Tiara’s September Wrap-Up
Posted on September 29, 2015 16 Comments
September was supposed to be my time to shine with books, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. This new school year has found me spending most of my afternoons helping my son with his homework. And since my job always has some project or another underway, I’m always pretty mentally exhausted when I get home and only want to watch television or play a game to unwind rather than read or listen to my audiobooks. I’m slowly creeping out of my turtle shell and getting back on track with reading.
Book Count
Many of the books I read this month consist of books that my son is reading for school. He had many “oldies but goodies” this month that I’d read as a child. He had a few I hadn’t read, so I read them to be able to better help him with his reading assignments. I didn’t include all his books since I’d already most of them, but I totally counted the ones that I hadn’t read before.
Audiobook Count
Popsugar 2015 Challenge Count
I ticked off just one book this month (A Book Set in High School) for this challenge, but that’s better than no books.
Goodreads Challenge Update
#ArgZombies
I bet you thought I wasn’t going to do anything with the suggestions given to me when I asked for zombie book recommendations a while back. Fooled you! I am totally reading zombie books for the month of October. Okay, I started and finished on early. Added to the short list I included on the original post:
- Zone One by Colson Whitehead
- The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
- Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle
- Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
- Fiend by Peter Stenson
- Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
- Your Brother’s Blood by David Towsey
Miscellany
TV/Movies
Husband just started watching Haven, and he’s managed to get me hooked on it as well. And Mr. DT and I finally started watching Orphan Black as well… finally.
Gaming
Just finished up the latest (and last) DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition. Other than that, I’ve been on a real indie game kick. I am currently playing Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa), which is a puzzle platformer based on Alaskan indigenous stories and features a young girl named Nuna and her fox companion as they try to restore balance in the eternal blizzard. I’m finding that I’m really enjoying these indie games based on folklore such as this one and Year Walk (mentioned in my last monthly post, based on Swedish lore).
And that is it for the month. Now, it’s time for me to start catching up on my reviewing, too.
Book Review: Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
Posted on September 28, 2015 12 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 4 of The Craft Sequence
Publisher: Tor (7/14/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
The Craft Sequence is unlike many conventional fantasy series in that each book can be read as a stand-alone, their stories ping-ponging unapologetically all over time and place, focusing on different characters. It makes it an unusual, albeit very special series. That said, many of these characters and events connect to each other, and there is a clear advantage to reading these books in the order in which they are published.
Last First Snow, for instance, is technically a prequel, taking place before the other three books, but it still felt like I was reaching a “crossroads” of sorts, on account of some of the familiar faces. The two main protagonists, Elayne and Temoc, are characters we’ve met before, though both appeared in their respective books in a supporting capacity only. It is also only forty years after the God Wars, and the city of Dresediel Lex still feels its effects, not least of all the poor population in the district of Skittersill, constrained by the old gods’ wards. Elayne Kevarian, a craftswoman, necromancer, and lawyer (not necessarily in that order) is retained by the King in Red to repair the wards, but the people of Skittersill rise up against her efforts, led by the warrior-priest Temoc.
Something had to be done, so Elayne organizes a meeting between all the parties in the hopes of negotiating a deal. After long days of bargaining back and forth and against all odds, an agreement is finally reached. However, no sooner had the ink dried on the contract than an assassination attempt throws all possibility of peace out the window. An all-out battle ensues. Gods and mortals, law and tradition, magic and reason, duty and family – it all comes to a head as both Elayne and Temoc must decide what they fight for.
In spite of all the cool ideas and fiery clashes, so far in the series Last First Snow was probably the toughest book for me to get into. Each installment has focused on a different theme, and something about this one just didn’t quite capture me right off the bat. We got started on a lethargic note, establishing the situation and mood in the Dresediel Lex. I didn’t feel what we were supposed to feel: a growing pressure, a sense of a city on the brink of losing control, the citizenry holding its collective breath. I don’t think I felt much of a connection to the people of Skittersill, not if I spent half the book actually rooting for the King in Red – whom, I might add, is not the villain in my eyes. In truth, there are no villains in this story. It also means no good guys either, but more on that later.
