10 Podcasts for Fans of Speculative Literature
Posted on June 16, 2015 15 Comments
Since discovering the joys of audiobooks, my enjoyment of non-music audio productions has moved to the world of podcasts. Many people think that podcasts are dedicated to discussions or reviews. Admittedly, I was one of those people, but then, I asked myself: “Why wouldn’t this be the perfect format for storytelling?” I have found quite a few I enjoy and this seem like the perfect time to write about since it’s Audio Month. (You might as well get used to me using the phrase “Audio Month” in posts for the rest of this month.)
There are quite a few apps out there to use to listen to podcasts on your Android device. I’m using BeyondPod, which has a lite (read: free) version and a paid version that adds more features. It can also sync up across devices including syncing with iOS devices. Podcast Republic is another great free Android option that includes push notifications, something I wish BeyondPod had. On iOS, the staple is the Podcasts app. However, BeyondPod is also another option, especially useful for the device syncing feature I mentioned earlier, and the one I use on iOS devices too.
Apologies to any Windows Phone or Blackberry users. I’m not sure what apps are available for you to use to listen to these podcasts. I don’t use either device for me to test any apps out. I’m thinking the built in media players will work, but may not work as well as a listener would want. All About Windows Phone has a nice article that compiles a comprehensive list of podcast apps. Again, remember, I’ve tested none of these and can offer no opinion. Blackberry users, I’m sorry. I tried to find something for you, but didn’t get many hits and the ones I did get were years old.
However, many of these podcasts can be listened to online or downloaded for your pleasure if other options don’t work out or if you just want to listen on another device that plays mp3s or on your computer .
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
I’m probably the last person to not hear about Night Vale until recently. It’s a chuckle-worthy “radio news show” where the narrator delivers the news and the strange goings-on in Night Vale with such a deadpan voice, which makes it funnier, next to the narrator’s obsession with a lab intern named Carlos.
Thank you for your attention. Please go back to thinking of other things while we continue to monitor you.
— Night Vale podcast (@NightValeRadio) February 17, 2015
I don’t know how the book format will work out with this, but I’d love to give it a try out of curiosity.
Underwood and Flinch: A Vampire Novel By Mike Bennett
This series follow the Vampire, Underwood, who has been taken care of for years by the Flinch family. Underwood falls into some kind of vampire coma for 50 years and when he decides to wake up he faces resistance from the new Flinch to be his helper. Doesn’t stop Flinch from being sucked into adventure anyway. Vampires are crafty like that.
We’re Alive: A Zombie Survival Story by K.C. Wayland
I hate zombies. I hate zombies. I hate zombies. I do. I’m not scared of them. You’d be hard pressed to find any horror story that scares me. I just don’t find most zombie stories particularly compelling. However, I like stories that follow characterization and the idea that the real monsters may not be the living dead, but someone just like you.This story does that. It may not be the most innovative thing about a band of survivors clinging to each other, but it’s a compelling listen all the same.
The Secret World Chronicle by Mercedes Lackey, et al
Mercedes Lackey was a VERY big fan of the now defunct MMO City of Heroes, which happened to be my favorite MMO, as well. Anyway, Mercedes Lackey has admitted that much of the inspiration for this series comes from her gaming sessions on City of Heroes, which was a superhero/villain game that was comic bookish in nature. I think that’s an awesome thing to do. I can hear the influence and imagine the scenes from my own gaming memories while listening to this. It’s kitschy, but fun. This story takes place is modern day Atlanta where superheroes and villains represent the best and worst of humanity. My only real complaint? It had to be fucking Nazis, didn’t it? Ah, well. Need to get back into these soon.
Pseudopod by Escape Artists, Inc
This is an online collection of horror stories from many authors, and they take the time to warn readers of disturbing situations that may be in these stories. It’s easy to just listen to one and three hours later, you’re still listening after you said you’d stop at one. The intro song Bloodletting on the Kiss by Anders Manga is pretty awesome, too.
Cast of Wonders by the Cast of Wonders Staff
You all know that I have a troubled affair with speculative YA fiction. However, I’ve found myself largely satisfied with this podcast, which focuses on YA speculative fiction. I think this short format is useful for these stories because they don’t have time to throw much literary detritus at us. They have to get to the heart of the story.
