Audiobook Review: Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham
Posted on March 10, 2015 24 Comments
Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Acacia Trilogy
Author Information: Website
Publisher: Doubleday
Tiara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Dick Hill | Length: 29 hrs and 30 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio | Whispersync Ready (as of this posting): Yes
Leodan Akaran is the king of Acacia, which includes all the “known world.” The Akarans have ruled over Acacia for many generations with the throne being passed down from father to son. A bitter race called the Mein secretly oppose the Akaran rule and have since their occupation, feeling the Akarans have been disingenuous and underhanded in their rule, including how they dealt with their ancestors. The Mein’s version of history recounts how their ancestors were driven to the frozen north for being an earnest people and opposing the practices used to keep up this illusion of perfect.
Things aren’t as perfect as they seem on the surface. Leodan is idealistic, but buckled under the pressure of preserving the empire’s peace through unsavory means. Leodan hopes that his children will grow up and foster the change that he couldn’t. However, he doesn’t give his children the knowledge they need to fight for these changes st first, and when we meet the children they’re a seemingly clueless bunch whose father still spins tales when they try to question him about their true history. The Akaran children are the heart of this book as a whole, doted on by a troubled father whose only joy comes from loving them and mentally preserving the memory of his deceased wife.
Aliver is the oldest child and heir to the throne. Mena, Aliver’s younger sister, describes him as being afflicted with a disease called “boredom” that he hasn’t recovered from. He’s hot-tempered, given to action rather than inaction. He has a good heart and a naïve view of how the world should work. Corinn is the second oldest. She’s cultured, well-spoken, and versed in court behavior. She’s a princess’ princess. She considers herself the pretty one between her and her younger sister. After Corinn comes Mena, she is astute and curious, often described by others as having a wisdom and intuition beyond her years. Last is Dariel. Like his sister Mena he is curious with a taste for adventure and action. He has a way of getting into things under the noses of the adults.
With the twist of an assassin’s blade, the four Akaran children are thrown to the wind, a request made by their dying father to his most trusted adviser as the Akaran rule begins to crumble. He feels that allowing them to live their life unfettered will shape them into the people they’re meant to be, and with it, he hopes that the Acacian empire will become the bastion he wasn’t able to achieve in his reign.
This book started a little slow for me. It had those Game of Thrones vibes all around it as we meet the Akaran children. Despite that, I found Durham’s writing to be lyrical and thoughtful, so I toughed it out a little while longer, hoping it’d become more than a clone. Midway through the first part, Durham pushed off the ledge and began to distinguish this story as his own. It became a story about power, betrayal, redemption, love, and change coupled with a intriguing mythos that I mostly enjoyed.
One thing I truly appreciated about this is the lack of violence, especially gendered violence. I don’t mean that there’s not any fighting in this book, but there’s not pages upon pages of torture or rape or any of that nonsense to prove that this story is heavy. I’m especially glad there wasn’t the constant looming rape threat (against women) that is so prevalent in many fantasy novels trying to establish themselves as serious, grimdark books. I appreciate that he able to find depth in his writing that didn’t require that.
Also, I appreciated that that Durham tried to present a struggle where the grievances between these two races was not just a simple matter of who’s right and who’s wrong, who’s good and who’s evil, summed up succinctly by this quote:
Very little of what he learned of people’s actions began or ended with either the noble ideals or the fiendish wickedness he had been taught lay behind all great struggles. There was something comforting in this.
The readers do feel empathy for the Akaran children. Their father has been murdered and their fate has been placed in chance’s hands. However, the Mein aren’t presented as a despicable race of people. A people who would win a war through some questionable means, yes, but their actions hardly set a precedent in the book, as previous wars have been won through questionable methods and will likely continue to be won in that manner. Nothing about their actions say they’re worst than the Acacians. The methods seem brutal because we witness them in “real time” affecting characters in a current situation as opposed to only “hearing” about the actions of the former rulers and how they’ve affected the Mein in retrospect. It is, after all, war.
Durham doesn’t reduce the Mein people to just villain status. Their fears, wants, and needs are the same as any other people’s. Even in their war, the goal isn’t to annihilate these other people completely. This is seen as unrealistic and foolish. You fight the enemy and assimilate the people. They just want to claim what they feel they lost through treachery and end a dynasty. There isn’t needless slaughter of innocent to assert their rule (though there are casualties, of course) and much of life is the same for the people except the name and race of their rulers.
It makes readers question why they oppose the Mein rule so, but I think one character summed up the sentiment when they said they think people forgot the realities of the Akaran rule, that the nostalgia of having an Akaran on the throne tempered their opinions as neither rule is that much worse/better than the other. However, because the Mein aren’t some big bad, it does make the upcoming battle feel somewhat anticlimatic, even if the Akaran children are teeming with ideas about how the kingdom should be ruled, which brings me to my next point.
My main problem with this novel is that Durham obviously loves the Akaran children. There is nothing wrong with a writer loving their characters. They need to care about them in order to give the readers developed characters. However, the Akaran children don’t face many real dilemmas or most of the dilemmas they do face don’t give them actual crisis points with the exception of a few key moments. Even these varied situations they find themselves growing up in aren’t necessarily challenging them.
Situations that should be particularly prickly for them, they’re able to handle better than most people would with some of these outcomes feeling a little bit like Durham was afraid to really test the characters. This is especially true of a character I really loved in the book. For this reason, the novel didn’t have as much of an impact for me because, even when a scene got tense, you knew everyone was going to make it out unscathed while brandishing power beyond imagine. The story wasn’t tested because it’s characters were never truly tested.