In essence, it felt like Max Gladstone tried to save all the good stuff for the second half of the novel. It wasn’t until the negotiations went sideways that I found myself full engaged; those scenes following the assassination attempt featured some of the best writing I’ve seen from Gladstone in this series so far. Once those floodgates were open, the story became more interesting, but still only because the main characters’ potentials were unlocked and not because I felt much for the nameless, faceless crowds of Skitterskill. Bottom line, Last First Snow is all about Elayne and Temoc, both of whom valiantly propped up the narrative.
Let’s start with Elayne Kevarian. You don’t mess with her. For readers who’ve been following this series since the beginning, that’s a lesson we learned early. There’s a certain satisfaction seeing her take center stage in this book, because though we’ve already taken her measure, there are still clearly so many ways in which she can surprise you. While Elayne remains one of my favorite Craft Sequence personalities, Temoc on the other hand stirred up plenty of mixed emotions. Seeing him with his young son Caleb, who will grow up to be the main character in Two Serpents Rise, was both a treat and a dreadful reminder of how things will turn out. Temoc’s personal journey in Last First Snow puts him in the difficult situation of choosing between two things that mean everything to him. Is he right for choosing one over the other? Just as difficult as it is to call the King in Red a villain, I too find it hard to get a bead on Temoc; for all the reasons there are to support him, I can probably find just as many to condemn him.
I enjoy books that throw me curve balls. Last First Snow by Max Gladstone is such a book. Is it my favorite of the series? Probably not. Still, as I say, there’s no such thing as a bad Craft Sequence book, just that some are better than others. Taking place before all the other books, Last First Snow was perhaps disadvantaged from the start, because the future is known for a lot of the characters. We already know who will make it out alive, how events will come to pass, how certain relationships will play out. For a book that’s mostly for filling the gaps in history though, it paints a rather fulfilling picture of two important characters who have thus far been on the periphery of our attention. I still love this series, and I can’t recommend it enough.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Wendy’s Review of Three Parts Dead (Book 1) | Wendy’s Review of Two Serpents Rise (Book 2) | The BiblioSanctum Readalong of Full Fathom Five (Book 3)
YA Weekend Audiobook Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Posted on September 27, 2015 20 Comments
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 4 of Throne of Glass
Publisher: Audible Studios (9/1/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans | Length: 20 hrs and 14 mins
This series and I have definitely had our ups and downs. Throne of Glass first swept me off my feet with an introduction to the feisty Celaena Sardothien and the whole wide world of rebel princesses, deadly assassins and glass castles – definitely an “up”. However, the sequel Crown of Midnight frustrated me with a dry formulaic plot which spun its wheels and went nowhere for most of the book – definitely a “down”. But then along came Heir of Fire. Not only did it get the bad taste the previous novel left in my mouth, this third installment made up for everything by being my favorite book of the series. I could hardly wait to get my hands on Queen of Shadows after that, so to say I had high hopes for this fourth book would be putting it lightly, since I was very curious to see if the upwards trend will continue.
One thing I was sure of though, was that I was going to review the audiobook once more. It would feel wrong not to, at this point. I’ve experienced this whole series thus far in this format, and narrator Elizabeth Evans has always been fantastic. The association between her name and this series for me is so strong by now, that even if I read the book I think I would hear the characters in her voice. She’s just so good at bringing them to life.
And so when I first saw the length of this audiobook, I felt an instant surge of optimism. Generally speaking, a long book should equate to a lot of interesting things happening, a ton of action and suspense and all that goodness.
Well, I suppose I was half-right – “half” being the operative word here. Lots of things do indeed happen in Queen of Shadows, but I found the entire first half to be a struggle. Even now, I feel torn. Overall, this book was actually pretty great, and it had one hell of an ending that’s definitely not to be missed. But we did have to take the longest and most meandering road to get there.
Before I go further though, I must warn that this review assumes you have at least read as far as the end of Heir of Fire, so there will be details from the first three books. Queen of Shadows builds upon everything that came before, so it’ll be quite impossible to talk about it without addressing some major events, such as the fact that Celaena Sardothien is actually the long lost princess Aelin Galathynius (the publisher’s own book description itself states this though, so I don’t think it’ll be too big a deal to reveal). She has finally embraced this as her identity, thus Celaena will be henceforth referred to as Aelin.
