Waiting on Wednesday 07/06/16
Posted on July 6, 2016 9 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
Winter Halo by Keri Arthur (December 6, 2016 by Signet)
I read my first Keri Arthur book last year and was met with great success. That novel was of course City of Light, first book of her new Outcast series. I’m really looking forward to checking out its sequel this winter.
“When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between worlds, they allowed entry to the Others. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay….
The humanoid supersoldiers known as the déchet were almost eradicated by the war. Ever since, Tiger has tried to live her life in peace in hiding. But in the wake of her discovery that Central City’s children are being kidnapped and experimented on, Tiger’s conscience won’t let her look the other way.
The key to saving them lies within the walls of a pharmaceutical company called Winter Halo. But as she learns more about the facility, Tiger’s mission is derailed by a complication: Winter Halo’s female security guards are being systematically attacked by an unknown force.
Now Tiger must summon all her gifts to stop those responsible for both atrocities—no matter the cost to herself…”
Book Review: The Transference Engine by Julia Verne St. John
Posted on July 5, 2016 13 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Transference Engine by Julia Verne St. John
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Series: Book 1
Publisher: DAW (July 5, 2016)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website
Julia Verne St. John’s fantasy steampunk alternate history novel The Transference Engine became one of my most anticipated releases of 2016 when The BiblioSanctum hosted the cover reveal for it earlier this year. The first time I glimpsed that beautiful cover was also the first time I’d heard of this book, and both the protagonist and the world sounded fascinating to me. A mystery involving necromancy, set in an alternate 1830s London that’s run on magic and machines? No way I wasn’t going to love this. In spite of my excitement though, by the time I was through the first few chapters, I realized I was probably going to have to adjust my expectations.
These first few dozen pages or so introduced us to Madame Magdala, the proprietress of the Book View Café, a magical library where patrons can sit and read while enjoying a cup of coffee and freshly baked pastries. However, the café’s centerpiece is a magical book sorting contraption designed by Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, a literal search engine that can find any book you ask for in the library’s collection. Magdala and Lovelace—the woman who will one day become the world’s first computer programmer—go way back, from the time Magdala was first hired by Ada’s mother to be a governess and protector for her daughter.
That’s because Ada’s father is also the notorious Lord Byron, the famous poet and depraved necromancer. Even after his death, Lady Byron feared that her husband’s followers would try to resurrect him in a new body using a soul-transferal machine called the Transference Engine. While the original machine was destroyed ten years ago, there’s no telling how far the necromancers will go to complete their task. Now, with reports of young men and women disappearing all around London (and several of the missing being employees of the Book View Café), Magdala is concerned that someone might be attempting to repair the Transference Engine by collecting enough innocent souls to bring back the one of Lord Byron.
In truth, I actually liked this novel. If I was a little disappointed, it’s only insofar because I thought I was going to love it. My main issue with the book was how slowly it started. For a 300-page novel, I typically expect things to be moving long by page 50, but this story didn’t pick up in earnest until more than halfway through, which is quite a lot to ask of your readers. I was feeling much more generous with The Transference Engine and kept reading because I genuinely was taken in by the world, but I think others might not be so patient. Not that the plot didn’t interest me, but I would have liked this a lot more if the major developments were presented sooner.
The number of confusing flashbacks was also another factor that played into the pacing issue. Part of the problem is that this book almost reads like a sequel, with the heroine constantly referring to events in the past like I should be aware of them already. This feeling of “sequel-ness” was so strong, I did some research after finishing The Transference Engine to see what I could find. It turned out, I was right—sort of. The character of Madame Magdala was actually first introduced in a collection of short stories called Steampunk Voyages, published by the author in 2013 under her name Irene Radford. Many of the past adventures Magdala mentions in The Transference Engine are apparently from this anthology, including her experiences involving her past clients, Mary Godwin and Percy Shelley (the latter was a necromancer too). Knowing all this, I understood the reason I felt so lost and confused was because I was effectively starting this story from behind.
That said, I really liked some of the characters and world-building elements. I actually wish these aspects could have been developed more, but the truth is this book was probably too short to fit all the ideas the author wanted. The narrative also spends way too much time on things I didn’t find as interesting, such as Magdala’s constant congratulating of herself for taking in orphans and other street children (almost like she has to remind us all every few minutes what a kind, magnanimous soul she is). In actuality, what I really wanted to know was more about the amazing technology in this world, like her little tiny clockwork hummingbird, or her awesome book finding machine. I’d also hoped that Ada Lovelace would feature more prominently in this book; I think she’s an incredible historical figure and it was such a shame that she didn’t play a bigger role in the story.
