Waiting on Wednesday 05/04/16
Posted on May 4, 2016 4 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 Picks
May the 4th be with you! Today the BiblioSanctum is celebrating Star Wars Day with a couple of Star Wars themed posts, kicking things off with a special edition of Waiting on Wednesday where I’m featuring a couple of upcoming picks that I’m really excited about. Life Debt is the sequel to last year’s Aftermath and not much is known about Catalyst yet, but I’m so pumped about the Rogue One movie and I can’t wait to get my hands on this prequel story. So far I’ve been keeping up with all the adult novels in the new canon and I’m still really enjoying everything the universe has to offer.
Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt by Chuck Wendig (July 19, 2016 by Del Rey)
“Set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, the never-before-told story that began with Star Wars: Aftermath continues in this thrilling novel, the second book of Chuck Wendig’s New York Times bestselling trilogy.
The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk.
Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush—resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance.
Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward Kashyyyk, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them—or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.”
Star Wars: Catalyst: A Rogue One Story (October 4, 2016 by Del Rey)
“The must-have prequel novel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—the upcoming film, set before the events ofStar Wars: A New Hope, that reveals the untold story of the rebel effort to steal the plans to the Death Star!”
#SPFBO: The Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2016!
Posted on May 3, 2016 11 Comments
A little more than a year ago, author Mark Lawrence had a discussion on the matter of writers and self-promotion, later musing that:
“…as a new author, particularly a self-published one, it is desperately hard to be heard. It’s a signal-to-noise problem. Who knows how many Name of the Winds or [fill in your favourite] are lost to us because they just couldn’t be seen? None? A hundred?”
And thus, the great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off was born. In a competition where more than 250 self-published authors submitted their book, reviewers at ten blogs acted as judges to choose their favorites and then ultimately picked one final winner. By all accounts it was a great success, so now the event is coming back for Round 2!
As you might have heard, the BiblioSanctum is one of the ten blogs taking part this year’s SPFBO2, and we are thrilled! This is a great opportunity for self-published authors and bloggers, and we can’t be more happy and excited to be involved.
This year, the competition is even tighter, with 300 entries submitted split evenly between the ten blogs. The BiblioSanctum will be doing our part in choosing one finalist from our pool of 30 books to put forth into the next phase. Our process for this will be very similar to some of the bloggers’ strategies from last year: in short, the three of us will put on our pseudo-literary agent hats, read partials of each manuscript (first five chapters, first 100 pages, etc.) while taking notes, then come together afterwards to discuss among ourselves which manuscripts we’ll be reading in full. We hope to end up with about three to five books (or more depending on time constraints) that we’ll be reading from cover to cover, and from this group we’ll be picking our eventual winner. At this time we’re still ironing out the nitty-gritty details, but we’ll be providing more updates soon.
We would like to thank all the authors who have sent in their work. Writing a novel is no small thing. It takes a lot of courage and dedication to tell a story and then send it off into the great wide world, and every single author here has accomplished something amazing that many dream of but few achieve. We would also like to thank Mark Lawrence for putting together this second iteration of the blog-off, and it’s an honor to be one of the ten blogs picked to take part in this incredible event. We’re in some fantastic company for sure! To everyone involved in this year’s SPFBO, we wish you all the best of luck in the coming months!
BiblioSanctum SPFBO 2016 Titles
Here is the list of our 30 books and their authors for SPFBO2 with links to their Amazon pages (or Goodreads/author pages, when no Amazon link is available) if you want to check out the book descriptions, followed by a gallery of covers:
Dragon’s Luck by Richard Hardeman
Gauntlet of Time by Trip Ellington
Shawndirea by Leonard D. Hilley II
Hell is Coming N.P. Martin
Cursed by J.A. Cipriano
Crimson Blade by Corey Soreff
Journey to Kokoroe by Laura L. Comfort
The Alignment by Kay Camden
Rise of the Reaper by Lorna Reid
Transition by O. Rising
Prison of Power by Chris Northern
Leilaka by H. Gibson
Elven Jewel by Kasper Beaumont
The Tenants of 7C by Alice Degan
Endgame by Susan Kelly
Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs
Liath Luachra: The Grey One by Brian O’Sullivan
An Heir to Throns and Steel by M.C.A Hogarth
Descended from Dragons by Tricia Owens
The Siren’s Mask by Edward Hendrik
Seven Stones by David Higgins
Missy the Werecat by P.G. Allison
Malediction by Hans Cummings
Assassin’s Charge by Claire Frank
The Reborn King by Michael R. Miller
Beyond the Starline by Austin Hackney
Frontier World by Jedediah Kurth
The Warlock and the Wolf by Delfy Hall
A Symphony of Blood by Matthew Swiontek
Jeffrey Cook & Katherine Perkins – Foul is Fair
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00036]](https://bibliosanctum.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/malediction-by-hans-cummings-spfbo.jpg?w=94&h=150)
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00035]](https://bibliosanctum.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/the-warlock-and-the-wolf-by-delfy-hall-spfbo.jpg?w=97&h=150)