Journey Into… is more genre inclusive than the others mentioned, but still has a heavy slant toward speculative fiction. They rebroadcast old radio dramas on their show as well as bringing in newer writers and content. They even include the old Batman and Superman radio dramas and the latest news in various fandom like discussing the Star Wars cartoons. They also discuss various other topics such as spoiler etiquette.
We Are Not Alone is a podcast run by a sketch comedy group who thought that science fiction of the 1950s was great. They credit the 50s for so many of the science fiction tropes we have today. They take those tropes and lead listeners to a hilarious science fiction story. They also feature some horror, but anything they feature will always a comedic take on it.
Zombies, Run! by Six to Start, Naomi Alderman
Zombies, Run! isn’t to much a podcast as it a fitness app that promotes walking, jogging, or running–whatever your pace. This has a story for its listeners. You’re the new Runner 5 after their previous one dies. You get to meet a whole cast of characters in your new home. They send you on supply runs and chat with you during intervals. You can theoretically listen to the episodes without doing any exercise, but you feel so acccomplished after completing a mission. During the non-talking bits, you can listen to music or an audiobook, or watch shows if you decide to do this from home on a treadmill or elliptical.
Seminar: An Original Anthology Show
I think the description this page sums up the story well: “An anthology show where featured shorts are heard through the lens of lessons in a futuristic post-apocalypse.” The stories range from supehero to militaristic stories to stories that touch a more human chord in people.
Honorable Mentions
These next few podcasts aren’t speculative, though they might deal with some speculative themes, but they’re still worth a listen.
Black Girl Nerds Podcast (shortened BGN Podcast) by Jamie Broadnax
Despite the name, this Podcast is all-inclusive, but I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you that the some views expressed are from an African-American point of view. She’s talked to people like Cree Summers (well know VA from many kids’ shows as well as the hippie Freddie on It’s A Different World). It’s a great perspective into the world of black geek culture and shows that we’re not boxed in by our race. She’s also fun to talk to/listen in general about fandom. Also, get on Twitter and get involved in her discussions about television, movies, and Shakespare!
SMF Presents: Beyond the Wall by SpecFicMedia.com
A weekly podcast that discusses the most recent episodes of Game of Thones. They talk very candidly about the show. I can’t agree with everything they say, but I appreciate having other ways of looking at larger scenes. I’m a thoughtful thinker, which is why my reviews end up so long, because my reviews seem more like an essay or critique. But I’m a thoughtful listener, as well, and this affects me just as much as the book counterpart.
Moth Podcast by The Moth Staff
This is initially the podcast that really got me listening to podcasts. The Moth features true, monumental lives of people in their own voice. It speaks on subjects like racism, a man faced with the moral decision of ending his mother’s pain and letting her go or fighting for her, and a lost love found 60 years after their first meeting. Some are humorous. Some are serious. But all have impacted the speakers’ lives somehow.
Serial Podcast by Sarah Koeing
This is speculative in any way, shape, or form. It’s the story about the disappearance and murder of high school senior, Hae Min Lee. Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was sentenced in her murder and this podcast is not going to give you a definitive answer. However, while I am certainly not the person to argue guilt or innocence in this story because all the players involved seemed to have some stake in the game. I’m absolutely sure they’re hiding something, not jut about Hae’s death, but other aspects of their lives that led to her death. This is a very captivating true crime story. One of my only complaints is that I feel Hae is secondary to her own story, and I don’t blame her parents for not wanting to be involved in this circus. Adnan was granted a trial to review his case this past may after spending more than ten years behind bars. I will applaud Sarah Koeing, who you could tell had an obvious slant toward trusting with Adnan, she always tried to present her arguments with a counter argument that reflected on his character, too. Adnan’s sister has started a podcast called Undisclosed that I plan to listen to soon.
Tell me. Do you listen to podcasts? Any favorites?
Audiobook Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Posted on June 15, 2015 18 Comments
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Book #1 of The Queen of the Tearling
Publisher: Harper (July 8, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Narrator: Katherine Kellgren| Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Harper | Whispersync Ready: Yes
Fortunately for me I’m not usually not usually the one who’s current on the hype train as far as books are concerned if it doesn’t deal with comics. Gaming, television, and movies are a different matter, though. For books, I think my obtuse nature of what’s supposed to be hot in the reading world is simply because there are so many books new and old out there to read that I just don’t have the time to keep up with what’s trending in reading. I’m going to read what interests me. I don’t care if it came out before the dawn of man. That’s not to say that sometimes I’m not aware of newer books especially as a blogger who blogs about ARCs and has co-bloggers who blog about them, just more often than not I’m not in the loop and I don’t particularly care that I’m not. God bless you if you’re a book hype monster. I’m not judging you. See me on new video game release day (Tuesdays) and new comics day (Wednesdays), and you’ll see I’m the last person to judge you on hype. I’m downright scary on those days.