Once this book got going though, it really moved. All the set up in the first half of the novel paid off in the second, and I breezed through the story’s climax and conclusion. I don’t know if I can wholeheartedly recommend this since the beginning was so confusing and somewhat dull, but at least the ending was satisfying, even if it did wrap up a little too quickly and neatly. The pacing issues really hurt this novel, robbing this mystery story of its full potential, but there’s also plenty to like here if you’re a fan of the steampunk genre and enjoy reading about cool world-building ideas. If there’s a sequel, I can see pacing improving since the foundation has already been established, and I would be very curious to continue the story.
Week 1: All is Fair Read-Along
Posted on July 4, 2016 2 Comments
Our read-along of The Split Worlds series continues, and this month we’re diving into the third book All Is Fair! If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
With thanks to Coolcurry for the read-along banner!
Caught in the insidious designs of powerful puppet-masters and playing a life-or-death game for control, Cathy and her comrades face their greatest challenge yet: changing the balance of power in the Split Worlds.
Now at the heart of the Londinium Court, deceit and murder track Will’s steps as he assumes his new role as Duke. Faced with threats to his throne and his life, the consequences of his bloody actions are already coming back to haunt him…
Meanwhile, Cathy, wrestling with the constraints of the Agency and Dame Iris, comes to terms with her new status in Fae-touched society and seeks others who feel just as restricted by its outdated social rules. As Max works with Cathy to uncover the horrors that underpin Fae-touched society, he bears witness as the final blow is struck against the last Sorcerers in Albion…
Week 1: Monday 4th July, Chapters 1-6, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Monday 11th July, Chapters 7-14, hosted by Hisham El-Far
Week 3: Monday 18th July, Chapters 15-22, hosted by The Illustrated Page
Week 4: Monday 25th July, Chapters 23-End, hosted by x + 1
We get to visit the Agency in more depth than before here. What are your thoughts/predictions on their shady goings-on after what we’ve been shown?
Mogsy: I’m not sure where this thread is going yet, but what is revealed here is very disturbing. It appears the Agency is a lot more nefarious than I first thought (and I thought they were plenty iffy already) and they have more power than I expected. So this is where members of the society disappear to when they are disgraced…
Will finally realises he may have made certain mistakes with all his assumptions… Do you think he’ll step up and correct them, or is it too late for him?
Mogsy: Too late. Even if he wants to make amends, what can he really do? A man is dead, and you can’t correct that. Bartholomew’s widow is also very angry (rightfully so) and whatever goodwill the Irises have earned has been flushed down the toilet when Will charged in with his half-baked accusations. Even if doubt is starting to creep up on him, he’s probably still too proud, too stupid, and too in denial at this point to admit he did the wrong thing. His belligerence when talking to Cathy about what happened is sort of proof of that.
“It’s nice not being called ‘puppet’ all the time.” Max and Cathy seem to be coming to a better understanding of each other and their situations. Max also seems to be coming around more to the gargoyle’s (more emotional) point of view. What do you make of their scenes here, and do you think he and Cathy can become true allies from here?
Mogsy: I had to give an ironic laugh when Cathy said that in the book. She might not like being called a puppet, but sadly a puppet is what she is whether she likes it or not, as long as she and her peers are all beholden to their fae lords and have to do what they say. This is why I’m reluctant to answer yes or no with regards to the question about Cathy and Max becoming true allies. I suppose they can be, until the next time their goals come in conflict with something Lord Iris or Lord Poppy wants from Cathy. If I were Max, I’d keep that in mind and only trust her as far as that.
Things take an interesting turn for Sam with Lord Iron, following Leanne’s funeral. Do you have any new thoughts about might be going on here after the discussion they have at Lord Iron’s house?
Mogsy: So maybe Neugent isn’t the diabolical killer villain Sam thought him to be. Hmm, I’m not sure if I have any new theories yet, but I’m so pleased we finally got to see this famed forge we’ve been hearing about!
Audiobook Review: Tracer by Rob Boffard
Posted on July 4, 2016 10 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Series: Book 1 of Outer Earth
Publisher: Hachette Audio (June 28, 2016)
Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Jeff Harding and Sarah Borges
Tracer is a novel that has been on my to-read list for a while, especially after author Rob Boffard wrote a fascinating and chilling guest post for The BiblioSanctum earlier this year. I had the ebook, but when I learned that the audiobook version would also be released alongside the print edition in the US, I decided to go ahead and give it a listen.
The first chapter opens with an introduction to Riley, a young woman working as a tracer on a space station. Tracers are like unofficial couriers who make the world go ‘round in such a confined environment. They deliver important packages from one point to another—climbing, leaping, and wall-running through the bowels and complex pathways of Outer Earth, an enormous station carrying the last remnants of humanity after Earth became uninhabitable. Riley prides herself on being one of the fastest and most reliable tracers; she knows the station like the back of her hand, including all the quickest possible routes, and most importantly, her patrons can always count on her to be discreet. She and her fellow tracers of the Devil Dancers are instructed to never ask questions about the packages they’re carrying, they don’t even want to know. This has made them an attractive service to a shadier subset of the clientele on Outer Earth. Assignments can’t all be as noble as transporting precious medical supplies or foodstuffs to those in need, after all.
