Audiobook Review: The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Posted on August 9, 2015 17 Comments
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski (Translator: David French)
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Witcher
Publisher: Hachette Audio (7/7/15)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
For the first time ever, the English translations of the novels in Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher Saga series are being made into audiobooks, and I have been enjoying them immensely. Thus far, four Witcher books have been published in this format, including the short story collection The Last Wish. Today I’ll be reviewing The Time of Contempt, the second full-length novel in the sequence.
The story beings where Blood of Elves left off, following Yennefer and Ciri’s journey to Gors Velen where the sorceress hopes to continue her young apprentice’s education by enrolling her into a school for magic. Unhappy with these plans, Ciri devises a plan to escape and seek out Geralt, whom she has been told is not far from the city. However, on the way she is intercepted by the Wild Hunt and given an unexpected choice.
Meanwhile, more political intrigue and back-alley negotiations are happening in the shadows. A power struggle is developing, and the players must choose sides. How is a Witcher, sworn to neutrality, supposed to deal with this? Especially if that Witcher, a staunch and principled man, stumbles upon a coup that could lead to a bloody war that would tear apart the land? Gerald faces one of his hardest challenges yet in this novel, putting all his wits and fighting skills to the test.
If you’re even mildly interested in The Witcher video games, I would highly recommend picking up this series. Even if you’re not, you can still enjoy these novels for the excellent sword and sorcery fantasy books they are. Bottom line: these books are great, featuring plenty of spectacular action scenes along with magic and sword-wielding heroes; you really can’t ask for more than that. Geralt the Witcher is in especially rare form in this one, our favorite “white-haired fiend” demonstrating just how good he is at what he does – killing lots and lots of bad guys and monsters.
But of course, these books aren’t just about Geralt, even though he is often used as the face for The Witcher franchise. It’s easy to forget sometimes that the other characters are just as involved as he is, and once in a while, as in the case of this novel, they can even play a bigger role. In my eyes, The Time of Contempt is where Ciri truly gets her chance to shine. She may be destined for great and terrible things, but readers are reminded that despite all the grand prophecies about her, little Ciri is still a child. While still struggling to control the magic in her blood, she learns there is even more to her potential. It’s a lot to place on the shoulders of a young girl, not to mention all the people who want to kill her or use her in their political machinations. The development of her character in this novel shows that she is a strong-willed and spirited youth despite being burdened with a world full of troubles, and that in the face of danger she can still show plenty of good humor. For that reason, she was my favorite character in this book.
Also noteworthy is how much the story has matured over the course of this novel, raising the stakes in this world of shifting alliances and backroom deals. The plot comes alive, becoming more twisty and complex as the result of the lofty ambitions and power-hungry maneuverings of mages, rebels and kings. This book also sees a greater role for the Scoia’tael, the group of guerilla fighters mostly made up of elves, dwarves and other non-humans. Portending a time of war and misfortune, the spectral riders of The Wild Hunt also make their appearance in the sky, a promise that everything we see here is merely the beginning.
Narrator Peter Kenny continues to deliver a superb performance for this series, making the experience of listening to the audiobook memorable. He has a great voice for expressive storytelling, and is especially adept at doing accents and voices without drawing excessive attention. As a fan of the games, I had initial concerns that I would have trouble reconciling myself to anyone other than actor Doug Cockle as the voice of Geralt, but Kenny quickly dispelled them. He truly is a talented voice artist.
In sum, The Witcher series and its characters are a one-of-a-kind creation, and The Time of Contempt is another excellent novel in the sequence, not to mention a great experience in audio format. I’m enjoying them a lot, as you can probably guess; otherwise, I wouldn’t keep listening. Obviously this is a series I want to keep reading, and I’m already excited for the next one.
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More on The BiblioSanctum:
Audiobook review of Blood of Elves (Book 1)
YA Weekend: Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
Posted on August 8, 2015 36 Comments
A review copy was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Court of Fives
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (8/18/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
While it’s true that I have not read many books by Kate Elliott, I still feel pretty confident when I say this is not her best. I’m disappointed because I badly, desperately wanted to like this one, but ultimately it just wasn’t for me.
First, a quick summary of the premise to set the stage for my points below. Our protagonist is a girl named Jessamy. She and her three sisters are raised in a household by their Patron father, a low-born baker’s son who nevertheless rose to fame and prestige in the military because of his talents in command, and their Commoner mother, a concubine because it is forbidden for a man of Saroese ancestry to marry a native woman of Efea. Jes’ secret dream is to train for the Fives, an athletic competition that offers a chance for glory, but due to her father’s strict rules, the only way she can compete is in secret. One day during a public event, Jes meets Kalliarkos, a young Patron prince. From a shared love of the Fives, they strike up an unlikely friendship. But when disaster strikes and a ruthless lord threatens to tear Jessamy’s family apart, Kal’s loyalty to her will be put to the test.