Book Review: World of Warcraft: Illidan by William King
Posted on May 3, 2016 9 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
World of Warcraft: Illidan by William King
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Media Tie-in
Series: World of Warcraft
Publisher: Del Rey (April 12, 2016)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
You have to hand it to Blizzard—when it comes to creating the coolest and most badass villains, they sure know their craft. Even those who are only peripherally aware of their wildly popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft should be familiar with Illidan Stormrage, also known as “The Betrayer”, but just in case a reminder is needed, we’re talking about this cheerful gentle-elf right here:
In a nutshell, Illidan is the story of how our eponymous character earned his epithet and his resulting release after 10,000 years of imprisonment, after which he then went on a tour of Outland, vowing to drive back the Burning Legion. But of course, his methods leave a lot to be desired, especially to those disturbed by Illidan’s recruitment of fel orcs, naga, blood elves, and other twisted undesirables to his cause. The self-proclaimed Lord of Outland even goes as far as to train his own elite army of Demon Hunters, putting aspirants through a number of grueling and barbaric tasks to weed out the best of the best. Illidan may be the only one who can stand against the Legion, but there’s also nothing to hold him back once he sets his eyes on a goal.
Of those who have never trusted Illidan and believe that letting him out of his lightless prison was the worst mistake the Night Elf leaders could ever make, Maiev Shadowsong is perhaps his greatest and most bitter detractor. Formerly his jailer, Maiev is utterly convinced that Illidan is orchestrating another power grab, so she starts amassing her own army of Broken and other denizens of Outland in order to put the Betrayer down once and for all.
Fans of World of Warcraft will probably recognize this description as the sequence of events leading up to and surrounding the game’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade (which, in my opinion, was the best WoW xpac). For a scatterbrained individual like myself though, who is frequently fuzzy on the lore and is forever forgetting a bunch of details behind the characters, timeline, and major happenings in the game because its world is just so damn big, these kinds of books are actually amazing in terms of providing a full and expressive narrative. That said, if you are new to the Warcraft universe, this might not the best place to start picking up the books. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a quick crash course on the history of Illidan and his army of Demon Hunters to get ready for the impending expansion Legion, then this is the perfect novel for you. Admittedly, the desire to know more about the story behind the upcoming new hero class was what spurred my own motivation to pick up this book. “You are not prepared”? Whatevs, I’m trying.
Illidan by William King pretty much does for the Betrayer what Arthas by Christie Golden did for the Lich King. Basically, we may already know the gist of the story, but the novelization gives us a deeper insight into the minds and deeds of WoW’s greatest big baddies. I got to know the character a lot more, and even when I didn’t agree with his warped ideals, at least I felt like I was given a reason to care and understand why he did the things he did. I also liked the portrayal of Maiev Shadowsong, whose hatred for Illidan is practically legendary. The fact is though, Maiev and Illidan may have more in common than she would like to admit. While it isn’t exactly a new idea, I thought this book did a really good job depicting their relationship by painting them as two sides of the same coin.
As far as I know, this is the author’s first novel in the Warcraft universe, and it was also my first experience with his writing. I was impressed, especially given that my expectations for media tie-in novels are higher these days. Even though I thought the prose was somewhat clunky at first, it smoothed out as the book progressed, and King also writes excellent fight scenes and gives those big battles the epicness they deserve. Illidan might actually be the best World of Warcraft book I’ve read in years, probably since The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, and I certainly enjoyed it more than a lot of the recent “character-focused” novels like Vol’jin: Shadows of the Horde, Wolfheart, or even the book about Illidan’s own twin, Stormrage.
In the end though, I suspect what will interest readers most about Illidan is the wealth of background information into the forthcoming Demon Hunter class. In this novel is a character arc about a Night Elf recruit named Vandel who is made to go through a horrifying and very brutal process to become a Demon Hunter. Are they giving us a glimpse into some of the content and quest lines we’ll be seeing in Legion, perhaps? There’s no doubt I’ll be rolling one, so I guess we shall all soon see.
Book Review: Quantum Break: Zero State by Cam Rogers
Posted on May 2, 2016 17 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Quantum Break: Zero State by Cam Rogers
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (April 5, 2016)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Quantum Break: Zero State is the tie-in novel to the action video game developed by Remedy Entertainment, the same folks who also brought us cinematic masterpieces such as Max Payne and Alan Wake. While it’s clearly marketed to fans of the game—and yes, I too did my stint in Quantum Break and consider myself one—I urge you not to write off this book just because you haven’t played it, or because you don’t think a “video game book” would be for you. Often these kinds of books get a bad rap (and goodness knows they deserve it sometimes) but I promise you this one is different.
