Sunday Musings: How Writers Write Fiction
Posted on February 14, 2016 7 Comments
I can write. I know I can write. I’m confident in my ability to write. But there’s always more to learn.
I’ve been looking for a long while for a writing course that could help me hone my craft, while still fitting within my budget. This was a difficult task until I discovered the University of Iowa’s How Writers Write Fiction MOOC, which was free. And free’s good. Actually, they also had an option to earn a certificate of completion for $50USD, which, compared to the $3000 workshop I’d been looking at previously, was a no brainer. That left the only hurdle being the time involved because, free or not, a university level course is a lot of work if you make the commitment, and I was determined not to flake out on this opportunity.
The course lasted for seven weeks and featured two videos and two readings that students were expected to comment on and were quizzed on, and then there was a writing project. The comment part was the most time consuming and least enjoyable part of the process. I’m all for commenting and being part of a discussion on interesting topics, but, as part of the requirements, we had to write 15 different comments each week. Seems like a simple task, but writing meaningful comments that actually add to the discussion isn’t necessarily so. It was also the most time consuming aspect (perhaps more so because it felt a bit tedious).
Still, that is only a minor complaint. The videos and reading samples themselves were quite informative, covering many topics and writing elements that I only had a vague understanding of before. Things that I knew, but didn’t realize I knew, or things I could refine, having learned more about them through the course. Fiction writers of all walks of life–many of whom I was not necessarily familiar with–lent their experience to the following topics:
- Class Session 1: Starting with Character
- Class Session 2: Expanding on Character: Cast and Dialogue
- Class Session 3: Working with Plot
- Class Session 4: Using Character to Produce Frame and Arc
- Class Session 5: Voice and Setting
- Class Session 6: Immersion in Setting: Description and World-Building
- Class Session 7: Embracing Revision
The most interesting elements I took from the entire process involved point of view and point in time. Point of view I have learned well enough over time, but I enjoyed taking the opportunity to rewrite some of my works from differing points of view to see just how much that changes the story. For example, in Session 4, the assignment was to write the same scene from the perspective of two different characters who are reunited after some sort of separation, with a third character off screen, and a misunderstanding that results between them:
Sehr ran her fingers over the jagged wound across her lower abdomen. She’d almost bled out, sliced by the tail of one of those creatures as she’d run to Devin’s aid. Why? She still couldn’t figure it out. Every voice in her head screamed her to leave him behind. He would have done the same. Yet, Devin had been barely able to stand himself, bruised and bleeding, but somehow, he’d managed to fight off the last of the monsters and drag them both back to the ship.
Sehr remembered none of this. She remembered screaming Devin’s name, clawing rain from her eyes, then the searing pain in her side. Then there was nothing, until she’d woken up to find Jenna stitching her back together. There was no morphine in the medikit. Jenna’s voice was all Sehr had to get her through the pain. Now she stood in front of the mirror, examining the kid’s handy work. Sehr would heal, but that scar would never truly let her leave that planet.
***
“Sehr’s awake,” Jenna said quietly. It was the first thing she’d said since she’d started dressing his wounds. He could practically taste her fear, but she didn’t betray any of it. No shake in her hands. No quaver in her voice. Devin respected that. The kid would survive far more than this.
Devin nodded and pushed himself to his feet. She’d done a pretty good job for a kid with no medical training—she’d done a pretty good job through the whole damn mess on the planet—but she couldn’t do anything for his limp. His right leg lagged as he made his way down the hall to Sehr’s cabin.
He paused at the door. Sehr wouldn’t want to see him. She hated everything about him. Yet she’d come back for him when she could have left him for dead. He didn’t owe her anything for it. They’d saved each other in the end. And that’s really all it’s about out here. Surviving. Any way you can.
I would have liked to get feedback and interaction with the actual professors and teachers assistants in this MOOC, but the feedback process was very well done. Unlike the comment process, there were questions to guide reviewers through the peer evaluation process that allowed each of us to receive very valuable critique that could even shape the way our stories progressed in the future. For example, I’d originally written this story from Sehr’s point of view, but after writing Devin’s perspective, I agreed with the assessment of my peer evaluators that his view was far more interesting. Similarly, for Session 1, I wrote a scene from the perspective of a character whose presence, in my original story, is not revealed until the next chapter. This assignment allowed me to explore her character much earlier, and though the scene won’t make it into the future book I swear I’m going to write, it helped me more strongly define her character for future appearances:
Alisanna’s throat was tight again. None of these people meant anything. The screams that echoed beyond the hallway mattered nothing to her. The kingdom of Emberden was lost and she would die with it if she didn’t escape now with the trinkets she’d liberated from the king’s treasury. A game. That’s all this was. The man and the woman would figure it out. They’d pull themselves together and obey the king’s final command. She didn’t need them, and they certainly didn’t need her.
The sharp edges of the stone thrones bit into her palms. She pulled her hands away and stared at the blood that began to pool. This was not her fight. She needed only turn around and unlock the hidden passage behind the thrones and make her escape. The man would hear and likely follow, but she’d be long gone before he could catch up to her, especially since he was burdened by the unconscious woman. He would never even see her face. (Continued)
The certificate required me to complete five of the seven sessions, of which I am proud to say I managed six (I skipped Session 5 because a business trip ate up part of that week). It was time consuming, but exhilarating, and a wonderful way to close out the year. Even though I didn’t achieve the writing goals I’d promised myself thanks to a myriad of reasonably legitimate excuses, but learning about and practicing writing that I’ll someday turn into something? I’ll pat myself on that back for that.