World-Building: Sadly, it was almost non-existent. Save for random facts about the setting, there was little to bring it all together. This is Kate Elliott’s first Young Adult novel and I don’t know if it’s because she felt the need to water down the particulars, but I’ve always been a big believer that just because it’s YA doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the details; readers are patient and if you want to take some time establishing a bit of background information, I doubt anyone’s going to throw the book down in a fit of rage just because of a little break in the action.
Story: Way too many holes for my tastes. There were many things that didn’t sit right with me. My biggest problem was the villain’s main motivation to separate Jessamy’s father from his family. Even if I buy the explanation, I don’t understand why he would go to all the trouble with his layer upon layer of schemes. Really, it’d make a lot more sense for him to simply kill everyone and be done with it, especially since we’ve already established that he’s the kind of man who would do something like that and not lose a wink of sleep. As far as I could tell, the only reason he did what he did was so there would be a story.
Main Character: Jessamy is one of the most confusing YA heroines I’ve ever met. One moment she’s convinced me that she desperately wants to take some action, or feels strongly about something. And just as suddenly she’ll do a complete one-eighty and say the opposite. Her desire to run the Fives is a prime example. We spend the first few chapters reading about how badly she wants to take part in the coming games, how she’d do anything to sneak out and compete. But of course when the moment finally comes, she gets cold feet. No, Jes, that’s not what I want to hear at all. You want me convinced of your love for the game? Then OWN IT. No flip-flopping. But more flip-flopping is exactly what she does, this time on the matter of her father. Does she hate him for being an ambitious cad who threw away his family to get ahead in life, or does she love him for being forced against his will to make a bad decision that will nonetheless save all their lives? Jes seems to change her mind on this every other chapter.
Romance: Besides having no chemistry, I’m not sure Jes and Kal’s “romance” is even altogether healthy. He’s got a complex where he’s desperate for the approval of those around him, bending over backwards for people so that they would like him, praise him, accept him. She knows this, and takes advantage of it every chance she gets, goading him into breaking the rules and taking risks for her by sneering at his skills and challenging his manhood. There was also no build up to their relationship; it’s just something that randomly happens.
The Fives: This game is bizarre and confusing, a glorified obstacle course where each adversary must progress through a set of four challenges before tackling the final puzzle, a moving contraption called Rings which the player must scale successfully to claim the victory flag and declare triumph. There’s no need for a lot of strategizing or direct contact between players, so each adversary works independently for the most part, which doesn’t make for much entertainment or suspense. I give the game credit for being a cool idea, but it doesn’t feel complete or fully realized.
It’s a shame, because this novel isn’t without its strengths and I can actually name a few areas where the story really shines. However, most of the positives are overshadowed by the negatives. There are several missed opportunities to further explore the implications of Jessamy being a woman of mixed-race straddling two worlds, raised in the tradition of one culture while physically resembling the people of the other. There’s also the difference in women’s status in the two societies, which gets mentioned a lot by characters in the story, but there’s not much more beyond that. These are important issues that could have made the world-building feel more vivid and robust, but regrettably, we are only given very surface-level details.
I wish I could have given Kate Elliott’s Young Adult debut a more glowing review, but the truth is Court of Fives ended up falling short of my expectations. Understandably, the rivers of YA are difficult to navigate, and hopefully the next book will stand on sturdier ground. Fortunately though, Elliott has written plenty of great books in her distinguished career, and if you want to check out her work I would recommend Cold Magic, the first book of her Spiritwalker trilogy, which also stars a strong young woman but it’s a much richer, more powerful coming-of-age tale than this one.
Audiobook Review: Departure by A.G. Riddle
Posted on August 6, 2015 17 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Audible Studios (2/17/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrators: Nicola Barber, Scott Aiello | Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
I was actually first introduced to Departure as an audio title (given how often I browse for interesting new titles to listen to, it was pretty hard to miss how often it popped up on the popular science fiction and fantasy audiobook lists). What I didn’t know, was that the book itself was originally self-published. The news of its success must have caught on though, because I just learned recently too that HarperCollins has bought it and will be re-releasing it later this year. Runaway hits like that often have a way of catching my attention, so my curiosity probably got the better of me when I decided to check this one out.
The story begins with the crash of a passenger plane on route to London from New York. Flight 305 ends up somewhere in the English countryside, its fuselage split in two. In spite of this, there are actually quite a few survivors, most of them from first class because their half of the plane went into the trees while the tail section went into a nearby lake. As the survivors treat the wounded and fight to save as many lives as they can, they soon realize that they have crashed into a very different world. Rescue might be a long time coming. If ever.
There’s not much more I say about the story without spoiling it, but suffice to say, the Lost vibes are strong with this one. If you enjoy mind-bending sci-fi thrillers with a slight touch of creepy mystery, you should give this one a look. On the other hand, if you were looking forward to more of a survival adventure, you’ll probably want to alter your expectations like I did. As someone with a fear of flying, I was really nervous and bracing myself for a heart-pounding intro, but what I ended up getting was barely a notch above suspenseful. After the first quarter of this book, the emphasis also rapidly shifts to the bigger conspiracy.
