Week 2: Between Two Thorns Read-Along
Posted on May 16, 2016 7 Comments
We’re continuing with The Split Worlds read-along this week, starting with the first book Between Two Thorns! If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
The new season is starting and the Master of Ceremonies is missing. Max, an Arbiter of the Split Worlds Treaty, is assigned with the task of finding him with no one to help but a dislocated soul and a mad sorcerer.
There is a witness but his memories have been bound by magical chains only the enemy can break. A rebellious woman trying to escape her family may prove to be the ally Max needs.
But can she be trusted? And why does she want to give up eternal youth and the life of privilege she’s been born into?
Part 1 – Monday 9th May: Chapters 1-9, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Part 2 – Monday 16th May: Chapters 10-18, hosted by On Starships and Dragonwings
Part 3 – Monday 23rd May: Chapters 19-25, hosted by OneMore.org (Imyril)
Part 4 – Monday 30th May: Chapters 26-End, hosted by Lynn’s Books
1. We get to meet Will and see a couple of different sides to him. What do you think of Cathy’s betrothed?
Mogsy: Will’s going to end up being an unexpected ally for Cathy, I think. As you say, there are two sides to him: the snide, foppish, and competitive side that came out when he was trying to one-up his brother and impress his family; but then there’s also the softer, more compassionate side that came out when he did what he could to include his little sister in the gift-giving (I thought that was such a sweet scene). Like the rest of his family, Will still seems overly concerned with matters of reputation and image, but I have a feeling that in time he’ll surprise us and Cathy.
Tiara: I think it’s very easy to discount Will as another snotty guy, but reading between the lines, he does seem like he could be someone who could persuaded to help Cathy despite any ill feelings they may have toward one another. He definitely understands her love of Mundanus, even if he’s not quite beyond the social mores of the Nether. That shows he at least has the capacity to think outside of what he’s told, and as Mogsy mentioned, he also has a capacity for compassion and warmth, which will likely prove important later in the story.
2. The Sorcerer seems to be acting a bit inconsistently, any ideas what is going on with him?
Tiara: No idea right now. Still a little too early for me to start making any assumptions, or rather, I don’t feel like I have enough threads to cling to to start making assumptions. I do find it peculiar that he seems to be relying on Petra’s permission to say and do certain things. Hopefully, Petra isn’t really an evil overlord masquerading around as a friendly face.
Mogsy: I’m actually really confused about this part of the story right now. I don’t feel comfortable drawing any conclusions about the Sorcerer from the current patterns (if that’s indeed what they are!) and Tiara is usually way better at me on picking up on things, so if she has no idea, then I have no chance!
3. Things are starting to link up now that we have context for the events at the beginning of the book, but how do you think it all connects together? Could it really be all coincidence? How do you think Cathy will tie into Max’s story?
Tiara: I don’t think it’s coincidence, but again, just as with the Sorcerer, I’m not quite sure where the author is going with this.
Mogsy: I’ve been wondering at this for this whole last section. So far, Cathy and Max both seem to have major roles to play, but I don’t know what their connection is and it’s really bothering me! I assume it has something to do with the case of the missing Master of Ceremonies since that’s one of the more significant topics I noticed mentioned in both character threads.
4. We get up close and personal with Cathy’s family. What do you think of her brother Tom and sister-in-law Lucy? Her parents? Do you think she’ll have any allies going forward?
Mogsy: The way things are going, I definitely think she will find an ally in her sister-in-law, and her brother should come around in time as well, consider the way he’s already taken the first step in understanding the depth of Cathy’s feelings for Josh (leaving me wondering if Tom’s new-found empathy could be the recent result of Lucy rubbing off on him).
Cathy’s father, though, is a real piece of work, isn’t he? I cheered when she stood up to him, but the subsequent beating was pretty brutal. Part of me wanted to see her fight back, maybe give him a swift kick in the shins (or some place higher) before getting the hell out of dodge (surely she can outrun the old man?) Her mother’s not going to be much help, clearly.
Tiara: I like Lucy, of course. I hope that my like of her doesn’t prove to be misplaced in the end. I’m a bit on the fence about Tom, but if his wife can be taken at face value, his wife’s influence with the love he obviously has for Cathy will bring him around… probably… Her sister is a ninny, and her parents are just awful.
Audiobook Review: Warcraft: Durotan by Christie Golden
Posted on May 16, 2016 24 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Warcraft: Durotan by Christie Golden
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Media Tie-In
Series: Warcraft
Publisher: Audible Studios (May 3, 2016)
Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Toby Longworth
Warcraft: Durotan is the official prequel novel to the Warcraft movie, set to hit theaters later this summer. As a fan of the game franchise, I almost feel like I have an obligation to go out and see this film, though whether or not it’ll actually be good remains to be seen. Call me cynical, but I’ve been burned way too many times by underwhelming movie adaptations, and so while part of me is excited to finally see one of my favorite games come to life on the big screen, I will also remain cautiously optimistic for now.