As far as the narration goes, Dick Hill is an exceptional narrator for this story. However, I did find him to be a very slow reader, slower than normal. I could easily bump up the narration to two times the speed and he’d sound like he was reading at a more normal pace. He’s one of those rare narrators that I’m comfortable with listening to on three times the speed, which I still didn’t do very often. He has such a rich quality to his voice that I didn’t want to speed him up too much and lose that full-bodied, strong voice he brought to the story. Two times speed was a reasonable compromise between speed and narration quality for me. While I do think he has a rich, deep reading voice, that didn’t diminish the impact of the female characters since, for me, quality of timbre is a better way of portraying male/female characters over decreasing/increasing pitch arbitrarily.
Something I noticed with this audiobook is that it added content to the story. Sometimes, I’d read along with the narrator using the Kindle book, and there would be whole passages added to the story that are not in the book. I’m used to a missing or added word here and there when listening to an audiobook, but this is the first time I’d encounter a great deal of content being added to narration. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as it wasn’t just filler. The things added really helped to flesh out the story and characters, but it also made me feel a little apprehensive about reading the book without the narration because I felt that I may miss some great passages because the audiobook differed slightly from the book.
Audiobook Review: Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
Posted on March 10, 2015 24 Comments
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Heartstrikers
Publisher: Audible (Nov 18, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Vikas Adam | Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
I found this book surprisingly enjoyable…or perhaps that ought not to be so surprising. After all, I loved The Spirit Thief and the rollicking sci-fi Paradox trilogy that the author wrote under her pen name Rachel Bach. Still, combining dragons, magic, dystopia, humor and urban fantasy? Seemed just a tad ambitious. But boy, does Aaron pull it off with flying colors. I think Nice Dragons Finish Last may be my favorite book from her yet. I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book and it was fantastic.
Meet Julius, the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan. He isn’t a pushover so much as he’s just downright terrible at being a dragon. He’s nice, considerate, has no designs on taking over the world, all of which makes him an absolute failure in his mother’s eyes. After twenty-four years of watching Julius hide out in his room in the mountain, Bethesda the Heartstriker has finally had it. Sealing him in his human form, the dragon matriarch banishes her son to the Detroit Free Zone.
Built on the ruins of old Detroit, the DFZ is set apart from the rest of the country, having been annexed by the spirit Algonquin, Lady of the Great Lakes. It is home to modern mages, lesser spirits and all manner of magical creatures. Unfortunately, it’s also got a strict no dragons policy. Trapped in hostile territory with only the clothes on his back, Julius is going to have to prove himself to his mother if he wants any chance of getting his true form back. His only source of help comes in the form of Marci, an exiled human mage who is dealing with her own hefty set of problems.
First of all, I called this one an urban fantasy, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. Rachel Aaron puts a fun, fresh twist on the genre, infusing her setting with science fiction, post-apocalyptic and dystopic elements as well as a touch of mythology. It’s a fascinating mix. Magic exists in the world now, thanks to a meteor striking the earth in 2035. Algonquin awakens from the resulting shockwave, causing great tidal waves to rise, which was how Detroit was flooded and destroyed. The DFZ rises from its ruins, thriving unchecked on an economy system based on free enterprise and bounty hunting.
I also love rooting for the underdog, and Julius is an underdog all right, being the runt of Bethesda’s latest clutch. While his siblings are out doing great things, Julius prefers to avoid the rest of his family by shutting himself in his room playing computer games and earning an impressive collection of online degrees. It’s hard not to feel for him; if Julian were human, he’d actually be quite a catch! Good looking, sweet, kind, educated, and being just this side of geeky enough for me. Bah, too bad he had to be born to a clan of merciless, cutthroat dragons who can’t appreciate his finer points.
No worries though, because I’m on Team Julius all the way. Also in his corner you’ll find Marci the runaway thaumaturgic mage, as well as – surprise, surprise – Julius’s brother Justin. Marci’s a great character; she’s got an awkward personality but also a shrewd mind, which creates an interesting dynamic with our protagonist. I loved Justin too. He’s Julius’s complete opposite, but it’s hard not to be touched by his brotherly love and concern. I even got a kick out of Julian’s less benevolent family members like Chelsie the Heartstriker assassin and Bob the mercurial Seer. Did I also mention Bethesda names her children by assigning each clutch by letter in order of the alphabet, so that all the dragonlings in her first clutch would have names starting with A, those in the second clutch would have names starting with B, and so on? The Heartstriker clan is full of quirks, and I loved them all.
Rachel Aaron has an incredible imagination, and I think this book, more than any of her others, let her go wild with it. The audio version really did an amazing job bringing this book and all of her ideas to life, the narrator Vikas Adam making this one a really fun listen. I haven’t listened to any of his other performances, but this was a great first experience. Adam can do a wonderful range of voices, even though I have to say a couple of them didn’t quite “fit”, like Bob whom he made sound like a stoned surfer dude, and at times his female voices can be hilariously awkward. You can tell he had a good time reading the book too though, because his narration is animated and he does wonderful effects like hissing for when Bethesda is annoyed, or groaning when Justin is exasperated with Julius. Little touches like that can make the listening experience more memorable.