Because of the nature of their work though, tracers often draw the attention of the station’s gangs. One day, Riley is on her way to deliver a package to Oren Darnell, Outer Earth’s most dangerous man, when she is suddenly attacked by a group of gang members. Riley manages to escape, but only because her pack was ripped in the scuffle, and her attackers took off in a panic after realizing what she had been transporting. In spite of herself, Riley could not help her curiosity. Even though all her instincts tell her not to, she takes a look for herself the mysterious item she was supposed to bring to Darnell. In doing so, she ends up setting off a chain of events that would propel the entire station and everyone on it towards certain disaster. Outer Earth is in danger, and time is quickly running out.
This was a very fast listen, because from the very first sentence, Boffard sets a very fast pace for the rest of the story. Tracer is an extremely action-oriented novel, running the full gamut of possible calamities to befall an old and rundown space station, from massive fires in the food production labs to a full-scale hostile takeover by a homicidal madman. It’s a pretty standard sci-fi thriller featuring some common genre tropes, but in spite of that there were still more than a few twists keeping things interesting. The plot also never slows down, throwing Riley and her allies into one dangerous situation after another.
While fun and very enjoyable, it’s clear that certain other aspects of the novel had to take a backseat in favor of all the explosive action. Characters were well done, but perhaps weren’t as fleshed out as they could be. Riley was the only one I really connected with, possibly because her chapters were the only ones told in first-person perspective, while the rest were told in third (come to think of it, that was an odd format choice that was neither here nor there). The book’s main villain was kind of flat; in general there was very little to the bad guys beyond the fact they were crazy and evil. As well, we get the cliché of the villain monologue at the end, making them feel very hammy besides. Riley’s love interest, a lab tech named Prakesh Kumar was a perspective character too, but he received less attention relative to the others and therefore it didn’t surprise me when their romance felt a little tacked on.
Still, this book was wildly entertaining, living up to the publisher description of “The Bourne Identity meets Gravity”, in tone if not in content. Tracer had the feel of a summer blockbuster—and that’s no bad thing. The story might not stick in your mind forever, but it’s an explosive popcorn experience and fun while you’re taking it in. Rock solid debut, great for when you need a super quick read that will keep your eyes glued to the pages (or earbuds firmly implanted in ears, in my case with the audiobook)!
Additional audiobook comments: The Tracer audiobook was narrated by Jeff Harding and Sarah Borges. Kudos for bringing in both a female and a male reader for this novel, since I don’t think it would have worked nearly as well with only one narrator. Both Harding and Borges performed very well, affecting great accents when required. My only complaint is that both readers’ voices sound a little too mature for some of the characters, namely Riley and Prakesh. In one instance, Riley informs someone that she is twenty years old, and I remember at the time feeling surprised because from Borges’ voice acting, I thought the character was older. Sometimes the chapter transitions are also very abrupt, almost like the narrators are cut off mid-sentence, but I would have to compare with a print or ebook edition to figure out whether this is an audio issue or just the way the prose is written. Overall though, I had a good time with this audiobook, and I’ll probably check out the rest of this trilogy in this format too. Would recommend.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Guest Post: “The Worst Things That Can Happen to You in Space” by Rob Boffard
Audiobook Review: The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells
Posted on July 3, 2016 13 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 4 of The Books of the Raksura
Publisher: Audible Studios (Audiobook: June 15, 2016); Night Shade Books (Hardcover: April 5, 2016)
Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins; 388 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Christopher Kipiniak
The Edge of Worlds is the fourth novel of Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura. I haven’t actually read any of the previous installments (unless you count the short story collections), so I had some initial concerns about jumping in mid-series despite it being billed as a new adventure. Happily though, this turned out to be a pretty great place to start my Raksura journey, and I would strongly encourage others to try it out as well.
The story begins with a shared nightmare. Moon wakes up from a dream about an attack from the Fell, the enemy of the Raksura, and finds out that everyone else in Indigo Cloud court also experienced the same visions. No one is sure how to interpret what they saw, but they do know that an omen like this cannot be ignored. Soon, their worries are compounded with the arrival of a groundling emissary who tells them that the people of Kish have discovered an ancient sealed city by the sea. Callumkal, the leader of the groundling expedition, intends to find a way into the city and has come to the Raksura asking for help in this endeavor.