Still, I picked up this book because I knew I would want the background story. A lot of people don’t realize that Warcraft is more than just a game series—it’s also an immense, indescribably huge body of lore. Its world encompasses a countless number of locations and characters, and its history stretches back thousands upon thousands of years. And as much as I enjoy playing the games, in some ways I enjoy hearing about the stories even more. I love the epic tales of legendary heroes, reading about their great deeds and how they made their mark on the world of Warcraft and its history.
The Frostwolf orc clan chieftain Durotan is one of these legendary figures. The eponymous main character of this novel will also be one of the key players in the upcoming film, and this is the story of how he led his people out of the dying lands of Draenor to find their home in a new world.
When the book begins, Draenor is already on the brink of destruction. With the spirits of the elements weakened, winters are becoming increasingly harsher and the dwindling herds mean that the orcs will soon have to abandon their territory or face death by exposure and starvation. However, when a mysterious warlock named Gul’dan arrives with an offer to save them, the Frostwolf Clan decides to turn him away, preferring to maintain their independence. No stranger to tough times, Durotan believes it would be better to take their chances on their own rather than join the outsider’s “Horde”, especially since he does not trust the warlock. But while the Frostwolf may be one of the last clans to hold out, things in Draenor are going from bad to worse, and soon they too will have to make a decision on how to move forward, or risk dying with their homeland.
Believe it or not, finishing this book actually made me feel more confident about the movie. The events portrayed here offer us a solid foundation and a promise of some fantastic things to come. But then again, it’s Christie Golden. She’s written some of my favorite Warcraft and Star Wars novels of all time, and I knew even before going into this novel that it was going to be great. I’m beyond excited that this was everything I expected, especially since Durotan’s story was one that I’ve always wanted to get to know better.
I’m also pleased that this novel was entirely about the orcs. I say this even as a diehard Ally, as I honestly believe not enough attention is being given to the races of the Horde when it comes to media tie-ins, plus fantasy in general can be so human-centric. It’s easy to get caught up in the faction pride sometimes, reducing the “other guys” to nothing more but enemies to kill, but the truth is, orcs are a complex race with values deeply rooted in their society and culture. We get to see many examples of this in Warcraft: Durotan, as our protagonist realizes that being a leader is about more than just his strength and pride. Wisdom is just as important, as is compassion—even for your enemies. Durotan often finds himself torn between his honor and what he knows is best for his people, but knowing when to listen and when you have to sacrifice for the greater good are just some of the lessons he learns first as the Frostwolf’s chieftain, and then as a husband and a father-to-be. This book is simply filled to the brim with feels.
Kudos also goes to Toby Longworth for doing a superb job narrating the audio version. He has a very strong voice, great for reading fantasy novels and perfect for capturing the personalities of larger-than-life characters like Durotan. In addition, this audiobook was very easy to get into; at seven-and-a-half hours in length, I finished this one in good time, probably within two or three listening sessions. Finally, the audiobook ends with an audio excerpt of the “sequel”, which is the novelization of the movie itself, also written by Christie Golden.
If you plan on seeing Warcraft, I highly recommend picking up Warcraft: Durotan first, because it shows a larger picture and puts some of the movie’s events in context. Lore hounds will also love this book, especially if you want deeper insight into those who had a hand in shaping the face of Azeroth. All told, this is a wonderful, fascinating look into the life of Durotan, who is the loving mate of Draka, a contemporary of Orgrim Doomhammer, and the future father of one of Warcraft’s most prominent characters.
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YA Audiobook Weekend: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Posted on May 15, 2016 6 Comments
Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural, Fantasy
Series: The Raven Cycle #3
Publisher: Scholastic Press (October 21, 2014)
Information: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Will Patton | Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Scholastic Audio (September 17, 2013) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
Book Review: Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
Posted on May 15, 2016 17 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: NAL (May 10, 2016)
Length: 592 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Any time Guy Gavriel Kay releases a new novel is a cause for celebration. Even with the understanding of how much work and time must go into each and every one of them, the waiting never gets easier! Known for his talent for recreating famous historical periods using fantasy, Kay’s books are all gorgeously written and painstakingly researched works of art, often infused with powerful messages and themes. I’d been looking forward to Children of Earth and Sky ever since it was announced and was beyond excited to finally get my hands on it.