The focus mainly falls on five passengers: Harper Lane writes biographies for a living, but her real dream is to writer her own series of adventure novels one day; Nick Stone is an American businessman, on his way to a meeting with The Gibraltar Project to discuss the building of a dam in the Mediterranean; Sabrina Schröder is a German medical scientist, making her the best choice to care for the wounded crash victims even though most of her experience was in a lab; Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist, has just developed a quantum internet capable of transmitting more data farther and faster than anything seen before; Grayson Shaw, son of a billionaire philanthropist, is struggling with alcohol problems after finding out some news about his father.
Unbeknownst to any of them, these five characters are all connected in some way and may hold the clues to the reason why their plane crashed, not to mention an answer to where they’ve ended up. The details are gradually revealed as the events unravel, and it was a captivating journey to discover the truth – even in spite of the many confusing moments along the way. To be honest, this book ventured a little too far into hard sci-fi territory for me to feel truly comfortable, and even though I was able to follow the plot just fine, a lot of the themes that came up later in the book are just not topics I find interesting. Be that as it may, I didn’t actually dislike this book; I found most of the story very enjoyable in fact, and even liked how it ended (as opposed to how I felt about Lost!) but it’s difficult to ignore the technology aspects that I personally couldn’t get into.
As for my thoughts that are specific to the audio version, I’m always happy listening to multi-narrator books and I thought both Nicola Barber and Scott Aiello delivered excellent performances. They portrayed Harper and Nick respectively, and voiced their own characters’ dialogue even when they were in the other character’s perspectives, giving this audiobook a quasi full-cast feel without it actually being a full-cast production. With their natural performances, the two narrators also made a lot of the dialogue sound a lot less awkward than the way it probably looked on paper.
In truth, I don’t think I would have fared as well reading the print version of this, given the propensity for my eyes to glaze over when they come upon pages of technobabble, especially when they have to do with subjects like the quantum theories of time travel. My brain has a better time when this stuff is read to me, so I was quite happy with my decision to listen to Departure in audio format. This is a book I might have enjoyed more if it had been the survival adventure I expected, but all told it’s a pretty solid book with a story that will no doubt appeal more to sci-fi thriller fans who also enjoy some conspiracy with their mystery.
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Comic Stack 08/05/15 – Graphic Novel Review: Robert Heinlein’s Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Lazaro (writer), Steve Erwin (Illustrator)
Posted on August 5, 2015 5 Comments
Book Source: Free review copy provided by IDW Publishing via Netgalley
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Publisher: IDW Publishing (August 4, 2015)
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Slavery is still a way of life throughout the galaxy in this story. A young slave boy by the name of Thorby is sold to a man who seems to be nothing more than a one-legged, one-eyed beggar. From the beginning, the beggar simply called Pop lets Thorby know that he is not his slave, that he is free to go whenever he pleases. However, Thorby stays with Pop and begins to learn things that strengthen his mind and body.
Thorby can’t remember his home star, but there are theories that he might be a descendant of earth, which would make his lineage considered fine. Earth, while most know it’s real, is just some fantastic land to most humans in the galaxy. He’s plagued with nightmares, but Pop is unable to recover information about his home through hypnosis. He calms Thorby’s nightmares, though, and continues to lead him down a path that rebels against the societal norms that enslave many, a path that fights for freedom for all people.
Full disclosure: I have not read the novel for this graphic novel, so I have nothing to compare this to as far as how it compliments the original source. However, after reading this graphic novel, I am curious about the novel and have added it to my TBR pile. Stories that blend science fiction and fantasy in such a seamless way are fascinating to me. The two genres balance each other out perfectly in this story. Also, I never tire of stories about freedom fighters trying to tear down a corrupt societal system, either. I love abolitionists and characters sacrificing their own freedoms so that others can have theirs.
One small complaint I do have for the story is that something about the way the story was written could be a little jarring and disrupt me from the reading experience. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the best way to describe it would be how some older comics like 70s X-Men type stuff that was written in that disjointed way that seemed to try to convey too many ideas at one time on some pages.
However, I enjoyed this enough to want to know more about Thorby and this world he lives in. I can’t say how much fans of the novel might enjoy this, but I feel like for me, someone who hasn’t read the novel, that it’ll only build on this foundation and hopefully be an enjoyable read.
Find this book on: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Again, a review copy of this book was provided to me by IDW Publishing via Netgalley. All opinions stated here are my own. I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me this opportunity.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/05/15
Posted on August 5, 2015 7 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:
Calamity by Brandon Sanderson: February 16, 2016 (Delacorte)
What can I say? It’s Brandon Sanderson’s third book of his Reckoners series. I loved Steelheart. I loved Firefight. So just gimme this concluding volume to the trilogy already, eh?
“From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiancecomes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Timesbestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Timesbestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.
David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .
But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.”