The Raksura are torn on how to move forward. There are fears that this ancient city may have been built by the forerunners, distant Raksuran ancestors, and no one could forget that the last sealed forerunner city they encountered was actually a prison for a monstrous creature of evil. In the end though, the Raksura of Indigo Cloud court decide to help the groundlings, splitting themselves up into two groups. One group would remain behind to guard the colony, while the other one would accompany the groundling expedition to investigate the mysterious city.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; the Raksura are one of the most original fantasy races I’ve ever encountered in fantasy fiction. For those who are unfamiliar with them, taking in the sheer amount of information about Raksuran culture, physiology, and social hierarchy will probably be the most overwhelming aspect should you decided to start the series here. The truth is, the plot of The Edge of Worlds is actually quite simple and straightforward. But the Raksura themselves? Not so much. There are a lot of characters to meet, details to learn. I think I would have struggled more had I not received a crash course about the Raksuran race back when I read volume one of Stories of the Raksura.
Basically, the Raksura are shapeshifters whose physical characteristics remind me of bird-people, but their societies are reminiscent of insect colonies. There’s a queen who rules, and she and her mate called a Consort will produce royal clutches composed of Queens, Consorts, as well as Warriors that are infertile males and females who defend the court. All three of these types are capable of flight, and they are called the Aeriat. Then there are the Arbora, who are Raksura that have no wings but are capable climbers. They are made up of Teachers who oversee the young, Hunters who provide food, Soldiers who guard the colony, and Mentors who are seers with magical abilities.
It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but all the information about Raksuran ways can be picked up on the fly (no pun intended). Wells was clearly writing with new readers in mind, because she provides plenty of information for us to understand what’s happening. Presumably, this book also takes place after the events of the previous novel The Siren Depths, so there’s a lot of recap about what went on in the Raksura’s previous encounter with a sealed forerunner city, along with the history of the Fell.
And speaking of the Raksura’s enemies, I loved the suspenseful build-up to their arrival at the ancient city. Martha Wells fills the expedition’s journey with interesting events, so that even the parts that involved traveling were enjoyable and engaging. As I said, the novel’s plot is actually very simple, but you get an incredibly rich experience nonetheless thanks to the fantastic world-building and smooth pacing.
This was also the first time I got to have quality time with Moon, the series protagonist. I only got to know him briefly from the first anthology, so I really enjoyed seeing him as a more fleshed-out character here, settled into his life at Indigo Cloud. From the short stories, I was able to glean some details of Moon’s past, so I know that he grew up very differently than his fellow Raksura and therefore still has much to learn about the culture of the court, as well as how to be a Consort. His behavior and ways of thinking make him something of a wild card among his peers, and it’s fascinating to see how that affects the social dynamics.
In sum, I can personally attest that The Edge of Worlds is a good starting point for readers new to the world of the Raksura. Taking in all its beauty and wonders may take some time, but it’s worth it. There’s certainly no lack of creativity in this series, making it perfect for fantasy readers looking to escape into a totally original tale and setting.
Audiobook comments: The audio edition of The Edge of Worlds is narrated by Christopher Kipiniak, who also provides his voice for all the other audiobooks in the series. I’ve long heard about his excellent performance on these books, but this is the first I’ve ever listened for myself. He has a very rich and powerful voice, and I think much of the atmosphere I felt from the story was thanks to his superb narration. Some of his voices for female characters sound awkward to me, but I’m still beyond impressed by the huge range of voices he is able to perform. I never had any problems distinguishing who was talking, and considering the large cast of characters in this novel, that’s no small feat.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Wendy’s review of The Cloud Roads (Book 1)
Tiara’s review of The Cloud Roads (Book 1)
Wendy’s review of The Serpent Sea (Book 2)
Wendy’s review of The Edge of Worlds (Book 4)
Mogsy’s review of Stories of the Raksura: Volume One
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 2, 2016 39 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.
Why, hello July! On the one hand I am thrilled to be soaring into summer, but on the other I am also a little bit nervous, because this is probably the busiest time of the year for book releases. Some good news, though: I’m pretty much finished with the initial round of vetting for the 30 books in our batch for SPFBO (yep, I know I haven’t been updating on my SPFBO progress lately, but that is most definitely still going on) so I’ve been able to pick up speed on my regular reviewing again. There will be a huge SPFBO update coming up very soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that, and stay tuned for all kinds of other good stuff in the coming weeks, including author features, giveaways and more. It’s going to be a big, eventful month for us here at The BiblioSanctum, and I’m really excited.
Received for Review
My TBR this month is gigantic. Like, scary gigantic. I do have a more focused list of my must-read books but I’ve also never been very good at keeping to a set plan, and I keep going “off script” picking up anything that catches my eye especially among some of my unsolicited arrivals. So July be a pretty eclectic month for sure! Lots of incredible books have found their way into my mailbox this past fortnight, some requested and some surprises, but I’m sure you’ll be seeing reviews of all of these at some point. My thanks to all the publishers for the review copies received! For more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages!