Like many of his stories that feature fictional analogs of real places in history, this novel is said to be inspired by the conflicts and intrigues of Renaissance Europe. It is apparently set in the same “universe” as Lions of Al-Rassan, if I recall the names of the religions and the world’s twin moons correctly, though readers who know their history will probably recognize elements from the fifteenth to sixteenth century eras right away. For instance, the Ottoman Empire has been reimagined as the Osmanli Empire, and the most Serene Republic of Venice or la Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia has become the Republic of Seressa. Using this vibrant setting as a backdrop, Kay chronicles the lives of a disparate group of characters whose fates are all interwoven and connected like the threads of a tapestry.
There are about half a dozen key players in this epic drama. First, there’s Danica Gradek, a young woman from Senjan who joins a group of raiders to harry Seressa ships that trade with the Ashar. The Asharites destroyed her village when she was a child, killing most of her family and stealing away her younger brother. However, unbeknownst to her at the beginning of this novel, Danica’s brother was actually taken to be trained as a djanni, an elite soldier for the Osmanli Empire. Formerly known as Neven Gradek, he is now Damaz, brought up in the Asharite ways and ready to be deployed on his first mission with the army. There’s also Pero Villani, an impoverished painter who manages to score a huge commission to paint the portrait of the Grand Khalif of Asharias—but in truth his real purpose there is to spy for Seressa’s Council of Twelve. Pero is also not the only spy the Council has procured; another is Leonora Valeri, a noblewoman cast out by her family for becoming pregnant by a man from a lesser house. After her father had her lover killed and the baby taken away, Leonora agrees to be a spy in order to escape her family’s clutches and leave her old life behind. Passage has been arranged for her and Pero on a ship captained by the brave Drago Ostaja and owned by the family of Marin Djivo. As the son of a prominent merchant from Dubrava, Marin is no stranger to the dangers on the high seas, but his life is forever changed when his ship is boarded by a band of pirates. Among them is the Senjan archer Danica, and thus, our web of characters is complete.
A prevalent theme in many of Kay’s books is how history and people—their actions, their decisions, their fates—are all related. A single individual can shape the life of another a world away, based on how the ripples caused by events both large and small will flow through time. Children of Earth and Sky illustrates these patterns by following its characters “in the moment”, but the narrative will also frequently take a step back to look at the full picture. The author did something very similar in his last book, River of Stars, in which he explored a person’s life from multiple angles, going backwards and forwards in time to show how even the smallest gesture can have significant repercussions throughout history and affect multiple generations to come. If you’re not familiar with his work, brace yourself for a lot of point-of-view changes, present-to-past tense switching, and skips all over the timeline.
This makes it pretty much impossible to rush through any book by Guy Gavriel Kay. I’ve said this before, but his work is meant to be savored slowly, though sometimes that is by necessity and not by choice. Personally, it took me three days just to read the first one hundred pages, but only three more to finish the rest of this novel. I find that’s usually par for the course when it comes to Kay’s books, since the incredible amount of detail in his world-building often requires a rather long adjustment period. Still, there were a few issues that made Children of Earth and Sky a little more difficult to get into. First are the many distracting instances of info-dumping, which I admit I was surprised to find, since Kay is usually a lot more discreet when it comes to filling in the political or historical background. Second, there were some pacing problems playing havoc with the flow, especially when it came to character POV imbalance. It bothered me how some characters would feature prominently for a while and then just disappear for a long time, until all of a sudden they would come back, pushing aside others to fade into the background, and then the cycle will begin again. Because of the format, at times you also had to read about the same event two or three times as multiple characters would describe it from their perspectives.
As I’m fond of saying, some authors are simply incapable of writing a bad book, just that some of them may be better than others. Guy Gavriel Kay is one of these authors, and it’s not that I disliked Children of Earth and Sky, but I also don’t think it was his best. Still, despite the rough start, I ended up really enjoying this book. Plus, it’s hard to be disappointed, given the beautiful way the author writes. If there’s a lack of poetry or subtlety in this compared to some of his other works, then he more than makes up for it with the heightened tensions in this fantastical world of war and intrigue.
Book Review: Rendezvous on Noxus by S.A. McNeill
Posted on May 14, 2016 3 Comments
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Ride the Gizi #1
Publisher: Pronoun (January 18, 2016)
Information: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Paras Briggs is a cargo pilot who finds herself stuck in a jam when Jabir, her friend and business partner, spends most of the money they’ve earned on a big score during shore leave. To make up the costs, Paras finds herself reliant on a mysterious, cute mercenary to cover the missing money as long as she transports him around the galaxy to apprehend a bounty that he’s working on. Paras is just trying to make ends meet. She’s good at what she does, but she finds herself a little out of her league after accepting the contract with Haben.