YA Weekend: Audiobook Review Bites
Posted on February 14, 2016 13 Comments
One of my unofficial reading resolutions of 2016 is to catch up with (and in some cases, complete) all the Young Adult series I started over the years. On some level, I want this goal to remain a fun, relaxing, no-stress pastime between my review books, but it may also be my most ambitious challenge yet. I know sometimes I call it my guilty pleasure, but I do love YA, I do. It’s a love that I can’t quit, and with so many excellent new YA titles and series to discover this year, I really should work harder on cleaning up my backlist YA TBR.
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Falling Kingdoms
Publisher: Listening Library (12/9/14)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Fred Berman
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall) : 3 of 5 stars
Speaking of not being able to quit, the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes is one of the most addictive YA series I’ve ever read, even if does have its ups and downs. Mostly I love it for its fantasy setting and the huge number of characters it follows. If you like twisty relationship dynamics and perhaps prefer something more than your usual love triangle, you might want to try this one on for size. This series has also been called the “Game of Thrones” of YA, and even though I’d take that comparison with a grain of salt, there’s no denying that the flavor of court intrigue you find in Falling Kingdoms is a lot more complex than what you’d find in your typical run-of-the-mill YA novel.
Perhaps my one beef with this specific installment is how nothing of real import seems to happen for the first three-quarters of the novel, and then the last 25% is a deluge of momentous events and crazy plot developments. Still, there were other things I enjoyed a lot, like the introduction of Ashur and Amara, the royal Kraeshian siblings. For the most part though, the brooding Prince Magnus is still brooding, the Watchers are still watching, the rebels are still rebelling, and Lucia can’t stop making dumb decisions. And apparently everyone and their brother has discovered in themselves a burning passionate love for Princess Cleo. Seriously, this girl gets all the boys.
Fred Berman continues to do a great job reading the audiobooks, even though I was initially skeptical of the studio’s choice of him as narrator. I still think a female narrator or a multi-cast production would have been better, but I confess Berman’s sexy Prince Magnus voice is slowly growing on me. Oops, did I just say that out loud?
The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Winner’s Trilogy
Publisher: Listening Library (3/3/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall) : 2.5 of 5 stars
In retrospect, I really should have waited until the third and last book was out before I read this. The problem with The Winner’s Crime is that in the areas the book does well it does VERY well, but where it was bad it was truly a struggle.
This was a series I first started because I was drawn to my weakness: Forbidden Love. I now know I have no one to blame but myself, because ultimately I expected something from this series that it was in no position to deliver. Even the first book had me doubting that this was the kind of story I was looking for, because can a general’s daughter and a slave of a nation that her people conquered truly find happiness together? In the first book, Lady Kestral and Arin probably spent more than half the time locked in bitter conflict with each other, but I was hoping more feeling would spark between them in book two. Sad to say, it didn’t really happen. What we did get were more lies, more secrets, more obfuscation. Clearly, these two can never be honest with each other, even if they think they have the other’s best interests at heart. I wanted so badly to reach into the book and knock their stubborn, clueless heads together.
Why do some YA couples work for me and some don’t? This is where I get all marriage counselor-like and ask myself, can I picture these two characters still together and happy in ten years? All I see is disaster for Kestral and Arin. There is no chemistry between them beyond the delicious scandal which would explode if the two of them get discovered. It occurred to me, this dynamic just didn’t work for me as much as I’d hoped. And unfortunately, this was the central focus of The Winner’s Crime. Kestral does try her hand at being a spy and ends up being really clumsy at it, but I could hardly blame her for it when this part of the plot itself was oversimple and superficial. Romance was all this book had going for it, and it kind of fumbled–that’s what disappointed me most. It’s hard to believe I’m actually calling for more romance in a YA novel, but there you have it. I’ll probably read the last book just for completion’s sake, though I do have doubts that Kestral and Arin will miraculously get their acts together for the final volume. Still, I hope to be surprised.
End of Days by Susan Ee
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Penryn & the End of Days
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (5/12/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall) : 3 of 5 stars
I was very happy I got to finally read this concluding volume and finish the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy, which all began with the very awesome Angelfall. To be sure, it was a good ending, with a lot of cheering and crying to be had. And yet, I can’t deny there is a part of me that remains somewhat underwhelmed.
This was the explosive finale, and I wanted nothing more than to love it. We have Penryn and Raffe on the run, both driven by the same goals. Still, despite their growing feelings for each other, theirs is a precarious alliance. We all know that humans and angels cannot coexist, and sooner or later, our characters are going to reach a turning point and each of them will have to choose which path to take. The stage was set for great things.
