Sword of the North by Luke Scull: Guest Review by Mihir Wanchoo
Posted on May 5, 2015 9 Comments
Today’s review is brought to you by Mihir Wanchoo, a reviewer from Fantasy Book Critic. This was really exciting for me. FBC was one of my favorite SFF review sites even before I started reviewing, so I was pleased and so honored when Mihir had this great idea and invited me to do a “guest review swap” with them of Luke Scull’s Sword of the North. Of course I agreed! Please enjoy Mihir’s review below, and you can also read my guest review of the book which was posted yesterday on Fantasy Book Critic by going here!
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Sword of the North by Luke Scull
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Grim Company
Publisher: Roc (May 5, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mihir’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: When it comes to sequels, it’s hard for the authors to write them, as often they have to do so within a strict time limit as well as take into consideration reader expectations. Now imagine if your debut was a successful one, Terry Brooks took 5 years between his debut Sword of Shannara and the follow-up Elfstones of Shannara. Supposedly he had written a different book but his editor had him scrap it, and aren’t we all glad for it.
If Terry Brooks had such a hard time writing the sequel in a day and age without the internet, imagine what authors must go through in this age. Luke Scull had previously mentioned how he’s had to overcome many difficulties while writing this book and it’s being released nearly 2 years after its predecessor. As far as wait times go, that’s a tiny one in epic fantasy scale. For me The Grim Company was a standout debut and also the best debut in my 2013 year-end lists. The sequel was a highly anticipated one and of course this volume promised a lot more of Brodar Kayne & his highly taciturn comrade Jerek the wolf.
How did it figure? That’s a complicated answer and I’ll try my best to give a proper reply. Here’s what the novel is about. Broday Kayne and Jerek after the events of The Grim Company when they took part in upsetting Salazar’s reign aren’t really feeling the love. So after three weeks they decide to go back to the north. However, their luck runs awry when bandits beset them. This book also dwells deeply on its titular character Kayne as we get to see how Brodar gained the title of the Sword Of The North beginning with events nearly thirty-six years ago.
Returning back from the last book are Davarus, Sasha and Yllandris. Davarus returns and finds that fate has crueler plans for him. He finds himself a prisoner in a concentration camp (of sorts) with a sadistic overseer. Sasha found her family in Ambryl but she finds that the sister she remembers is long gone. They are both conscripted by Eremul to find out more about the White Lady in Thelessa while delivering his message. Yllandris is in a rough situation as well, her paramour is now a tortured prisoner and she is beholden to a crazy sociopath who is known as the Butcher King. Lastly there’s Eremul who is now recognized as the half-mage who slew Salazar and is now trying his best to find out more about the Fade. There’s also a new POV character called Sir Meredith who is a knight sworn to the Butcher king and he’s a doozy.
That is the cast of POV characters and with this book, Luke Scull plunges the reader back into the crazy world that is the Age of Ruin. The characters whom we love are back however the author is not done with them. Readers should be warned that while this is a middle book of the trilogy, it doesn’t quite suffer from the middle book syndrome. There’s a plan at work here, which deals with the events that were showcased in the prologue of its predecessor. This book does build up on a lot of things for Dead Man’s Steel, the final volume of the trilogy.
Here’s what I enjoyed about this book, once again the characterization is the author’s forte. Beginning with Brodar Kayne who shines mightily throughout, there’s also the focus on Davarus, Yllandris, Sasha and Sir Meredith. All these characters undergo a lot and not all of them make it throughout the book. I want to particularly highlight Sir Meredith who is as despicable as they come but thanks to the author we get to see a peek at the madness that lies within him. It’s a fascinating sort of look that while we hate the character and his actions, the author brilliantly illustrates what make him tick. This brilliant characterization is also showcased with Davarus and Sasha who have to undergo a lot of trials and they are made stronger for it.
If you thought Davarus was pompous in the previous chapter, this book showcases how far he falls. The horror he endures makes the stuff Harry Dresden faces seem like a walk in the park. In this regard, Luke Scull shows himself to be a crueler manipulator than Jim Butcher with regards to his characters. We also get a significant look into Brodar’s past and how his friendship with Jerek came to be. That bond is significantly focused upon in this volume and we are shown what truly makes Jerek tick. The author also shows a lot of ruthlessness with character deaths and there are some surprising ones in this volume. I enjoyed how the author made the read an even keel, as I wasn’t sure who would survive for the next volume.
Lastly this book also gives us a more than clearer look at the events that lead to the Age of Ruin, the reason for the Fade’s disappearance and hatred for humanity. The author has sown some seeds within the first volume that will become clearer only after reading this book. I absolutely can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in the third volume wherein there’s a titanic struggle to for the remaining characters.