Still, while the name has changed, the woman is still the same. Aelin definitely isn’t a character everyone can take to overnight; she’s full of arrogance and bluster, and it wasn’t until the end of Crown of Midnight that I started to like her. It’s no coincidence that I also saw this as a turning point for the series. As the story went down a darker path, Aelin also started to act like a real assassin; no longer just talk, it was great to see her finally walk the walk.
That said though, too many alpha personalities can also spoil a good plot. Aelin is surrounded by men just like her in this book – Chaol, Aedion, Rowan – all very competitive, impatient, conceited and combustible people. There you have a problem, because watching them all in the same scene together is like having to sit through a boardroom meeting with a bunch of Donald Trumps – a whole lot of posturing and snapping at each other, with waves of hormones flying off the walls but no actual progress made, and at the end of it all you just feel like jettisoning the lot of them out an airlock.
I also admit that while a good ship I can get behind is definitely a plus, I read primarily for story, not for who’s getting together with whom (and quite frankly, the latter usually gets in the way of the former, which is frustrating). I do feel like I have to comment on this one thing though, since Rowan and Aelin’s mentor-protégé relationship was one thing that stood out for me in Heir of Fire. I should have known it wouldn’t last. As a formidable teacher, ally and friend, Rowan was actually interesting. As just another hot piece of man meat for Aelin, not so much. Must she throw herself at every available good looking guy that’s not related to her? And parading around in front of Rowan in a skimpy nightie and acting like a schoolgirl with a first crush, was that really necessary?
I feel like such a curmudgeon whenever I say this, but sometimes no romance is better than a forced romance. Aelin and Rowan were just so AWKWARD. Making up for their platonic relationship in the first book meant a whole lot of overcompensating in this one, resulting in some truly banal and cringe-worthy dialogue.
Thankfully, the second half of the book goes a long way in redeeming the tedium and overindulgences of the first half. When Manon Blackbeak was introduced in the previous book, she was one of the highlights. The wyvern-riding witches are one of the best additions to this series, and I loved that we saw more of Manon and Abraxos in this one! Queen of Shadows is also a must-read simply because of all the things the characters go through at the end. There’s a crazy climax, some major changes, and one explosive conclusion, and that’s really all I can say about the second half of the book without spoiling more plot details. Suffice to say, if you’ve been following the series thus far, you’d be insane to miss this.
The ending also begs the question: What is left for book five? I’ve heard that there are at least two more sequels after this, and it’s hard to imagine what could possibly be epic enough to match the events at the end of this book. Despite some of the problems I had with Queen of Shadows, I still enjoyed it and I look forward to finding out what’s next.
Story: | | Performance: 
| Overall:
More on the BiblioSanctum:
Mogsy’s review of Throne of Glass (Book 1) | Wendy’s review of Throne of Glass (Book 1) | Mogsy’s review of Crown of Midnight (Book 2) | Wendy’s review of Crown of Midnight (Book 2) | Mogsy’s review of Heir of Fire (Book 3) | Wendy’s review of Heir of Fire (Book 3)
2015 3rd Quarter Audiobook Challenge Update
Posted on September 27, 2015 2 Comments
Another quarter is behind us, and it’s time again for another update on our progress for the 2015 Audiobook Challenge. We hope everyone had a great summer and got some good listens in, because we’re in the final stretch now. Less time to curl up with a book now that we’re heading into the busy fall season? No problem, whether you’re at home or on-the-go, it’s audiobooks to the rescue! This challenge is brought to you by The Book Nympho and Hot Listens.
Don’t forget to check out our progress from our 1st quarter and 2nd quarter!
Levels:
- Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
- Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
- Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
- Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
- Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
- My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
- Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+
Tiara’s Progress
I think I can, I think I can. Haven’t listened to as many books as I’d wanted due to busy schedules with work and life, but I’m still puttering along. I’m still aiming for Marathoner ( only 4+ more books to go!) at this point, but I’m still patting myself on the back because I way surpassed my initial goals for this challenge, which was a short goal of Stenographer and a long goal of Socially Awkward. So, I’m pleased with my progress on this challenge. I didn’t hit any of my upcoming listens from the last list yet, but hopefully, I’ll rectify that in the upcoming months.