From the very first page, I was floored by the stellar quality of this novel. I don’t want to sound like a book snob, especially since I consider myself a diehard tie-in junkie, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact this is a book based on a video game. I mean, it’s almost too good to be one? Needless to say, Quantum Break: Zero State surprised the hell out of me. Tie-in novel or not, it can easily stand on its own against any of the more mainstream or popular sci-fi thrillers out there.
The story stars Jack Joyce, a maverick who follows where his feet take him—as long as it’s away from his hometown of Riverport, Massachusetts where six years ago he cut ties with his older brother, the brilliant scientist William Joyce. Will is a genius, but his mind is also very disturbed. Growing up with him as a legal guardian was difficult, after their parents died in an accident when Jack was just a child. Will was withdrawn and consumed by his research, so his younger brother actually ended up being the one to support them both. It got even worse once Jack discovered that Will had secretly taken all the money their parents left them to use on his work after his own funding and research grants ran out, not to mention the massive debts with the local gangs and loan sharks. After years of cleaning up his brother’s messes, Jack finally said enough is enough. He packed up and left Riverport, washing his hands clean of Will and his crazy theories and problems.
But now, an email from Jack’s childhood friend Paul Serene has brought him back. As it turns out, Will’s theories weren’t so crazy after all. As a pioneer and top scientist in the field of chronon technology, Will has been consulting on a top secret project spearheaded by mega-corporation Monarch Solutions at Riverport University. Paul is one of the research leads on the project, and for some reason he wants Jack to come meet him at the Physics building so he can show him something that will change the face of the planet. Curiosity piqued, Jack agrees to go see his friend and thoroughly gets his mind blown when he realizes what is in the lab where Paul brings him. It appears that with Will’s help, Monarch had created a time machine…
A stutter in time…saves you from a hail of bullets
You can definitely read this without knowing a single thing about the game, but some background information will probably give more context. In Quantum Break you play Jack, who gains time manipulation powers and uses them to fight the diabolical authorities behind Monarch. The flow of time breaks down and all hell breaks loose, creating all kinds of insane effects with the environment, including time stutters, time stops, time slowing down or speeding up, etc. As well, one of the game’s “hooks” include a live-action component. After each act in the game, an episode of a TV show will play out onscreen letting you see how your gameplay decisions have affected events and other characters in the story. As noted in the book’s foreword, there really is no “canon” version of Quantum Break, since you are going to be making a lot of in-game choices and in doing so create your own version of events. The game is about time travel and branching timelines, so your own playthrough will likely be completely different from another player’s.
Time is power
This is why the idea behind this book is so brilliant. When I first read its description, I was initially worried that it would be a straight-up novelization—and who would want that, when you have the choice to actually immerse yourself in the cinematic experience that is the game itself? But here’s the cool part: Quantum Break: Zero State isn’t a true novelization because it is actually a combination of what’s in the game along with a lot more stuff that never made it in—think early story concepts, discarded ideas, or other elements that either weren’t used or abandoned because the developers couldn’t make them work for what they had in mind for the final product. It’s like an alternate timeline novel. As a result, you can read this book on its own without having even heard of Quantum Break! And if you have played it, you can also read this without feeling like it’s just a rehash of everything you did in game.
Like I said, the writing is superb and Cam Rogers’ prose is smart, punchy, and electrifying. As Remedy’s game writer and narrative designer, Rogers knows exactly how to capture the suspenseful atmosphere of Quantum Break, following through on the promise of action and thrilling fight scenes. The big theme here is also the time traveling aspect of course, and it is extremely cool, as are the powers that Jack possesses in game which are outstandingly described and utilized here in text. The story was indeed very different from my gameplay experience, but I found the version in this novel to be no less intense and exciting. I even liked that it gave me the chance to know some of the other characters better, most notably Beth Wilder.
Just for a second, forget that this book is based on a game, even if you are a fan of Quantum Break. If you enjoy sci-fi thrillers in general, and the idea of time traveling and superpowers sounds like a good time to you, then you must pick up this book. And if you happened to enjoy the video game too, then that goes double. This was all kinds of awesome, easily one of the best game tie-ins I’ve ever read, and heck, just a great time travel thriller all-around.
Audiobook Review: The Paladin Caper by Patrick Weekes
Posted on May 2, 2016 10 Comments
“Archvoyent Cevirt was an Urujar as well. Judging a man by the color of his skin was the mark of a foolish and uneducated mind, and Westteich would certainly have no problem with an Urujar who worked his way into a position of power and then respected the heritage that had come before. That said, Westteich could not help but feel that Cervit had turned the color of his skin into a sort of agenda, and upsetting the delicate balance of the Republic because of what had or had not been done to someone’s ancestors was also the mark of a foolish and uneducated mind.”
