Tough Traveling: The Ace
Posted on April 23, 2015 33 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 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 Ace
Some people are just ridiculously good at everything. Be it magic, swordplay, or all of the above. THE ACE has no equal.
Mogsy’s Picks:
Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell
Falcio val Mond’s talents may lie in his silver tongue, but his two companions are the ones who are the master fighters. Brasti’s skill with the bow and arrow are unequaled, and Kest is the best swordsman in the land, and even claims the title of Saint of Swords.
The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes
Dreadaeleon may be young, but he’s an ace wizard. He also has a hard time taking advice from others and can sometimes be an arrogant jerk. What can you expect though, from a kid who knows he’s the best at what he does, which includes channeling lightning and hurling fireballs.
The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett
Arlen is just good at everything. It was he who ventured out into the desert and uncovered the old relics and wards that people long thought were lost. It was he who came up with the idea to tattoo himself with those wards, making himself virtually indestructible. And after deciding to munch down on a demon, the “misting” ability and other powers he gains makes him the best coreling hunter around.
Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
Hadrian Blackwater was raised by his father, a blacksmith and a Teshlor Knight. He was trained to follow the code and to fight in the style of the ancient order, After several stints as a mercenary in various armies and becoming a renowned pit fighter, his reputation as the greatest swordsman became firmly established.
Horace is shipwrecked and washes up on the shores of Akeshia , where is is promptly pressed into service as a house slave. But then it turns out Horace is a latent sorcerer, which vaults him to the top of the royal court food chain. Never mind that he just discovered his power like, yesterday, or that his there’s not even magic where he came from, Horace is already a better mage than everybody else, even those who have been training since childhood.
The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks
“I’m the only human who can do it!” A sharp glance from his mother wiped the grin from his face. “Mom, what? I’m not bragging. It’s true! Watto says he’s never heard of a human doing it.”
Oh, STFU Anakin. Yes, we all know you’re the best podracer, and that you’ll grow up to be the best starfighter pilot the galaxy has ever seen. But you’re still an annoying little snot.
Wendy’s Picks
Mogsy beat me to the Wolverine reference, so I’ll offer this X-Man instead, who even comes with his very own aces!
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
John Carter is awesome at everything he does. How do I know this? Because John Carter says it is so. When he gets to Mars, his earth-based biology makes him even awesomer. Look out Martians, John Carter is here to be awesome. For you.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Adarlan’s Assassin might be the king’s slave at the start of this book, but she’s far from down for the count. As Celaena makes her way through this series, she just keeps getting better and better at everything she does.
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
Ingray is the one people call on to get the job done, whether it be escorting a condemned woman to her trial, or releasing long dead soldiers from their ghostly prison. His demeanor leaves something to be desired, but we’re not inviting him to social parties now, are we. If Ingray is summoned, it’s because we want him to let the wolf out.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
It takes a monster to fight a monster, and when towns have trouble with the former, a witcher is what they need. Geralt of Rivia is the witcher that other witchers look up to. You just better make sure you have the orens to pay him for his work. Witchin’ ain’t easy.
And finally, no one of consequence:
Tiara’s Picks
Comic book characters embody this trope more than anyone for me, so my list is doing some things. Please enjoy this musical tribute (not made by me and is also not the music from the comic Deadpool the Musical) of my favorite overpowered comic book character, Deadpool.
Boric the Implacable (Disenchanted by Robert Kroese) – Expert swordsman. Expert tactician. Troll slayer. Dragon hunter. Handsome as hell… until that whole death thing happened and turned him into a wraith. All around badass who turned into a bigger badass even after he died, if such a thing is possible. Badass.
Flemeth (Dragon Age by BioWare) – She’s in the novels, so it totally counts. Flemeth’s magic is the stuff of legends in the game, comics, and novel. Since I met her in the first game and subsequently read about her, she’s always been a magical character I liked and knew was totally overpowered FOR THE GODS. I mean, she can turn into a dragon. My mage in game wanted to learn this trick from her for reasons she need not disclose at this time. She literally tells every other magical character in the Dragon Age universe, “Get on my level.” After this last Dragon Age game, we now know why Flemeth is such a magical genius.