As intriguing as this book was, there were some middling points to it. Namely that the pace flounders a bit in the middle of the book wherein the author is setting up things for the climax. Another thing that was disappointing for me was the reduced role that Eremul had in this book. As a main character in the preceding volume, I was looking to more from him but sadly that wasn’t the case. However I’m hoping he features more prominently in the sequel though.
CONCLUSION: Sword Of The North is a strong sequel to The Grim Company and as far as books go, it’s a fascinating read. I had high expectations and it managed to meet them strongly. It did have some missteps but then what book doesn’t. Overall it neatly sidestepped the middle book syndrome and sets up the final volume superbly. Sword Of The North gets a solid thumbs-up and I can’t wait to read Dead Man’s Steel now.
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ABOUT OUR GUEST REVIEWER
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Mihir Wanchoo is a physician and a Masters graduate. He is an avid book collector and longtime reader of fantasy, thrillers and Indian mythology with additional interests in historical fiction and urban fantasy. Favorite writers include Jeffrey Deaver, John Connolly, Douglas Preston,David Gemmell, Sarah Ash, George R.R. Martin, James Clemens/James Rollins, Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews, Tad Williams and many others.
Michael Alan Nelson Hexed-ravaganza: Graphic Novel and Book Reviews
Posted on May 4, 2015 16 Comments
Once upon a time, Tiara and Mogsy had a conversation on Twitter about Michael Alan Nelson and thus the idea of a “Hexed Day” was born…
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A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hexed: The Sisters of Witchdown by Michael Alan Nelson
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Pyr (May 5, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Another excellent Young Adult novel from Pyr, the first of what I hope will be Hexed series featuring more of heroine Luci Jenifer Ignacio das Neves – Lucifer for short. Based on the author’s comic of the same name which I’ve actually not read before tackling this book (but you can be sure it’s on my to-read list now), Hexed: The Sisters of Witchdown has made me a new fan of Michael Alan Nelson.
The story begins with a Bloody Mary game gone wrong. What should have been a harmless prank ends up getting a high school girl snatched away by monstrous haggish creature. Her father, a police officer, goes to Lucifer for help after hearing that the young thief possesses supernatural talents that would help him get his daughter Gina back. Unable to bear the cop’s grief, Lucifer decides to help. After her initial investigations at the missing girl’s school, Lucifer ends up with some promising leads as well as a new sidekick – Gina’s handsome and popular boyfriend, David.
A great mix of action and humor with just a dash of horror, Hexed is an entertaining paranormal YA novel featuring a story that feels new and fresh. With a plot that’s fast-paced and addictive, this book is truly something special. I took to our kickass protagonist right away, charmed by her resourcefulness and laugh-out-loud wit. Lucifer is simply hilarious! I really enjoyed following her as a main character, even if I do find her name and the reason behind it (she was named for her two grandmothers, and she “honors” them by combining their first names like that) a little dubious, but I guess when it comes to her brand of dry dark humor, that’s probably as good an example as any. I like Lucifer too because she manages to pull off that take-no-crap attitude without coming off as a belligerent little brat. She may have a strong personality, but her kind heart and good intentions come through on every page.
I also love the secret mystical underworld of Hexed. As Lucifer is so fond of reminding us, she possesses no inherent magical power, but the tools she uses often do. She carries around a trick bag full of magical – and sometimes dangerous – gadgets and thingamabobs which she whips out whenever she needs a problem solved, and finding out what each object does is half the fun. Through some very intense scenes, we’re also introduced to what appears to be a very intricate spell system involving runes and symbols, used for anything from activating mirrors to other dimensions to exorcising demons from their hapless victims (bet you’re dying to know why Lucifer’s holding a stuffed bunny on the cover!) The supernatural baddies here can be pretty terrifying, like the filcher demons, witch-hounds, and the witches themselves, but they’re also fascinating. Lucifer’s harrowing journey to find and rescue Gina from the dead realm of Witchdown is not without its disturbing moments, but I couldn’t help it – I found myself utterly captivated by the whole story.
There are just a couple of issues I have to bring up; one is minor, while the other can be a deal breaker depending on your personal preferences. The first is something that struck me as unnecessary, which is the constant reminder that Lucifer is something “separate” and apart from the normal real world. Every few chapters is another wistful comment from her regarding high school life in general, how all that is out of reach for her but she still wants it badly. The other issue is the romance, and not just any romance. As Lucifer and David work closely together to get Gina back, feelings start to develop between them, despite David already being unmistakably, indisputably, irrefutably spoken for. This particular story arc did make for a pretty startling twist at the end, but just a heads up if you find the idea of dallying with a taken guy unappealing.