The Paladin Caper by Patrick Weekes
Genre: Fantasy, Satire
Series: Rogues of the Empire #3
Publisher: 47North (October 27, 2015)
Narrator: Justine Eyre (Brilliance Audio)
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reading the words above within the first few pages of this book made me raise an eyebrow. When I started this series, one of the first things I had to do was praise Weekes for his inclusivity:
First of all, let me lay down all the praise for Weekes’ ability to write people of colour like they are *GASP* people. Not foreign objects. Not magical creatures. Not a unique species that shouldn’t really exist in worlds filled with fae and dragons. Weekes isn’t afraid to deal with the racial and cultural differences of his various characters, but when race is a factor, it’s all within context.
Weekes also answers that troublesome question of “How do you write strong female characters[TM] if you’re a guy??” Well, kids, you write women the same way you write everyone else: like they are human beings (cuz we actually are).
In the first two books, this continues to be a thing–women and people of colour and varying sexuality, all getting to hang out with elves and dragons and demons like it ain’t no thang. As far as fantasy goes, this doesn’t happen often, so when it does, I’m gonna have to point it out–because representation matters. But in the third book, there’s a little more going on. Weekes is no longer pulling any punches. He has an agenda and he’s not afraid to bare his teeth and shove it down your throat–much to the annoyance of some readers. Interestingly, in my review of other reviews, the people who rated the book low all complained about the social justice aspect that takes over the plot in a rather heavy-handed manner. And it most certainly is heavy-handed. Where Weekes previously simply gave representation to marginalized characters, now his Rogues are taking on the MRAs and the 1% to save the world in satire that seeps right into reality, making his personal views quite clear.
But I don’t like reality with my fantasy! you say. I’ve been tricked into reading this satirical comedy only to find that it has a serious message! Oh you poor, sad puppy. You’re just going to have to get over it. If you don’t think our society still needs to be hit over the head with the fact that this world is not just the stomping ground of rich bigoted white dudes, let me just remind you that Donald Trump is a thing happening right now.
As for the story itself–well, as I said, this does take reality quite seriously this time around, but The Paladin Caper is no less amusing than its predecessors. Loch (whose death was greatly exaggerated) and her team are up to their usual hijinx, but this time, the fate of the world is at stake as they race to stop the ancients from returning to claim the world they once controlled. The struggle is real and they are thwarted at every turn, betrayed by friends and family and lovers alike. It almost seems like this is it for our not-quite-heroes! Pfft. Don’t be silly. They got this all under control. As with any good caper, the key isn’t so much what they achieve in the end, since we know the good-ish guys are going to win, but how they pull it off. Sometimes, it gets a little crazy, but that too is part of the fun, with the rest of the fun coming from the main characters we’ve come to know and love.
This book digs a little deeper into those characters, some of whom went through some significant changes in the previous book and are having trouble dealing with it. Ululenia in particular, is struggling with her new dark side:
“I am sex and death, desire and destruction. They will die in ecstasy knowing that I was their fulfillment. My pleasure, their end.”
Meanwhile the death/love priestess, Desidora, is coming to terms with her dichotomy, as well as the loss of her former friend and weapon. Oh and then there’s Kail, whose “your mother” jokes take on a whole new meaning this time around.
Finally, I cannot finish this series without bestowing much praise upon the narrator, Justine Eyre. There are some narrators who make it impossible for me to read a series myself because of how damn good they are. Eyre’s voice work is stunning, uniquely bringing everyone to life and never missing a comedic beat.
The Paladin Caper wraps up this series perfectly, complete with a proverbial walk into the sunset. Thanks, Mr. Weekes. It’s been a really, really fun ride.
Story
Performance
“Can’t Wait” Books of Mid-2016
Posted on May 1, 2016 28 Comments
Lists. I love them! It’s fun to organize my reading and they also have the added benefit of focusing my attention to the “must-read” releases that I’m very excited to check out. After the list I made for “Early 2016”, I’ve decided to do it again for Mid-2016. So, without further ado, time now once more to geek out over these Science Fiction and Fantasy titles that are set to come out over the next few months, as we keep marching on ahead towards perfect beach-reading weather. Not sure how I’ll find the time to get to all of these, but uh, um, I’ll figure out a way…somehow. What’s on your mid-2016 TBR?
May
The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood (May 3) – Artist Todd Lockwood famed for his paintings of dragons enters the fantasy fiction scene with his debut novel about…you guessed it–dragons!
Bloodline by Claudia Gray (May 3) – I’d love to see Claudia Gray score another hit with her next Star Wars novel, after the incredible YA journey that was Star Wars: Lost Stars.