Completed Listens:
Upcoming Listens:
Mogsy’s Progress
I made up for my embarrassingly sluggish performance last quarter by kicking some serious ass this quarter on the audiobook challenge. Back in June, it was looking bad for me. I was lucky if I was going to end up in the mid-range of My Precious. But now that I’m 42 audiobooks down for the year and with three more months to go, things are looking quite different. I like my chances so I’m going to go for broke and aim for Marathoner. I’m still behind Tiara, but 8+ more audiobooks to go seems entirely doable.
Completed Listens:
Upcoming Listens:
Wendy’s Progress
Slow and steady wins the race — not that I’m actually racing anything. I’ve been officially working full time for several months now and getting into the full swing of the school year. I keep assuring myself that I will find the right groove to make sure I’m slotting in all the things I need and want to do. Reading is high on that list, but sadly, after a long day, sometimes I’m just too exhausted and/or unfocused to do that. Thank goodness for audiobooks!
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves and Recent Reads
Posted on September 26, 2015 24 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend similar to Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as what I plan to read soon. I also round up what I’ve finished reading and/or reviewed since the last update, and sometimes throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
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RECEIVED FOR REVIEW
Activity in my mailbox usually slows down around this time of the year, now that we’re officially into fall — but apparently not quite just yet. I need to catch up on some reading so I’ve not been making many requests, but each week still brings plenty of unexpected surprises and maybe a new discovery or two. My thanks to all the wonderful publishers and authors!
Bound ARCs and Finished Copies:
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett – Print ARC, with thanks to Broadway Books. One afternoon a couple weeks ago, I got a email in my inbox letting me know a copy of this book was on its way to me and I was like HELL TO THE YES. I loved City of Stairs and I am so totally jazzed for this sequel!
Thorn Jack and Briar Queen by Katherine Harbour – Paperbacks, with thanks to the author! I was very excited when Katherine got in contact about sending me copies of her books to review, and she even kindly included autographs, a beautiful card, and bookmarks. I’ve been meaning to check out Thorn Jack for a long time, and I didn’t even know there was a sequel out! Stay tuned for my review later this month, as well as a guest post by the author on a very cool topic (hint: it involves dragons!)
Dreamseeker by C. S. Friedman – Print ARC, with thanks to DAW. This is the sequel to last year’s Dreamwalker, a Young Adult sci-fi and urban portal fantasy crossover which I really enjoyed.
Last Song Before Night by Ilana C. Myer – Hardcover, with thanks to Tor who sent along a couple of finished copies my way last week, the first of which is this gorgeous looking book that wasn’t originally on my radar. The more I’m learning about it though, the more curious I am to check it out.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson – Hardcover, with thanks to Tor. Been hearing some interesting things about this book lately, which makes me even more anxious to dive in, which I’m hoping to do next week.
A veritable bounty also arrived from the wonderful folks at Skyhorse Publishing these last two weeks, including some fantastic looking titles from their imprints Yucca and Night Shade Books.
The Ultimate Guide to Zombie Warfare and Survival and The Zen of Zombie by Scott Kenemore – Just in time for October and the Halloween season are these two quirky looking titles, which look like a lot of fun! The undead apocalypse and zombies always make for great topics of humor around this time of the year.
The End of the Story by Clark Ashton Smith – I had to look this one up, but I am officially intrigued! A horror-themed collection, this series will bring together Smith’s entire body of work and publish them in chronological order, starting with this first volume that collects a whopping 25 of his short stories written between 1925 and 1930. I’m looking forward to discovering this author who was also a contemporary and friend of H. P. Lovecraft.
Bat Out of Hell by Alan Gold – A sweet finished copy of this book arrived last week. I really wanted to fit this one in before the end of the month and so yep, I’m reading it now!
The Promise of the Child by Tom Toner – This hardcover is sooo pretty. I didn’t know a lot about the book beforehand, but that cover was enough to make me look up more information. I hear it’s not an easy read, but it some of the ideas in it sound wonderful and evocative. Definitely going to have to keep an eye on this one.