Lucifer is not your typical teenage girl, nor is Hexed your typical YA. It was a very enjoyable, quick and fun read, and best of all it is not necessary to have read the graphic novel before diving in this one. You do get a feeling that there’s an incredibly rich back story there though, one that I’ll definitely have to go back and check out one of these days now!
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Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson (writer), Emma Rios (artist)
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Leading Ladies
Publisher: Boom! Studios (March 9th 2010; first published September 2009)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
I am a huge fan of Michael Alan Nelson’s work. I loved what he did with the comics that followed the events after the movie 28 Days Later, and that’s how I initially was introduced to his work. Since then, I’ve read many of his comics, and I love what he’s done with the series Day Men, Dingo, and Pale Horse. To say that I am a fan of his comics is probably a huge understatement.
Luci Jenifer Ignacio das Neves–Lucifer, for short–just had a really good night. The young thief procured a magical item that her employer, a snobby, witty old soul named Val, sent her to steal from a really suspect night club. The item in question?
Angel wings, which are beautiful enough to cause tears to come Val’s eyes. Not only did Lucifer get the wings her employer wanted for her client she also made off with a new toy–a witch hound (monstrous demonic things) that she keeps trapped inside of cutesy stuffed animals that she collects.
After making Val go through the “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings” act (much to Val’s chagrin), Lucifer receives her payment and goes home hoping to wash the skankiness off her and get some rest since she hasn’t slept in 24 hours. However, when Lucifer arrives home, she’s confronted by a dangerous former employer named Dietrich who claims she owes him three hundred grand after not completing a contract he gave her three years ago because she figured out the magical tome he wanted was being protected not used for ill as he seemed to imply. Dietrich is powerful, and he knows that how to hit Lucifer where it hurts because she’s a decent person. He gives her 24 hours to retrieve another magical item for him with the added stipulation that she has to introduce him to the woman who hexed her, a woman simply called The Harlot.
Hexed was a glorious treat. Once I was able to sit down with it, I was fully engrossed in this story. Everything around me just ceased to exist for the a little while as I became completely emerged in Lucifer’s world. There were moments I couldn’t help laughing or mentally pumping my fist for Lucifer as she triumphed through her trials or even aching for her a little as she dealt with painful problems. This book also showed that it intends to play around with theology in interesting ways as it continues, and as someone who loves when theological ideas are used in new ways in stories such as these, I look forward to it.
Click to enlarge
While showing no real magical abilities herself, Lucifer is armed with magical tools and knows just about everything about getting information and material she needs from this strange magical world beneath the mundane world. Her name belies her attitude, which shows her to be a brave, caring, resourceful, and a darkly funny person. I couldn’t help but smile when she made Val recite the “angel wings” thing I mentioned earlier and actually ring a bell, showing that while she is a rock-n-roll ninja burglar, as she calls herself, there’s still something young and vulnerable inside her.
I’m not sure if she’s supposed to be “teenage young” or “new adult” young in this graphic novel. It feels more “new adult” even though the novel is categorized as “young adult.” However, this is a comic, and it has to be succinct, and for that reason, that could possibly be why she doesn’t lament on high school life or being a normal teenager like in the novel. Despite whatever range she’s supposed to represent, Nelson has managed to write her in way that doesn’t make he roll my eyes or mutter brat every few panels, which I always appreciate because that’s my main problem with most “young adult” and “new adult” stories.
This book doesn’t go into Lucifer’s back story, but there are plenty of hints about things that have happened before, especially things she doesn’t want to be part of again, but nothing has been explored fully yet. We learn the much of the extent of her connection to The Harlot, whose name is very fitting once you meet the character (and not for sexual reasons) and learn what her role is in the supernatural world, but the book still gives plenty of wiggle room even in that story to explore more of the relationship between Lucifer and The Harlot. They share a contentious relationship with The Harlot coming off mockingly maternal to Lucifer while Lucifer just hates her damn guts.
However, on the opposite end of that relationship is Lucifer’s feelings towards her employer Val who she obviously views as a mother figure and would do anything to keep her safe, even if it means unleashing forces that cannot be controlled. It’s a beautiful relationship between two women who barely try to keep up to keep up the pretense of employer and employee. Their care for one another shows even when they’re trying to be formal.
The only real complaint I have for this book is that one scene toward the end was rather convenient, too convenient. However, it was a very beautiful scene. I thought it was absolutely breathtaking with the art accompanying it, but I still couldn’t deny it felt sort of deus ex machina-ish, even though readers can calculate that it does have something to do with a very brief scene from earlier in the comic. So, at least, it did have some precedent, even if it was just that small iota. It just still made me think: “Well, isn’t that a convenient turn of events?”