I had no idea this book was a hype machine, though. I added it to my list because it sounded interesting, and I wanted to check it out. I’d read maybe one review from a friend, and I’m fairly certain I added it because this person said that this book was one of the few YA books they’ve read that even acknowledged the idea of birth control in a fantasy setting, even if it wasn’t pivotal to the plot. However, that’s a bit disingenuous I found, but more on that later. It wasn’t until I started reading the book and scratching my head a little bit because bits of this story were strange, for lack of better word, that I started sort of looking up more information to see if I was missing something. That’s when I saw this was hyped as Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games with a movie coming soon starring Emma Watson. Funny that since Kelsea is described as being “dark in color” (I took that to mean that she was olive skinned at best and her father was probably one of the darker, conquered races mentioned) and a curvy woman who wasn’t about missing meals. Not necessarily things I’d attribute to Emma Watson, and no, I don’t have anything against Emma Watson, but I digress. With all this new knowledge about the book, I soldiered on and tried to forget I read most of that blurb.
This book follows Kelsea, the new heir to the Tearling throne. For the last nineteen years of her life, she’s been hidden away in the woods with an odd couple who have been preparing her for the day to take her rightful place on the throne. She was hidden away because of assassins, but I guess assassin’s are too dumb to check countryside, though they can track people there. When that day comes, she’s cryptically warned to use her wits and not to make the same mistakes her mother made. Except she doesn’t know anything of her mother’s rule. She only knows her mother died young, was beautiful, and didn’t like to read. She wasn’t allowed to learn anything else about her or her rule, which is stupid. In fact, she’s never been around other people to even know what her mother might’ve been like as a ruler. She doesn’t even truly know what she herself looks like as her keepers had no mirrors and she’s only glimpsed herself once when she was twelve-years-old in some mucky river water when she decided then she was a plain girl.
I would probably call this mature young adult. Not for sexual reasons. It’s light on the romance, but Kelsea is a little older than many YA protagonists, which allowed the author to tell a story that’s a bit more ruthless than you’d normally get. However, that doesn’t mean that all the mature themes were handled well. I thought the premise of this book was an excellent one. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is anything like either of the books mentioned earlier, especially not The Hunger Games, and while this certainly kept my interest enough to keep me reading, this book was a bit problematic for me. Read More
Book Review: Day Four by Sarah Lotz
Posted on June 15, 2015 19 Comments
A review copy was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Horror
Series: Book 2 of The Three
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (June 16, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sarah Lotz topped my 2014 Horror/Thriller list with her book The Three, terrifying me with a story about four deadly plane crashes and three mysterious child survivors. This year she’s set to dominate my Best-Of lists again with her new book Day Four.
Thing is, The Three may have scared the living daylights out of me, but hey, I was already afraid of flying.
Day Four, however, may have just ruined cruising for me as well.
This is the story about the Beautiful Dreamer, a cruise ship carrying just under 3000 souls on board for her four-days-fight-nights voyage through the Gulf of Mexico. It’s New Year’s Eve on the final night and everyone’s ready to party and usher in a fresh new start, when the unthinkable happens. The ship suddenly stops dead in the water – no power, no radio, no cellphone signals. The much prayed for rescue never comes, and as the days go by, things get worse – the toilets stop running, food starts spoiling, and all over the ship, reports are coming in about passengers and crew members seeing and hearing some strange, impossible things…
Before this book, I’d never considered how much we take for granted on a cruise. If you’ve ever been on one, then you know the drill. From the moment you board to the time you disembark, everything is organized and planned for your pleasure and convenience. Your luggage is brought to your stateroom, where your excursion tickets await. Your dining times are scheduled, unless you wish to hit up the buffet where more food than you could ever imagine is piled in mountains on the serving tables. Everything works like a well-oiled machine, despite the hoopla of hundreds of guests all crammed into staterooms on multiple decks along the long narrow corridors that span almost the entire length of the ship.