And yet, the story faltered by falling back on predictable outcomes and overused tropes. Not to mention, the events in the climax and ending felt forced and the whole book felt rushed. There’s just so much crammed in here and we’re shuffled through it all at breakneck speed. (Interestingly, I only found out recently that this series was originally intended to be five books, before it was amended to become a trilogy, and I can’t help but wonder if that might that have had something to do with the state of this novel.) I’m also disappointed at the lack of answers. There’s no attempt to even try and fill in the mythology, likely because the author didn’t want to bring God into the picture, so the result is this awkward dance around the issue. It gets even more confusing when we’re suddenly introduced to a hellish realm where a lot of the action in this book takes place. I don’t think I would have minded the lack of answers so much if this book hadn’t hurled even more questions at us that never really get explained.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad conclusion. Could the book have been better? Sure. But it had its moments and on the whole I enjoyed myself. I will say though, the way this trilogy started was much stronger than the way it ended. My rating did fall with each subsequent book, but it’s also true I’ve become a lot pickier about my YA and I am far more demanding than I was two and half years ago when I first read Angelfall. Regardless, I’ll still always remember how impressed I was with Susan Ee’s debut. If or when she writes another novel, I am so there.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on February 13, 2016 29 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
I’ve been working hard to rein in my book requests this year, but apparently I have not been showing as much restraint when it comes to electronic galleys. In a perfect storm of email invitations, auto-approvals, and every single one of my NetGalley/Edelweiss requests that have been hanging in limbo forever suddenly deciding to come in all at once this week, my digital review pile appears to have exploded! Whoops. Meanwhile, books in the mail have been mostly surprise arrivals, but they all look so good! Hard to fight against the excitement though, even as Mount TBR grows another few feet; my enormous gratitude to the authors and publishers for the months of great reading ahead of me!
Alcatraz Vs. The Evil Librarians and The Scrivener’s Bones by Brandon Sanderson – This might be the only series left by Sanderson that I haven’t tried yet. Until now Alcatraz has always managed to elude me, but this year they’re being re-issued by Starscape/Tor Books and I pounced on the opportunity to review these beautifully illustrated new hardback editions. I already read the first one, and loved it — hilarious adventurous middle grade madness! My thanks to the publisher!
The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins – I was so excited when a finished copy of this book arrived, courtesy of Viking. I’ve been highly anticipating this gorgeous historical fantasy debut about goddesses, mad kings, druids and faerie magic.
UFO Hunters Book Two by William J. Birnes – Until this one arrived from Tor, I had no clue there was even a UFO Hunter book, let alone two! It’s billed as an official companion to the History Channel show, which I’m only vaguely familiar with. I may pass this on to my husband, who loves this stuff.
Nebula Awards Showcase 2016 edited by Mercedes Lackey – My thanks to Pyr for brightening up my day with another awesome Nebula Awards Showcase collection!
The King of Fear by Drew Chapman – Surprise arrival from Simon & Schuster earlier in the week; although it’s not my usual genre, I was intrigued. Chapman brings his extensive experience in film and television writing to this novel of global espionage and cyber terrorism. I’ll be keeping this one in mind for when I feel like a good thriller.
Invaders: 22 Tales from the Outer Limits of Literature edited by Jacob Weisman – When book mail arrived from California, I was thrilled to discover it was this sci-fi anthology from Tachyon Publications! From aliens to nanotech, this wild collection features all manner of science fiction and beyond. I’m not even a big reader of short stories, but I do want to read this one.
Good Girls by Glen Hirshberg – I’ve wanted to read Glen Hirshberg for a while now, and I finally got my wish this week! My thanks to Tor Books for sending along a finished hardcover of this emotionally hard-hitting supernatural horror. Keep an eye out for my review which will be posted on release date!
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan – A retelling of A Tale of Two Cities?! Um, YES PLEASE. All resistance pretty much went out the window the moment I heard that pitch. With thanks to Clarion Books (NetGalley).
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay – Do you even need a reason to be excited for Guy Gavriel Kay? I mean, other than it’s Guy Gavriel Kay? Didn’t think so! With thanks to NAL (NetGalley).
Roses and Rot by Kat Howard – I literally did a dance for joy when Saga Press started listing titles at NetGalley last week. They auto-approved me too, which could have been really bad for my review pile because I’m excited about practically every single one of their titles. I was able to restrained myself and only requested Roses and Rot…for now. Can’t wait to dive into this dark twist on a fairy tale.
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky – I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the audio edition last week. IT. IS. AMAZING. I lost a chunk of a day to this audiobook while I was vacuuming the house and I must have done several rooms twice without even realizing it. That’s how thoroughly hooked I was. I’m sure you’ll be hearing me rave all about it next week, which is hopefully when I’ll have my review up. My thanks to Hachette Audio!
The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells – Evidently the start of a new series about the Raksura, even though it is technically the fourth book in the sequence. I’ve never actually read a Raksura novel (just the short stories collections) so this might be a good place for me to jump on board. With thanks to Night Shade Books (Edelweiss).
Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay – Earlier this month I read A Head Full of Ghosts and it was definitely one of those mind-blowing “I NEED to read more by this author right the hell NOW” experiences. My thanks to William Morrow (Edelweiss).
In the Shadow of the Gods by Rachel Dunne – An epic fantasy about a group of mortals standing up against a pair of vengeful gods? This sounds interesting! And I’ll never turn down a dark fantasy. With thanks to Harper Voyager (Edelweiss).
Fellside by M.R. Carey – eARC, with thanks to Orbit (NetGalley). I loved The Girl with All the Gifts and I was very excited when I found out about Carey’s new novel. The publisher description is a bit vague, but I’ve heard whisperings that it’s a ghost story…
The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu – I was actually a beta reader for this book, and I’m looking forward to see what has changed in the final version. This short novella is an action-filled story about Cameron Tan and contains some bridge elements that will lead into The Rise of Io, Chu’s next quasing series. With thanks to Subterranean Press (NetGalley).
The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis – Psychological literary thriller set in a post-apocalyptic wilderness. What’s not to like? I’ve eyed this one for a while, and now that the publisher has revealed their cover, I decided to request. My thanks to Crown (NetGalley).
Reviews
Here are all my reviews since the last update, gathered together and listed here for your convenience and viewing pleasure. We’re all over the board in terms of ratings, but on the whole I’d say I had a great first half of February.
