that Shy Knives doesn’t take itself too seriously, keeping a light tone and injecting a healthy dose of dry humor (which even includes several tongue-in-cheek jibes about D&D groups/adventuring parties). I wanted a fun, swashbuckling good read, and that was exactly what I got. At the same time though, the book is also a testament to the increasing quality of media tie-in novels. Their popularity is a growing trend, and nothing to be sneered at. I think entertaining well-written books like this one will keep helping the genre gradually shed its stigma of being disregarded as derivative, unsophisticated, or too commercial.
The nice thing too about Pathfinder Tales is that you can pretty much jump in anywhere, as most of the books in this series are written to be standalones (even though some authors will occasionally return to their previously established characters for more stories). While I have no idea if more Pathfinder novels are in Mr. Sykes’ future, if he does decide to do another one I hope he’ll consider bringing Shy back for another adventure. I just adored her character. Her humor and charms made Shy Knives an absolute pleasure to read, though I wouldn’t hesitate to give this book high marks just for being so damn enjoyable and addictive—so much so that I devoured most of it in one sitting. If I thought hard about it I could probably come up with some flaws, but quite frankly, I was having too much fun to care. Bottom line, if you’ve been curious about Pathfinder Tales, wait no longer—Shy Knives is the one you’ve just got to, have to, need to read.
Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives & Signed Bookplate Giveaway
With thanks to Tor Books and Sam Sykes, The BiblioSanctum is pleased to host this giveaway where two lucky winners will each receive a copy of Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives with signed book plate. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “SHY KNIVES” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Friday, October 28, 2016.
Only one entry per household, please. Must be at least 18 years old to enter. Two winners will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winners and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
The BiblioSanctum 