But when the engines stop and the lights go out, how cheery do you think a cruise ship is then? Without power and the ability to cook or keep food fresh, what good are the all-you-can-eat buffets? When the infrastructure starts to break down, the crew overworked and sick of the abuse from irate passengers, the entire system falls apart. A cruise ship is like a floating city, after all. When order fails on a ship, you can expect to see the same kind of uncontrolled spiral into chaos. And I have to say Sarah Lotz has perfectly envisioned and captured this descent into pure anarchy.
On top of that, compared to The Three which was more of a suspense/thriller, Day Four reads more like a horror novel in the traditional sense. We’re exposed to some disturbing things right off the bat, even if the horrors are the more mundane kind to start with. For most of us, cruise ships mean vacation and relaxation, plenty of fun in the sun. However, beneath the glitzy façade lies the dark truths no one likes to talk about. Slovenly and rude passengers. Inclement weather and unstable seas. The risk of norovirus and infectious diseases. Sexual predators and assault. There’s plenty in the secret world of cruise ship problems that can turn a fun-filled vacation into a nightmare, I’m sure.
The day after the Beautiful Dreamer breaks down, when it’s clear that no rescue is coming and the captain is hiding the truth of the problem, that’s when the real creepy fun begin. Several passengers start exhibiting strange behavior, the superstitious crew insist on seeing visions of the Lady in White who haunts the belly of the ship, a child is spotted darting around the lower decks even though it is an adults-only New Year’s cruise, and a dead body of a young woman is found in her stateroom with rumors saying that she died just before the ship stopped. Imagine all that going down in the middle of the ocean stranded miles from civilization, tempers and tensions high with full-blown panic not too far behind. Oh, and throw in an open bar, because alcohol is sure to make any bad situation better! Right?
No surprise that in a short time, the Beautiful Dreamer turns into a floating hell. Amidst the paranormal eeriness that pervades the story is added stresses of the passengers and crew, and Sarah Lotz does an incredible job showing that people can be driven to all sorts of ugliness when they are feeling frightened and trapped. More than once, I entertained the thought of the ship sinking and everyone going down with it on this voyage of the damned, and realized I probably wouldn’t even feel too bad if that happened. What amazes me is that so much goes on in this book, but everything is tied together in some way. The story is told through the perspectives of about half a dozen people whose lives are all linked, showing all sides of the narrative. All of it forms a picture of the kind of dread that’s both awful and claustrophobic, and the writing puts you right there on the Beautiful Dreamer in the middle of that craziness.
I didn’t think it would be possible, but I think I enjoyed Day Four even more than The Three. It’s a real page-turner and an easier read in many ways, written in a more traditional style versus an epistolary format. The book is advertised as a sequel to The Three but really it is a stand alone novel that can be enjoyed on its own, and I’d even say pick this one if you had the choice between the two, though both books are fantastic and worth reading.
Highly recommended, with just one warning: you probably want to avoid Day Four if you have a cruise planned in the near future! I love cruises and the vibrant atmosphere of a cruise ship, and despite what I said at the beginning of my review, I doubt this book would be enough to turn me off cruising…but I probably won’t be planning my next one until the memories of this terrifying story are out of my system!
More of The Three on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Three (Book 1) | A Discussion with Sarah Lotz
Audiobook Review: The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
Posted on June 14, 2015 25 Comments
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book #1 of The Books of the Raksura
Publisher: Night Shade Books (March 15, 2011)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Narrator: Christopher Kipiniak | Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Audible Studios | Whispersync Ready: Yes
The Cloud Roads introduces us to Moon, an orphaned shapeshifter who has spent years living among the groundlings (more traditionally humanoid looking races) disguised as one of them. Moon has long given up on finding his real people, and he doesn’t even know the name of his race at the beginning of this book. Instead he’s focused on living in different locales with various races, moving on when they became suspicious of him, forging some semblance of a life as best as he can. Despite Moon’s somewhat detached nature due to his self-reliance, cynicism, and general distrust–learned habits from having to keep on the move–Moon is not a solitary creature by nature and finds comfort living among others, even if he isn’t free to be himself. That all changes one day when he meets another shapeshifter like himself, and Moon begins a life changing journey that may finally provide the answers he feared he’d never find.