Chains of the Heretic by Jeff Salyards (5 of 5 stars)
The Damned by Andrew Pyper (4.5 of 5 stars)
Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan (4 of 5 stars)
A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly (4 of 5 stars)
Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh (4 of 5 stars)
Drake by Peter McLean (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Guns of Ivrea by Clifford Beal (3 of 5 stars)
Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto (2.5 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
I spent the first week of February reading a couple of humongous epic fantasy doorstoppers, so for the rest of the roundup period I indulged in some shorter, lighter reads in Urban Fantasy, Horror and Young Adult. A good mix of genres helps keep me sane. I also grabbed the Morning Star audiobook the day it came out and finished listening to it over three or four nights of workouts. I’ve been looking forward to it for so long and it was definitely worth the wait.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love for books, so let me know what you plan on checking out. I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Until next time, see you next Roundup! 🙂
The Road to Civil War: The Fame Game
Posted on February 12, 2016 4 Comments
Previously, I shared some general thoughts on the original Civil War comic event that the upcoming movie will be loosely based on. I also briefly talked about the various events leading up to Civil War (Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Secret Invasion) that fostered the environment needed for the event. I said that I was going to read the TPB Civil War, but I decided to do something a little different and read the issues separately with their corresponding tie-in comics to give a more complete picture of the events as they unfold starting with Civil War #1.
If you recall, I mentioned that a very ominous event involving Speedball occurred when I talked about The Road to Civil War a couple of weeks back, but it wasn’t mentioned what exactly happened in that TPB. So… Who is Speedball?
This is Speedball.
Hi, Speedball.
Speedball is a little bit of a dick. But he’s a teenager, and I think that’s part of the requirements for being a teenager. The most notable thing about him is that he’s Squirrel Girl’s crush. She traveled back in time in an attempt to change the events that happen in this comic. And he can do some things with kinetic energy or something, too, such as make shields. Remember that.
Speedball means “fame whore” in mutant speak.
The other people with him are Namora (Namor’s cousin, of course), Microbe, and Night Thrasher (who gets referred to as a bondage queen by a villain). They are part of the New Warriors, which also happens to be the name of their reality show. During the course of their show, they stumble upon the hideout of a group of escaped supervillains. Now, the New Warriors aren’t slouches, but there’s a reason they are on the D-team. I mean, one of them literally just vomits on people and makes them sick, okay. There’s no romanticizing that.
Four teenagers with powers find a group of villains, what so they do? Surely, these young upstarts won’t really antagonize the villains for a little uptick in ratings. Not in their nice suburban neighborhood that happens to house a school, which means it’s full of children. What kind of idiots do you think these youngsters are?
Okay, they’re those kind of idiots.
To their credit, the New Warriors were on equal footing with three out of four of these villains, but there is always that one who can totally ruin your whole day in a massive way. In this case, he is named Nitro.
Meet Nitro.
Hi, Nitro.
Nitro just got rammed into the side of a school bus by Namora. Let’s watch the replay courtesy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (awesome game):
Did I mention that this bus is parked next to a school where children happen to be playing on the playground that’s conveniently located beside the bus? However, Namora’s little dust-up of Nitro isn’t what makes this absolutely terrible. It’s what happens next.
After Namora threatens Nitro and tells him not to try any of his “stupid explosions” tricks, she learns very quickly that Nitro is nothing like those low level villains that were rooming with him. In fact, why would you talk trash to a villain that is literally a walking bomb? How many actual fucks do you think he gives right now? I mean, he may be a villain, but there are kids around after all, right?
Surely, he wouldn’t…
… oh… okay…
And just like that all of Tony’s intentions to thwart the Registration Act are flushed down the toilet. Thanks, New Warriors. How does Speedball figure into this whole tragedy other than being part of the reason why it happened? Stay tuned. We’re getting there. First, we’re going to visit She-Hulk for a moment for the legal fallout.
She-Hulk enters the fray toeing the line. In this issue, Dr. Strange removes Scarlet Witch’s hex on She-Hulk. Hex is a very strong word in this case because it wasn’t meant to harm her. In fact, it was very helpful, but at the same time there were side effects such as She-Hulk not being able to change at will. Dr. Strange can fix anything with magic which is why he often shows up when Marvel breaks something and they don’t know how they’re going to fix it.
Anyhow…
Publicly, she’s come out as She-Hulk and supports Tony, but as a lawyer, she’s fighting to protect the Warriors both past and present from the witch hunt that’s taking place after the events at Stamford. Despite the Registration Act not passing quite yet, there’s a hate site dedicated to revealing the identities of other members, which leads to many of them being assaulted. After a turbulent court hearing that results in desks being punched and a swell of feelings, Tony graces She-Hulk with his presence to tell her who is outing the Warriors. It turns into a moment that can only aptly be summed up with this meme:
Also in this comic, there is a hint of a forbidden type romance between Jen (She-Hulk) and John Jameson (J. Jonah Jameson’s son) who happens to work for the military. Jameson is warned that he needs to give up his relationship with She-Hulk or it may end badly given the current climate with the Registration Act and the public’s current feelings regarding superheroes. After a heart to heart with Captain America where he politely refuses Captain America’s request for help, John decides that he loves She-Hulk too much to let her go. Captain America is a total bro about it, too:
Honestly, I didn’t care for this one too much. Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true. There were things I liked about it such as Jen and John’s relationship. I didn’t care much for the sympathy card they tried to force with the deceased Warriors. Yeah, they made a HUGE mistake, but the way She-Hulk tried to poo-poo their behavior because they were kids made it feel like she was being an apologist, which came off a little gross. I understand what they were trying to do with that, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I thought the twist on the person running the hate site was interesting, but the whole reasoning behind it felt weak and poorly executed, but at least I got hilarious face panels like this one:
Is he supposed to be angry? Excited? I don’t get it, but the face is hilarious.