I had fun with this book. It was a quick read that I gobbled up in one day during some slow hours at work. I have a weakness for stories that feature cargo captains with tough attitudes who can barely shoot a gun and the tough men and women they usually end up befriending in the process. Well, maybe I just have a weakness for shenanigans, and stories like these usually feature tons of them that keep me laughing and shaking my head at the characters. This book was amusing. One such scene early in the book had me smiling like an idiot which didn’t go unnoticed by my coworkers.
I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and appreciated that we have some diversity. I’m always here for more diversity in genre fiction, and McNeill certainly delivers with a multiracial cast of characters, but the diversity doesn’t stop there. She introduces many humanoid and non-humanoid alien species into this story, as well, and gives a glimpse into some of their traits such as the matriarchal Hiye whose males need a female leader and tend to defer to females of other races. I do have to add a bit of a trigger warning on this book for mention of sexual abuse, but it’s not anything graphic or offensive. I feel that McNeill handled this well. In fact, she has quite a few touchy topics that she handles with dignity and grace such as consent and sexual orientation.
This book has a fanfiction-like quality to it. That isn’t a bad thing per se since I’m a big fan of fanfiction. This has that fun, fast storytelling that you find in fanfiction. This story captures the reader’s attention and keeps them engaged in a similar fashion. At the same time, some of the descriptions can be vague in areas that entreat the author to provide a clearer picture while providing maybe too much detail in areas that don’t seem quite as important. While this is a fairly quick pace story, there are some parts of the story that can drag a little bit for the latter reason, making parts of it feel like filler. It can be hard to resist the temptation to skip over those parts of the story to get to back to the forward moving action.
It’s hard to go wrong with a story about traipsing around space with a mercenary. This might not be quite as action-filled as other books with similar story lines, but what it lacks in action, it makes up with many engaging scenes. With a little more guidance on expanding the ideas she is presenting in this story, this series could be one that readers shouldn’t miss.
YA Weekend Audio: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Posted on May 14, 2016 22 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (April 26, 2016)
Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator:
As soon as I finished this book I wanted to jump up and scream YES! This is what more YA should be like. It has originality. It has depth. It has a talking, flesh-eating demon horse. Wait, what? Yeah, more on that in a bit.
Think of The Star-Touched Queen as a retelling of the Persephone/Hades story, but inspired by the grand sweeping epics of Indian mythology. And like the greatest of the legends, this powerful journey also has elements of magic and romance, beauty and darkness, death and sacrifice. Seventeen-year-old Princess Myavati is said to be cursed, tainted with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction. In a kingdom where the people are deeply superstitious, this makes Maya something of an outcast in her father’s palace. None of the women in the harem want anything to do with her, but that suits Maya just fine as she puts her mind towards more scholarly pursuits.
But then Maya’s world is shattered when the Raja announces his plan to barter her off in a political marriage. The news shocks and mystifies her, because princess or not, who would want her as a cursed bride? In the end, what her father had in mind turns out to be much more complicated and terrible, but just as Maya was about to accept her fate as a mere pawn in this game of power, a new player enters the field—Amar, a mysterious prince who claims to be from a magical kingdom far away. Indeed, Amar ends up whisking Maya away to Akaran, his world beyond the mortal realm. There, he shows her wonders she never thought possible, though he reveals little of the truth about himself, telling Maya that a magical geas prevents him from answering all her questions until a certain amount of time has passed. The secrets gradually begin to eat away at Maya, who is not content to stay in Akaran like a caged bird. Acting upon her instincts, however, she unwittingly unleashes a chaos may unbalance the fates of both the ordinary world and the Otherworldly one, and now Maya needs to figure out how to make things right and save the people she loves.
While it’s true that the prose edges into purplish territory at times (especially noticeable when you’re listening to the audiobook), I’m a little tempted to let this one slide…just this once. Somehow, the style actually ends up being a good fit for kind of the imagery presented in this novel—rich, vibrant, perhaps a little bit over-the-top in terms of abstractedness, but still grounded enough to be very enjoyable. Certain aspects in this story remind me of the different kinds of myths in antiquity or folklore/legend, only retold for a modern audience.
I also really enjoyed the heavy focus on Maya and Amar’s relationship, and I don’t simply mean that we spend a lot of time on the romance. This goes deeper than that. I love the fact that author Roshani Chokshi is not afraid to slow things down, especially when current YA fiction trends are seemingly always pushing for more ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! PEP, VIM, ZING! The Star-Touched Queen is not that kind of book, and I would even understand if others call it out for its languid pacing, though I have to say found this novel no less exciting in its own unique way. I marveled at the amount of bonding time between our two main characters, or how the thoughtful, reflective conversations they had with each other actually meant something.