Book Review: One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron
Posted on August 4, 2015 24 Comments
A review copy was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Heartstrikers
Publisher: Aaron/Bach, LLC (8/1/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had to wait at least a day after finishing One Good Dragon Deserves Another to write my review, lest I just end up gushing incoherently like a madwoman. That’s because this book was simply amazing. Not only did it manage to be even better than the first book – a magnificent achievement in itself, considering how awesome Nice Dragons Finish Last was and how much I already loved it to pieces – it’s also now vying for the top spot in my list of best books read in 2015.
This sequel takes place not long after the events of book one. Our protagonist Julius, the youngest and nicest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, is feeling happier than he’s ever been in his entire life. Working out of the Detroit Free Zone as a magical pest control specialist with the help of his friend and mage partner Marci, it feels oh so good to be finally free of his tyrant mother and all his cutthroat siblings. But unfortunately for Julius, this respite doesn’t last; before long he’s sucked back into the dragon-eat-dragon world of Bethesda the Heartstriker, and used as a political pawn in a war against a rival clan.
If you think your family is dysfunctional, you should see Julius’. To Bethesda, who values strength and ruthlessness, her youngest son is a total failure of a dragon and she never misses a chance to let him know exactly how she feels. If it weren’t for the efforts of his more forgiving siblings, she would have made a snack out of Julius years ago. But for all that, Bethesda is still his mother, and Julius only wants the best for his clan. When Estella, dragon seer and head of The Three Sisters starts laying an obvious trap for the leader of the Heartstrikers, Julius becomes frustrated that Bethesda’s pride is blinding her to all dangers.
It took only the first chapter to remind me instantly of how astonishingly unique, creative, and addictive this world is. That said, it’s Rachel Aaron so I would have expected nothing less. Everything I’ve read by her thus far from The Spirit Thief to the Paradox sci-fi trilogy she published under her name Rachel Bach have all been bursting at the seams with original and intriguing ideas. But she’s outdone even herself with these Heartstriker books.
My first instincts is to call this Urban Fantasy, but that’s just a small slice of the big picture. There’s also a post-apocalyptic component with traces of mythical lore combined with sci-fi elements. Throw in magic, dragons, and a healthy dose of humor (I laughed out loud so many times – HARD), and that’s still just barely scratching the surface. Not many authors can set out to do something this ambitious and deliver it with such finesse and aplomb. It goes without saying that world-building was fantastic in this book, giving Aaron plenty of opportunities to expand upon the way magic works here, and also answer plenty of questions about dragon history.
And then there are the characters. Where do I even begin? Being the stars of the show, it probably comes as no surprise that I absolutely adored both Julius and Marci. Julius is as lovable as ever and Marci totally steals the show in this book by kicking so much magical ass. But I was also excited when I saw the many familiar faces returning for this sequel. Oh my goodness, Justin! And Bob! Even Chelsie, who is now my new hero, and Ghost, who may have single-handedly turned me into a cat person overnight. Even the villains are superb in this series, from Estella the North Star to the spirit baddies like Algonquin and her top dragon hunter Vann Jeger.
Of course, no character discussion is complete without also a nod to Julius’s big sister Amelia, introduced in this book as the heir to Heartstriker. As part of A-clutch, this makes her one of the oldest and most powerful dragons in the clan, second only to Bethesda herself. She’s also nothing like I expected. It’s not my place to spoil Amelia’s big debut so I’ll leave it at that, but suffice to say it wouldn’t surprise me if after this book she ends up with a pretty sizeable fan club. Like every character in these novels, she is compelling and memorable – a good thing too, considering Julius’ huge family and the number of siblings that play a part in his story.
As an avid Urban Fantasy reader, I just fell in love with this book. Perhaps it’ll come as no surprise that the story has all the action, comedy and thrills you would expect; after all, I’m addicted to this genre precisely because it is so consistently fun and entertaining. But if you want originality and truly stellar storytelling as well? Then there is no contest – this series stands out way above the rest.
What’s even more impressive is that these books are self-published, a personal project by Rachel Aaron. I sincerely wish her the best on her endeavors, because this series deserves all the attention and praise I can give. One Good Dragon Deserves Another blew me away with a plot that just kept on giving and giving, taking me on a wild ride through several arcs that nonetheless fit together so well, with surprising revelations aplenty and underdog heroes to root for every step of the way. Highly, highly recommended!
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Nice Dragons Finish Last (Book 1)
Full Fathom Five Read-a-Long Week No.3
Posted on August 3, 2015 4 Comments
Banner designed by Anya of On Starships and Dragon Wings
Full Fathom Five is the the third book in the Craft Sequence, however, each book stands alone. Want to know a little bit about the other books? Check out our reviews here:
Three Parts Dead | Two Serpents Rise
If you’re interested in joining the read-a-long, visit the SF/F Read-A-Long group for more information or to join in the conversation.