The Dinosaur Knights by Victor Milán and Time Siege by Wesley Chu – This was definitely a week for finished copies, and Tor is kicking it off with these sequels to The Dinosaur Lords and Time Salvager, respectively. I enjoyed both those books immensely last year, and I’m looking forward to their follow-ups. My thanks to the publisher!
Also huge thanks to the kind folks at Penguin (Ace, Roc, DAW and NAL) for sending along the following finished copies this week: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan is the first book of a new series called The Draconis Memoria and I can’t wait to read it. I have a review planned for later this month, along with a US giveaway so watch for that! Next up is Red Queen by Christina Henry, book two in The Chronicles of Alice. I’ll also be hosting a giveaway of the first book Alice with my review in a couple weeks, so if you haven’t started this series yet, that’s something else to look out for. I’m also crazy excited about diving into these next two books, and by the time this post goes live I should actually be deep into Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn which I’m hoping will be as fun as it sounds, and Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine of course is the highly anticipated sequel to Ink and Bone, one of my favorite reads of last year.
The Gates of Hell by Michael Livingston – My thanks to Tor books for this amazing surprise! This sequel to Livingston’s incredible historical fantasy debut The Shards of Heaven was already firmly on my must-read list for this fall, but I hadn’t expected ARCs to be ready for another month or two. I want more Ancient Rome! More Cleopatra Selene! It’s going to be tough keeping my hands off of this one until closer to release date, that’s for sure.
The Shattered Lens and The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson – I also want to thank Tor (who are really spoiling me this week) for these two gorgeous gems: a finished copy of book 4 and an ARC of the long-awaited book 5 in Brandon Sanderson’s middle grade series Alcatraz. I was literally speechless with gratitude (that is, right after I got all the squeeing out of my system). The Dark Talent is actually the concluding volume, and while I’m sad this series is coming to a close, it’s also great knowing I’ll be able to jump right in after finishing The Shattered Lens to find out how it all ends. This is such an amazing series, you guys.
A Little Knowledge by Emma Newman – For the past couple months I’ve been participating in a read along of The Split Worlds series with the SFF Read-Along group, and you’ve probably noticed from the posts that I’ve gotten really addicted to these books. In July, we’ll be plunging into book 3, so the timing of this new arrival couldn’t have been more perfect! In August, Diversion Books will be pubbing the fourth book A Little Knowledge along with re-issues of the first three, complete with gorgeous new covers. My thanks to their awesome publicity team!
The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill and Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan – Finished copies from Simon & Schuster and Del Rey, respectively. These are wonderful books, and last week I posted reviews to both. In case you missed them, see the links in my review roundup section below!
The Prisoner of Hell Gate by Dana I. Wolff – I actually missed featuring this book a couple weeks ago, so here it is now! A horror novel steeped in history, centered around the story of Typhoid Mary. If you’re a germophobe, I hear this one will go very badly for you… My thanks to Macmillan/Picador via NetGalley!
The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells – Audiobook, with thanks to Audible Studios. Wendy wrote a wonderful review for this book earlier this year, so when I saw a review copy of the audiobook edition on offer, I thought it would be neat to review this format too. I already listened to this and loved it, so my thoughts will be up soon.
Tracer by Rob Boffard and Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters – Audiobooks, with thanks to Hachette Audio. Both these titles have been on my radar for a while. This week I did a lot of work around the house, which also translated into a ton of audiobook listening, so I’ve actually completed both of these books s well. Reviews to come in the next couple weeks!
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu – Have I mentioned lately how much I adored The Grace of Kings? When I saw this sequel pop up on NetGalley, I didn’t think; my hand just automatically clicked the request button. My thanks to Saga Press!
A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson, Everything Belongs to the Future by Laurie Penny, and The Burning Light by Bradley P. Beaulieu and Rob Ziegler – My thanks to Tor.com for also sending over three more e-galleys this week. I am intrigued by the first two (which were new to me) and positively thrilled about the third because in the past I’ve really enjoyed the work of Bradley P. Beaulieu.
Reviews
Writing doesn’t always come naturally for me, but lately I’ve been having a better time with my reviews. I don’t know, maybe I’m reading the kind of books that are easy to gush (or rant) about. Here is a roundup of my reviews since the last update, gathered together and listed here for your convenience and viewing pleasure. Check out the highlights!
Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley (4.5 of 5 stars)
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan (4.5 of 5 stars)
And I Darken by Kiersten White (4 of 5 stars)
The Big Sheep by Robert Kroese (4 of 5 stars)
The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill (4 of 5 stars)
The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman (3.5 of 5 stars)
Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman (3.5 of 5 stars)
Mechanical Failure by Joe Zieja (3 of 5 stars)
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix (3 of 5 stars)
Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
Author Spotlights
My thanks to Jon Skovron who stopped by The BiblioSanctum with a guest post last week!