If you were hoping for a faster-paced story, the second part of the book does bring a little more momentum. We get to know Maya a lot better as a character, watching her personal growth as she rises above her past memories and actions. In the tradition of the ancient Indian epics, this section chronicles a hero’s journey, except in this case of course, our hero is a heroine, a princess trying to find a way to save her world and her beloved. But Maya doesn’t fight this battle alone; by her side is Kamala, the aforementioned demon horse who makes for an unlikely but humorous ally.
I also highly recommend The Star-Touched Queen in audio format. I thought narrator Priya Ayyar’s performance started out a little strained at the beginning but it gradually smoothed out to become more natural over time, and she is really good with accents. Furthermore, some stories can work incredibly well when they’re being read out loud, with certain sections that make you want to close your eyes and imagine the wonderful things described. This is definitely one of those books.
All told The Star-Touched Queen was a delight to read and listen to; I would recommend it if you’re looking for an imaginative YA retelling that’s not as formulaic and contrived. A lovely mix of romance, fantasy, and mythology.
Story: | Performance: | Overall:
Audiobook Rant-View: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Posted on May 13, 2016 33 Comments
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s (May 5, 2015)
Information: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 1 of 5 stars
This is awkward.
This book is problematic. Your fav is problematic.
Thanks for the term “rant-view,” Wendy. 😉
This contains spoilers, so turn back now if you plan to read this book or just don’t want to see me ranting.
Side Note to Parents: This book is published by a children’s line. This is ABSOLUTELY not for children, though. The following is an example of problems I’ve had on many sites. Notice that the age range for this kids section is 0-10. The second book in this series (along with many other YA series I wouldn’t allow my 7-year-old to read) are included in the kids section. So be vigilant, parents.
Book Review: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Posted on May 13, 2016 13 Comments
“For evil left to itself, Valeman, does not simply perish; it thrives. Evil contained is not evil destroyed.”
The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Original Shannara Trilogy #2
Original Publication Date: 1982
Author Info: terrybrooks.net
Wendy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this specifically because I wanted to compare it to the television series, The Chronicles of Shannara, which I recently watched (and which we recently discussed in the Sanctum Sanctorum). Otherwise, I really had no intention of returning to Shannara. I read LOTR 2.0 — I mean, The Sword of Shannara, and was bored. Were it not for the fact that I was actually watching paint dry at the time (repainting my kitchen) and being entertained by my co-blogger, Tiara, who had recently undertaken the same journey, I am not sure how I would have survived the trip. But what actually turned out to be a respectable show, despite being housed on MTV, was enough to inspire me to revisit this post-apocalyptic world to, well, see what new apocalypse was on the way.
This time, Shay Ohmsford’s grandson is doing Allanon’s manipulative bidding to save the world from evil. The Ellcrys, the great tree that holds back the demon hordes, is dying. To save it, its seed must be replanted by a chosen one. But conveniently, the demons have slaughtered the chosen ones–save for the young elven princess, Amberle, with whose care Allanon charges Wil Ohmsford, the current bearer of the elfstones. Can Wil and Amberle make it to Safehold and figure out what to do with the seed and the bloodfire? Will the elf army be able to hold off the demon horde until they do?
I’m not going to lie. Watching the show greatly enhanced what is otherwise an interesting, but still pretty dull journey. It’s like playing an RPG video game and slogging through all those grind-y moments with characters I just didn’t care about. Amberle and Wil are just plain dull, no matter how much life and emotion Brooks tries to infuse into them and their growing relationship with each other. Thankfully, the Rover girl Eretria adds some much needed fire to the threesome, which the show plays up for good reason. Wil and Amberle alone fizzle, but with Eretria in their midst, there’s a bit more potential which the show takes advantage of by aging up the characters and letting them have of the sex, and, more importantly, allows them to form a strong bond of friendship between the three of them.
BFFs – or at least until one of us has to sacrifice themselves to save the world
It also helps that the show gives me lovely visuals of Allanon to work with, in the form of Manu Bennett. I was pleasantly surprised to meet the eleven prince, Ander Elessedil as well. Many characters get more face time in The Chronicles of Shannara in order to express themselves (including the bad guy, the Dagda Mor, who is little more than a named end boss in the book). I didn’t expect, when watching the show, that Ander would play such a prominent role in terms of screen time, but I am glad this focus on his character remained true to its source as Ander struggles with his potential as heir to the throne, and leader of the elven army against the demons threatening to destroy everything.
Ander and Allanon: handsoming on the battlefield.