Dr. Strange (Dr. Strange by Marvel Comics) – If you’re ever in a comic book jam in the Marvel Universe, it’s time to call Stephen Strange and his object conjuring, time-warping, transmutating, bolt slinging God Tier magic. Dr. Strange has more titles than a college professor. Not only is he Sorcerer Supreme. He’s also a neurosurgeon. He’s in more clubs devoted to the magical arts than any other fictional being ever. This dude is even in the Illuminati. I mean, who can stop him? What can’t he do with magic? No, seriously, what can’t Dr. Strange do?
Kazuo Kiriyama (Battle Royale by Koushun Takami) – Boy #6. Kazuo is a lethal weapon. Martial arts, he’s perfected that. Sword-wielding, he’s perfected that. Gunplay, he’s perfected that. Smarts, got those, too. Being the perfect psycho capable of killing a fair chunk of his classmates without remorse in Takami’s dystopian novel/manga/movie Battle Royale? Yeah, he’s got that, too. He took #1 spot for number of kills. There can only be one king.
Mitsuko Souma (Battle Royale by Koushun Takami) – Girl #11. I can’t mention Kiriyama without mentioning the female counterpart. She doesn’t work with Kiriyama, but she certainly earns her place alongside him. However, she’s given a more carefully crafted back story than Kiriyama to explain her behavior (and really, what the hell on his back story in the novel and manga?). She’s a scrapper, but her best asset is being the perfect seductress hiding her hand behind her back. (And yes, these two meet in the final fight for one of them.) She took the #2 spot for most kills. The queen is dead; long live the queen.
Waiting on Wednesday 04/22/15
Posted on April 22, 2015 13 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:
A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca: July 7, 2015 (DAW)
When I first saw this, I thought it was the sequel to The Thorn of Dentonhill. On closer inspection, it actually appears to be a companion series, called the novels of The Maradaine Constabulary, set in the same world but different neighborhood of the city and also starring different characters. Since one of the things I liked most about The Thorn of Dentonhill was the setting and its world building, I’m thrilled that Marshall Ryan Maresca is expanding it, though with two Maradaine series going, I imagine he’s going to be quite busy!
“A Murder of Mages marks the debut of Marshall Ryan Maresca’s novels of The Maradaine Constabulary, his second series set amid the bustling streets and crime-ridden districts of the exotic city called Maradaine. A Murder of Mages introduces us to this spellbinding port city as seen through the eyes of the people who strive to maintain law and order, the hardworking men and women of the Maradaine Constabulary.
Satrine Rainey—former street rat, ex-spy, mother of two, and wife to a Constabulary Inspector who lies on the edge of death, injured in the line of duty—has been forced to fake her way into the post of Constabulary Inspector to support her family.
Minox Welling is a brilliant, unorthodox Inspector and an Uncircled mage—almost a crime in itself. Nicknamed “the jinx” because of the misfortunes that seem to befall anyone around him, Minox has been partnered with Satrine because no one else will work with either of them.
Their first case together—the ritual murder of a Circled mage— sends Satrine back to the streets she grew up on and brings Minox face-to-face with mage politics he’s desperate to avoid. As the body count rises, Satrine and Minox must race to catch the killer before their own secrets are exposed and they, too, become targets.”
Book Review: The Gabble and Other Stories by Neal Asher
Posted on April 21, 2015 9 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 Gabble and Other Stories by Neal Asher
Genre: Science Fiction, Anthology
Series: Polity
Publisher: Night Shade (Paperback: February 3, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars (overall)
The Gabble and Other Stories is a collection of short fiction set in the universe of the Polity series by Neal Asher. I’ve been curious about his books for a long time now, especially since his work has been described as being close to Splatterpunk, a sub-genre often characterized by its depiction of gory graphic violence, fast-paced action, and a tendency to push the boundaries especially in horror-themed sci-fi.
I was not disappointed! Indeed, The Gabble ended up being a lot of fun and I enjoyed a lot of the stories in here. Being an anthology, I also went with the assumption that this book would work well as a stand-alone read, and thus a good place to jump on board. I think for the most part my instinct was correct, though I do have more to add to this. I will go into the details below in my in-depth analysis of each story, but I did notice a couple trends in my overall experience:
1) My favorite stories tended to be shorter ones, while the longer novelettes are perhaps too steeped in the Polity lore for me to get into as easily.