All in all, I’m really impressed with how well this book came together. Maybe it’s because urban fantasy is more to my tastes, but I think I liked this one even more than Aaron’s Paradox trilogy, and I did love those Devi Morris books. Julius is just such a lovable character though, and the story is so fun and easy to get into, it’s hard to stop once you start. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an entertaining feel-good book.
A review copy of this audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Audible Studios!
Click below to hear a sample of NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST audiobook, narrated by Vikas Adam, courtesy of Audible.
Book Review: The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis
Posted on March 9, 2015 22 Comments
The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Alchemy Wars
Publisher: Orbit (March 10, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Like many fans of Ian Tregillis, I was first introduced to his work with the Milkweed Triptych, a series about British warlocks versus Nazi super-soldiers in an alternate history of World War II. Then In 2013 I picked up Something More Than Night, a futuristic urban fantasy-type metaphysical hard-boiled detective noir story about angels. That book was a bit of a departure to say the least, but it also solidified Tregillis in my mind as a talented visionary, definitely a rising star to watch.
Now Tregillis returns to alternate history in The Mechanical, outdoing himself once again with an inventive blend of mind-blowing fantasy, history, and existential philosophy. This time we see humble French metallurgy pitted against the demonic alchemy of the Dutch, in a story set in the early 1900s. Back in the 17th century in this alternate timeline, prominent mathematician and scientist Christiaan Huygens changed the face of the world by using magic to develop an army of clockwork automatons capable of intelligent thought but are enslaved to their masters through a series of geasa. This breakthrough discovery ensured the survival of the Calvinist Dutch Empire, for very few found themselves capable of standing against a legion of these tireless and utterly obedient mechanical men called “Clakkers.”
So three hundred years later, the Dutch are the dominant power with only a small remnant of French Papists still fighting to oppose their rule. The book begins with the executions of a group of French spies, witnessed through the eyes of one of our main protagonists, a Clakker servitor named Jax. Across the ocean where what’s left of the French Court has been exiled to the New World, our other protagonist is spymistress Berenice Charlotte de Mornay-Périgord, who is understandably vexed that almost all her agents back in the Netherlands have been caught and killed. Not long after, Jax is unwittingly used to smuggle a dangerous piece of intel across the Atlantic, and then a fatal disaster strikes the French within the walls of Marseilles-in-the-West. Thus begins an incredible tale of deadly secrets and ruthless politics, as our two characters’ fates ultimately come together in their search for what they desire most – for Jax, the sweet taste of freedom, and for Berenice, her vengeance on those who took everything from her.
What can I say but I’m just completely awestruck by the world Tregillis has created here. I know I say that about every one of his novels, but it’s true. No one does alternate history quite like the way he does, always bringing a fresh new twist by blending elements from multiple genres. He offers a whole new vision to steampunk in The Mechanical, presenting a heart-pounding tale of intrigue wrapped around a philosophical core which explores the subject of artificial intelligence and its consequences. The book will no doubt provide fertile ground for plenty of discussion, littered as it is with profound themes examining free will versus determinism, the nature of identity and the purpose of the individual, and at times it even dabbles lightly in religious theory.
Sounds delightfully cerebral, doesn’t it? But don’t let that fool you. True, The Mechanical will give you plenty of existential questions to mull over, but at its heart it is a gripping story brought to life by complex, engaging characters. There’s plenty of action and adventure that will get the blood pumping in your veins. Also, you can never let your guard down when reading a Tregillis novel. No one is ever truly safe (the unfortunate character of Father Luuk Visser can attest to that) and the author clearly has no qualms about taking his story into shocking, brutal territory. Tragedy and bloody violence can befall a character in a Tregillis novel at any time, something I discovered way back when I read Bitter Seeds, so it was a lesson I learned early.
Still, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – I do adore Ian Tregillis’s writing for the very fact that his style is so well-suited for darker, more evocative stories. His prose is so tight and it always flows well with the narrative, not to mention he can also be ferociously detailed when he needs to be. He draws you in and makes you feel for his characters, so that everything that happens to them matters, even (or perhaps especially) when the shit massively hits the fan. I found The Mechanical less bleak than Milkweed, though fair warning: there are more than a few traumatizing scenes in this book. Then again, it sure didn’t stop me from madly devouring up its pages, and in fact I find myself even more invested when I know that anything can happen.
In short, The Mechanical is an excellent read, not to be missed by fans of alternate history fiction and steampunk. Even if you’re not into those genres, the mix of so many ideas and other elements from sci-fi and fantasy will surely make this worth checking out. Tregillis never fails to impress, and his writing and stories seem to be getting better with each novel. This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it’s my favorite work of his to date. I can’t wait to see what the next installment in The Alchemy Wars will bring.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Orbit Books!
Graphic Novel Review Bites
Posted on March 8, 2015 8 Comments
Teen Titans Go! Vol. 1 by Sholly Fisch and Lea Hernandez
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
My kids and I miss the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon. It was fun and funny, and also had some amazing messages. The new Teen Titans GO! cartoon foregoes the latter, opting more for irreverence and amusement rather than important morals, but there’s still a lot to make us laugh. Teen Titans GO! volume 1 Party does a great job of capturing all that goodness—and the ridiculousness of the cartoon. From crazy stories about Robin and Beast Boy’s mini-putt show down, to demon pizzas, this has just about everything. It manages to capture all the over the top sight gags and ridiculous expressions and actions of the characters, which is something I was worried about when I started reading this. Translating an animated cartoon to a static comic book page has the potential to lose much, which was the problem I had with Adventure Time Vol. 1. But unlike the latter, Teen Titans GO! doesn’t forget that imagery, colour, and movement are as much a part of the story. While it does not neglect dialogue and occasional plot points, it doesn’t get bogged down with words, allowing the reader to move smoothly from panel to panel.
Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
As always, a review of Saga has to come with a warning for those who have no idea what this seriesis about: Simply put, Saga is not for the faint of heart. The opening page is yet another marvel of Staples’ and Vaughan’s awesomely disturbing creativity. But the thing is, as shocking as these images are, they are all contextual–far more so than a big old splash page of some superhero’s boob window or butt shot. Everything in Saga’s imagery is off the wall and meant to shock you, but again, it’s all contextual. And more importantly, right under the surface of all of that is a very realistic story of family and all the struggles that come with. Scrape away the crazy veneer and you have a continually touching story that hits really close to home. It’s impossible not to see myself or people I know in its pages.
Storm Volume 1: Make it Rain by Greg Pak, Victor Ibañez, and Matteo Buffagni
Storm. She is my goddess, and I have been waiting my whole comic book life to see her story told with the justice it deserves. (I’m still waiting to see her get the same kind of justice on the big screen, but that’s another story.) When Greg Pak shared the Storm love on Twitter, I was in tears. And now that I have read all of the first issues and have this glorious volume one on my shelf, I am content.
I have always liked Pak’s work because he understands the characters he writes on an emotional level. Storm is not just lightning and thunder. Nor is this series about her simply bringing the rain (despite the title). The book explores her relationships with the most important people in her life, from students at the Jean Grey Academy, to Forge (OMG OTP ❤ ❤ <3) to Yukio, and of course, Wolverine, with whom she has most recently been linked. It also explores the connection between her emotions and her powers. Simply put, a bad mood in this alpha level mutant could level a city if she’s not careful. Imagine what can happen when she loses a loved one.
My only real disappointment with the series so far is that each issue jumps from one major factor/person in Storm’s life to the next, with no pause or transition to explain why. I’m not entirely sure what I would have wanted to see between these moments, but perhaps a bit more of a build up. And it leaves me with the question if “what next?” since the she has already visited these major players in her life. Of course, whatever the what next might be, I will be there to weather the storm.
YA Weekend: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Posted on March 7, 2015 16 Comments
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Series: The Reckoners #1
Publisher: Delacorte (September 2013)
Author Info: brandonsanderson.com
Wendy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
When Calamity struck, several people were transformed into superhuman beings–Epics. No one knows the science behind Calamity itself, or how all of these superpowers work, but it is clear that these humans have become gods. And they are not afraid to use their powers to prove it. There are some who believe that the epics will use their powers for good–that they will be the heroes we’ve read about in books and comics. But up to now, they have only proven their capacity for cruelty and arrogance, and at the top of the food chain is the invulnerable Steelheart. But on the day that Steelheart ruthlessly killed David’s father, the young boy saw Steelheart bleed. And that meant he could be killed. Following this event, the story quickly moves several years ahead with David attempting to earn his way into the ranks of the Reckoners, a rebel force of humans intent on taking down the epics in Newcago. David’s obsession with vengeance makes him a dangerous ally and the Reckoners are skeptical about recruiting him, but they are unable to deny the vast knowledge he’s collected of the epics over the years.
First of all, David. He’s a young adult with a quirky sense of humour–as in, he has an unhealthy obsession with metaphors that could be even more dangerous than his obsession with Steelheart, but Sanderson manages to make David endearing, rather than annoying, even when he becomes smitten with the surly Megan. In fact, all of the Reckoners have unusual quirks, including the southerner intent on exploring his Commonwealth heritage through language, and Prof, the typically enigmatic leader who’s obviously got something (obvious) to hide. But they all work well together and within the story, and soon all of them had endeared themselves to me, to the point where I worried about their fates–because Sanderson makes it clear from early on that they truly are all at risk. Often, it’s either easy to see who will die and who will survive along the journey, but Sanderson manages to maintain the tension throughout, and lets it skyrocket into an epic showdown that had me white knuckling the steering wheel as I listened to the audiobook. It’s not easy to write a fight scene, especially one involving so many players and spanning such a large area, but Sanderson hit this one out of the park, right up until the final pay off.
Let me go back though to the Epics themselves. Sanderson is a master worldbuilder and his worlds always come with unique forms of magic. In this case, it’s genetic mutations that have caused people to have outlandish comic book kind of powers. But, while Sanderson does include several theories on how these powers work and how they gained them in the first place, it was interesting to read a story where Sanderson’s magic is not perfectly spelled out to the letter (though I suspect it is in his head. He’s just not sharing because the mystery is relevant to the story). The concept of humans suddenly becoming supers is also an interesting one, though Sanderson chooses to explore the darker side of power.
“I know, better than anyone else, that there are no heroes coming to save us. There are no good Epics. None of them protect us. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Marvel and DC comics have taught us that when radioactive spiders bite us, or when we’re raised by Professor Xavier or Ma and Pa Kent, we’ll always use our powers for good. But is that true? I admit, if I had phenomenal cosmic powers, I’d probably use them for the occasional naughty thing (and also for lots of lazy things because, well, I’m lazy.)
There wasn’t a lot of time spent with the Epics themselves to learn about how things work for them, but following the events of this story, I suspect some of those questions will be answered, and I am eager to find out what comes next.