Did Brooks’ writing improve in the second book? His prose is a bit tighter, though he still relies on Allanon to divulge large chunks of backstory that are usually prefaced with the equivalent of “I bet you don’t want to know what went down before right? Well let me tell you.” Brooks’ plotting also still relies on letting his main characters plod along with their journey frequently interrupted by the monster of the week. This is, of course, what plays nicely into the hands of a television station that needs to entertain an audience on a weekly basis. I think though, I prefer his later books, the ones that actually take place prior to these events. I’ll rely on the show to take me through its interpretation of The Wishsong of Shannara in season two, but I think I will finally get back to reading The Gypsy Morph, the final book in his Genesis of Shannara series to see how this once earth comes to be–because, boring or not, I actually have come to love the world that Brooks has created here. And maybe, by the end of all this, I will finally remember how to spell Shanarra Shannara properly.
Week 2: Red Seas Under Red Skies Read-Along
Posted on May 12, 2016 3 Comments
Ever wanted to be a pirate? Long hours, hard work, certain peril, possibilities of swashbuckling and seasickness. Don’t forget to bring a kitten. It’s not Locke Lamora’s idea of a career move, but after a promising start the Gentleman Bastards find themselves out of their depth in Tal Verrar. Can Locke and Jean outwit the Archon, the Bondsmagi, the master of the Sinspire and all the pirates on the Sea of Brass?
You are cordially invited to join the Red Seas Under Red Skies read-along.
- 5th May Chapters 1-3 hosted at x+1
- 12th May Chapters 4-6 hosted at x+1
- 19th May Chapters 7-10 hosted at The Illustrated Page
- 26th May Chapters 11-13 hosted at x+1
- 2nd Jun Book 3 & Epilogue hosted at x+1
1. “And if some small part of him felt sour at twisting her emotions (gods damn it, that part of him had rarely spoken up before!) – well, he reminded himself that he could do as he pleased and feel as he pleased while he was Leocanto Kosta. Leocanto Kosta wasn’t real.”
Between flirting with Selendri, confronting the horrors of Salon Corbeau and handling a certain cliff-top encounter, Locke’s conscience gets a solid work-out this week. What do you make of our little thief’s elastic ethics? Is he a good man, a good thief, or both?
Tiara: Both. Yeah, he’s a thief and obviously he frames his crimes as something that doesn’t really hurt the people he robs rather than leaving them feeling put out, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t still care for the human condition. Those two things are not mutually exclusive. Even in the first book, it was obvious that Locke doesn’t care for gratuitous violence. He may be selfish about his own needs, but not at the expense of others.
As I said during the last book, Locke is not cruel. He doesn’t like to see people suffer. If there is something that he can do to stop it, he will. Locke helped the nobility of Camorr in the last book from suffering loss as he had. Yes, maybe some of that was to be able to sink the ship, but I always felt a larger part of it was because he doesn’t care to see anyone–rich or poor–who doesn’t deserve it suffer.
That idea shaped up even more in this book during the sections about the Salon Corbeau, and if I have to go by the last book and his strong reaction to seeing such suffering at the Salon Corbeau, he’s going to make the nobles who participate in the Salon Corbeau’s Amusement Wars pay. I don’t feel like that’s something he’s going to just let go.
Also, I appreciated that Locke acknowledges that he has a conscience, but that he’s quelled it over the years thanks to his thievery. However, there are some things that even his conscience won’t be silenced about such as using Selendri’s misfortune or watching the Amusement Wars. It would’ve been astonishingly gross if he’d thought it was okay to use Selendri’s pain for his pursuits, and it’s one of those things that can really make me hate a writer’s story. So, I’m glad it eats at Locke.
Wendy: Locke has never been shown to be a cruel person. Even when he seeks to hurt someone, there is usually a sense of justice behind it–this person is deserving of the pain. I never read him as someone who went out of his way to concern himself with the welfare of others if he was not directly involved in said welfare. He saved the nobles at the end of Lies, but that and everything he does seems to be incredibly self-serving. I don’t think he could have walked away from Gentled nobles without any sense of guilt at not saving them, but I do think he would have been able to get over that easily enough, especially since he still has the lost of his friends to deal with. This book has intrigued me though because it has revealed another side to Locke that struck me first when he paid tribute to the dead man in the cage of wasps:
“Crooked Warden,” Locke muttered under his breath, speaking quickly, “a glass poured on the ground for a stranger without friends. Lord of gallants and fools, ease this man’s passage to the Lady of the Long Silence. This was a hell of a way to die. Do this for me and I’ll try not to ask for anything for a while. I really do mean that this time.”
2. “I think Selendri can be sweet-talked, at least a little bit.”
…what do you think? What do you make of Selendri so far?
Tiara: I like Selendri a lot. I do think it’s unfair of Locke to prey on her vanities, especially considering her circumstances and how vicious her own self view could be, but I’m glad there is at least some remorse for that. I know she’s a means to an end for Locke, and karma will probably punish Locke in some hilarious way for it in the end. Her story about how she became disfigured was heartbreaking, and I can definitely understand why she’d be so wary and distrustful of people while being loyal to Requin who was the only person who tried to help her. I can’t pin down too much on her just yet, but she seems capable and not someone you’d want as an enemy.