2) If the main focus of a story is aliens or alien culture, there’s a good chance I loved it!
Cover Reveal: Binary by Stephanie Saulter
Posted on April 20, 2015 6 Comments
I’ve always enjoyed the minimalist UK cover designs of the ®Evolution books by Stephanie Saulter, but GOOD GOD the US versions are just STUNNING. My jaw dropped last year when Quercus showed off the US cover of Gemsigns and now I find myself floored again when they shared with me the US edition of the sequel, Binary.
I’m very pleased to participate in the reveal today. With its poignant commentary on society and incredible insight into what it means to be human, Gemsigns was one of the top sci-fi novels I read last year. Binary promises to be all that and more, and this cover is actually an allusion to my most absolute favorite scene from the first book — but that’s all I’ll say about that, no spoiling the best part!
Here’s the cover, tell me your thoughts!
Zavcka Klist is no longer the ruthless gemtech enforcer determined to keep the gems enslaved she once was. She’s now all about transparency and sharing the fruits of Bel’Natur’s research to help gems and norms alike.
Or is she?
Neither Aryel Morningstar nor Dr. Eli Walker are convinced by this change, but the gems have problems that only a gemtech can solve. In exchange for their help, digital savant Herran agrees to work on Klist’s latest project: reviving the science that drove mankind to the brink of extinction.
Then confiscated genestock disappears from a secure government facility, and the more Detective Varsi investigates, the closer she comes to the dark heart of Bel’Natur and what Zavcka Klist is really after—not to mention the secrets of Aryel Morningstar’s own past.
It’s a powerful cover. Personally I love the eye-catching color theme (you really can’t go wrong with yellow, if you want something to jump out at your from the shelf). Can’t wait to read it. Binary is set to be released May 5, 2015 in the US.
Book Review: The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
Posted on April 20, 2015 35 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 Dandelion Dynasty
Publisher: Saga Press (April 7, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was never a really good student of history. But my family background being Chinese, I’ve always been taught to embrace my heritage. I grew up listening and adoring the history and legendary tales of Ancient China told to me by my parents and grandparents, who have learned these things themselves when they were children. My great uncle was also fond of watching old Wuxia operas and historical dramas, and he used to record these and leave the tapes at our house for the curious and unsuspecting adolescent me to find. They were…interesting.
It might seem like I’m zipping off on a tangent here, but really, I’m trying my best to explain why I loved this book so much. I read The Grace of Kings with a strange mixture of emotions I’ve never experienced before while reading anything else in my life. It was part giddiness at the familiarity of the topic; the fall of the Qin Dynasty and the subsequent rise of the Han Dynasty being such an important and tumultuous period in China’s classical age, it was instantly recognizable that this interregnum was what Ken Liu was basing his story on. I was like, “Oh, I think I know the story or legend that inspired this scene/character/event, etc.” pretty much every few chapters.
I was also very moved, and I struggle to find the words to explain this. In essence, seeing what the author has done here – taking these snippets of legends and tales from history that I’ve grown up with and incorporating into this novel, forming this wondrous piece of literature – at times it was too much to take. Many of the side stories in The Grace of Kings had the feel and atmosphere of the old anecdotes my elders shared with me when I was younger. At times I got so sentimental that I was nearly moved to tears. It’s also a beautiful book. Anyway, personal aside over. I don’t usually get sappy in my reviews, but I just don’t know how else to describe how much reading this novel affected me. I saw Ken Liu take a historical narrative that I know and love, and transform it into this gorgeous work of art.
Graphic Novel Review Bites: Zombies and Clockworks and Big Bangs
Posted on April 19, 2015 3 Comments
Rachel Rising, Volume 1: The Shadow of Death
The beauty of a comic book that remembers its a comic book meant to tell a story through its images more than its words. The first few pages of this book are silent, following a mysterious woman who claws herself out of a ditch and makes her way home, and eventually comes to realize that she is dead, though she does not know who killed her or why.