Civil War #1 is one of my favorite comics. It gave a really promising start to the core Civil War event, and while I didn’t care much for She-Hulk’s comic, it still served it’s purpose in showing how the tensions were growing between heroes and how the public was increasingly starting to sour on them as well. The New Warriors were the straw that broke the camel’s back. This one moment of folly really ripped things apart. After reading She-Hulk years back, I remember being optimistic this would be an event that evenly portrayed both sides. I was wrong. However, I can’t dismiss the fact that the first book in the main event really started out with a bang (no pun intended).
I’d originally planned to talk about Wolverine #42 and X-Factor #8, but that would’ve made this post obscenely long. Also, I might have to dwell on the Wolverine comic and wax poetic about it. So, I’ll discuss them next post.
Comics Read: Civil War #1, She-Hulk #8
Upcoming Comics: Wolverine #42, X-Factor #8, New Avengers #21, Black Panther #17, Civil War: Front Line #1, Amazing Spider-Man #532
Book Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Posted on February 12, 2016 19 Comments
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Genre: Steampunk, fantasy
Series: The Falconer #1
Publisher: Gollancz (September 2013)
Author Info: elizabethmaywrites.com
Wendy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
“Kiaran and I have little connection beyond our names. We battle, bleed and hunt together almost every night. He teaches me how to slaughter in the most effective, brutal ways possible. But I’ve never told Kiaran why I hunt, and he has never told me why he kills his own kind. This is our ritual, our dance. The only one that matters.”
I started a review for this book shortly after I completed it, but it ended up becoming a rant that eventually led to my “Y I H8 YA” post. So let me try this again…
The book blurb starts as follows:
She’s a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.
Let me just stop you right there, blurb, because I am not about your cheap marketing ploy. If there’s one great thing about both the character and the book itself, it doesn’t spend nearly as much time getting caught up in Aileana’s looks and her subsequent desirability. Which is one of the many things that makes it a YA story that I can deal with.
Aileana is a fae hunter. After the violent death of her mother at the hands of a fae that has haunted her, Aileana has dedicated her life to destroying these creatures, using her unique gifts and her mechanical skills to do so. Much of her training comes, ironically, from a fae, whom Ailaena knows she cannot trust, though she needs him to accomplish her goals of finding the creature that murdered her mother.
And she must achieve all of this while hiding behind the mask society expects her to wear. She doesn’t do particularly well with the latter, which is another thing I like. The story focuses on Aileana and not on any angsty societal struggles over her beaut–or her youth, for that matter. This story could easily belong to a character much older than her 18 years, and it does not spend a ridiculous amount of time reminding us of how old she happens to be.
There is a steampunk element to the story that mainly comes in the form of Aileana’s inventions. The implication is that ornithopters and mending spiders aren’t necessarily unusual in this society, but Aileana has to keep her usage of them on the downlow such that they only tend to appear at the moment of need. This gives them a bit of a deus ex machina feel, but, since they don’t appear too often and aren’t necessarily plot saving devices, I’ll let their convenience slide.
There is an inevitable romance–two in fact, but again, unlike the typical YA demands, Aileana’s story and growth do not get lost in this, and nor are the men who desire her there simply as love interests. They both respect her and her desires and are willing to accept her decision, either way, with the understanding that her priority is well beyond romance. Aileana herself is a powerful character whose struggles with the world after dark are balanced well with her struggles with the society she doesn’t fit into. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with her father that aren’t merely a stubborn daughter wrestling against a father that doesn’t understand. Aileana has lost her mother, but she recognizes too that her father has lost his wife in all of this, and there is a significant amount of depth to the emotions they both keep hidden from each other over this matter.
There seems to be a checklist for what YA novels need to include, and while The Falconer does include a lot of them, I loved the way it carefully side steps the now stereotypical expectations to give me something that I truly enjoyed and definitely want more of.
Book Review: The Guns of Ivrea by Clifford Beal
Posted on February 11, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Guns of Ivrea by Clifford Beal
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Tales of Valdur
Publisher: Solaris (February 9, 2016)
Length: 371 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Piratical fantasy? Yes, please. I love me some seafaring scoundrels. Throw in some mercenaries and mermaids, and The Guns of Ivrea sounded like a maritime journey I wanted to take.
Unexpectedly, we’re also given a good dose of politics and religious lore. The book opens very cinematically, deep in the tomb of Saint Elded, the revered prophet of the faith. A young monk named Acquel is with a maintenance team checking for damages when he accidentally glimpses Elded’s body and discovers a shocking secret that can shake the foundations of the entire church.
Suddenly, Brother Acquel finds himself marked for death. He barely manages to escape, though not before slipping away with an ancient talisman belonging to the dead saint. Acquel’s desperate flight leads him straight to the doorstep of Captain Strykar, leader of the Black Rose mercenary band. In need of a new holy man, Strykar allows Acquel to travel with them, leaving the monk in the care of the company sutler, the widow Timandra. Meanwhile, they are on their way to the coastal city of Palestro where pirate princeling Nicolo Danamis commands the largest fleet in Valdur and carries out his privateering activities for the king. However, Danamis’ recent dealings with the Merfolk have made his devout men jittery and unhappy, and his latest trade may prove to be his undoing.