Book Review: Burned by Karen Marie Moning
Posted on March 6, 2015 12 Comments
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Series: Book 7 of Fever
Publisher: Delacorte (January 20, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
I’m going to begin this review with a mini-rant: Personally, I’m of the mind that spin-off series should be fresh starts. If you’re going to end the original series and begin a new one focusing on another character, well, that character should have her turn prove herself and shine in the spotlight. It’s fine if the main characters in the original series make minor cameos in the new series, but in the end they’ve have had their chance, they should be put to bed, their problems shouldn’t be dragged up again, and happily-ever-afters shouldn’t need to be revisited.
So yeah, you can understand why I might feel a bit cheated.
Mac, bless her heart, had a good run as the protagonist of the Fever series. I had fun with the books, but it’s over now and I’m prepared to move on. Iced was a breath of fresh air, even though my first thought when I found out about the book was: “What the hell? Why would you take the most juvenile, idiotic and annoying side character in the Fever series and give them their own novel?” Well, as it turned out, Dani “Mega” O’Malley ended up growing on me, and I was actually looking forward to her getting her own trilogy.
So you can understand why I’m disappointed that once again this book is all about Mac, Mac, MAC! Dani gets a chapter at the beginning and then pretty much disappears from the rest of the story. I know the author was trying to rectify some of the bigger criticisms of Iced – mainly the controversy around Dani’s age – but I wish she’d gone about it another way. I’m done with Mac, she’s already had five books! This was supposed to be all about Dani, and instead Moning decided to change tack mid-series and make this be about Mac. AGAIN.
That really annoyed me, but my feelings about spin-offs that I expressed at the beginning of this review are only the beginning. In changing directions, Moning also seems to have lost control of her story. This book hardly felt like it advanced the overall arc, except for the issue of Dani’s age being resolved. I don’t deny that it needed to be addressed; Iced felt way too creepy with all these grown men ogling the fourteen-year-old Dani like a juicy steak. Making her older wasn’t a mistake. What was a mistake was doing it by tossing her through a portal, making her an absentee for most of what’s supposed to be HER book, then completely destroying the very essence of what made her Dani.
The story, or what there is of a story, also left me feeling cold. I found it hard to get excited about it, because I could tell the author wasn’t too excited about it either. To be fair, what happened here probably wasn’t what Moning originally intended. Still, what we have now is very little plot progression, and lots of melodramatic internal dialogue to fill the pages.
There’s also the constant and heavy deluge of sex and sexual references. This by itself doesn’t bother me, nor is it really surprising, given the fact I’m reading a Paranormal Romance. But what I enjoyed most about the early books in the Fever series was the very fact that they read more like Urban Fantasy — there was a strong plot at the forefront, with sex and romance being a side element. It bugs me, however, when the sex starts to overshadow the more important things in a book, or when it is thrown in for no apparent reason at all. There was one scene where Mac thought she was going to die, and I’m not even kidding, her first thought was (I’m paraphrasing here), “Oh no, I’m not gonna have the chance to do all these things I’ve ever wanted to do and, like, I haven’t had near enough sex with Barrons yet!” Really, Mac? That’s what goes through your head when faced with your own fragile mortality?
Like I said, I’ve just had enough of Mac. She and I ended on a relatively high note at the end of Shadowfever and I wish it had stopped there. Now she’s just annoying. I also learned more about her relationship with Barrons than I ever wanted to know, like the fact they only seem to get along when they’re screwing each other’s brains out in bed, and at all other times he’s growling at her and she’s snapping at him like a couple of rabid wolverines. Not sexy. To be honest, their dysfunctional romance never appealed to me all that much, but I was okay with how it resolved in Shadowfever. I was happier living under the impression that they’d worked out their issues. Now that they’ve been dug up again, it’s only served to remind me of everything that I disliked about their relationship in the first place, except now it’s many times more aggravating.
I can’t help but wonder what this book would have been like if Moning had stayed the course. It would have been pretty cool, actually, if the story had been about Dani’s experience in the fae world, and it certainly would have been a more holistic way to age her up. I’ve just had enough with Mac. In the end, I know it’s the author’s prerogative to do what she wants with her own series, but I do wish she would have given Dani a chance.
Tough Traveling – Vampires
Posted on March 5, 2015 30 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: Vampires
VAMPIRES are increasingly rare on the TOUR. They have been attracted over to the Horror Tour by offers of better pay. Where they appear, you will find up to date Vampires wear expensive sunglasses and wish to drain you of energy rather than blood.
Mogsy’s Picks:
Hmm, we can easily get overloaded with vampire books this week, so how about I limit my choices to only 5? Okay, 6. Or maybe 8. And only a) my absolute favorites, b) books that feature unconventional vampires, and/or c) those that I don’t think get showcased often in Tough Traveling lists.
The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
This is a really fun, adventurous (and also quite romantic) steampunk series that I love bringing up whenever I get the chance. Set in an alternate history in which humans and vampires have been locked in a bitter war for more than a century, the blood drinkers have conquered the northern lands, driving the humans towards warmer climes.
Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t your typical vampire novel. The antagonist Charles Manx is a vampire-like creature all right, but he feeds on souls instead of blood. He prefers children as victims, spiriting them away to his creepy other-realm called Christmasland.
Generation V series by M.L. Brennan
I could have gone with any number of Urban Fantasy series on my shelf (Mercy Thompson, Dresden Files, Anita Blake, etc.) all of which feature vampires, but 1) here we have an actual vampire protagonist and 2) vampires in this are pretty unconventional, and 3) I just ADORE THIS SERIES TO BITS.