Kill by Numbers by Loren Rhoads – This is the sequel to The Dangerous Type and oh man I can’t believe the second book is out already. I need to catch up, or maybe I should just wait until the third book comes out in November and binge read the whole trilogy!
Digital and Audio:
Owl and the City of Angels by Kristi Charish – Digital galley with thanks to the author and Pocket Star for sending along an invite to read this book. I’m thrilled to be welcoming Kristi back to The BiblioSanctum later next month to feature her rollicking series about a good thief named Owl.
Reign of Iron by Angus Watson – Audiobook with thanks to Hachette Audio. This is my current listen, so by the time this post goes live I should be finished. I really dig this trilogy, and after that craaaaaazy ending in the second book, I just had to find out how it all ends.
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson – Digital galley with thanks to Greenwillow Books. After hearing some great things about this book from a friend, I actually went and requested it from Edelweiss. Except I forgot I did that and so when the approval finally came through this week it was a very nice surprise! I am so excited about this one. It’s in my reader tempting me right now: READ ME…READ ME…READ ME…
PURCHASED
Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray – Rabid Star Wars fan that I am, I’ve resolved to read every single book in the new canon except maybe the Middle-Grade/Children’s and Young Adult titles. So I was originally going to skip this one (a YA Star Wars romance), until the rave reviews started pouring in. I’ve already heard from two friends who say this was THE BEST STAR WARS BOOK THEY’VE EVER READ and these are guys who have read dozens upon dozens of them from the old EU, so that’s saying something. How could I not pick it up after that? Plus the mention of Romeo and Juliet in the blurb makes this one sound like a forbidden love story — perfect!
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson – I don’t read as many comics as I used to, but every quarter I will still go on a buying binge and pick up trades of comics that got a lot of good buzz or reviews in the past few months. I usually don’t feature these comic hauls in my Bookshelf Roundups, but I had to make an exception for Nimona. This is one gorgeous hardcover, very well presented.
WHAT I’VE READ SINCE THE LAST UPDATE
It’s been an interesting fortnight. A couple of media tie-ins here, a couple of YA titles there. And of course, I’m also gearing up for the launch of The Speculative Herald by reading the books I’ve been scheduled to review. Here’s the list of books I’ve finished recently, so keep an eye out for their reviews in the coming weeks, if they’re not up already.
Reviews:
Here are the reviews I’ve written and posted since the last update, gathered together and listed here for your convenience and viewing pleasure.
The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey (4.5 of 5 stars)
Dragon Coast by Greg Van Eekhout (4 of 5 stars)
Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum (4 of 5 stars)
Doctor Who: Royal Blood by Una McCormack (4 of 5 stars)
The Good, The Bad, and The Smug by Tom Holt (4 of 5 stars)
King of the Bastards by Brian Keene & Steven Shrewsbury (4 of 5 stars)
Battlemage by Steven Aryan (4 of 5 stars)
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtogich (4 of 5 stars)
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Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? Let me know if you plan to read any of these! Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love for books and I hope you found something interesting for a future read. Until next time, see you next Roundup! 🙂
~Mogsy/Steff~
Guest Post: “Characters and Choices: Games as Stories” by Brianna Shrum
Posted on September 25, 2015 4 Comments
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to author Brianna Shrum, who we invited to stop by today to talk about a hobby that means a lot to her. It just so happens this particular hobby means a lot to all of us at The BiblioSanctum too. Longtime readers of this blog are probably familiar with our discussions of games and their contributions to storytelling and character development. Gameplay that involves the ability to make meaningful choices are a big thing these days, and seeing as character choices are so central to Brianna’s new book Never Never, there isn’t a more perfect topic for her to share with us today! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the fun.
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CHARACTERS AND CHOICES: GAMES AS STORIES
by Brianna Shrum
Oh man, I can’t even TELL you how excited I am to have an excuse to talk about gaming and writing all in one post! They’re basically the two things I live for.
So, I’m a major gamer. I do tabletop roleplay, board games, video games, you name it. Within the world of video games, my favorite thing? Is story. I’m a Bioware fangirl, and if it has the word RPG in it? I’m there. Because, once again, story. More specifically, character. I’m playing through Last of Us right now, solely because I was told it has some of the best characters my brother and husband have ever seen in a game. That was all I wanted. Hand me the controller.