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay (May 10) – Any time Guy Gavriel Kay releases a new book is a good reason to celebrate.
Voodoo Killings by Kristi Charish (May 10) – The start of a new series from the author of the rollicking Adventures of Owl books!
Roses and Rot by Kat Howard (May 17) – I’ve been hearing some amazing things about this one already; diving into it soon and I can’t wait!
June
The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence (June 7) – June is a huge month! The first week will see the finale of the Red Queen’s War trilogy.
Spear of Light by Brenda Cooper (June 7) – Follow-up to the brilliant Edge of Dark.
Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey (June 14) – A paranormal story about witches set in my hometown of Toronto.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (June 14) – I’ve always loved “books about books”, or also in this case, libraries!
Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley (June 14) – A recent addition to my “must-read” list, but I couldn’t bring myself not to include it, after I recently read The Rook and loved the hell out of it.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (June 14) – A fascinating looking sci-fi novel about a siege in space; my interest in this one has only grown since I first heard about it.
And I Darken by Kiersten White (June 28) – What if Vlad the Impaler had been Lada the Impaler? No one expects a princess to be brutal…
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan (June 28) – It’s always a pleasure to visit the world of Riyria, even if it this book will be taking place thousands of years before Hadrian and Royce.
The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill (June 28) – A sci-fi mystery noir, I first discovered of this one when I read an article about it being made into a movie. As with any adaptation, of course I went looking for the original source.
July
The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan (July 5) – I take it back…July is a huge month. Things kick off with a new series starter from Anthony Ryan.
The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone (July 5) – Giant spiders and utter mayhem!
The Transference Engine by Julia Verne St. John (July 5) – Steampunk, magic, and alternate history–what more could I ask for?
Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (July 5) – The highly anticipated sequel to Ink and Bone. Words are not enough to express my excitement.
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (July 5) – Winters’ The Last Policeman trilogy is one of the coolest series I’ve ever read. Looking forward to his next work.
Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn (July 5) – Superhero urban fantasy world starring Asian-American superheroines!
The Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderon (July 19) – The fourth installment of Alcatraz, Sanderson’s hiiiiilarious Middle Grade series.
Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt by Chuck Wendig (July 19) – Sequel to Star Wars: Aftermath. And it’s Star Wars. Enough said.
Imprudence by Gail Carriger (July 19) – Sequel to the quirky and adventurous Prudence, featuring the daughter of Alexia Tarabotti from The Parasol Protectorate series.
The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power (July 19) – A swashbuckling adventure on the high seas involving mutiny, a deserted island, and of course, dragons.
Red Right Hand by Levi Black (July 26) – Lovecraft-inspired dark urban fantasy, starring a clever and gutsy female protagonist.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (July 26) – I’ve been wanting to read something by Blake Crouch for a long time, and I’m looking forward to diving into his upcoming novel, a sci-fi thriller with a very mysterious, intriguing premise…
August
I Am Providence by Nick Mamatas (August 2) – Oh, Lovecraftian horror, I just can’t seem to quit you.
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch (August 2) – It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this sixth installment of the Peter Grant series, with the release having been pushed back a couple times. UK folks get this in June, but the US will have to wait a couple more months. (release date revised to 2017)
Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky (August 2) – I’m itching to read many of the upcoming Tor.com novellas, but this is probably highest on the list.
The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler (August 9) – The fourth installment of the exciting Shadow Campaigns series. The books just get better and better.
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (August 16) – The must-read follow-up to The Fifth Season!
Blood Oath by Melissa Lenhardt (August 16) – Okay, not sci-fi or fantasy, but I am no less excited for this sequel to the historical western adventure/romance Sawbones. (release date revised to 2017)
An Artificial Night Read-Along Week No.4
Posted on April 30, 2016 5 Comments
We’re journeying through the third book in the October Daye series. If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
“October “Toby” Daye is a changeling-half human and half fae-and the only one who has earned knighthood. Now she must take on a nightmarish new challenge. Someone is stealing the children of the fae as well as mortal children, and all signs point to Blind Michael. Toby has no choice but to track the villain down-even when there are only three magical roads by which to reach Blind Michael’s realm, home of the Wild Hunt-and no road may be taken more than once. If Toby cannot escape with the children, she will fall prey to the Wild Hunt and Blind Michael’s inescapable power.”
Week 1: Saturday 9th April, Chapters 1-7, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Saturday 16th April, Chapters 8-17, hosted by Books By Proxy
Week 3: Saturday 23rd April, Chapters 18-24, hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Saturday 30th April, Chapters 25-End, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
1. Things pick up right where we left them, with Tybalt and Toby. What do you make of the not-quite-nine-lives thing? And do you have any fresh insight into what, if anything, is going on between him and Toby?