Rachel’s mystery is encompassed by a strange woman with powers of murderous persuasion, and friends and family who are not quite sure what to do with their undead companion who seems quite normal save for her those eyes.
I am one of the few people, apparently, who didn’t care much for Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise series, but the mystery of Rachel’s brutal death and those involved is definitely enticing…
Dead to the World by Chris Roberson
I didn’t know about this comic series until I learned about the TV show, of which I have now watched the first episode. The show definitely has potential, featuring a young woman, Liv, inexplicably caught up in a zombie infection, now working at a morgue to get her brain fix, and helping to solve crimes by tapping into the memories of those brains upon which she munches. The latter, as well as the zombie part, are where the comparisons between source and show end. Liv isn’t even Liv in the comic, she’s Gwen, a zombie that works as a gravedigger, eating brains once a month, and hanging out with her ghost and wereterrier friends in a town that could well be Sunnydale, thanks to all the supernatural beings around. But Gwen is no slayer. That’s where the monster hunters come in, one of whom Gwen is attracted to. There is also murder and mystery to solve, as Gwen learns from eating the brains of a man who appears to have been murdered by a mummy.
This is a quirky read, but not a particularly engrossing one. There are a lot of interesting and amusing things happening in Gwen’s little town, and the cast of characters has potential. This might be just the right book for someone looking to relive Buffy’s glory days, but I’ve long since moved on from that kind of stuff.
The Bigger Bang by Vassilis Gogtzilas
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The earth was created in a big bang and destroyed in a bigger one. The being that was born in the latter lives with the guilt of our destruction, and uses his vast powers to save other planets from such a fate, but no matter what Cosmos does, the people fear him. Meanwhile, a despotic, tentacled king wants to rule the universe and believes Cosmos to be the key to his undoing or his success, depending on how he can sway the PR campaign.
There is some cute, snarky humour in this story, and a bittersweet exploration of acceptance, as told mainly through an unexpected friendship between Cosmos and the king’s number one enforcer. There is so much potential in this, but unfortunately, things start to fall apart half way through the book when the story goes exactly where you expect it to.
The artistic style is kind of chaotic in its sketchiness, which is something I appreciate, however, at times, it becomes too “messy,” making it difficult to follow along with the story it is trying to tell.
Hinges: Book 1 Clockwork City by Meredith McClaren
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Hinges is a webcomic that, thanks to a Kickstarter, is now collected here.
There is an manga feel to McClaren’s art–the obvious being the large eyes and slim bodies, but also in the stark black and white and the shades of gray, and in the silence of many of the panels. This is what drew me to the book. I am fond of graphic novels that do not rely on words so much to tell their story, and I like artists who can be powerfully expressive through monotones. McClaren’s art is “cute,” but you can’t get away from the subtle, spine-tingly creepiness of her clockwork world.
Not a lot seemingly goes on within the pages of this first book, but McClaren’s web is enticing, luring me in with the mystery of the town of Cobble and Orio’s impish partner, Bauble. The story begins with Orio’s arrival in Cobble, where she is introduced to their strict rules. This is a clockwork town, after all, so everything must run like, well, clockwork. But when Bauble chooses Orio, and when Orio is later unable to find her place within society, you know that things are not going to go as smoothly as Margo, the town’s organizer, expects them to. But where will things go? That is the question that I am left with and I definitely want to find out the answer.
YA Weekend: The Novice by Taran Matharu
Posted on April 18, 2015 20 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: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Summoner
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (May 5, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I don’t know what it is, but something about this book totally appealed to me. One would think I’d have had enough of elves and dwarves and orcs by now, but then I tried to remember the last time I read a Young Adult novel set in a world like this, and it actually made me realized just how refreshingly different it is from the sort of YA I’ve been reading lately. It’s free of a lot of the usual tropes, anyway. Plus, something about the storytelling just gives off this down-to-earth and easygoing vibe. It feels like the author wrote this book from his heart, to have fun, not to hit up all the items on some imaginary checklist of what makes a YA novel successful. In fact, I read somewhere that The Novice began life as a personal NaNoWriMo project, and that doesn’t surprise me at all.