I didn’t love this one, but it does have the distinction of perhaps being the first Angry Robot book I’ve ever read. The Titanic hits an iceberg and starts sinking on the night of April 14, 1912. The Carpathia races to its rescue, but with vampires on board. Out of the frying pan and into the fire for those survivors who were picked up, so to speak.
How did we get genetically engineered vampires in Watts’ world? They actually died out thousands of years ago, but humans recently resurrected them, hoping to exploit their predatory talents. The result: smart, deadly, hyper-advanced vampires.
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
What’s scarier than vampires? Vampire children. These creepy kids have lived longer and have seen and done more messed up things on this world than we can ever imagine. And their appetites are insatiable.
Siobhan Quinn series by Caitlín R. Kiernan/Kathleen Tierney
A half-vampire-half-werewolf is pretty interesting, right? It’s also nice to see a vampire that isn’t drop-dead gorgeous (ahem, Anne Rice) or sparkling (ahem, Twlight). Siobhan’s eyes are as black and dead as a shark’s and her teeth are so terrible that she needs to disguise herself with contact lenses and make up.
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
A vampire virus arrives in New York on a dead plane. It spreads via parasitic worm-like creatures and turns its victims into zombie-vampires and changes them physically, giving them long stinger tongues with which they use to feed. The vampire’s jaw can also unhinge, opening up like a snake’s. In other words, they’re disgusting.
Comic Stack 03/04/15: Leading Ladies
Posted on March 4, 2015 3 Comments
This week’s stack (which should’ve been last week’s stack, but I got all caught up in my emotions about another leading lady, Silk) features some leading ladies in comics. We take a trip with five girls at a camp for Hardcore Lady Types. We learn that a third-rate cosmetic company will likely be the cause of a zombie outbreak that only affects women and only men get eaten. Finally, we put on our spiked leather jackets and brass knuckles to team up with The Fever!
Bonus: There’s music! (Thanks to Lumberjanes for inspiring this, and okay, there are three comics and I only made 2 playlists. LANGUAGE WARNING on some of these songs.)
Lumberjanes #1 by Grace Ellis
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Genre: Leading Ladies, Action-Adventure, Comedy
Friendship to the max is what this book promises and is also one of the mottos for Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. Five friends go into the woods after camp curfew after encountering an old lady outside of their bunk that turns into a bearwoman. Of course, they had to investigate, which ends in an epic fox fight where they’re warned by the three-eyed foxes to “Beware the holy kitten,” but not before one of the girls totally punches one of the foxes into stardust or something.
For their effort, they’re scolded by their bunk leader, Jen, who takes them to their camp leader, Rosie, where they recount their adventure in true teenage girl fashion. They’re not punished for breaking eight camp policies, which is a relief because who wants their parents called.
I don’t even know what’s going with this one, but it seems fun. There’s already a strong message of friendship and adventure in the book. I’m going to keep reading it for that reason alone. I think there is a first volume out, so I plan to read it soon because I think this could end up being the type of book that my daughter would enjoy, too. Also, there’s a soundtrack at the end of the book, so that’s important.
Listen to this WONDERFUL playlist (that I didn’t even have to make up myself because they did it for me) Fox Fight Jams!
I’m an audiophile and I’m easy like that.
Alpha Girl #1 by Jean-Paul Bonjour, Jeff Roenning
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Leading Ladies, Zombie Horror, Comedy
“Well, I would love to tell you that the world ends due to some beautiful cosmic event.”
The world is in chaos, overrun by female zombies who attack men thanks to a (third-rate) cosmetics company who thought it would be idea to start messing around with pheromones for a project. Judith and her little brother, Buddy, are wards of the state. A brief backstory reveals that they’d always fended for themselves. Their mother was a drug addict, and after she overdosed, Judith was bounced from home to home for a while before settling in one. Buddy, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. After being preyed on twice and defending himself, he ends up in juvenile hall where he won’t be paroled until he’s eighteen.
This is a zombie story. I hate zombies. I hate zombie stories. Correction, I usually hate zombie stories. There have been exceptions to this, as with anything else. I tend to like zombie stories that seem to be more about the people of the story rather than the zombies themselves. The Walking Dead for instance, I enjoy that because of the characters and the stories they have to tell. I’m more interested in how people are shaped by a zombie apocalypse than the actual zombies. I also enjoy stories that provide some interesting take on zombies such as a virus being the actual cause or have some technological basis rather than death or give some interesting perspective from the zombies’ POV.
This book doesn’t go too much into Judith’s role in this story. It only serves to give us a glimpse of what’s going on in the world and where Judith comes from. These are important things we to know since we need to know how the virus started and we need to know what factors will motivate her to do something about the situation she’s in now. Despite there being an interesting premise of cosmetics being at fault, I’m a little on the fence. I’m curious, but it’s not the type of curiosity that would compel me to pick up another book.
Curb Stomp #1 by Ryan Ferrier
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Genre: Leading Ladies, Action-Adventure, Crime
In an unnamed city surrounded by three boroughs, three gangs protect their respective turfs. While the city sleeps safely, the surrounding areas are left to fend for themselves with little to no protection. The Wrath protect Newport, the Bayside Five protect Bayside, and the Fever protect Old Beach. The Fever is the main focus of this story.