Moon presents an interesting conundrum in Raksuran society. He has difficulty with the mores of the society, and while Moon tries to keep his outward feelings neutral, even as he worries he may doing the wrong things, Moon’s survival tactics never quite leave him. Given how he’s lived much of his life wandering, he always looks for weaknesses and escape routes when introduced into unfamiliar situations. I appreciated he didn’t immediately find personal peace or a feeling of belonging among the Raksura, He didn’t find himself suddenly eager to sing the songs of his people. No, having Moon work through issues and learn how he factors into this new society gave his journey substance. Moon also showed that, even though he’s wary by nature, he is a very dedicated, caring, and trustworthy individual, often feeling his own happiness isn’t more important than doing what’s right.
What made me enjoy this book as much as I did was Moon and how he slowly comes to learn about his culture including the complicated court politics of his people. Because neither Moon or the reader know anything about the Raksura, this allows a level of world building that feels almost like we’re taking this journey with Moon. We’re experiencing this strange new place with him, and it gives Wells such freedom of expression with the culture and people. She’s allowed to dwell on her world building, presenting Moon and the readers with this beautifully crafted landscape and culture. She weaves this new information into the story without having to resort to info dumping.
With the world building, Wells did a terrific job of fleshing out her characters and races, making most of them feel like more than just humans with odd colored skin tones and some structural appearances. Some races outside the Raksura can feel fairly typical for the fantasy setting, but the author still manages to give them cultural differences to make them memorable. The Raksura culture is treated with ingenuity and craftiness by Wells. There’s something that feels familiar and human about them, making the reader empathize with them while giving them this unique culture and mannerisms that sets them apart from typical humans or even the groundlings in the story.
The Raksuran culture is largely matriarchal and plays with gender roles in clever ways. However, gender doesn’t play out in such obvious ways to make the characters feel inferior or in ways that makes it seem like a gender war is happening. The genders largely on equal footing with defined roles that are important to their society as a whole. Gender differences aren’t treated as a slight. A female may be stronger than her male counterpart in some cases and it doesn’t cause an inferiority complex due to gender. It’s just treated as part of the culture and makes a interesting, subtle commentary on gender without feeling like it’s crept over into the territory of being angry and preachy. In this same vein, the sexual nature and customs of this world are varied and include various sexual orientations and customs without demonizing them in any way.
Chris Kipiniak was an excellent choice in the reading the series. I especially loved the gravelly voice he used for Stone, which made the character actually sound like his name. I was a little unimpressed with his female voices, but I’m particular about narrators voicing characters opposite their gender in general. He didn’t do a terrible job with their voices, though. I just wasn’t moved by them. Despite that, he was an engaging narrator and added a nice flair to much of the dialogue. I enjoyed his characterization of Moon best and thought he did a superb job with capturing the wry nature of Moon’s personality and Moon’s conflicted nature that knew he should practice selfish self-preservation but ultimately always did what was right.
In this first book, Wells has introduced us to a wildly imaginative world with these fully fleshed out characters and traditions that take the reader on quite a journey. This is one of the more innovative books I’ve read in any genre. There haven’t been many books that make me feel like I’m reading something that’s truly fresh and special, but Wells has managed to make me feel like I’ve stepped into a whole new world with the Raksura while keeping elements that make it feel familiar.
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More reviews of this series: The Cloud Roads (reviewed by Wendy), Stories of the Raksura (Reviewed by Mogsy)
Audiobook Review: The Good House by Tanarive Due
Posted on June 14, 2015 15 Comments
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2006)
Wendy’s Rating: 3 of 5
“The home that belonged to Angela Toussaint’s late grandmother is so beloved that townspeople in Sacajawea, Washington, call it the Good House. But that all changes one summer when an unexpected tragedy takes place behind its closed doors…and the Toussaint’s family history — and future — is dramatically transformed.”
This is more suspense than horror, despite the predominant categorization, though personally speaking, I didn’t get overly spine-tingly over the tense moments, despite my very visual mind letting me picture everything.
This is my first book by Due, and I am going to say that I love her writing style. I particularly love hearing a voice and dialects that aren’t your typical American or British fare. Listening to the audiobook certainly helps and let me tell you, Robin Miles is amazing. Another addition to my list of favourite audiobook narrators. She powers through all the characters, male and female, and their distinctive accents, including and most especially, Grandma Marie’s thick Creole. But as much as I enjoyed Due’s writing style and even the back and forth leaps through time and perspectives, I eventually found myself wishing the main character, Angela, would finally catch up to the point everyone else had reached many chapters before. I also found this troubling because Angela seemingly forgetting her connection to her grandmother’s voodoo is part of her jaunty character development, though Angela herself doesn’t really grow throughout the story. She just… remembers when it is convenient, and spends the rest of the time lamenting the love that she let get away, her broken marriage, and the tragedy that set the current horrors of her life in motion. In other words, Angela really isn’t a likable character. She’s not particularly interesting either, nor a woman I can particularly relate to. I don’t necessarily need to relate to or even like every character I read, but Angela just didn’t have much going for her.