This book is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and if you’re fond of breakneck action and twisty political hijinks, you’ll definitely find lots to like in The Guns of Ivrea. Clifford Beal keeps things moving at a quick pace, applying his tight plotting and solid storytelling skills to ensure something interesting happens in every chapter. Battle sequences are plentiful and exquisitely detailed, creating an atmosphere so rich and thick that you can practically smell the cannon smoke, though these scenes are still succinct and smooth enough that they do not wear out their welcome. The intrigue surrounding Brother Acquel’s startling discovery—and the extraordinary relic in his possession—is also a mystery that rests comfortably on the narrative, and as we follow along with the story, the big question surrounding the truth of Saint Elded’s identity serves as motivation to keep the pages turning.
So it was a surprise when I found that I didn’t feel as connected to the story as I thought I would be. Even now I’m having trouble putting my finger on the cause of this detachment, but my best bet would be on the characters. What felt lacking was a layer of intimacy, which ultimately kept them all at arms’ length. Despite the entertaining plot, it was hard to feel invested when at the end of the day I felt no great concern for the characters’ fates, though they were enjoyable enough to follow. I knew Danamis and Strykar had a complicated friendship because that’s what the narrative told me, not something I felt. Brother Acquel’s acceptance into their fold was likewise a relationship that was more told than shown, as was the monk’s romantic involvement with Timandra, which I didn’t feel emotionally at all. Similarly, Danamis’ alliance and subsequent bond with the Mer princess Citala in the in the later parts of the novel also felt under-developed.
But speaking of the Mer, by far the coolest thing about this novel is Beal’s unique take on these creatures of myth. They are abhorred and mistrusted by those who live on land due to the teachings of the human religion, which revile the Mer for being abominations and inferior beings. We didn’t get to see much of the Mer in this book, at least not as much as I’d hoped, though their history plays a very important role in the overall story.
It would be very interesting to see what the author has planned for the rest of this series. I hope the more time I spend with these characters, the more I’ll get to come to sympathize with them, but right now Beal has certainly hooked my attention. The Guns of Ivrea is an energetic and suspenseful fantasy that blends nautical adventure with political intrigue and religious conspiracies. I’ll be looking out for the sequel.
Audiobook Review: The Bees by Laline Paull
Posted on February 10, 2016 8 Comments
Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ecco (May 6, 2014)
Information: Twitter | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy | Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins | Audiobook Publisher: HarperAudio (May 6, 2014) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
“The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen!”
In simplest terms, The Bees is a novel that explores the phenomena of colony collapse in bees with a speculative slant. In more complex terms, this is a dystopian novel that takes issues ranging from racism to self-acceptance and investigates them in this structured “society,” entwining science and myth to present a story that is both analytical and dreamy. It’s a little strange to call this a dystopian story when you have the bee world under a human world that operates “normally.” In fact, readers only see humans briefly a total of four times during this story. We do get to witness the affect that humans have on the bee world, though. And even later, we find out that this story runs concurrent to a human story that we don’t witness, but readers learn is represented symbolically through the bees story.
The hero of the story is Flora 717. We start at her birth where she narrowly escapes the Fertilization Police whose job consists of eradicating anything that doesn’t fall within the hives standards of normalcy. Flora is born too large, too dark, and she’s born into the lowest caste in the hive–sanitation. However, she’s born able to speak unlike other members in Flora. She also has the special ability to make Flow, a substance used to feed the Queen’s offspring. One of the hive’s Sages has mercy on Flora to sedate a curiosity. Flora overcomes many insurmountable odds to reinvent herself many times while in the hive, moving from the nursery to sanitation to foraging. Her actions decide the fate of her hive.
Flora lives in a world that subsists on rules, duty, Mother’s Love (a ritual involving the Queen giving off a scent that reminds the hive of her “love”), and appreciating Maleness (represented by spoiled, lazy male bees with names like “Sir Linden” who use crude language while speaking like they’re Victorian transplants). This world reminds her that she falls short of perfection repeatedly while demanding her loyalty, obedience, and her sweat. These are things that Flora is willing to give to her hive regardless of being an anomaly until she encounters the strongest emotion of all.
Orlagh Cassidy (great name!) narrates Flora’s story from the days she spends sheltered in the hive to her feeling of freedom as a forager. Some of her voices can sound similar, but I sort of wrote this off because the bees are a hive unit. There’s not supposed to be much variance between them in their respective jobs, so it makes sense that many of them sound like the same bee. The voices she uses for the Sir Maleness bunch is hilarious. It may not be the most manly thing you’ll hear from a female narrator, but she captures the tone, the arrogance, the entitlement dead on. It’s really hard not to chuckle a little bit the males. Her voice for the Spiders, especially the Black Minerva, was notable as well. The Spiders, along with the bees’ cousins the Wasps, serve as one of many outside antagonists in this story. The Spiders are witch women, truth-filled villains who speak hard facts if their high price is met. However, Cassidy’s voicing of Flora is where she excels and manages to capture the most variance and emotional nuance.
Complaints? There are a few. This first complaint isn’t really the book’s fault. Again, who is writing these blurbs where they insist on comparing books to other pieces of existing literature? This is really starting to get ridiculous. Let’s just strike this book being like The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale. The only thing this book has in common with The Hunger Games is the fact that its “citizens” are divided up into different groups, which could be like any piece of media (or real life) that divides its people up. Now, it does share a similar sentiment and atmosphere as The Handmaid’s Tale, but comparing it to that book overlooks the unique angle that Paull takes with her story.