Guest Post: “What Lies Beyond Grimdark” by Jon Skovron
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
A lot of audiobook listening this week. We’ll have family visiting later this month so I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to get the place presentable, which means cleaning the house from top to bottom and tidying our back and front yards so it doesn’t look like we live in the middle of an overgrown jungle. All the while, I had a book in my ear of course. Hold on to your butts, because here’s some of what I’ll be reviewing at the BiblioSanctum in the next few weeks, minus the reviews that are already up.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love for books, so let me know what you plan on checking out. I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Until next time, see you next Roundup!
Guest Post: “What Lies Beyond Grimdark” by Jon Skovron
Posted on July 1, 2016 9 Comments
Earlier this month I got a hold of a copy of Hope and Red, Jon Skovron’s first novel for adults about a pair of orphans who grow from children to teenagers in a rough world of New Laven. One is a warrior, the lone survivor of a massacre on her entire village. The other is a thief and con artist living in a city ruled by gangs, raised by his mentor who is a pirate captain and one of the most notorious women of the criminal underworld. Immediately drawn to the story and characters, I jumped at the chance to invite the author to the BiblioSanctum to talk about his inspiration and the thought processes involved in writing this book. Hope and Red is available now. I hope to have my review up soon, but in the meantime please enjoy this fascinating post by Jon about the fun of going post-Grimdark!
WHAT LIES BEYOND GRIMDARK
by Jon Skovron
I love a lot of the fantasy stories often referred to as “grimdark” and the movement toward a more gritty, realistic depiction of fantasy as an antidote to the oversimplified “good vs. evil” mentality that that came before it.
But the thing is, after we’ve seen things we’d rather not have seen and lived through some truly awful moments in our lives, some of us might want to see what’s beyond the grit and the pain and the darkness. Perhaps we even need to see it. This isn’t a rejection of grimdark or the many incredibly talented authors who write in that subgenre/movement/aesthetic/whatever. Instead, it’s an attempt to take the many valuable lessons grimdark has taught us and consider what other kinds of stories are out there.
Grimdark has taught us that verisimilitude in fantasy is not only possible, but extremely effective. Big, sprawling canvas worlds are great to get lost in, but it’s even more immersive if you include the little details. The smell of blood, the taste of bile, the grime of what it really feels like to not have bathed in weeks. These are simple, relatable, details that rather than detract, can ground the reader even further into the world.
Grimdark also refuses to accept a simplistic view of a black and white world. It’s not virtuous knights vs. evil sorcerers. Nobody’s perfect in the real world and flawed protagonists are far more relatable. However, grimdark fantasy can also embrace nihilism as either expedient or inevitable or both, and that is something I don’t accept.
Yes, the world can be a very shitty place. And sometimes it’s tempting to just roll over and accept the inevitable. But stories can be so much more than that. They can help us make order out of chaos, and make sense of the senseless.
There is a temptation to see something that is “fun” or “lighthearted” as frivolous, perhaps even insincere, and that “dark” and “grim” things are more authentic. But if you examine our daily lives, I think you’ll find that it isn’t all just one long grind. “Fun” stories can be just as true to life as the grim ones.
Escapism also tends to get a bad rap. But I’ll be honest, that’s how I got into this racket in the first place. Imagine a lanky, brooding emo/goth kid (floppy bangs and everything) before either emo or goth were a thing, before the Internet, with no friends and a complicated home life. You guys, I was such a loser that I would play AD&D by myself, which, let me tell you, gets old real quick (although in retrospect, it was a really great primer for writing fantasy novels). When I read those David Eddings books over and over again, I wasn’t looking for anyone to remind me how shitty life could be. I was looking for even a temporary release from my life, preferably one that didn’t involve self-harm.
There’s this scene in Skinning Legs and All by Tom Robbins where the accidental genius artist/sculptor Boomer is talking about making Art and he says, “You just make what you wanna see, right? It’s a game, right? It’s like being paid for dreaming.” That simple idea has always stuck with me as the least pretentious and probably the best reason to make Art of any kind. If there is something in the world that doesn’t exist, and you think it should exist, then it’s your responsibility to make it exist. And that’s what Hope and Red is for me.
Don’t get me wrong, Hope and Red is still pretty dark at times. Right out of the gate, terrible and gruesome things are happening. But in my world there is also warmth and humor because that is what human beings do. We make jokes. We laugh in the face of death. As one of my old professors is fond of saying, you haven’t lost everything until you’ve lost your sense of humor.
Even more importantly than humor, in the world of Hope and Red, people are striving toward something better. They believe that there is something better, even if they don’t quite know what it is yet.