What the story did have for me was an interesting peek into the world of voodoo. Voudon is a misunderstood religion and it’s often misused for the sake of Hollywood entertainment.
I am no expert on the subject and, while I’m sure there was some element of entertainment in this story, I’d like to think it was done justice here.
GraphicAudio Review: Disarmed and Dangerous (A Nekropolis Short Story) by Tim Waggoner
Posted on June 13, 2015 10 Comments
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Zombies
Series: Short Story from The Matt Richter Series
Publisher: GraphicAudio (May 1, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Narrator: Full Cast | Length: 39 mins
I’m not a huge fan of zombie stories unless there’s some interesting angle to the story such as The Walking Dead or Warm Bodies. Other than that I really, really don’t like zombies. However, aside from the two examples mentioned, there are always more exceptions. This story is an exception.
Since I listened to and enjoyed my first GraphicAudio book, I decided to give some of their non-comics a chance. I went with a short story instead of a full novel, just to get a taste. I don’t know why this caught my attention. Maybe it was the thought of a private investigator who also happens to be an aware zombie as well that was just good enough to catch my interest. Besides, it was short. If I hated it, it wouldn’t take long to get through.
This story starts with Matthew Richter, zombie private investigator facing off with a demon. He pauses in the story to explain how he found himself in that situation. During his flashback, Matt explains the nature of his death and how he became a citizen of Nekropolis. He followed a suspect into a portal, died, and was later raised as a zombie. He also explains briefly how the city works. The city uses human technology as well as magic, but is better suited for biological technological advances being used on their bodies. The supernatural creatures of Nekropolis left earth after unable to live side by side with humans anymore and formed their own magic and technology filled city.
Zombies seem to follow the normal conventions of being shambling shells that fall apart, except without all the “BRAINS?!” mentality. Matt even uses the dumb zombie routine to his advantage at times. Most people in the city ignore them. In some ways, Matt feels worst than his mindless counterparts because he’s aware of all the things he can’t do anymore such as feel pleasure or pain or smell. Body parts being ripped off are just outer body type experiences, getting them sewn back on is much the same. However, thanks to the magic performed on Matt by a voodoo priest, he’s able to most keep himself mostly together. His ability to keep his awareness is never explained in this short. This priest, even if Matt won’t admit it, is his only friend in the city. What I appreciated about this is that voodoo isn’t written off as some big bad in the story. The practice is highly demonized in most stories, when it’s actually not malevolent at its core, and this one does its best not to fall into that trap.
Despite how short this is, it did a wonderful job of giving a taste of Matt’s world and the people he deals with every day. I didn’t feel lost at all while listening to this story, which can rarely happen for a story like this that’s based on a longer work. If anything, it made me more curious to read about Nekropolis and its denizens, and to have me saying that I want to read a zombie book is a very rare thing. The story never felt slow even with the brief history Matt provides the listeners.
Just as with The Death of Captain America, this is voiced by a full ensemble with music and action sequence sound effects. Unlike The Death of Captain America, there were no moments when the sound effects overpowered the dialogue for me and maybe that’s because this was just so short. I hated to hear it end so soon and will definitely be buying the GraphicAudio versions of these full-length novels.
This story takes place before the first book, Necropolis. Some strange things I noticed with reading that book’s description of Necropolis is that some of the names and spellings have changed between the book and this short story such as the spelling of the city, Nekropolis and Matt’s last name is different. The author uses Richter and Nekropolis as the proper spellings on his website, too. Maybe there is some explanation for this minor discrepancy. However, I am still interested in meeting Matt Richter in his fleshed out world.
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YA Weekend: Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen
Posted on June 13, 2015 21 Comments
A review copy was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Malediction Trilogy
Publisher: Angry Robot (June 2, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Angry Robot announced in the summer of 2014 that they were shutting down their Young Adult imprint Strange Chemistry, I was among the many readers saddened by the cancellation of their books and series. But thank goodness for at least the small mercies, like Danielle L. Jensen’s Malediction Trilogy being picked up by the parent company. Stolen Songbird was one of the best YA titles I read last year, and I was looking forward to continuing Cécile’s story in Hidden Huntress.
