Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Book Haul, Backlist, Books I’ve Read
Posted on April 25, 2015 24 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is where I talk about the new books I’ve bought or received for review, what I plan to read soon, and what I’ve finished reading recently. It’s been another couple of busy weeks; as you can see, lots of titles to review as well as bunch of audiobooks I purchased.
Received for Review
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh – From First to Read. A young adult book inspired by One Thousand and One Nights. I hope it lives up to that awesome description.
The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith – From NetGalley. I’m a fan of the the Grittiths’ Vampire Empire books, and jumped on this one as soon as I saw they have a new series. Very interested to see what they’ll bring to it.
The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris – Review copy with thanks to Saga Press and Wunderkind. This book has been out a while in the UK, I believe. It’s finally being released on this side of the Atlantic by Saga, and I can’t wait to check it out (the UK cover still wins though). I’ve heard amazing things.
The Liar’s Key by Mark Lawrence – Physical ARC, with thanks to Penguin. What’s next for Prince Jalan and his Viking companion Snorri ver Snagason? Can’t wait to find out.
After the Saucers Landed by Douglas Lain – From Edelweiss. The description of this one piqued my curiosity, something about its bizarre-ness just told me I had to take a look.
Bell Weather by Dennis Mahoney – From LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I haven’t really been entering any of LT’s ER batches lately, but when I saw this one I couldn’t help but notice. It has the feel of a modern fairy tale, and I was happy to receive this.
Witches be Crazy by Logan J. Hunder – Physical ARC, with thanks to Night Shade Books. The publisher was so awesome to send this one along when I expressed my interest – it sounds gloriously funny, and I love laughing it up with a satire every now and then.
Exile by Betsy Dornbusch – Review copy, with thanks to Night Shade Books. I received the sequel Emissary earlier this month and when I told the publicist that I haven’t read the first book yet, he very kindly put Exile in the mail for me too! It’s been on my to-read list for a while now, I hope to start it soon.
Garden of Dreams & Desires by Kristen Painter – Review copy, with thanks to Orbit. The finale to the Crescent City trilogy. If you haven’t already, check out the BiblioSanctum interview with Kristen Painter! And if you’re in the US or Canada, we also have a giveaway going on right now to win all three books.
Zer0es by Chuck Wendig – Review copy, with thanks to Harper Voyager. This one has all the sound of a heist book, except hackers make up the crew and the fortresses are digital. And you know me, I’d never pass up anything by Chuck Wendig!
The Warring States by Aidan Harte – Review copy, with thanks to Quercus. This was a surprise arrival, from Jo Fletcher’s US division. It’s actually the second book of Aidan Harte’s The Wave Trilogy, but it so happens I’ve read the first. I liked it, so I’m really hoping I’ll get a chance to fit this one in.
The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson – Review copy, with thanks to Tor. At the time of this writing, I’m about to finish this book. The premise is fascinating, but I’m still not sure how I feel about the story yet. You’ll definitely get more of my thoughts in the upcoming review.
Purchased/Back to the Backlist
The great audiobook buying binge continues, as Audible launched a half-off sale on their entire store selection earlier this month. Included in my purchases are new-ish titles that I missed out on earlier in the year as well as a couple preorders that came in this week:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – Finally, the audiobook version of this book is here! I’ve been waiting for it since the day the print book released two months ago.
Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson – The more I heard about this one the more I grew intrigued. I picked it up as part of the audiobook sale and never looked back.
The Damned by Andrew Pyper – This book sounds so good, but it surprisingly slipped my radar earlier this year. I rectified that, stat.
The Vagrant by Peter Newman – A preorder that was $8 and change, how could I say no to that? Especially since the book was on my wishlist and I wanted very much to check it out. Edit: I just found out the print book is UK release only (for now). The ebook price is really high, so now I’m doubly glad I got this.
Artemis Awakening by Jane Lindskold – I still have a few books up for consideration for Backlist Burndown that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I added one more to the list this week. Artemis Awakening is one I’ve wanted to read for a while now; it came out last year but has been on my Goodreads list since November 2013.
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Keep an eye out for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks. Of course, reviews are up already for The Gabble and Dark Eden, the book I chose this month for Backlist Burndown…and it was amaziiiiiiing!
Backlist Burndown: Dark Eden by Chris Beckett
Posted on April 24, 2015 28 Comments
As a book blogger, sometimes I get so busy reading review titles and new releases that I end up missing out on a lot previously published books, so one of my goals for this year is to take more time to catch up with the backlist, especially in my personal reading pile. And it seems I’m not the only one! Backlist Burndown is a new meme started by Lisa of Tenacious Reader. Every last Friday of the month, she’ll be posting a review of a backlist book and is inviting anyone interested to do the same. Of course, you can also review backlist books any day you want, as often you want, but be sure to watch for her post at the end of the month to link up!
For this month’s Backlist Burndown, I’m reviewing…
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Dark Eden
Publisher: Broadway (April 1, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Something tells me Dark Eden isn’t the kind of book you can take at face value; I have a feeling it could spawn a dozen papers on sociology and human psychology if you were inclined to analyze it. Heck, I’m sitting here writing a monster of a review for it myself. The book takes place in the far-flung future on an alien planet, but simply labeling it science fiction misses out on a lot of its themes too. In some ways, it’s almost like a hypothetical social experiment, exploring the possible outcomes if a society were to emerge on its own, completely cut off and free of influences from the rest of humankind.
Book Review: The A.I. Chronicles by Ellen Campbell
Posted on April 23, 2015 8 Comments
The A.I. Chronicles by Ellen Campbell (editor)
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Windrift Books (March 13, 2015)
Tiara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
The A.I. Chronicles houses a collection of short stories by many emerging and best-selling names that take on the concept of the artificial intelligence from military based stories to stories that feature hybrids of machine/machine or man/machine to stories that are more quizzical in nature about what it means to be alive. I would love to talk about every story in this book, but if you regularly read my reviews, you’ll find that I am long-winded enough. I can’t say that every story in this book is a winner. That can be said of any anthology of stories, though, but there are a very good crop of stories in this book.
I love science fiction, which I wrote a very public love letter to for Fantasy Cafe’s Women in SF&F Month, especially science fiction where artificial intelligence factors in heavily. I’d learned about this book about three months prior to its release and read it as soon as I could make the time for it between an already busy reading schedule.
The A.I. is probably arguably one of the more interesting subsets of science fiction because it poses a psychological and philosophical question to human beings, summed up well by one of my favorite robot/A.I. hybrids (okay, more of a gestalt consciousness type awareness), Legion, from the Mass Effect gaming series: “Does this unit have a soul?”
That simple question bundles a whole multitude of other questions inside those few words, including the definition of how “self” is defined, the idea of murder being limited only to biological beings, and of course, the ever present threat of a self-aware machine becoming the god of its own creators and how our limitations may be perceived as usefulness/uselessness. In turn, these questions are explored in media such as Mass Effect and films, such as this short film called Abe, featuring a robot programmed to love (warning: this is not a happy film at all and falls over into the territory of horror):
Did this book satisfy my interest in the subject?
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.
The BiblioSanctum 