Q&A with Kristen Painter + GIVEAWAY of the Crescent City Series
Posted on April 17, 2015 4 Comments
*** The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered! ***
You may recall my descriptions of magical unique fae, the never-ending party atmosphere of New Orleans, and other wondrous things in my reviews for House of the Rising Sun and City of Eternal Night, the first two books of the Crescent City series. Now with the third book Garden of Dreams and Desires just released and all lined up on my to-read list, I’m pleased to bring you a behind-the-scenes look at Crescent City with an interview with the author!
Please join me in welcoming Kristen Painter to the blog, and I hope you enjoy the Q&A.
* * *
Hi Kristen, welcome to The BiblioSanctum!
Kristen: Thanks! Glad to be here.
Thanks for joining us today, and congrats on the release of Crescent City book three, Garden of Dreams and Desires. I’m really enjoying the series so far, so I would really love to ask you a few questions about it. To start off, how would you describe it to readers?
Kristen: A fae-focused urban fantasy series set in a slightly futuristic New Orleans. With kissing. And death.
Actually, when I first picked up the first book House of the Rising Sun I had no idea it was a spin-off from your House of Comarré series, but I really liked how I was able to jump right in! I’ve always wondered how the two series relate to each other. Can you talk a bit about that, and what made you choose Augustine as your protagonist for Crescent City?
Kristen: The two series are set in the same world and there are some crossover characters. But the two series can definitely be read separately.
The reason I choose Augustine as my new protag is simple – he wouldn’t stop talking to me. He was just one of those secondary characters that leapt off the page and I wanted to give him the spotlight. And find him a nice girl to settle down with.
The characters go through a lot over the course of this series. Augustine went from carefree partygoer to becoming Guardian, and Harlow started off sheltered and naïve but quickly learned some pretty tough lessons. What were some of the challenges writing your two protagonists?
Kristen: Augustine wasn’t a challenge – I could have written more books with him. But Harlow, in the beginning, was tough. She was difficult and prickly and unlikeable, something beta readers really stuck on, so I had to dial her back.
What made you choose New Orleans as the setting for this series?
Kristen: I love the city and have spent a lot of time there. It’s a place that always feels layered and rich and mysterious. I knew some day I’d explore it in a series, so it was just a matter of time.
The story takes place in the future too, so your world has advanced technology mixed with old Fae magic. What was the driving force behind this idea?
Kristen: I wanted to show that despite some change, the world wasn’t that different. More in turmoil, maybe, but that tech advances hadn’t really made life that much better. In fact, in some ways, the divides between the haves and the have nots have only increased.
Blood Rights, Book 1 of House of Comarré
What do you love about writing Urban Fantasy?
Kristen: Anything is possible. Anything. It’s a fabulously wide arena.
Did you always want to be a writer? Which books or authors have influenced you the most?
Kristen: Not always. I originally wanted to be a chemist (don’t ask) then a chef. But I have always written and read voraciously. I don’t think I can pinpoint one book or one author as a main influence, there have been too many, but I can say that comics, which I have also always loved, have definitely shaped my writer’s brain.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do to relax or have fun?
Kristen: What is this not writing that you speak of? Seriously, I write a lot. But I also love to read, cook, play mindless computer games and watch good tv and movies. Napping is way up there too. Naps are totally underrated.
I’ve heard that Crescent City was meant to be a trilogy, but do you think you might revisit some of these characters again in more spin-offs or stories set in this universe? Any projects you’re working on currently or in the near future, either writing or non-writing related?
Kristen: It wasn’t meant to be a trilogy, actually, but my publisher wasn’t interested in more, so that’s where it stopped. (I had two more planned.) I don’t know if I’ll go back to this world. Really depends what my readers want and what my time allows.
Future projects include a brand new paranormal romance series I’ll be launching this summer! I’m super excited about it. It’s set in a very fun world with very fun characters and writing it has been a blast. Once that’s up and running, I may dip my toe back into UF.
Non-writing related projects include keeping my husband from adopting a seventh cat. It’s an ongoing struggle.
Really appreciate your time, Kristen! Thank you again for doing this Q&A with me!
Kristen: Thanks for having me, it’s been fun!