Second, the presentation of the social issues can sometimes seem a bit too abstract. While reading this, I wondered if the messages of things such as racism, sexism, and class issues might be lost on some readers. Despite what emotions this book may tug in readers, it’s easy to disconnect from the underlying message because BEES! I might’ve pondered this a bit too much while I was listening to this. Also, I applaud Paull for using science (while taking liberties, of course) and trying to combine it with myth, but there are some bits that can come off a little too dreamy and fairy tale-like such as the Melissae, which is what the Sages call their collective group.
Overall, Flora’s story is a compelling, emotional journey. She’s tough both physically and emotionally while being tempered with inquisitiveness, independence, and sensitivity. I’m still asking myself how I managed to be gut-punched in the feelings by bees.
Story:
Narrator:
Overall:
Waiting on Wednesday 02/10/16
Posted on February 10, 2016 25 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!
Wendy’s Pick
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit: August 16th 2016)
I’m writing this WoW before even finishing the first book in the series, The Fifth Season, but I am so in love with Jemisin’s work (even the ones I don’t like so much) that I’m confident that I’ll be buying this one as soon as it’s available. In fact, I already have a space for it on my bookshelf. In fact in fact, let me just go place my pre-order now…
“THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS… FOR THE LAST TIME.
The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night. Alabaster Tenring – madman, world-crusher, savior – has returned with a mission: to train his successor, Essun, and thus seal the fate of the Stillness forever.
It continues with a lost daughter, found by the enemy.
It continues with the obelisks, and an ancient mystery converging on answers at last.
The Stillness is the wall which stands against the flow of tradition, the spark of hope long buried under the thickening ashfall. And it will not be broken.”
Mogsy’s Pick:
Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone: July 26, 2016 (Tor)
Speaking of making space on the shelf, I already have a spot ready and waiting on mine for the fifth book of The Craft Sequence. Though I have to say I am also with Wendy in pining for The Obelisk Gate. This summer is going to be great, I can’t wait.
“The great city of Alt Coulumb is in crisis. The moon goddess Seril, long thought dead, is back—and the people of Alt Coulumb aren’t happy. Protests rock the city, and Kos Everburning’s creditors attempt a hostile takeover of the fire god’s church. Tara Abernathy, the god’s in-house Craftswoman, must defend the church against the world’s fiercest necromantic firm—and against her old classmate, a rising star in the Craftwork world.
As if that weren’t enough, Cat and Raz, supporting characters from Three Parts Dead, are back too, fighting monster pirates; skeleton kings drink frozen cocktails, defying several principles of anatomy; jails, hospitals, and temples are broken into and out of; choirs of flame sing over Alt Coulumb; demons pose significant problems; a farmers’ market proves more important to world affairs than seems likely; doctors of theology strike back; Monk-Technician Abelard performs several miracles; The Rats! play Walsh’s Place; and dragons give almost-helpful counsel.”
Book Review: The Damned by Andrew Pyper
Posted on February 9, 2016 19 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Paperback release: February 9, 2016)
Length: 308 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Damned somehow missed my radar when it was first released, but I’ve wanted to read it ever since I found out about it last summer. So when a review copy from the publisher showed up on my doorstep in advance of its paperback release complete with a brand new cover, I dropped everything else and jumped into it that very same day.
I ended up devouring the book. Partly, it was because of its quick-pacing and slickly written style, but also, it simply might have been the fact I was really hungering for a good horror novel. It’s been quite a while since I’ve revisited this genre, and by that I mean pure, psychological paranormal Horror with a capital H—the kind designed to chill you to your bones. The Damned fit the bill perfectly, delivering in spades what I needed.
The story held promise from the very start. It introduces us to our protagonist Danny Orchard, who is no stranger to death. It’s even the topic of his bestselling book, a memoir about his trip to the “other side” after almost dying in a fire that claimed the life of his twin sister Ashleigh when they were both sixteen. His writings have made him a celebrity in certain circles, and Danny often finds himself on the road signing books or giving talks at near-death experience groups all over the country, meeting others who have had their brushes with the afterlife and survived to tell the tale. Often, their accounts are of hope and filled with a sense of peace, with most grateful to be given a second chance at life.
Danny’s own experience, however, was a lot different. His sister has been dead for twenty years, but her presence haunts him still. In life, Ash was the picture of perfection—smart, beautiful, popular—eclipsing her twin brother in every way. But behind that façade, she was pure evil, as the Orchard family have always known even before she started outwardly exhibiting her psychopathic tendencies. Ash reveled in hurting others, manipulating their emotions and destroying their lives. And unfortunately for Danny, death hasn’t changed her one bit. For so long, he has remained alone and detached, afraid to truly live his life again lest the ghost of his vengeful sister decides to take it out on those he cares for. But a twist of fate leads him to fall in love with a woman named Willa and grow close to her young son Eddie, and now just as Danny had feared, Ash is out to take his happiness away from him.
This was truly a nail-bitingly intense story, expertly structured and paced to give the reader the full effect of the horror that has plagued Danny his entire life. Pyper knows it’s no fun when the author shows his hand too early, so he teases us, doling out the details one agonizing morsel at a time, and I couldn’t help but eat it all up. Danny’s past is gradually revealed, starting from the beginning when he and Ash were almost declared stillborn in the delivery room—until miraculously, both babies managed to pull through with strong, steady heartbeats. But was it really a miracle? Or was it something more sinister? These are the kind of surprises waiting for you when you read this book.