Week 1: July 20 Ch 1-13 – hosted by Allie from Tethyan Books
Week 2: July 27 Ch 14-32 – hosted by Lynn from Little Lion Lynnet’s
Week 3: August 3 Ch 33-50 – hosted by Heather from The Bastard Title
Week 4: August 10 Ch 50-62 – hosted by Lisa from Over the Effing Rainbow
1. Kai and Izza finally meet face-to-face. What do you think about their confrontation? Did it go as you expected, or did they surprise you?
Wendy: I am not sure if I had any expectations of their confrontation, but it certainly wasn’t unusual. Izza’s mistrust and anger were understandable, but Kai has a cool head so she handled the situation well.
Tiara: Really didn’t have any expectations as far as a confrontation would go. I’m not even sure I really thought it’d be a “confrontation” more than Izza making herself “visible” for the sake of letting Kai know that she’s watching her. I think I had too many other grand theories building in my head that much of this part of the book confirmed.
Mogsy: Went about as I expected. Izza may have mastered the tough act, but she’s first and foremost a thief and not someone I can picture committing more serious crimes. So despite all her threats, I really doubted she would have resorted to truly hurting Kai.
2. Poor Margot. Do you trust that Claude just did a stupid thing and didn’t believe Kai when he needed to, or do you think he has a bigger role in the conspiracy? And who is behind the mysterious murdering Penitent?
Wendy: I think it was a stupid decision, but perhaps one he can’t avoid because of his conditioning. I think the murder Penitent and the Watch are under the control of Jace.
Tiara: Both. Bigger role and stupid decision. I think the Penitents do more to a a person’s mind than we think, and while I think that Claude probably didn’t mean to do what he did, he was probably compelled to do what he did. I pretty much think Jace is the main villain and have for a while for various reasons that that would be too long for me to go into, but some people have heard ALL about my Jace theories.
Mogsy: I was so mad at Claude. What part of “Don’t tell anyone, this can mean someone’s life (or mine) on the line” do you not understand, CLAUDE?! Worst part is, he didn’t tell just one person, he told several. It was stupid, but I also agree with Wendy that it could be the result of Penitent conditioning. In which case, I think Kai should have known and been more circumspect about trusting him. I too think that Jace is behind the murdering Penitent, but I’m stumped as to what he might have done to get it to kill.
3. Kai and Teo’s conversation about evolution and creation myths, science vs. belief, was really striking. Which side of the philosophical argument would you lean towards?
Wendy: I like that the conversation covered the concept of both existing together. Ideally, I believe in evolution, but I believe in the importance of the creation myths to every culture that has them. Those myths and our beliefs shape who we are.
Tiara: Neither. I’m middle of the road. Both arguments were created well, and as Kai said, there’s no reason that creation myths and evolution can’t coexist in the world or even that one person could believe both. Hasn’t the History Channel been doing those schlocky shows for years on how the Bible and science could coexist and explain each. Maybe theories like that are created to reconcile people’s beliefs, but the story of one’s people and culture are a very important part of the sociological scope of people’s origins and beliefs.
Mogsy: I see the merits behind both arguments. You should know though, my university degree was a Specialist in Anthropological Sciences, which included both a biological and a cultural component. I studied human evolution and paleoanthropology quite extensively as a result, but I also found creation myths to be a fascinating topic in my cultural anthro courses. Creation myths are perhaps the most important cultural and religious traditions in any human society, and they have an important place in our history. We have to consider and respect them if we are to develop a deeper and more complete understanding of our species.
4. So we know now that all of the idols and Izza’s gods are different facets of a single goddess. How do you think this development might affect the different characters, and Kavekanan society as a whole?
Wendy: Someone mentioned Makawe coming back and being put into an idol. I really liked that concept. This is different but I think along the same lines. The goddess that the people thought had not returned has always been here, trapped by a corporation that is using her as a source of revenue and control.
Tiara: Well, from what I gather from the story, the people have already been told their gods would return, and it seems they are in ways they aren’t expecting. To be honest, I’m pretty sure that Mako is Makawe, so I’m just going to put that out there now. I’m sure most of the characters would be jubilant, except for those who have made idols a big business, probably especially Jace. But I don’t feel his motivations for not wanting the gods to return has everything to do with money. Also, some people may shiver at the return. Idols are safe, mindless things to Pilgrims. Gods are something infinitely real and scary.
Mogsy: I think it would shake up the island for sure. So much of their economy is tied up in the idols. I think for those with financial interests, it would lead to instability if not outright bad news.
5. Why do you think Teo threw her bracelet into the pool?
Wendy: Some sort of warning. Something to return for later.
Tiara: Am I allowed to use gifs? Ah, well, I’ll use a hashtag instead: #KanyeShrug. Her words seem to point to some experiment she was trying and got results she hadn’t expected.
Mogsy: For it to act like a beacon of some sort? Maybe?
6. Uh, oh, Jace. All signs are starting to point to Jace being the architect of this conspiracy. Signs can be wrong, of course. But where do you think we’ll go from his surprise appearance? If he did know about the goddess in the pool all along, why do you think he would have covered it up?