I don’t buy a game because of the gameplay and I don’t write a book with the sole intention of making it pretty. I play games, I write books, because I want to live someone else’s incredible life for a while. I love Dragon Age because Alistair and Morrigan feel *real.* They are deep. They are hilarious and dark and good and right and wrong and human. I love Knights of the Old Republic because I, the character, am grey. I am someone. I get to live the life of this person who, on an epic scale, is faced with choices, and doesn’t always make the right ones.
Alistair and Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins
The best games, the best stories, rend our hearts because we get to walk through people’s lives with them. And what a freaking cool experience is that?
I love gaming because I am in love with people. I want to experience their stories.
And when I write? I want to tell them.
Never Never is available now from Spence Hill Press.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m a lover of words. Sometimes weird ones. Sometimes bloody ones. Sometimes kissy ones. I try not to discriminate. Also, all things nerdy. Odds are, if they talk about it on The Big Bang Theory, I like it. Star Wars, superheroes, gaming, you name it. Much to the dismay of my much cooler younger sisters.
I live in fantabulous Colorado with my hubs and two boys, all of whom are pretty awesome. (It’s pretty testosteroney around here. SO. MANY. BOY.)
Sometimes, I blog about writerly things. I’m an author of YA fiction, and I LOVE what I do.
Tough Traveling: A Lady and Her Sword
Posted on September 24, 2015 21 Comments
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan of Review Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in (and inspired by) The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information.
This week’s tour topic is: A Lady and Her Sword
Fantasyland is full of threats. A lady and her sword can keep those threats at bay.
Brienne of Tarth
Wendy’s Picks
The sword of an archangel doesn’t bond with just anyone. If it determines you unworthy, then good luck trying to lift it. Penryn has more than proven her worth and now, not only does Pookie Bear let her wield it, it teaches her how to do so.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Aerin was the first hero to reclaim the Blue Sword and the crown, but now Harry must discover the truth about her past and her future. Good thing the king of the Hillfolk knows and is nice enough to kidnap her and help her learn.
Mogsy’s Picks:
I’m feeling to-the-point this week (get it?) so what I’m going to do is post some really cool covers of books I’ve read featuring beautiful, strong, powerful kickass female protagonists with their beloved blades. A picture is worth a thousand words and all that, so I’ll let them do the talking. Okay then? Okay then.
From left to right, top to bottom: Alix Black and her bloodblade, Celaena Sardothien, Kate Anstruther, Çeda and her ebon blade, Yukiko, Widdershins, Kate Daniels and Slayer, Vin, Monza Murcatto
Waiting on Wednesday 09/23/15
Posted on September 23, 2015 14 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick:
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs: March 8, 2016 (Ace)
It’s a new Mercy Thompson novel, what more do I need to say?!?! That is, other than why isn’t it March 2016 already?
“Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer…
Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.
Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?”
Book Review: Dragon Coast by Greg Van Eekhout
Posted on September 22, 2015 8 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Dragon Coast by Greg Van Eekhout
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Daniel Blackland
Publisher: Tor (9/15/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s really interesting to me how the Daniel Blackland trilogy has evolved over the three books, and reading Dragon Coast made me want to cheer because we were going back to the series’ heist story beginnings. I am a total sucker for caper stories, so not surprisingly I loved the first book California Bones. On the other hand, the second book Pacific Fire took a different direction, and was more like a coming-of-age tale that explored the characters’ histories and relationships. To me, what’s great is that this third book felt like a combination of both, tying up loose ends to bring it all home. Throw in a fire-breathing dragon, and I really can’t ask for more than that.
Right away, Dragon Coast resolves a few questions left open at the end of the last book, so if you haven’t read Pacific Fire yet, you probably should first. This review won’t be revealing spoilers beyond what’s available in the publisher description, but they might be unavoidable anyway because each book builds on the previous one, and I would not recommend reading either of the sequels as stand alones. The focus returns to Daniel in this book, though Sam still plays a big role. A golem made from the magical essence of the late Hierarch, Sam was taken in by Daniel as an adopted son. Together they’ve been on the run for a long time, until things came to a head with a Pacific firedrake, a magical creature constructed by Daniel’s half-brother Paul.