I wrote this book because that is the world I wanted to see. And perhaps, some of you might want to see it, too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jon Skovron is the author of several novels, includingMisfit (2011), which Holly Black called “a diabolically delightful paranormal about a teen girl discovering her inner strength and power — and her potential for darkness”. Man Made Boy (2013) was a Junior Library Guild selection and shortlisted for the Inky Reader’s Choice Award in Australia. io9.com said “If Man Made Boyhasn’t been optioned for a film or at least a CW series by the end of the year, we can be assured that Hollywood has actually forgotten how to read.” The audiobook, which Jon recorded for Random House’s Listening Library, was named Best Fiction Read By Author for Publisher Weekly’s Listen-Up awards. The sequel, This Broken Wondrous World, also a Junior Library Guild selection, was published August, 2015. Jon’s short stories have appeared in publications like ChiZine and Baen’s Universe, and more recently in anthologies such as GRIM from Harlequin Teen and Summer Days and Summer Nights from St. Martins Press. Jon’s next project is a fantasy trilogy called Empire of Storms, published by Orbit. The first book, Hope & Red, comes out June 28th, 2016.
He lives with his two sons just outside Washington DC, where he hosts a regular writing discussion series at the Arlington Public Library.
Find him at http://www.jonskovron.com, on Twitter @jonnyskov, and on Facebook.
Book Review: Mechanical Failure by Joe Zieja
Posted on June 30, 2016 18 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mechanical Failure by Joe Zieja
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Epic Failure
Publisher: Saga Press (June 14, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
As sci-fi spoofs and humorous novels go, Mechanical Failure was a lot of fun. When I read parts of this book aloud to my husband, he chuckled and said, “Kinda feels like Terry Pratchett in space.” Trust me, coming from him, that’s a great compliment. Personally, I think I would liken this more to something like Spaceballs, which just goes to show what a tricky genre it is. What’s funny and what’s not can be so subjective, and picking up a book like this always holds a risk because you never know whether the style or the tone of humor will work for you. If I’m to be honest, overall I felt this novel might’ve been just a tad too heavy on the goofball side to suit my tastes, but author Joe Zieja is also to be commended for finding a balance to ensure that the shtick never got too old.
The story begins by introducing its protagonist, former military engineer turned smuggler Sergeant R. Wilson Rogers, captain of the Awesome (yes, that’s really the name of his spaceship). After his latest deal involving space pirates goes horribly wrong, Rogers unexpectedly finds himself pulled back into his old unit with the Meridan Patrol Fleet.
At first, Rogers thinks it couldn’t be that bad. The activities he and the old 331st used to get up to are the kind of stuff that would make someone like Sgt. Bilko weep tears of joy—gambling, drinking, partying, and generally goofing off while trying to look busy. He figures everything will be the same once he gets back.
Unfortunately, before agreeing to this he had no idea that the MPF is actually preparing for war. Rogers arrives at the flagship to find that the entire atmosphere of the fleet has changed, but it just doesn’t make sense! Considering the Two Hundred Years (and Counting) Peace is still holding strong, and all the treaties protecting it are airtight, there’s simply no evidence of conflict anywhere, but that’s sure not stopping the fleet from shoring up their position, drilling the troops, and bolstering morale. Aghast as he is to be doing actual military work, Rogers has to admit though, something here doesn’t feel quite right.
For anyone who feels military science fiction might be too serious, too gung ho for them, you should consider giving this book a try. Mechanical Failure almost feels like a parody of the genre, subverting the image of the hardass space marine with a character like Rogers, a happy-go-lucky smooth-talking scoundrel whose goal in life is to attract the least amount of responsibility as possible. There’s a running joke in here where the more he screws up or tries to dodge his duties, the further he gets promoted, until he eventually becomes the personal assistant of the grossly incompetent admiral himself, making Rogers the de facto commander of the entire fleet. Rogers never wanted to be a hero, but sometimes you just gotta fake it till you make it.
Zieja also pokes fun at a lot of sci-fi tropes, riffing on the ideas like the dangers of droid armies or the ineffectualness of military bureaucracy. I had mentioned Spaceballs in comparison, and indeed this novel felt like it had a similar “pastiche” feel of a parody film that takes elements and styles from many different works and seeks to imitate or mock them. Granted, much of the humor is campy and sophomoric, driven mostly by slapstick, but you have to hand it to Zieja—he knows how to hold back enough so that it all remained just shy of overdone. While it’s pretty much all throwaway stunts or one-liners, every so often I would find something truly laugh-out-loud funny, and I have to admit this book had its moments. The plot also isn’t terribly deep, but I wasn’t really expecting it to be, knowing the nature of this book beforehand. A funny, light adventure is the order of the day, and that’s what Mechanical Failure delivers.