Wendy: Pretty sure Jace is Smiling Jack but I don’t believe he is a straight up big bad. I am certain he knows all the details and the goddess is no surprise to him, but I suspect he us a high end cog in this wheel. I also think he wanted Kai in on this because they share the level of devotion to their job (something Twilling chose not to get into), but because of Kai’s ignorance of the truth, her obsession caused her to mess up this particular instance too much which alerted the clients. I also think there is more to the clients than just people who quietly invest their funds and sit up only when things go wrong. Kai made it clear that she wanted Margot protected because the Grimwalds were mafia dangerous. I suspect they have their skeletal fingers more deeply secured in this process, and Jace fulfills those obligations.
Tiara: I doubt these signs are wrong. I think Jace is acting purely in his own self interests. I think he believes that he’s doing what’s best for his nation. Do I believe he’s working with anyone else? No. I think the Grimwald’s, much like the Iskari, are just looking for a lawsuit and purchase to find a way to get into the nation more as these books are just as political and mired in law as books not about gods. I think they are the real red herrings of the book because they’re expected to be behind all this drama, and I just don’t think so. I think that Jace either a.) doesn’t want the loss of business and subsequent power or b.) he’s in some sort of denial about the gods. What I mean by that is, we’ve learned the idols in the pool are all one goddess broken into many aspects, it’s possible he might believe the goddess to be “corrupted” because she’s not whole. He knows what he’s doing. He obviously doesn’t respect this goddess and doesn’t see her as “his” or his people’s goddess. I think the order of Margot’s death had more to do with protecting this information getting out about the idols, which Margot might’ve eventually revealed something pertinent in his poems if he’d been left to his own devices.
Mogsy: Is Jace the architect? I don’t know, but he’s part of the conspiracy, all right. With us nearing the conclusion of the book, I’m sure the next step will be him regaling us with all his schemes and why he did it. I honestly don’t feel confident enough to speculate further at this point. There have been so many red herrings, I’ve developed and tossed out more theories than I can count. I’m not 100% sure that Jace is the mastermind behind everything; he may be the player or the pawn, but I do have a sneaking suspicion he’s not alone in this, whether he knows it or not.
Bonus (silly) question: what possible reason could a skeleton Craftsman have for poolside tanning?
Mogsy: I think we’re thinking about this the wrong way. If pale bones are perceived as the desirable trait in skeletal culture, the skeleton lounging in the sun isn’t tanning; he or she is bleaching.
Wendy: I am laughing too hard at Mogsy’s response to even attempt to think of something.
Tiara: Ha! I was thinking bleaching, too, but they also sit out and do the same thing when the moon is out. So, maybe they have a crap sense of timing as well.
Book Review: The Veil by Chloe Neill
Posted on August 3, 2015 8 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Devil’s Isle
Publisher: NAL (8/4/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Total newcomer to Chloe Neill here, so I had no idea what to expect when I started the first installment of her new Devil’s Isle series. Being peripherally aware of her Chicagoland Vampires books though, I knew enough to prepare myself for a fun urban fantasy story, and I was right. Leaving aside a shaky start and a couple rough edges, The Veil is a pretty solid introduction to a brand new post-apocalyptic world featuring an intriguing protagonist.
Her name is Claire Connolly, just another young woman trying to survive in post-war New Orleans running her late father’s antique shop (which sells more emergency batteries and MREs than furniture these days). She’s also a Sensitive, someone endowed with the magic which seeped through the Veil when the Paranormals came through seven years ago to wage war on humanity. It’s a secret she guards closely, for if anyone discovers her powers she could end up in Devil’s Isle, a prison for Sensitives and other stray Paras trapped in this world after the fighting was done.
However, keeping her secret also left Claire untrained and unable to control her magic. When bounty hunter Liam Quinn discovers the truth about her, he wastes no time finding her a mentor before the magic can consume Claire and turn her into a wraith like the one that killed his sister. But then strange things start happening to the Veil, which has remained closed for many years now, and Claire and Liam stumble upon a plot to plunge what is left of NOLA back into conflict with the Paranormals, a threat they and their friends must stop in order to prevent more death and destruction on all sides.
I confess, this book and I didn’t exactly start off on the right foot. If things like large swaths of infodumps bother you, then you might experience some of the same difficulties I had with the introduction. Claire’s story about how she discovered her powers, along with the entire history of the war with the Paras following the opening of the Veil were unceremoniously crammed into the first handful of pages, without much effort to make the deluge of details less awkward or obtrusive.
However, the book also started with a party, with the characters celebrating the not-so-imaginatively named War Night, a day which commemorates the survival of New Orleans after one of the biggest battles towards the end of the war. New Orleans is a city that ranks high among my favorite urban fantasy book settings, so it was really hard to resist the boisterous and frenetic atmosphere where everyone just wants to have fun and forget the hardships of everyday life. Even though the city is a shadow of what it once was, the spirit of its people is alive and well.