Everyone thought Sam was lost when he was consumed by the firedrake, but it turns out the boy’s consciousness is still alive and aware inside the dragon, albeit in magical form. This leaves Daniel and his friends with a bit of a dilemma. They cannot kill the firedrake without losing Sam, even while the huge creature rampages across Southern California turning huge swathes of it into fiery ruin. Daniel comes up with a plan: he will find a way to subdue the dragon, then use a magical substance called the axis mundi to draw out Sam’s essence, before replacing it in a new constructed golem body. Great plan, except for one problem – axis mundi is one of the rarest substances on earth. To get it, Daniel will have to pose as Paul—whom he killed—to sneak into the kingdom of Northern California, win a promotion to become the Lord High Osteomancer, then steal a piece of axis mundi on the ceremonial jeweled scepter of the Northern Hierarch herself as she uses it to confirm his position.
It’s like stealing the crown jewels…meets Face/Off. I love it.
I’ll also say this about Daniel: the man never does anything by halves, even when it comes to planning the riskiest, most impossible of heists. However, this time he’s going into the enemy’s lair without the usual caper crew, with only Moth by his side as his bodyguard. He sends his Cassandra, his go-to safe-cracker, with Gabriel the water mage and Max the hound to track down the firedrake. Meanwhile, Sam is stuck in the belly of the beast, so to speak. We as readers are treated to a somewhat abstract concept of the boy’s consciousness trapped within the half-organic, half-mechanical insides of the dragon. The team is split into those three main threads that make up the story.
For obvious reasons, the most compelling of these was Daniel’s sections. It’s intense and exciting watching him pose as Paul, working against the clock to achieve his goals while also struggling to familiarize himself with all the intricate customs of the Northern Kingdom in order to pass as his dead half-brother. Of all the supporting characters, Moth also shines in Dragon Coast as the muscle and the brains of this operation, taking over some of Daniel’s duties as mastermind to gather intelligence. Next up was Cassandra, Gabriel, and Max’s sections, which featured a bit of sleuthing and espionage, adding intrigue to the equation. Finally, even though Sam is my favorite character, unfortunately his sections were the weakest in my eyes. This has a lot to do with my own preferences; I just don’t do well with abstract conceptualizations and I also felt those bizarre glimpses inside the dragon were less relevant to the story and seemed more like dream-like interludes.
This isn’t a very long book, which means there’s a lot happening in a relatively small number of pages. It’s great because there is absolutely no slowing down, and Greg Van Eekhout’s writing has a very cinematic quality that helps the story drive you ever forward between these three separate plot threads, so one thing you can count on is snappy pacing and a quick read.
On the flip side though, this also means there’s little opportunity to delve deeper into anything else. Our time with Daniel in Northern California feels far too brief and there’s not much to his challenge to become Lord High Osteomancer. Remember in Face/Off, when John Travolta’s character with Nic Cage’s face finds himself in his nemesis’ hideout, meets his lover and his child, and realizes then that even the bad guys have their lives, their loves, and their families? I sense this book going for the same kind of deep, heartfelt revelation but it never quite manages, simply because there was so little time to know everyone in Daniel’s — or rather, Paul’s — life. Dragon Coast should have been a more emotional story, exploring the painful side of one’s self and past, but realistically, the novel was just too short to be effective with that.
Still, this series has long established itself to be more fun and adventurous than weighty and profound, though it has a deep and very complex magic system and some pretty dark themes, what with osteomancers cannibalizing each other for their powers and all that. The world-building remains one of my favorite aspects, and I love how each book has given us more osteomancy as well as the author’s strange and dystopian version of a flooded and divided California. If you’ve enjoyed the previous books, Dragon Coast is not to be missed. It wraps up the series with a bang, and gives satisfying answers to a lot of character conflicts and plot questions besides. And if you’ve always been curious about these books, now is the best time to check out the whole completed trilogy. It’s one I highly recommend.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of California Bones (Book 1) | Review of Pacific Fire (Book 2)
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