Urban fantasy, even Urban Fantasy novels, can be a little formulaic, so it’s always nice to read something that adds an offbeat spin to an old familiar story. This managed to be touching, dark, and funny all at the same time. Emma Rios’ art really makes this story pop. The mixture of bright and dark art makes Lucifer’s world a visual treat with Nelson’s narration. Again, Nelson has given me a comic that I’ll continue to enjoy as I explore Lucifer’s world and unlock more of her secrets. Now excuse me while I bump this novel higher up my TBR list! Why wouldn’t I want to read more about a rock-n-roll ninja burglar?
YA Weekend: Lois Lane: Cloudy With a Chance of Destruction (Novella) by Gwenda Bond
Posted on May 3, 2015 6 Comments
Lois Lane: Cloudy With a Chance of Destruction by Gwenda Bond
Genre: Young Adult, Leading Ladies
Series: Lois Lane
Publisher: Capstone (April 6, 2015)
Author’s Information: Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Lois Lane: Cloudy With a Chance of Destruction is a short story tying in with Gwenda Bond’s novel Lois Lane: Fallout, which was released May 1st. This story takes place right before Lois, who is an Army brat, and her family moves to Metropolis where she’ll set root to become the Lois Lane that you love and/or hate. In a high school chemistry class, Lois finds herself in the middle of a turbulent love affair of two of her teen classmates, Mike and Sophie. What love affair at that age isn’t turbulent?
Sophie has decided that she’s had enough of Mike and his stupidity and dumps him during their lab project, and Mike tries to cajole Sophie into taking him back because their grade counts based on group effort (and Sophie is apparently something of an honor student), which he’s not willing to make if she’s not willing to take him back. In an effort to win Sophie back, Mike decides to bring an “awe-inspiring” experiment to school the next day to impress Sophie. Lois’ current residence is full of scientists, including Mike’s dad, and she has a bad feeling about what he’s carrying around in the bag.
I know Young Adult books are all the rage right now, but I’m not fond of them at this age (used to love them when I was younger) and I’m very particular about the ones that I read. I’ll be the first to admit that I can be harsher on them than I should be. That’s not to say that I haven’t read Young Adult books that I absolutely adore, but they are few and far in between. However, this was a cute story. I loved the burgeoning attitudes of the Lois that I’ve come to love in the comics. However, this still wasn’t really for me, and that’s because of two words: Clark Kent.
He’s not called out by name, and Lois only knows him from message boards they both frequent. I’m not the biggest Superman fan in general for various reasons, but my personal reasons for not caring for the character are not the reasons why I disliked his place in this short story. I wanted to read a story where Clark doesn’t factor into Lois’ life. True, I love Lois and Clark as a couple in DC Universe when they become adults, but what made me excited about reading a story about a young Lois was seeing her develop outside of Clark. Even in this story, Clark is her go-to texting buddy about all things science instead of allowing her be the little investigative reporter that lives in her.
Clark has been allowed to live his life before and even after Lois. Sure, she eventually shows up in many of his stories, too. However, he’s been still allowed to shape himself without Lois while in this story Lois immediately runs to him for help. That turned me off to this short story and has made me decide that I’ll pass on the novel as well. I don’t want a story where Clark is her secret internet buddy that gives her the answers she needs. I want a story about Lois showing her true skill and wit without having to send texts to Clark for science help.
Despite that, I do recommend this for fans of Lois Lane who want a spin on her story and how she became the biggest force The Daily Planet has ever encountered. I found this highly imaginative, and I loved seeing Lois Lane snarking and being “in-your-face” when it came to Mike’s craziness and gross behavior. She also showed that she’s fearless and can come up with solutions on the fly. I’d probably be more excited for reading the novel if it wasn’t for that one annoyance.
This short story was provided to me by Capstone through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
YA Weekend: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Posted on May 2, 2015 23 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.
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Seraphina
Publisher: Random House Chrildren’s Books (March 10, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I have to admit I went into Shadow Scale with no small amount of trepidation; from the ratings I’ve seen around the blogosphere, it seemed like most readers either loved it or hated it. I very rarely find myself skewing one way or the other though, so I wasn’t surprised when I finished this book and found my feelings lying somewhere in the middle. In other words, it wasn’t too bad. At the same time, it’s far from what I had in mind.