I expect this not-quite-nine-lives thing to pop up again in the future if Tybalt and Toby keep hanging out together. I’m still stuck on this “didn’t lie to him” thing. What does that even mean, Tybalt? I think they are drawing closer, of course, even with the awkwardness that Connor is presenting. I really need Connor to get his life, okay.
2. As predicted, Toby is far from finished with Blind Michael and returns to his realm, trading herself for Karen’s freedom. Things get pretty dark from there, but all isn’t lost… What’s your take on the Luidaeg’s rescue effort?
I think it was pretty ingenious and goes to show that there is more going on there with her relationship with Toby than what the Luidaeg wants to admit. Well, I think, after this book she might be a little more open to admitting it, but only a little. I thought her attempts to rescue Toby were pretty touching and goes to show that once again Toby has more love and support than she thinks she does. Even with her settling into some semblance of a normal life with friends and loved ones, I still don’t think that Toby still quite grasps the magnitude to which she is loved.
3. After all that, Toby still isn’t done. Do you think she did the right thing, going after Blind Michael to end things once and for all? And after all’s said and done, what do you think of Blind Michael himself?
Yes, I think she did the right thing. Was it stupid? Yes, but it was the right thing to do. I definitely understand that need to right the wrongs that he’s committed, to save those who others say can’t be saved, to save other children from ever having to live through this horror if there’s something that can be done to stop it. It might’ve been a slim chance, but it’s a chance that Toby was willing to take even if she didn’t succeed. Blind Michael is terrible, and he deserved to be taken down. Anyone who uses people, especially kids, in such a manner doesn’t deserve to grace this world. I was glad that Acacia took in the other children, too, after it was all said and done. Hopefully they’ll be able to heal from the years of what they endured with Blind Michael.
4. Quentin has a hard choice of his own to make in the aftermath, as the Luidaeg explains… Do you agree with her choice of consequence, or was she too hard on him?
Actually, I figured that’s what it was going to come down to, so I’m hardly surprised. It was a hard thing for him to have to endure, but I don’t think the choice itself was “too hard” on him. Sometimes, you have to let the things you love go, especially when their own safety and sanity factors into the equation. Katie is a teenager. She has so much growing up left to do yet, and Quentin’s world is probably not conducive to that growing up phase. Her sanity was almost broken by what happened. It’s hard, but it was the best that he let her go.
5. We get one more scene with the Luidaeg, and it’s quite a turnaround, character-wise. What do you think of where she and Toby seem to stand, at this point?
I love the Luidaeg for everything she is–powerful, wise, scathing, and now caring. I loved seeing this softer (or as soft as she can be) side of the Luidaeg. I think her friends with Toby will continue to grow, especially now that it’s clear where her feelings for Toby stand and how far she’s willing to go for her. She didn’t have to confront her own brother who is more powerful than her. She didn’t have to help Toby at all in her quest. I look forward to seeing how their friendship grows in the future. However, I still think that Toby has to be careful. As Julie shows, it’s very easy for even a good friend to take grave offense with something and turn on you. And the fae seem to be very good at taking offense for the slightest thing. The Luidaeg is wiser, smarter than many others, but you never know.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1)
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.1
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.2
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.3
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.4
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #2)
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.1
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.2
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.3
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.4
An Artificial Light 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
YA Weekend: Nightstruck by Jenna Black
Posted on April 30, 2016 16 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Young Adult
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Tor Teen (April 5, 2016)
Length: 304 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ve always been a bit wary of “dark” or “horror” YA because so often they don’t live up to those descriptions, but I think I’ve finally found one worthy of those labels. I had a surprisingly good time with Nightstruck, a young adult novel with chilling story that actually shocked me with a couple of its disturbing twists and turns.
It all began with a baby. Or, more precisely, what protagonist Becket thought was a baby, abandoned on the church steps on a cold night in Philadelphia, while she was out walking the dog. Unable to ignore its desperate cries for help, she goes and picks up the bundle, only to find two inhuman green eyes glowing back at her from within the darkness of the folds. The “baby” then crumbles into black dust, the remnants of it dispersing onto the wind like ashes. And thus begins the city’s descent into madness. For days, Becket keeps what she saw a secret, convinced that no one would believe her. But soon, others start to notice their surroundings changing. At first the changes are subtle, such as reports that everyday things around the city are being replaced with obscene or disturbing imagery—easy enough to ignore or dismiss. By the end of the week though, police and hospitals are overrun and baffled by the flood of panicked citizens claiming to have been attacked by inanimate objects that have come to life and transformed into living monstrous constructs.