My impressions of the story also improved a lot as it progressed, once we were through with laying down the groundwork. I wouldn’t say the premise is anything unprecedented and there are admittedly a few kinks in the world-building that need ironing out or expanding, but on the whole I had a good time with this book. I enjoyed Claire as a protagonist, even if she is still feeling rather generic at this point, but I do look forward to seeing her develop more of a personality as the series progresses. The character of Liam Quinn, on the other hand, I really loved; when we first met him I immediately pegged him for a cookie-cutter UF love interest, one of those mysterious and smoldering tall, dark, handsome (and boring!) types — but turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong. He’s the character I found most likely to surprise me by going against my expectations, which immediately made him the most interesting in my eyes.
I was also astonished (but not entire unhappy) to see that the romance is relatively understated. The priority here is the overall story, and Chloe Neill really takes a no-nonsense approach to pacing by limiting the superfluous drama, instead focusing on driving the plot forward so that I never lost interest.
All told, The Veil may not be breaking any new ground, but I found it satisfying and entertaining. I’m curious to see where the author will go with the world-building, but what I’m most interested in is the potential in these characters. I’m definitely on board for the next book.
SERIES SPOTLIGHT – Tufa Book Review: Long Black Curl by Alex Bledsoe
Posted on August 2, 2015 13 Comments
Wrapping up today’s special Series Spotlight, I am pleased to bring you my review for the third book of the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. A big thank you to Tiara for teaming up with me on this endeavor with her reviews of books one and two, and I hope you enjoyed all our posts today featuring this very unique and charming series. Be sure to also check out Wendy’s review of the short story set in this universe, Hisses and Wings by Alex Bledsoe and Teresa Frohock.
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Long Black Curl by Alex Bledsoe
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Tufa
Publisher: Tor (5/26/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
And now time for something totally different. Long Black Curl isn’t a book I would have normally picked up on my own, and not least because it’s actually the third book of the Tufa sequence. I don’t usually like to jump onboard mid-series, but two factors made me decide to make an exception. First, I was told this book can be read as a stand-alone, and second, I’ve been hearing all these great things about it, which got me curious.
Now I’m so glad that I decided to give it a shot. I suppose Long Black Curl is technically an urban fantasy, but it’s certainly unlike anything else in the genre that I’ve ever read. When I think about the typical setting for a UF, I picture big cities or built-up metropolitan areas. The setting of the Tufa, on the other hand, is a remote valley nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. We’re talking the rural south, a land of gorgeous peaks and ridges upon ridges of pristine forests. But it’s also a land of no indoor plumbing, dirt roads, and where bigotry is still very much alive.
It’s an interesting world. There’s beauty, but also a whole lot of ugliness. It’s also where the Tufa make their home. No one knows exactly where they came from before they settled here, but for generations they have lived in the quiet hills and valleys of Cloud County, passing on the their stories and traditions in the form of song. Music is a huge part of their lives, and an innate part of their identity. To be cast out of their community and stripped of their ability to make music is one of the worst fates imaginable, but this is exactly what happened to Bo-Kate Wisby and her lover Jefferson Powell, the only two Tufa to have ever been exiled.
Now Bo-Kate is back, and she is angry, bitter, and determined to take over both tribes of the Tufa, which means taking out the two leaders Rockhouse Hicks and Mandalay Harris. Her secret weapon is Byron Harley, a famous musician from the 50s who went down in a plane crash but did not die, trapped instead in a faerie time bubble for the last sixty years. Bo-Kate hopes that Byron will help her by taking advantage of his desire for revenge, and for a while she seems unstoppable, until the rest of the Tufa decide to seek out a secret weapon of their own: Jefferson Powell, Bo-Kates old boyfriend.
Anyway, that’s the brief description of the book. What’s way more difficult is putting into words the feelings I got while reading it. The first thing that struck me about the story was how atmospheric it was, seemingly evocative of so much more than meets the eye. Reading about the Tufa was like walking through a veil into another realm. And it’s not just the nature of the setting either; reading about some of the things that go on in this small community (especially those perpetrated by one of the Tufa leaders Rockhouse) are just so hideous and beyond the pale that convincing myself that this is some faraway fantasy world becomes easier and less traumatic to accept. Furthermore, because the Tufa are such a closely knit group, everything that goes on within their ranks – like internal politics or scandals, for example – feel so much more personal, making the emotions cut even deeper.