The book begins with a narrator recounting events of the first book in a historian-like tone, an introduction I appreciated a lot, actually. It’s been a while since I read Seraphina and the mini-recap was very helpful in refreshing my memory. For decades, the denizens of kingdom of Goredd have held an uneasy peace with the dragons of Tanamoot, but that period is soon coming to an end. As war looms on the horizon, our human-dragon protagonist Seraphina is asked to help Goredd. For as long as she could remember though, she’s hidden herself in the shadows, keeping the fact that she is a hybrid secret. But now, her very heritage is drawn into the conflict. No longer can she hide, as she is tasked to go on a quest across the kingdom to find other half-dragons like herself, for they may hold the secret to saving Goredd.
While Prince Kiggs and Princess Glisselda back home are preparing for the war, Seraphina embarks on this new adventure, pursued by enemies who want to stop her. More concerning, however, is a threat that unexpectedly arises – reports of a half dragon who can infiltrate the minds of others and take them over.
Book Review: Garden of Dreams & Desires by Kristen Painter
Posted on May 1, 2015 4 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.
Garden of Dreams & Desires by Kristen Painter
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Crescent City
Publisher: Orbit (April 7, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
While this isn’t exactly what I had in mind for an ending, I have to say Garden of Dreams & Desires concludes the Crescent City trilogy nicely. What’s great is that this novel boasts its own story arc but still manages to resolve everything from the previous two installments, tying up any and all loose ends. That being said, there’s obviously a lot to pack into a little more than 300 pages or so, and I felt like I was being powered through the story at a breakneck pace.
We last left Harlow in a bit of a quandary. At the end of City of Eternal Night, she does something insanely stupid and ends up resurrecting the soul of her dead twin Ava Mae, using the magic of a lightning tree. Of course, with nowhere else for Ava Mae to go, her spirit immediately hitches a ride in Harlow’s body and takes over. Once again for the first half of the book, we have Augustine scrambling to do everything he can to help Harlow out of a problem of her own making.
Meanwhile, tourists have been disappearing in New Orleans, including the son of a prominent and bigoted senator who believes the Fae and Othernaturals are the ones responsible for the kidnappings. As Guardian of the city, Augustine has his hands full with the investigation into the missing tourists, trying to find the real kidnappers before the senator imposes sanctions on his people. But since he has fallen deeply for Harlow, he therefore decides to make her predicament his first priority, even though the fate of the entire supernatural population could be at stake. Oh the things we do for love.
Maybe it was the pacing, but something about this didn’t quite sit right with me. If you can’t tell already, my relationship with Harlow’s character has been a long and tumultuous journey. I disliked her strongly in the first book, but started to warm towards her in the second only to watch her naiveté strike her down again. Perhaps she and I were just never meant to be. There were some major improvements to her character in here, but the book’s pacing was just so fast that it felt like she was transformed overnight. I couldn’t understand anyone’s affection for her, let alone how Augustine could fall in love with her.
I enjoyed seeing how the story wrapped up, but the speed at which it happened diminished the experience somewhat. Harlow didn’t get enough time to develop properly, and neither did Senator Pellimento, the new baddie introduced in this book now that Branzino has been taken care of. Pellimento was sort of a paint-by-numbers villainess, her reasons for coming down hard on the Fae not very well explained other than the fact she hates them and is unwilling to consider the possibility that anyone else could be responsible for her son’s disappearance. In the end, it was the witches. That’s not really a spoiler since it’s mentioned right there in the book description, plus ultimately there was no mystery just because there was absolutely no room left in the story to set one up. The conclusion also tied things up too neatly and a little too quickly, casually taking care of the witches and Ava Mae in one fell swoop so that Augustine and Harlow can have their happy ending. Don’t get me wrong; I think the two of them are a good match and I’m glad things worked out for them, but wow, those last few chapters just blew right by.
If I have to hazard a guess as to why it feels so rushed, I would say it’s because in our interview with Kristen Painter, she revealed that she originally intended Crescent City to be a five book series, not three. Indeed, with all that happened in this book, it could easily have been two or even three installments. That could explain why the most important threads were tied up but some major questions are still left open, such as what will happen to Olivia and the consequences now of so many people knowing about the dangers of the lightning tree.
Garden of Dreams & Desires was a good read with thrills that will leave you exhilarated – and not least because it is so fast-paced that you won’t even have a chance to catch a breath. It’s a hectic novel which could have been better paced, but I also understand the challenge of having to work under certain restrictions and the author’s choices if that was the case. On a whole, I thought this series was very enjoyable. The first book was good and the second book was even better; City of Eternal Night was my favorite of the three books. Crescent City is a fascinating Fae-centric urban fantasy trilogy set in a very unique and vibrant portrayal of New Orleans, certainly worth checking out if that sounds like your cup of tea.