The sequel picks up shortly after the events of the first book. Cécile has recovered from her harrowing escape from Trollus, but it also means being separated from her love, the troll prince Tristan who is still trapped in the city beneath a mountain, sealed in by a witch’s curse. Determined to save Tristan, Cécile is willing to do anything – even if it means entering into a magically binding deal with the tyrant troll king, who tasks her to break them free by hunting down the elusive Anushka, the one who cast the original curse so long ago.
Meanwhile, Tristan is at his lowest point. He is shunned by his people, and only has few remaining loyal followers at his side. His power-hungry father will stop at nothing to escape their mountain prison and unleash the power of the trolls on the outside world, but Tristan is just as resolved to do all he can to stop him. Neither Tristan nor Cécile were prepared for the extent of the king’s Machiavellian cunning though, or just how far he would go with his manipulations.
On the whole, I actually thought Hidden Huntress was an even better book than its predecessor. This surprised me somewhat, considering some reviewer opinions I’ve seen expressing disappointment that Cécile and Tristan were separated for most of the story, and I thought for sure I would feel the same way. In fact, the opposite turned out to be true. In a case like this, distance apparently does make the heart grow fonder. Because of their magical bond, Cécile and Tristan are able to feel each other’s emotions more deeply than most couples even when they are far apart, creating a very intriguing dynamic. I felt too that the opportunity gave each protagonist the time they needed to fully develop as individuals, something that might not have occurred if they had been together. Tristan, for example, got his chance to really shine, occupying almost if not just as much page time as Cécile. Though I personally didn’t find his chapters as interesting as hers, his mission in Trollus was no less important, and I really appreciated how much of his personality we were able to glean from his perspective.
As much as Cécile and Tristan’s separation pained me, ultimately I believe the decision was worth the benefits to the plot. Sometimes, I find physical romance can take a back seat but the resulting novel ends up being just as satisfying. The story of Hidden Huntress is more sophisticated and even more entertaining than Stolen Songbird, placing a stronger emphasis on the bigger picture and also allowing supporting characters to play larger roles. The city of Trianon is a whole other world, but as a rising opera star following in her mother’s footsteps, Cécile has to tread just as carefully. Genevieve de Troyes was mentioned in the first book and I was very curious to finally meet this woman who has made such an impact on her daughter’s life. Let’s just say she was not what I expected.
I wouldn’t surprise me though, if readers are divided on Hidden Huntress. Danielle L. Jensen made a bold move, and it’ll pay off for some but perhaps not for others. It worked well for me for many reasons, some of which I’ve outlined above, but I also found it important that Ms. Jensen showed what would happen to her characters if they were placed under terrible pressure. Many will probably find some of Cécile’s decisions in this book frustrating, but to me they were an extension of the determined young woman we met in the first book who is loath to give up on something she believes in even if it drives her to extremes. We already had the chance to see the romance spark and develop between her and Tristan in the first book; I was glad to see that this book went further beyond giving readers more of the same, deciding instead to explore the greater mysteries. The page count is probably just a tad higher than I would have been comfortable with, but I got a lot out of it in the end, so I can’t bring myself to complain too much.
Hidden Huntress opens up the world, simply put. It felt bigger and more encompassing, upping the ante for all involved. The pull of the story was irresistible, given how so much more now rests on the success of our protagonists. Everything that the first book set us up for comes to fruition, complete with welcome twists and unexpected surprises. If nothing else, that incredible ending sure has me eager for book three.
More of The Malediction Trilogy on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Stolen Songbird (Book 1)
Book Review: Exile by Betsy Dornbusch
Posted on June 12, 2015 8 Comments
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Seven Eyes
Publisher: Night Shade Books (February 1, 2013)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ve been wanting to read Exile by Betsy Dornbusch for a while, so I’m glad I was able to finally tick this off my list. Something tells me I might have enjoyed this more if I had read this a few years ago though, before I’ve had more experience reading fantasy fiction under my belt, because then some of its shortcomings might not have been as noticeable for me. It is a good book, but like many reviewers have pointed out, it is not without its flaws.