Wendy: Selendri is someone clearly not to be messed with, but the story of her disfigurement and the loyalty to each other that it revealed in both her and Requin was very moving. I did not like the idea of Locke seeking to manipulate her because I have developed a soft spot for her. Pity? Perhaps. Though I don’t imagine Selendri would appreciate my pity one bit and I suspect Locke’s attempts to manipulate her will not work out as one might expect. Lynch is pretty good and keeping me on my toes!
3. “You are thieves. I am offering you a chance to help steal history itself.”
Now that Stragos’s plan is laid bare before us, what do you make of his purported ambitions – and of his strategy for achieving them?
Tiara: I have to go with Locke on this one. Stragos is a fucking lunatic. It’s not just the fact that he wants to send them to sea. This whole plan he has for making the Navy great again is ambitious, convoluted, and ill thought out. You want Locke and Jean to become a captain and first mate when they can barely stomach the sea. I don’t care what kind of puppet you have accompanying them. You want them to commit acts of piracy, but still somehow come back to the city for their vitamins to curtail the poison. You have this grand scheme that has so many holes it can’t do anything but backfire in the end. Not to mention Stragos sounds like he is literally foaming at the mouth insane. This gif just sums up this whole idea. (He really is like Cutler Beckett from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.)
Wendy: lol what more can I say after Tiara posts that gif?
4. “Then I may report to my masters that the plan is underway?”
How many different factions do you think are in play at this stage? Any ideas who Merrain might be working for?
Tiara: We know for sure that we have Requin, Stragos, and the Bondsmagi. I believe that the Priori are probably lurking around somewhere in the background, probably not being as stupid as Stragos thinks they are. I’m not sure I can say at this point who Merrain is working for. It might be safe to assume that she might be working for the Priori, but I don’t think so. Someone is trying to assassinate Locke and Jean in a more obvious manner than the Bondsmagi. I feel like that might be the Priori for whatever reason. Maybe they have an idea that Locke and Jean are two cogs in some scheme Stragos is cooking up since there seems to be some animosity between Stragos and the Priori. If they’re the ones trying to kill Locke and Jean, then it might not make much sense to have Merrain save them or set up such an elaborate scheme to orchestrate their deaths. Also, since Merrain is working with Stragos, she’s likely not working for the Priori since she does have some knowledge of Stragos’ plan to send them to sea.
Wendy: My first thought is the Bondsmagi, but while they seem to be all knowing and can be subtle and crafty if they want to be, that doesn’t seem prudent for them here. The Priori seems to be the likely Other Party, if only because we haven’t seen them yet and don’t know–beyond what we know from the likes of Requin and Stragos–what they stand for and how they go about their business.
Optional extra: Now let’s be frivolous. How cool are Verrari job titles? Eye of the Archon. Consulting Poisoner. Second Mistress of the Great Guild of Artificers. What would you like your Verrari job title be?
Tiara: Residing Ambassador of Ethical Racketeering, Mistress of Phalanx Inspiration and Managed Mischief, Project Evangelista (Yes, that’s all one title. LOL.)
Wendy: Executive Assistant and Technical Bridgemaster of the Office of The Most Auspicious of Being.
Graphic Novel Review Bites
Posted on May 12, 2016 11 Comments
Hinges Vol. 2: Paper Tigers
With thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel.
This is a very quiet book. As in, it doesn’t often use words to tell its story, instead relying, as it should, on the images. The main character, Orio, rarely speaks unless it is necessary, and her partner, Bauble, says nothing at all. But Bauble certainly knows how to get Orio in trouble. Such is the nature of an imp, and it is because of this that Orio is forced to leave the clockwork city she’d just settled in. Imps are considered evil and dangerous but by the end of the book, it is clear that there’s something more to Bauble and that Orio’s loyalty is not unfounded. Volume two also introduces a new character, Abernathy, who has left troubles in his own home to find other cities. Together, they find lots more trouble that leaves them in a literal cliffhanger situation after they discover a city filled with danger and secrets.
I love this series. The stark monochrome and the expressive panels are powerful and the quiet threat that looms within and without the city–and perhaps within Bauble as well–lends an ominous undertone, and Abernathy is a curious addition. He seems trustworthy, but looks are deceiving. Meredith McClaren always offers just enough in every aspect of this story to lure me in further and further…
Star Wars: Princess Leia
Leia finds herself without a home or a role in the rebellion and the few of her people that remain don’t think too highly of her ice queen persona. Why doesn’t she grieve, they wonder? As if everyone must grieve in the same way. Leia imposes herself on an Alderaanian pilot named Evaan with whom she wants to be friends, though the woman keeps herself at a carefully caustic subservient distance. They take off to scour the galaxy for pockets of survivors to gather them together before the Emperor wipes them out completely.