Other reviews in this series:
House of the Rising Sun (Book 1), City of Eternal Night (Book 2)
Tough Traveling: The Big City
Posted on April 30, 2015 19 Comments
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan of Review Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in (and inspired by) The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information.
This week’s tour topic is: The Big City
There has to be somewhere in Fantasyland where everyone comes together. All roads lead to Rome after all. A place where traders prosper, politicians scheme, and criminals thrive.
Tiara’s Picks
Camelot (The Once and Future King by T.H. White)
Camelot is the famed castle city ruled by King Arthur who is said to have dominion over not only Britain, but Norway, Ireland, Gaul, and Iceland after successfully repelling an attack from the Saxons. Camelot is the city where his round table was situated and where most scheming against him happened. Long live the king.
King’s Landing (A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin)
What list would be complete without just about any of the major strongholds from this book, but at the heart of politics, trading, scheming, and the welfare of the entire kingdom of Westeros lies with King’s Landing, the home of its kings, who don’t seem to meet very happy fates.
Cardegosse (The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold)
Lupe de Cazaril dreads going to the city of Cardegosse which is a cesspool of politics and political intrigue. After spending years in captivity with their enemies, the Roknari, Cazaril is terrified when they’re called to court in Cardegosse because the family who sold him to their enemy is part of the royal court. When he arrives in the city, he immediately finds himself embroiled in dangerous politics that force him to do something extreme, something he doesn’t feel like even their fickle gods will approve.
The Citadel (Mass Effect by Bioware) – Humans haven’t long been part of the intergalactic alien community, being seen by many of the older alien races as rash, ignorant, impulsive, and not nearly as useful as some of the other races. The Citadel acts as a hub where politics between the different alien races are conducted as well as providing a beautiful (on the surface) home for its many alien inhabitants including humans as well as having a governing body made of the major alien races to keep intergalactic peace.
Heaven’s Spire (The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes)
Are you tired of me using examples from The Palace Job yet? Sorry, not sorry. Heaven’s Spire is a heavy fortress city that floats in the sky by means of magic. It described as a grand beautiful place and hub for all political scheming, especially against their enemies the Imperial.
Tyrsis (Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks)
And on this day mankind received a grim reminder… Sorry, I still can’t get that out of my mind when talking about Tyrsis’ impenetrable walls. Tyrsis is the capital of the country Callahorn, which will one day be ruled by Balinor Buckhannah and his billowing boon-filled cape of bravery. Tyrsis, while mostly peaceful, is a hub where various races converge for trading and politics. It’s described in the books as being one of the cities of man that sees many races and isn’t phased by it like many other smaller human cities and villages. Callahorn along with Tyrsis is nearly lost after political treachery.
Ankh-Morpork (The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett)
From what I can tell of Ankh-Morpork, it’s a metropolis of sorts that, much like our bustling modern cities, can’t be bothered with such things as dragon attacks. Vegetables still have to to delivered, okay. It’s corrupt, full of wonder, good food, magic, and a center of trade and politics. Many hilarious misadventures seem to take place in this city. Also, adding this pic gives me a reason to use this picture mainly because of Luggage (I’ll be watching the show soon).
Mogsy’s Picks:
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
When Gavin Guile discovers that he had fathered a secret son, he goes and retrieves the boy and brings him to the Chromeria to be trained in chromaturgy. As the central hub for the education as well as the seat government, the city is the heart of The Seven Satrapies and boasts tall towers and other large buildings constructed with luxin, the colorful material that mages use to draft.
Veil of the Deserters by Jeff Salyards
Now that the Emperor Cynead has solidified his power, the next step is to demand loyalty from his followers. After spending a long time on the road, Braylar and his company of Syldoonian warriors (along with the scribe Arki tagging along) are recalled to the city to swear fealty. Arki finds himself amazed at the magnificent sights and sounds as soon as they step through the gates into the capital, moments before he is introduced to the brutality and ruthless scheming in this world of warrior politics.
The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler
The war in Khandar is won, and Janus, Marcus and Winter return in haste to the capital as heroes. But all is not well in the city of Ohnlei. The king is on his deathbed, and the power-hungry Duke Orlanko is circling like a vulture around the young princess and heir, waiting to seize control. When revolution breaks out, the city’s streets run red with riots and bloody battles.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addision
Maia, the youngest half-goblin son the the Elven emperor has lived his entire life as a cast-off, far away from the business and affairs of the The Untheileneise Court, the seat of the Elvish government. But when his father and three older brothers all perish in an airship accident, being the next in line in the royal succession Maia is plucked from exile and taken to the big city in order to take his rightful place on the throne.
Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
Conan may be a Cimmerian, but eventually he becomes the the king of Aquilonia, presiding from his throne in the sprawling, wondrous city of Tarantia. Lying on the Road of Kings, this great capital is the jewel of Aquilonia, the most prominent and powerful of the Hyborean kingdoms. Towers of blue and gold dominate the skyline, and many of its buildings are polished and shining, a dazzling sight to behold. A hub for much trade, it is said that virtually anything can be purchased in the markets of Tarantia. Funcom did a pretty good job rendering the city’s concept in Age of Conan:
Wendy’s Pick
Is it Thursday already? Where did the time go? Sigh. I had big plans for this, but I see that my co-bloggers have things covers. Carry on then.
Comic Stack 04/29/15: Urban Fantasy Novels Turned Comics
Posted on April 29, 2015 8 Comments
After a hectic work week for me, I finally got some down time to spend catching up on some comics! This week I visit some familiar faces and one new face. This week’s comics are based on popular urban fantasy novels. I revisit the worlds (now with PICTURES!) of Mercy Thompson and Harry Dresden comics based on the first book of their respective series. I had a couple more I wanted to include, but I wanted to think about the other two a bit more first before I introduced them. The first comic I read based on a book was probably Anita Blake’s Guilty Pleasures. It’s been a while back. I remember enjoying it for the most part while snickering about how curly and fabulous everyone’s hair was. I’m sure I still have a shot of this awesome hair somewhere. Ah! Here we go.
With comics, you have to get to the heart of the matter, especially when dealing with comics based on books. Writers are forced to choose what’s important and can the rest while (hopefully) keeping their readers engaged in the story. However, I do think that urban fantasy can work better with the comic format than some other genres. So, how did these first issues fare against my sometimes discriminating tastes? Let’s find out.
Moon Called #1 by Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence (writers), Amelia Woo (artist)
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Mercy Thompson is a walker, nearly the last of her kind. She has the power to turn into a coyote. Despite this, she still straddles the line between the magical world and the mundane world, not truly belonging to either. Enter Mac, a boy who is obviously a werewolf, but everything points to him being a clueless new werewolf. And he’s obviously on the run from something. Mercy doesn’t ask questions. She just gives him a job in her garage despite the fact that she knows trouble is likely to follow him.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I always go into these comics a little skeptical that they can capture what makes me enjoy the novels. I think this particular book did a fabulous job, especially as a #1 to really get to the meat of what’s going on while providing the reader some cryptic things for readers to chew on that will be revealed during the course of the series. This book gave me a strong urge to reread the first book in this series, too. Typical of the genre, this spans over two volumes for one book (because seriously how else are they supposed to get as much of the story out as they can?), so I’ll be picking it up soon (and probably rereading the first book, too).
Storm Front #1 by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers (writers), Adrian Syaf (artist)
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Harry is called in by the police department on a case where two people’s hearts look as if they’ve literally exploded from their chests. Believing this couldn’t happen by ordinary means, Karrin Murphy tries to get an idea of what happened by allowing Harry to look at the scene. Harry also finds himself part of a mystery to find out what happened to a woman’s husband (a husband who dabbled in the arcane) while staying off a local mob boss’ (John Marcone) grid.
Honestly, it actually hasn’t been that long since I reread this novel, and while the details are familiar, my memory of this novel is pretty hazy. When I say the first Dresden book is pretty unremarkable for me, I mean it. I’ve read it twice and nothing ever really sticks from that book for me, and I fear the comic is going to be the same way. This isn’t a bad comic, but there’s just nothing special about it for me. Two things, though. Karrin definitely looks similar to how I see her in my mind, and the colorist seemed to forget midway through the page that Susan’s eyes were brown and that drove me nuts for the few pages I had left to read. I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of this volume. I might just skip on over to Fool Moon instead.
Waiting on Wednesday 04/29/15
Posted on April 29, 2015 9 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:
The Paradox by Charlie Fletcher: August 18, 2015 (Orbit)
I’m very excited for this! The first book The Oversight was an ARC that unexpected landed on my doorstep last year, and not knowing anything about it I nonetheless gave it a try. Well, I ended up loving it. It won me over with it many twists and turns and an incredibly atmospheric setting, and characters that stayed with me for a long time. I can’t wait to catch up with them in the sequel, which sounds just as lovely.
“From HBO scriptwriter Charlie Fletcher comes a wildly original and hugely entertaining new fantasy series for a generation that has grown up with Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman.
The Last Hand of the Oversight still patrols the border between the natural and supranatural, holding a candle to the darkness. But this new Hand is unproven, its fresh members untrained, its veterans weary and battle-scarred. Their vulnerability brings new enemies into the city, and surprising new allies from across the sea.