Worst of all, even though these terrors are witnessed by many, no one has been able to capture any of it on film. Still, no one wants to admit that the causes are paranormal, least of all the federal government. Suspecting a contagious virus or something environmental like hallucinatory agents in the water, Philadelphia is quarantined—which, of course, only makes things worse. Whatever is changing the city starts changing its trapped citizens as well. All across Philly, people are going missing only to emerge again crazed and violent when the sun goes down. Dubbed the “Nightstruck”, they travel the streets in packs to prey on those unfortunate enough to be out after dark. What’s curious is that during the day, things still seem normal enough…but when night falls, the city goes to hell.
While all this is going down, we also have our main character struggling with a couple of serious changes in her personal life. Her parents have just gone through a very messy divorce, with Becket choosing to stay with dad while her mom moved to Boston. Becket’s father however is also the police commissioner, so having to deal with the meltdown of the city means leaving his daughter for most of this book. Thankfully Becket is the independent, capable sort. What’s interesting though, is how far removed she is from your typical “strong female protagonist.” In fact, if we’re talking in terms of willpower or having a backbone, Becket is decidedly the worst kind of pushover. It’s also clear that she doesn’t have the best self-esteem. She doesn’t stand up for herself and she lets others walk all over her a lot, especially when it comes to her so-called best friend Piper, who often talks Becket into things she doesn’t want to do.
That said, I suspect that this is all a set-up for Becket’s personal growth for the rest of this series, and we’ll probably see her gradually gaining confidence and becoming more assertive. Piper is a very complicated character as well, with many redeeming personality traits, making it easier to see why Becket would value their friendship. I thought that their relationship was established really well in this book, and it made for interesting (and traumatic) dynamics between the two girls when Piper becomes Nightstruck, and Becket has to deal with the horror of watching her best friend become a monster.
I also enjoyed the pacing of the novel. The chaos that descends upon the city is not an explosion that happens overnight, but rather a steady but devastating erosion of everything normal in the world. I loved the atmosphere of rising dread, which was sometimes punctuated by moments that were downright creepy, and there were even a few really terrible and heartbreaking scenes for our protagonist that I found emotionally hard to read.
I only had a couple main issues, which were largely inconsequential considering how much I enjoyed the book overall. The first is the romance: it’s REALLY annoying. Since forever, Becket has had a secret crush on neighbor boy Luke, but she’s always been too timid to say anything. The resulting dance of mixed signals was almost more than I could take, but the only reason I tolerated it was because this kind of behavior actually made sense with Becket’s personality profile. My other issue is the city quarantine. Once it was determined that people weren’t sick and that there wasn’t anything in the environment that could have caused all the nighttime mayhem, wouldn’t a mass evacuation during daylight hours technically make a ton more sense? But then, I suppose that bit of logic had to be swept under the rug in favor of having an actual story.
Also, major cliffhanger alert! But I admit it, I. Am. Hooked. Nightstruck did what it set out to do, and I’m really looking forward to what’s coming next!
Book Review: Willful Child by Steven Erikson
Posted on April 29, 2016 9 Comments
“Ah, Tammy, you really don’t understand biologicals at all, do you? We need to struggle. We need to strive for something forever just outside our reach! We need to dream! We need–Tammy, why did you go to close-up on me with the main viewer?”
Willful Child by Steven Erikson
Genre: Science Fiction, Satire
Series: Willful Child #1
Publisher: Tor Books (November 2014)
Author’s Info: steven-erikson.com
Wendy’s Rating: 2.5 stars
These are the voyages of the Willful Child and it’s arrogant captain, Hadrian Alan Sawback, who is this:
combined with a healthy dose of this:
and some of this:
In my quest to read more science fiction, I have made a point of reading scifi books by authors whose fantasy novels I have enjoyed. Steven Erikson’s epic Malazan series led me to this book, which is more than just science fiction. It’s his very tongue in cheek homage to Star Trek, a show he loves dearly, and an obvious cathartic break from his decades long work on Malazan. For these reasons, I can most certainly appreciate the effort, but frankly, I’m just not a fan.
Not that the book isn’t well written. Lots of interesting characters and Erikson’s already proven skill with words and his sharp wit. It’s not easy to nail comedic timing in a non-visual medium, but Erikson manages some fantastic sight gags with just words on a page. The banter and power struggle between Sawback and Tammy, the AI that’s taken over his ship, is particularly amusing.
The problem is that the jokes get old fast when it’s just a variation of the same. Particularly the ones involving Sawback’s lechery and misogyny (he doesn’t actually hit women unless they attack first, but he does frequently undress them with his eyes and undermines them completely). I get it. This is satire and I’m fine with that. But after a while, it all gets boring because Sawback and his people really don’t learn or grow or do anything. Sawback is the intrepid hero who is always right even when he’s wrong, and even though the women don’t indulge his antics, much of which come from inner monologues anyway, I grew tired of hearing about it.