The exploration of Leia’s feelings and actions following the death of her planet has the potential to be a great read, but that’s not really what we get here. In fact, I can’t really say that this is a Leia story at all since the character often doesn’t resemble Leia at all in her actions. She’s brash and bold, and quick to drop pretenses and subterfuge — which is good since every time she “disguises” herself, everyone immediately recognizes her. Probably because she wears bright white and has got that telltale hair thing going on. She impresses the wayward Alderaanians with her courage and willingness to sacrifice herself, but the storytelling just doesn’t dig deep enough to make any of this convincing. This is a complaint I’ve had with a few graphic novels recently where perhaps too many assumptions have been made about the character and their survival to tell a convincing story. I suspect that some of the problem is the medium. The limited space in a comic doesn’t give a lot of time for exposition and character introspection. Alternatively, perhaps if Leia’s mission had focused on one or two groups rather than bouncing around to three, it would have allowed for greater detail and depth. I found myself comparing this to Martha Wells’ Razor’s Edge that dealt with a similar adventure but (a) the format allowed for more depth, and (b) the plot stayed put in one place, with one group of Alderaanians.
The art was Terry Dodson standard which is to say that it is good and I like it, but in my maturity, I’ve grown tired of “same face” syndrome. Occasionally Leia looks like Carrie Fisher, but mostly she just looks like every other character in the book and every other character Dodson has ever drawn.
Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate
This was a quick and fun read that follows some pretty basic fantasy roleplaying game standards. It introduces several new characters, but draws in fans of the Baldur’s Gate series with the inclusion of Minsc. I’m not familiar with the character, but what’s not to love about a man who leaps into battle wielding a big ol’ sword and a hamster and yelling things like, “If there is danger, then I shall dange it!” The other characters are a formulaic heart of gold rogue duo, and an elf sorceress who is searching for her brother. She is hunted by a dragon cult who, oh I really don’t have to explain it. This is the plot of just about every basic fantasy series ever. But as I said, it’s quick and it’s fun in both art and story and sometimes, that’s all I need.
Broken Frontier: Anthology
This anthology is the result of a Kickstarter that I supported–a worthy investment. It collects numerous short stories that cover a broad spectrum of science fiction, revealing just how diverse the genre is and should be. As with any anthology, there will be hits and misses, but this time, even with the stories that didn’t speak to me as much as the others, I was so impressed by the creativity and honesty that went into their telling and illustration. It seems that it is the mandate of the collection that each story end with a cliffhanger or a big reveal that gives the sense of vastness and wonder–a frontier yet to be explored if we dare.
Dragon Age, Volume 1
U MAD, Gleam?
I’ve heard bad things about this but read it anyway because. Dragon Age. The bad things were true. Orson Scott Card apparently took the basic notes he received from Bioware and, well, wrote a basic story filled with two-dimensional characters doing two-dimensional things. It starts with a templar and a mage falling in love and making whoopee. This is not a good thing at the chantry. Not good for the mage, that is, who is hunted down and killed when she tries to escape with her child. She manages to get the child to safety, but in a shocking twist of events, the child grows up to be a mage that is forced into situations that cause her to use her magic and attract the attention of her templar dad who has to hunt her down. The most entertaining and unpredictable part of this book are the awkward poses and facial expressions of the main character.
Tomb Raider Volume 1 : Season of the Witch
I had no intention of playing the new Tomb Raider game after its initial shitty marketing campaign. Gail Simone felt the same way at first and turned down Dark Horse’s request to write this series. She was later convinced to try the game and discovered that their marketing department is full of idiots who thought showing sexual assault was great advertising. On Simone’s recommendation, I tried it too and am glad I did, especially since it allowed me to better appreciate the particular scene within the intended context.
Anyway, I’m fairly certain that Simon played the game before writing this series because it might as well have been DLC. The return to Yamatai isn’t unexpected, plot-wise, since the island did have such a hold on Lara and the crew of the Endurance, but the story could have taken a more inspired direction rather than rehashing the kidnapping and resurrection process players endured in the game, complete with the re-kidnapping of Lara’s friend Sam. The game took the time to explain how Lara becomes the killer that she is, doing what she has to do to survive and protect her friends. This starts off with Lara dealing with the psychological and emotional aftermath of that. An important road to explore for the character, but it might have been more interesting if told on an adventure that wasn’t so similar to her last one.
The BiblioSanctum 