Exile introduces us to its protagonist Draken Vae Khellian, the bastard cousin of the king and a former guard commander, fallen far from grace and now chained up on a prisoner ship’s hold. Draken’s wife was found brutally murdered and he has been falsely accused for the crime, even though the circumstances around her death stinks of dark sorcery. Draken is summarily banished to Akrasia, a land of magic and wildness, a far cry from his homeland of Monoea. Grieving and alone, all he can think about is clearing his name and getting revenge on his wife’s true killer.
In a stroke of extraordinary luck, very early into his exile Draken encounters a sorcerer of death magic named Osias along with his half-Moonling servant girl Setia, who save him from possession by a malicious spirit called a Bane. He accompanies them both to the palace where he learns of the Akrasian queen’s plight – her land is in turmoil and on the brink of revolution, and no doubt even now her detractors are planning conspiracies and assassination attempts against her…
In fact, one was going down right that instant, putting Draken in the perfect position to rescue her and gain her trust. She subsequently grants him the prestigious post to guard her safety, and Draken swears to track down the assassin who attempted to kill her.
Has the issue become apparent yet? Draken seems to have the extraordinary ability to be in the right place at exactly the right time, despite starting out his exile with nothing but the clothes on his back – no food, no money, no friends, no nothing. Within what feels like mere moments of his landing on the shores of Akrasia, he’s found himself in the personal service of its monarch.
In spite of this, I found the beginning of the book very interesting. The world building is strong, with its myriad peoples, cultures and religions. The “arse-end of the world” that is Akrasia really isn’t so bad, and the strange land was actually a wonder for me to explore with its Moonlings and spirits. I was a big fan of the magic and its mysteries, and necromancers like Osias captured my curiosity with the dark nature of his powers. My first impression is that the world of Seven Eyes, named for its seven moons, sounds like a very beautiful and magical place for a fantasy setting. There’s also a lot of depth to its history and political landscape.
The story and characters admittedly pale a bit compared to the world building, but I was nonetheless satisfied. The sequence of events in this book aren’t so much predictable as they are much too convenient to be believable, but even though that skepticism kept me from engaging with the story fully, it was still an enjoyable read. I liked Draken’s characterization, though I found his healthy sexual appetite to be quite a turnoff, considering the all-consuming grief he’s supposedly feeling for his wife. For all his sadness, it was a short mourning period, apparently.
All told, Exile is a decent book, and with its in-depth world building but simplistic plot, I’d say it’s probably more suited for new-ish readers to the fantasy genre. There are a lot of punches you have to roll with, but nothing major that would be a deal breaker. A light, entertaining fantasy novel that has all the right stuff, just in imperfect amounts, but still quite good.
Book Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa
Posted on June 12, 2015 5 Comments
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Series: Talon #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (October 2014)
Author: juliekagawa.com
To be honest, I don’t even know how this book ended up in my pile. I suspect it was an Audible Daily Deal or maybe it was Tiara being generous with her Audible gifts, because otherwise, I don’t go out of my way to pick up YA love triangle books.
Unless that love triangle involves shapeshifting dragons….
Ember and her brother Dante are 16 year old twins–that is, brood mates–sent by Talon to assimilate into human culture. As with all dragons, their human form is beautiful and they have been trained to blend in with other beautiful people. Of course. But the more Ember gets into the joys of beach life with hot boys and surfing, the less she enjoys the restrictions imposed by Talon. And the mysterious rogue dragon that Ember is instantly attracted to certainly doesn’t help dissuade her questioning.
But there’s another problem: St. George–the soldiers who are trained to root out and destroy all dragons. But when Garrett is ordered to infiltrate the beach in order to find the sleeper female, he not only falls for Ember, but discovers that dragons aren’t the cold, calculating monsters he was raised to believe them to be.
DRAMA!!!
Other than the fantastical twist of shapeshifting dragons in human form, this is a fairly typical YA novel with beautiful teens on the beach discovering their passions for rebellion and romance. The issues of misconceptions over dragonkind and the dragonslayers is constantly hammered in thanks to the juxtaposition of both Garrett and Ember’s points of view as the story progresses.
But there wasn’t nearly enough dragon going on. Perhaps that will come in later books, but even when Ember did get to get her dragon on, it felt superficial, with the focus heavily placed on her human self, which seemed to be less of a skin than an second personality. When romance comes into play, there is constant talk of her dragon’s instinctive reaction, but her human side always seemed to dominate. I would have liked to see a lot more conflict.
Overall, an entertaining read, but not necessarily a story I’ll continue with.
For another perspective, check out Mogsy’s review here.
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