Hands down, my favorite thing about this book was Danny’s relationship with his sister, especially before she died. As a ghost, Ash is terrifying—but she was also a lot more complex and interesting when she was alive, her personality and misdeeds recounted in Danny’s memories. Ash is as evil as our protagonist is not, but in spite of this, there’s a bond between the two siblings that can never be severed, which puts a knotty twist into the dynamics of their relationship. As Danny searches for a way to free himself from Ash, the story even takes a mysterious turn, leading readers on a hunt for clues to discover the truth behind the circumstances of the fatal fire that one twin came back from but the other did not. As it turns out, there was a lot more to Ash’s life that was hidden even from Danny, and I do enjoy a good mystery with my horror.
The phenomenon of near-death experiences is also an ideal topic for a book like this. It’s a subject rife for speculation about what lies beyond, and Pyper uses our natural fear of the unknown to make The Damned even more psychologically nerve-wracking. The best part about this novel is what it doesn’t tell you, allowing your imagination to fill in what is implied so you can draw your own disturbing conclusions.
I am immediately adding Andrew Pyper on my list of must-read authors. It’s not often that I come across a horror novelist whose style I enjoy so much, whose prose includes more than just the stark display of frightening elements, because it’s clear that he takes the time to infuse his writing with a poignant, artful quality as well. Plus, I love supporting Canadian talent. I highly recommend The Damned if you’re looking for your next spine-chilling read.
Top Ten Tuesday: Valentine Themed Freebie
Posted on February 9, 2016 17 Comments
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. They created the meme because they love lists. Who doesn’t love lists? They wanted to share these list with fellow book lovers and ask that we share in return to connect with our fellow book lovers. To learn more about participating in the challenge, stop by their page dedicated to it and dive in!
This week’s topic: Valentine Themed Freebie
For this freebie theme, I thought I’d list a few of my favorite speculative couples. My own geeky Valentine plans include soft cosplaying Deadpool while seeing the Deadpool movie with Mr. DT and whatever other geeky things come up over the night! Naturally, my all-time favorite speculative couple is Mr. DT and myself. I ship myself with him.
Moon and Jade (Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells) – Not only did Wells give me a great, fresh story about non-human shifters, but she also gave me a great romance between two of the main characters–Jade, the sister queen to the Indigo Cloud colony, and Moon, Jade’s male consort. The Raksura are largely matriarchal, but not so much that males are treated as second class citizens. Wells’ depiction of such a culture and the rules that would exist are fascinating. Also, all the heart eyes at Jade and Moon cuddling.
Marko and Alana (Saga by Brian K. Vaughan) – Saga is a space opera that covers many angles. Important among these is the relationship between Marko and Alana whose people hate each other. Alana develops a relationship with Marko (who is a prisoner that she guards when they meet). Forbidden love stories are a weakness of mine. Also, secret book club.
George and Heather (The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin) – This was one of those romances that I was afraid was going to go horribly wrong. I should have had more faith in UKLG. The romance didn’t detract from the story. In fact, it was more a carefully crafted dance between the characters than a full-blown romance (except for one brief portion of the book).
Tony Chu and Amelia Mintz (Chew by John Layman) – Tony is a cibopath (a person who gets psychic impressions from what they’ve eaten) and Amelia is a saboscrivner (a person who writes about food so believably that others can taste it). Tony rarely eats anything outside of beets when he’s not working. Amelia’s writing allows him to “taste” food without all the visions. Together, they make an interesting pair.
Hirianthial and Reese (Her Instruments by M.C.A. Hogarth) – What happens when you mix a space elf who is adverse to touch and a prickly space captain in a room together? Well, romance… eventually… I haven’t cried enough about this series or the delicious slow burn that is this relationship enough.
Nurse Tyler and Otoh Mohanty (Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo) – This is more a magical realism story than a heavy fantasy or science fiction story, and that magical realism really shows during Otoh’s story. Nurse Tyler, who is the only male nurse at a home for the elderly, and Otoh are both characters who are trying to be true to themselves and lead their best life. Otoh has largely learned to do this. Nurse Tyler, on the other hand, is floundering in a world that hates effeminate men. Together, though, they’re magical.
Allison Mann and Agent 355 (Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan) – All of my feelings everywhere. Allison Mann went from thinking that love is a biological imperative to finding it a couple of times within the series. Her devotion and love for Agent 355 makes me want to cry all over everything.
Cazaril and Beatriz (World of the Five Gods by Lois Bujold McMaster) – The romance was simple, understated, and very sweet in my opinion. I was glad that Iselle wasn’t the object of Caz’s quiet affection, but Beatriz–an affection that she obviously was returning, but he was oblivious, thinking himself too old, too poor, too broken, for someone like her. I thought the simplicity in that was very well done.
Issac and Lena (Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines) – This is actually a triangle polyamorous relationship with Lena serving as the point. Lena is dating a female psychologist before she starts a relationship with Issac. Instead of them freaking out or everyone falling in bed together, it’s agreed that she’ll date both of them and they’ll navigate the uncharted waters as they move forward. I’ve only read the first book, so I don’t know if this breaks down or not. However, it was nice to see a moresome that wasn’t all a jealous love triangle or an agreement to just screw all together.
Wall-E and Eve (Wall-E by Pixar) – Just to prove that I can get emotional about anything. I wrap up with two robots that fell in love in the movie Wall-E, a trash compactor bot, and Eve, a vegetation bot. I swear this movie makes me vomit rainbows.
The BiblioSanctum 