They’re group of tough women who’ll do whatever it takes to protect their home and each other. The Fever consists of Daisy Chain, Bloody Mary, Derby Girl, Violet Volt, and their leader, Machete Betty. In a moment of self-defense against some encroaching rival gang members, Machete Betty loses her temper and makes one bite the curb setting off a chain of events that threaten to be disastrous for the women, but they’re going to see each other through this–whatever it takes.
I loved, loved, loved this book and everything about it. I love the art. I love the gritty, visceral story. I love the girl power message that’s steeped in an aggressive, take-no-shit attitude. While the women of this book are tough, I have to love the tender moments between them showing their sisterly love, too. There was literally nothing I didn’t like about this book except that it was too short. It reminds me of how I felt about Saga when I first started reading it. Instantly hooked and ready for the next book in this series. I am so enthusiastic about this series.
Waiting On Wednesday – 03/04/2015
Posted on March 4, 2015 8 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:
Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson: October 6, 2015 (Tor)
Sanderson’s original Mistborn trilogy features a more epic and elaborate story and gets a lot of love from fans, but I confess I probably enjoyed book four The Alloy of Law more than the first three books put together. Set 300 years after the events of The Hero of Ages, I was just really taken by the western-like setting and the mild hints of steampunk, not to mention the cleverly named duo of Wax and Wayne. I’m really looking forward to the next book of their adventures.
“With The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson surprised readers with a New York Times bestselling spinoff of his Mistborn books, set after the action of the trilogy, in a period corresponding to late 19th-century America.
The trilogy’s heroes are now figures of myth and legend, even objects of religious veneration. They are succeeded by wonderful new characters, chief among them Waxillium Ladrian, known as Wax, hereditary Lord of House Ladrian but also, until recently, a lawman in the ungoverned frontier region known as the Roughs. There he worked with his eccentric but effective buddy, Wayne. They are “twinborn,” meaning they are able to use both Allomantic and Feruchemical magic.
Shadows of Self shows Mistborn’s society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.
This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial’s progress in its tracks.
Shadows of Self will give fans of The Alloy of Law everything they’ve been hoping for and, this being a Brandon Sanderson book, more, much more.”
Audiobook Review: The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Posted on March 3, 2015 32 Comments
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Sword of Shannara Trilogy
Publisher: Del Ray Books (1977)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Tiara’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Scott Brick | Length: 26 hrs | Audiobook Publisher: Books on Tape | Whispersync Ready (as of this posting): Yes
I have a dirty secret to confess. I am no fan of Tolkien’s writing. If you were to check out my Goodreads profile now, you’d see that I’ve one-starred almost everything he’s ever written. This may be a seeded dislike due to the fact that I had to read these books in high school (even though I wasn’t one of those kids who was normally traumatized by high school reading experiences), but even attempting to reread them again as an adult was a labored effort, a true test of my patience, an effort that I am willing to admit was a disgraceful defeat. However, I do love the movies very much if that’ll grant me any measure of immunity.
The Sword of Shannara gained popularity in the late 70s and early 80s and is often used in the same sentence as Tolkien, which may tempt some readers but is a little off-putting for me. This seems to be one of those divisive books with readers either decrying it for being a Lord of the Rings rip-off or lauding it as a brilliant epic fantasy adventure. There are few people who seem to walk the middle road with this book.
I’ve been making it my mission to read classic speculative fiction. After reading The Lathe of Heaven for my science fiction pick and The Haunting of Hill House for my horror pick, I started searching for a classic fantasy pick and settled on this after reading a brief blurb on it. It sounded interesting enough, and believe it or not, I’d never actually heard of the series before now.
From the beginning, yes, it’s pretty obvious that this is influenced by Tolkien. I’d started jokingly calling Allanon by Gandalf’s name and Flick by Sam’s name even before I knew about the Tolkien connection. However, I didn’t say these things to necessarily be condescending toward this book. That’s just the way things are. So many books regardless of the genre, especially a first novel for a writer, contain elements that are similar to others in that same genre.
When I started publicly saying things like that, then people came out the woodworks saying that it really was “just like Tolkien.” I didn’t even realize I knew so many people who read this series. Even opinions from friends ranged from “5-star read” to “turn back, dead inside.” So, reading this book has been quite the journey from the actual reading to the various interactions I’ve had with people thanks to this book.
On with the review. I should warn you. This review is a little derpy if you haven’t figured that out by the Adventure time gif following this, and I can’t promise it’s completely spoiler free.
Let’s go find us a ring! I mean… a sword… we’re looking for a sword, Mr. Frodo.
The Sword of Shannara follows the adventures of Shea Ohmsford, a half elven man living in Shady Vale with his adopted father, Curzad Ohmsford, and his adopted brother, Flick Ohmsford. One night when Flick returns from peddling his merchandise in the nearby town of the Shire (because I am absolutely sure it was the Shire), he encounters Allanon, a tall, mysterious man who saves him from a shadowy creature in the woods. Flick takes Allanon to his village where Allanon insists on meeting Shea.
More importantly to this narrative, Allanon looks like Manu Bennett because MTV said so. Who am I to fight MTV about this? [Insert heavy breathing.]