What I loved the most though, was the music. Creating it is an art form I find both mysterious and beautiful. And to a non-musician like me, it even almost seems like magic. Alex Bledsoe pretty much takes this idea and runs with it, so that music to the Tufa is in fact the source or their magical power. Songs become more than just a way to communicate ideas; they become a means for them to affect the world around them. Music is also a part of the Tufa shared heritage, something that links the community together and gives the individual a sense of identity and belonging. Of course, I’ve seen music used as a magical device in fantasy novels before, but Bledsoe’s handling of it is one of the more unique examples I’ve seen so far, despite—or perhaps because of—the abstractness in its execution.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the book a lot, and something tells me I would have liked it even more if I’d read the previous two before I tackling this one. Long Black Curl worked absolutely fine as a stand-alone, but I think the extra background information would further enhance the story by adding more context to the Tufa characters and all their complex relationships. I’ve gone ahead and added the first book The Hum and the Shiver to my to-read list, because this is a very special series and I would love to go back and read more. Highly recommended.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Tiara’s review of The Hum and the Shiver (Book 1) | Tiara’s Review of Wisp of a Thing (Book 2)
SERIES SPOTLIGHT – Tufa Audiobook Review: Wisp of a Thing by Alex Bledsoe
Posted on August 2, 2015 2 Comments
Genre: Magical Realism, Magic, Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of the Tufa
Publisher: Tor Books (June 18, 2013)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki | Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins |Audiobook Publisher: Blackstone Audio (June 18, 2013) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
Rob Quillen is a musician known for being one of the final contestants on a reality show called So You Think You Can Sing? Despite that, Rob really isn’t one of those fifteen minute famer types and really loves music. After the tragic death of his girlfriend in a plane crash, he’s directed by a mysterious stranger to go to Cloud County, Tennessee where he’ll learn a song that will mend broken hearts. Rob is not a Tufa, but is often mistaken as one because of his looks, which he attributes to being part Filipino. As strange as the stranger’s words are to him, Rob travels to Needsville in search of this musical balm for his soul. He’s not sure if he believes he’ll find it, but he needs something to take his mind off his tragedy and get him away from people who know his face. What he finds in Needsville is mystery, an ages old power struggle, and secrets that could change the Tufa forever. Caught in the middle of this all is the sister of one the First Daughters, a feral Tufa woman who roams the woods.
This second book proved to be much more political in terms of how the Tufa live and what their future holds. As I mentioned in the last book, despite most people thinking the Tufa are all one people, they are actually two factions who are vying for power. The true villain of these books–who is actually both father and villain, in a sense–has his plots revealed more. Unlike the two villains of the last book, there’s more depth to this character and his villainy. His presence means more to the Tufa people, and his possible demise also leaves all the Tufa in a state of flux, wondering what will happen to them if he ceases to exist. This book explores the depths of cruelty and how deep hatred can run, even for those people should protect and love. Bledsoe plays around with some interesting lore and ideas where the Tufa are concerned, and I’ve enjoyed seeing where he takes their story.
I can’t stress enough that these are not pretty, flowery books. There’s plenty of violence and language. Life in the mountains is hard, even for the Tufas. Because there’s more focus on finding out who and what the Tufa are, you don’t get as many snatches of random songs as in the last book instead you get more portents and history, especially the history of where this bad blood comes from. However, the songs you do get in this book tell stories just as powerful as the last, and you get longer, fleshed out musical tales, which makes up for it because it probably all evens out in the end. Beauty is expressed in their music, but still there’s so much tragedy in it, as well, expressing the ordeals and hardships of the Tufa life.
I did listen to this one nearly the whole way through this time, but I was able to better pay attention this time even with Rudnicki’s deep, lulling voice. I think it helped tremendously that there was only one narrator for this book instead of having various breaks in the story as the narrator changes. That works for some stories, but this definitely benefited from only having one narrator. Still no singing, though, so if you’re interested in these books because you expect to get some off-key narrator singing, don’t bother. The verses are chanted, which is probably the best deal for the narrator and readers alike.
These books do an amazing job of being very accessible to new readers and acting as standalones. Sure, the same characters show up, but Bledsoe provides an amazing amount of context to what they mean to the story, even down to having some passages read almost exactly the same from the previous books. You won’t get lost regardless of which book you start with it seems, but for even more context about the Tufa, I’m sure you should get around to reading the first book at some point as the politics seem to be becoming a larger focal point now than in the first book where it was only beginning to burgeon, even though you know something’s simmering underneath the surface.
I wasn’t supremely happy with the wording of the very last line of the ending or the “epilogue” type thing that follows, especially depending on how the next story goes as far as that “epilogue” goes. Rob could sometimes come off as a “special snowflake” since he is definitely not Tufa. I liked that he didn’t learn that somewhere on his great-great-great grandmother’s side he had a Tufa relative, but there were times when things were just a little too convenient for Rob. Also, it would’ve been nice to learn more about Rob and his anger issues. I did like that, even though Rob wasn’t Tufa, he had the music in his soul and didn’t need that qualifier to make him a musician who had music in his bones. I found this story just as engaging as the first as more of the Tufa’s true nature comes to light. This also means that the story becomes more whimsical as readers learn more truths about the Tufa people. Whether you prefer the more grounded magical realism of the first book or the magical realism blended with magical fantasy of this one will totally be up to you as the reader. I enjoyed both. Side note: A painting mentioned in both this book and the prior book is a real painting. I had to go stare at it a while on Wikipedia. And I have to use this song again from Alan Wake because there is definitely a song that reminds me of this one in this book:
Story: 
| Performance: 
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The BiblioSanctum 