All told, this book was very enjoyable, though as usual, I must warn that when it comes to this kind of humor, your mileage may vary. Mechanical Failure probably sits right at the threshold of my own tolerance for quirky and absurd humor (I prefer dry and subtle, personally) but I also liked it much more than many novels of its type. It’s so easy for authors to get carried away, overdoing a certain kind of comedy, but happily this is not the case here. If what I’ve described here sounds like something that would interest you, I strongly urge you to give this one a try. I have no doubt this book will find plenty of fans.
Tiara’s 2nd Quarter Update
Posted on June 30, 2016 4 Comments
This quarter has been awesome or my reading. However, I slowed down greatly this month as I tried to fit in some reading for the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off we’re participating which I also have to fit around my daughter’s all-stars softball practices and games. The biggest accomplishment I made with my reading this quarter is that I FINALLY finished a Brandon Sanderson book after starting many and never sticking with them. Also, I’ve done more audiobook listening in the last three months and surpassed my time spent reading thanks to life.
Goodreads Challenge Update
2016 Star Wars Reading Challenge
2016 Speculative Fiction by Authors of Color Reading Challenge
2016 Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge
The Year of Sanderson Reading Challenge
Read the Sequel 2016 Challenge
TIE-In Fighter Reading Challenge
Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge Update
In Order: A Dystopian Novel, A Book About A Culture You’re Unfamiliar With, A Book from the Library, A Political Memoir, A Dystopian Novel
Miscellaneous Reading
Upcoming Reads
Read-Along Posts
An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #3)
An Artificial Night Read-Along Week No.1
An Artificial Night Read-Along Week No.2
An Artificial Night Read-Along Week No.3
An Artificial Night Read-Along Week No.4
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Gentlemen Bastards #1)
The Lies of Locke Lamora Read-Along Week No.1
The Lies of Locke Lamora Read-Along Week No.2
The Lies of Locke Lamora Read-Along Week No.3
The Lies of Locke Lamora Read-Along Week No.4
Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman (Split Worlds #1)
Between Two Thorns Read-Along Week No.1
Between Two Thorns Read-Along Week No.2
Between Two Thorns Read-Along Week No.3
Between Two Thorns Read-Along Week No.4
Reviews:
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson
The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi, narrated by Bahni Turpin
Salvage Merc One by Jake Bible, narrated by Andrew Wehrlen
Magic Bites (Kate Danies #1) by Ilona Andrews, narrated by Renée Raudman
Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews, narrated by Renée Raudman
Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Macleod Andrews
The Rules of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga #1) by C.T. Phipps, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
Ms. Marvel Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson, narrated by Full Cast
Wake of Vultures (The Shadow #1) by Lila Bowen, narrated by Robin Miles
A Natural History of Dragons (Memoir by Lady Trent #1) by Marie Brennan, narrated by Kate Reading
His Majesty’s Dragon (Temeraire #1) by Naomi Novik, narrated by Simon Vance
The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton
The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton
Anywhere But Here by Jason D. Morrow, narrated by Sophie Amoss
Crimson Son by Russ Linton, narrated by Mitchell Lucas
The House of the Scorpion (Matteo Alacrán #1) by Nancy Farmer, narrated by Raúl Esparza
Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi, narrated by Kate Simses
The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass, narrated by Amy Rubinate
A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
Star Wars: Lost Stars (Star Wars Canon) by Claudia Gray, narrated by Pierce Cravens
Star Wars: Moving Target (Star Wars Canon) by Cecil Castellucci, Jason Fry, narrated by January LaVoy
Star Wars: Smuggler’s Run (Star Wars Canon) by Greg Rucka, narrated by Marc Thompson
Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi (Star Wars Canon) by Jason Fry, narrated by Jonathan Davis
2016 2nd Quarter Audiobook Challenge Update
Posted on June 29, 2016 8 Comments
Our quarterly update for this challenge happens to coincide with Audiobook Month and it’s been a busy three months since our last update. Here are our most recent listens.
1st Quarter Audiobook Challenge Update
Reading Challenge Details:
- Runs January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016. You can join at any time.
- The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2016 than you did in 2015.
- Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
- ANY genres count.
- Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
- You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
- If you’re a blogger grab the button (on the sidebar) and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
Levels:
- Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
- Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
- Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
- Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
- Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
- My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
- Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+
Mogsy’s Progress
I’ve just barely made it to My Precious! Tiara’s progress is blowing us all away, but I don’t think I’m doing too badly either. If I keep up my current pace of listening, I think I can still make Marathoner by the end of the year.
Upcoming Listens
Wendy’s Progress
I’ve made it to Binge Listener with 22 books, which is not too shabby at all. Looking forward to the summer down time to get lots more listening in!
Tiara’s Progress
I hit my long goal of Marathoner and the year is only half over. I’ve officially listened to more books that I’ve sat down and read. I blame a busy schedule (and the realization that I can still listen to books even when I’m busy) for this achievement.
Upcoming Listens
The BiblioSanctum 