But most surprising of all are new revelations about the Oversight’s past, revelations that will expose the true peril of the world in which Sharp and Sara are trapped — the secret of the Black Mirrors, and what lies beyond. And the catastrophic danger that will follow them home, if they ever manage to return.
The dark waters rise. The candles are guttering. But the light still remains.
For now…”
Tiara’s Pick:
Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe: May 6, 2015 (Image Comics)
For my birthday last year, Wendy so graciously sent me a copy of the first volume which I enjoyed very much. It was a fun romp following an all female mercenary group who liked to drink, party, and cause general chaos. I managed to resist the temptation of having it pulled for me, but now I am pleased to learn that the second volume is right around the corner. Also, since I am a tentacles enthusiast (yeah, we exist), I know this is a must buy.
“This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far. Collects RAT QUEENS #6-10.”
Book Review: The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson
Posted on April 28, 2015 15 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.
The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (April 21, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
My thoughts on The Affinities in a nutshell: Loved loved loved the idea, but not so keen on the execution. Social science fiction is an enjoyable subgenre for me, but when the socio-political part of that equation gets lost in the narrative, I confess having trouble getting into the story. Nevertheless, there are a lot of interesting themes in here, many of which can be gleaned from the general description of the novel itself.
The book begins with an introduction to our narrator, Adam Fisk. At loose ends with his life and career, one day he decides to sign up for Affinity testing, the newfangled social phenomenon that has taken the continent by storm. That decision will change his life forever. Adam’s results ends up qualifying him for entrance into the Tau Affinity, one of twenty-two exclusive social groups whose membership is determined by a complex battery of personality tests. Tau becomes Adam’s new family. His fellow members don’t need to know him to understand him or to be his friend; they’re all Tau too. It’s “Tau telepathy”, everybody just gets everybody else.
Yet as the years go by and Affinities become more entrenched in our societies, new problems start to manifest themselves. The people in the twenty-two Affinities are happy with their new friends and new lives, but what of the people who don’t want to join an Affinity or whose tests don’t qualify them for any of them? And because members within an Affinity are so adept at working with each other, it is inevitable that the bigger and more influential Affinities begin to accumulate real political and financial power – Affinities like Tau and Het, whose differences eventually lead them to war against each other.
It’s all very fascinating, and indeed, I enjoyed the first hundred pages or so of the book immensely. Alas, around the halfway mark is when things started unraveling. While I liked the concept of Affinities, we don’t get near enough of the science or technology behind it. I felt like I was expected to just roll with the punches, ignore the implausibilities and just move on, so to speak. Which would have been fine with me if the story had been more satisfying on the social commentary front. But it wasn’t either, not particularly. With regards to the book’s topics, it felt like the author was biting off more than he could chew, resulting in limited implementation of the main idea when its potential in fact demands so much more. While reading The Affinities, I frequently caught the sense of the story crying out, begging to be a lot bigger, but it nonetheless fails to break out of the superficial plot that confines it.
Granted, writing stories that explore human behavior is always tricky. What Wilson endeavored to do here is admirable, but in the end I think the concept he put forward was treated too simplistically. Perhaps this is because we only focus on a single affinity, Tau, and didn’t get to see much of what happens within the others. I didn’t feel much of the “affinity-sympathy” between members of Tau, and instead felt more of the differences between the people associated with Affinities versus those who were not. The first group unfortunately came across as a bunch of insouciant, promiscuous pot-smoking shallow snobs, while those against the Affinities were portrayed as stuffy, bigoted, corporate-machine-loving ignorant right-wingers (most notably illustrated by Adam’s family). I don’t think this was the point of the novel, but that was a strong impression it gave off. Our main protagonist is neither of these two extremes but ends up being a rather passive entity caught in the middle, which in some ways made his character even more irksome.
Perhaps what excited me most about this novel was its setting. Toronto is my hometown and I loved that Robert Charles Wilson (who resides there) did it plenty of justice by illustrating what a vibrant city it is, made up of diverse neighborhoods filled with diverse people. It is also Canada’s largest city and economic powerhouse. Arguably, its qualities make it the perfect milieu for stories like The Affinities to take place, because it has all the necessary ingredients.
In the end, I don’t want to sound overly critical or make you think that I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. There is a very interesting story here; when I wasn’t frustrated by it, I actually really liked it,. Notably, the plot picked up again in Part Three as Tau wages war with their rival, Het Affinity. It becomes a more direct and intimate story at that point, bringing suspense and even a few thrills into the picture. Unfortunately though, whatever comment this book hoped to make about society was lost in the hustle and bustle. Still, there are many things this book does right, and it’s worth reading.
The BiblioSanctum 