The ridiculousness of Captain Kirk is reknown and I praise Erikson for being able to satirically critique something he loves so much, but I think he could have done so within a few less pages. When I heard about the sequel, Willful Child: Wrath of Betty, I had to roll my eyes because I can’t help but think that this is just going to be more of the same, and, I predict, somewhere along the way, this will happen:
For a very different opinion of this book, check out Mogsy’s review!
Backlist Burndown: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Posted on April 29, 2016 18 Comments
As book bloggers, sometimes we get so caught up reading review titles and new releases that we end up missing out on a lot previously published books. As a result, one of my goals this year is to take more time to catch up with my backlist, especially in my personal reading pile. And it seems I’m not the only one. Backlist Burndown is a new meme started by Lisa of Tenacious Reader. Every last Friday of the month, she’ll be posting a review of a backlist book and is inviting anyone interested to do the same. Of course, you can also review backlist books any day you want, as often you want, but be sure to watch for her post at the end of the month to link up!
This month, I’m reviewing…
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Wildwood
Publisher: Knopf (January 23, 2007)
Length: 407 pages
Author Information: Website
After finishing Wildwood Dancing, I’ve decided to give it a solid 3.5 stars. Considering this is my first Juliet Marillier book that didn’t rate at least a 4, I probably should be feeling more disappointed, especially since, out of all her older titles, this was one I’d been looking forward to reading the most. But honestly, I am not. The reality is, while I’m pretty convinced that Marillier is incapable of writing a bad novel, I also wouldn’t expect to fall in love with every single one of them, and even though I didn’t think this was one of her best, I still thought it was a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot.
Naturally, Wildwood Dancing is a reimagining of several fairy tales and other stories inspired by folklore. It’s a Marillier novel, after all. In the tradition of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”, the story follows a family of five sisters who put on their fine dancing gowns every full moon in order to travel to another realm, where they would dance all night with the magical creatures who live there. Only the five girls know how to get to this enchanted kingdom through the mysterious portal hidden deep in their home of Piscul Draculi, their castle nestled in the woods of the Transylvanian highlands.
The story is told through the eyes of Jena, the second eldest, who assumes the responsibility of looking after her sisters and running the family business after their father is taken to the southlands to recover from a grave illness. But everything changes with the arrival of their cousin Cezar, a power-hungry man determined to take over the castle and see Jena and her sisters grow up to be “proper” young ladies. His presence has made the girls’ full moon visits through the portal more difficult, and it doesn’t help either that Tatiana, Jena’s older sister, has apparently fallen in love with one of the dangerous dark creatures from the Other Kingdom. As trouble descends on all sides, Jena struggles to keep her family together and maintain her control over Piscul Draculi, even while Cezar tightens his grip around them all and Tatiana continues to slip away.
I should also probably note that Wildwood Dancing is categorized as a YA novel, and it’s possible that some of my issues with the book had to do with the fact it’s aimed at a younger audience. In spite of the story’s charming premise, it’s admittedly predictable at times and hampered by some annoying tropes. Not to mention, they aren’t very subtle. The moment Cezar sweeps in, you could tell he was the evil, evil bad guy, pumped up on his own self-importance and never misses a moment to tell Jena what a silly and improper girl she is for daring to think for herself. There is really nothing more to his character than being teeth grindingly obnoxious and soul-crushing. Tatiana also frustrated me, because while it’s all fine and good to fall in love, it’s not so cool when that love completely consumes you to the point you throw aside the concerns of those who care about you, or that you abandon all your responsibilities including the need to take care of yourself. Tatiana gradually becomes this empty shell because we’re to believe she’s so lovesick after a boy that she loses the will to eat. As the main character, Jena is not immune from criticism either; where her emotions are concerned, she has more blind spots than a drunk bat and I frequently found her stubbornness maddening. For a female protag who is supposed to be strong and independent, she can be stunningly ineffectual.
The characters were probably the novel’s weakest aspect. Happily, predictable or not, I was really interested in the story, and that kept me turning the pages. The Transylvanian setting was intriguing, along with all that it implies. I also liked how snippets of multiple fairy tales were woven into the plot, and the way Marillier somehow made it all work. Like most of her novels, Wildwood Dancing is infused with a whimsical but dark tone, enchanting but also potentially dangerous, and to be sure if you enjoy fairy tale retellings or stories with that kind of vibe, you really can’t go wrong with anything she writes.
Ever since I read my first Juliet Marillier novel and she became one of my favorite authors, I have been meaning to go back to read more of her work. I’m glad I read Wildwood Dancing, but given how I felt about it, I’ll probably set the sequel, Cybele’s Secret, as lower priority while I tackle some of her other adult novels since I find them to be more complex and feature more developed and convincing characters. Still, Wildwood Dancing was a delightful read and it is impressive for YA. Fans of Marillier owe it to themselves to check this one out.
The BiblioSanctum 