Actual Allanon the Druid in actual practical questing gear. Hey, Allanon, heeeeey…
Anyhow, Allanon tells Shae that he is a direct descendant of a line of royal elves. These elves are the only ones able unlock the power of the sword of Shannara. I imagine that to be a lot like He-Man powering up. The Druids have kept this relic, believed to be a myth by many, locked away in their keep. The sword was originally created to defeat Brona, whose name I kept seeing as Brony when I was reading portions during immersion reading, 500 years before the start of this book. Brona is a powerful Druid-turned-sorcerer. However, just as they had traitors within when Brona attacked 500 years ago, the Druids find themselves attacked again by traitors (who’d think that would happen again?), and Brona has returned to finish what he started, but I kind of forgot what it was he wanted during the course of the story. World domination? Probably. Isn’t that what they all want either to control or destroy the entire world. Much of their hope to defeat Brona, now called the Warlock Lord, rests on Shae’s shoulders and what slim shoulders they are we are reminded repeatedly throughout the story.
The quest starts with the brothers, Shae and Flick, leaving the Vale to escape the Warlock Lord’s minions, the Skull Bearers. Along the way, they pick up Menion Leah, a friend of Shae’s and the prince of Leah, Balinor Buckhannah, the prince of Callahorn, Hendel, a dwarven warrior, Durin and Dayel, elven brothers sent to accompany them on their journey from the elf kingdom, Orl Fane (very briefly and more a foil than anything), a gnome who has deserted his cause and invokes shades of Gollum, and the thief Panamon Creel and his rock troll companion, Keltset. Together they face countless obstacles including murderous gnomes, haunted tombs, a large water serpent that shoots lasers from its eyes (I may be slightly exaggerating because I’m sure it only shot fireballs from its mouth), and giant monsters made of flesh and steel before facing the Warlock Lord himself with THE SWORD OF SHANNARA!
I finished this through a combination of reading the book on Kindle and listening to it on audiobook, but the bulk of this was completed through the audiobook. The narration of this by Scott Brick wasn’t spectacular. He did a fine job with the story, but I wasn’t moved by his reading. I don’t fault him for that more than I fault the unspectacular nature of the book itself. The story was clunky for me. There was so much of it that was nonsensical with shaky plot direction. Not to mention the parts that were inconsistent with what was happening in the story. I can remember rereading certain passages numerous times and thinking, “This is literally impossible in the context of this story.”
There’s just something about most classic fantasy, especially fantasy from the 70s and 80s, that always makes me think that I’m not really going to get a story that’s much better than the old Dungeon & Dragons cartoon (which I still cry about because they never produced that last episode and the ending of the script gives me goosebumps). I love that damn cartoon.
Actual representation of Menion helping brave Balinor’s cape billow. Friendship is magic.
This book was ridiculous, but I never went into this story seriously either. If you check my Goodreads updates for this book, you’ll see many of my statuses are silly in regards to this story. Aside from the obvious lame Lord of the Rings analogies, there was lots of stream crossing (where I interject elements of other things into what I’m currently reading/watching). There were such thoughtful musings as: “Balinor Buckhannah and his bountiful, billowing cape of boon-filled bravery standing boldly before the baleful beast…” and saying Menion probably looks like the wrestler Seth Rollins, which means curb stomps for everybody.
I also concluded that Panamon Creel masquerades as Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s Dorian in his free time while twiddling his mustache and compared the bit about Balinor’s homeland and it’s impregnable walls to Attack on Titans: “On that day mankind received a grim reminder…”
Just pretend that’s about Balinor with his walls and that’s the Warlock Lord peeking over about to smash them. C’mon, people, use your imagination.
So, in other words, my bar is set pretty low in that regards, and I rolled with it. I went into this story expecting it to be schlocky fun, and that’s what it was. I was entertained, and there’s nothing more that I could ask for from this book. I don’t need savant-like brilliance from a story to be entertained.
The most annoying part of this book to me was Brooks’ incessant need to remind me how lithe, agile, slim, or lean such characters as Shae, Menion, Durin, and Dayel were. Sure, he’d mention how tall characters were often, especially Allanon who is freakishly tall, but not nearly as much as he liked pointing out how lean theses characters were. Okay, I get it. They’re fit. You could make a drinking game out of this, but it’s also likely you’d get alcohol poisoning if you did. Also, I don’t mind head jumping, but sometimes, he was jumping in multiple heads in the same paragraph, which can be a bit much. Finally, I am so disappointed that the final battle didn’t end with Tyrion in chainmail using the power of DOOM metal to defeat the Warlock King (who by this time had started being called the Skull King randomly after hitting the 60% mark in the book).
You know what? Forget that. As far as I’m concerned that is exactly how this battle ended. I have my headcanon. You can’t take it away from me.
I like to think of this as being Lord of the Rings for Dummies by Tolkien Lite if we have to go that route. It’s not nearly as heavy to digest as Tolkien’s books. Despite the hefty page count (726 according to my Kindle), there’s not all this meandering prose. It moves fairly quickly. I’m not going to say it doesn’t have its rambling moments, though, because I did start getting restless toward the end. However, to be fair to Tolkien, this isn’t nearly as inspired as his books either. On the other hand, to be fair to Brooks, I feel like his writing and fictional situations have probably improved since this initial offering. He’s not a terrible writer, so I’m curious to see how his writing has evolved over almost 40 years.
While I wasn’t bowled over by this (I can be so wishy-washy about fantasy, especially in this vein), this was a palatable enough experience for me and fit well within my expectations for it. I had fun with it. Besides, there are tentacles in it, and tentacles are relevant to my interests and gives this book an automatic 2 stars. Will I finish this trilogy? I think perhaps I will, and yes, all my reviews for this series will probably be derpy.
The BiblioSanctum 