*** For more information about Kristen Painter and her books, please visit her website at http://kristenpainter.com! ***
* * *
CRESCENT CITY SERIES GIVEAWAY
Are you ready for this? Orbit Books has very generously offered The BiblioSanctum an opportunity to host a major giveaway for the entire Crescent City series — all three books (House of the Rising Sun, City of Eternal Night, and Garden of Dreams & Desires) — to one lucky winner. With apologies to international readers, this giveaway is open to US/Canada only due to publisher copyright reasons. To enter, send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “CRESCENT CITY” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Book Review: Edge of Dark by Brenda Cooper
Posted on April 16, 2015 12 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: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of The Glittering Edge
Publisher: Pyr (March 3, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was an awesome read. I first went into it believing it was a brand new series set in a new universe, but it turns out I was only half right. Edge of Dark is indeed the first book of a planned duology, but then I discovered within the first few pages that it also takes place in the future of the same timeline as Brenda Cooper’s Ruby’s Song series. This actually made me very happy – I loved The Diamond Deep when I read it a couple years ago. We’re introduced to new characters here in The Glittering Edge series, but Ruby’s legacy lives on, and the best part is, the new reader can jump on board with no problems.
Here’s what to know: long ago, society exiled a small subset of the population who wanted to start a machine revolution. Seen as abominations, these people who essentially wanted to meld their minds into robot bodies were summarily banished to the far edges of the solar system to waste away and perish without the access to sunlight and resources. But instead of dying out like they were expected to, these exiles flourished, growing into a formidable force of near-AI entities who call themselves the Next. Now they’re more powerful than ever before, and they’re coming back.
When that happens, the characters in this book all have a lot to lose. Charlie is a ranger who has spent his whole life trying to restore the ecosystem and natural wonders of Lym, a planet which will be one of the first casualties if humanity goes to war with the Next. The Next have already claimed a research station called the High Sweet Home, killing all its inhabitants and turning many into robots with sentient minds like themselves. Nona Hall is from the space station Diamond Deep, which would suffer similar consequences if the Next attack, but she has other worries to deal with — her best friend Chrystal was on the High Sweet Home, and the scientist’s fate still remains a mystery.
Edge of Dark was a delightful surprise which completely took over my life for two days, and I don’t regret a second of it. The book features a rich story that held me captive from the get-go, introducing deep characters in a well-established universe with a long and interesting history. Charlie and Nona are two disparate souls who nonetheless find comfort and solace in each other. One was born and raised on a wild and savage planet, while the other has lived on a space station her whole life, never having seen the sky. When Nona arrives on Lym to live out a lifelong dream, Charlie expected to hate her. However, she turns out to be very different from the rest of the high-and-mighty Diamond Deep elite, and the two quickly strike up a quiet friendship. Edge of Dark is not a romance by any means, but it does have a thread of a love story woven through the plot, and I just happened to be in the mood for it.
The beginning of the book was also my favorite part, because having grown up in cities my whole life, I was able to relate to Nona and understand her reaction to the natural beauty of Lym. Also kudos to Charlie and the rangers for the work that they do. I can appreciate the environmental message there, but more importantly, it was not in-your-face about it.
Then comes the Next. I was unsure about them at first, these Borg-like machines who take over human beings with ruthless abandon, downloading a person’s consciousness into a carbon fiber body and incorporating them into a greater network, all without the victim’s consent. The result is something that almost looks and acts like a human, but they are not alive in the strictest sense. They don’t need air, food, or sleep. Their artificial bodies are stronger and more powerful. However, every Next’s mind once belonged to a living, breathing person. And like all living things, they have the drive to propagate and survive. So where does this put them?
What felt like an urgent escalation towards a tense space adventure began easing off instead, becoming something more understated. I think those anticipating a bigger payoff might come away disappointed, but I found myself drawn to the rest of the story. These kinds of books that feature themes of transhumanism or explore what it means to be human always seem to get me for some reason. Add Brenda Cooper’s unique portrayal of artificial intelligence to that, and I had a very good time with this novel.
Edge of Dark won’t be for everyone, but it worked for me. I certainly didn’t expect to like it so much, and was surprised at how addictive most of the story was, especially in the beginning. One of the more enjoyable sci-fi reads of the year for me so far.
The BiblioSanctum 
