Tough Traveling: Knights
Posted on February 19, 2015 17 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: Knights
Um. Noble rich people on horseback. Come on, you people know what knights are. (Topic provided by Mariam)
Wendy’s Picks:
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
The Knights Radiant were once mighty men and women who fought against the Voidbringers, but they betrayed mankind for reasons unknown, laying down their shardblades and shardplate, and leaving this world.
The Genesis of Shanarra by Terry Brooks
Logan Tom and Angel are Knights of the Word. They don’t exactly know what that means, but they use their powers for good, or at least to survive, and protect the children of Armageddon.
The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwall
You can’t talk about knights without thinking of King Arthur. Though Cornwell mostly does away with the legendary round table, he can’t possibly let go of the men who fight at the Pendragon’s side.
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McAffrey
Horses? Pfft. Who needs horses when you can ride dragons! in Dragonflight, Lessa regains her birthright and telepathically bonds with a queen dragon, and leads the waning Weyr back to glory.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Harry is an orphan, but Corlath, king of the Hillfolk sees something special in her and kidnaps her. Once the Patty Hearst Syndrome firmly sets in, Harry ends up learning how to fight like the people of Damar, who turn out to be her ancestors, and earns herself a place as one of the King’s Riders.
The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce
In Wild Magic, the young girl named Daine meets the legendary Allana of Trebond, the fierce woman who earned her place among the knights, and whose story is told in The Song of the Lioness series.
Comic Stack 02/18/14
Posted on February 18, 2015 7 Comments
This week I take a trip to a small town in Craw County, Alabama where BBQ is king, football isn’t a sport its a way of life, and the necks glow fluorescent red. Next, I visit a small town in Oregon whose claim to fame is breeding sixteen of the world’s most notorious serial killers with one of them still roaming the town free. Finally, I wake up in a sleazy hotel with a man who doesn’t remember who he is, but there are people after him. You wake up in a filthy hotel with men in suits coming to your door, you know that means trouble.
Southern Bastards #1 by Jason Aaron
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Crime, Southern Gothic
Earl Tubb returns home to Craw County, Alabama after being gone for four decades. He’s been tasked with cleaning out his old familial home after his uncle is sent to a nursing home. Throughout the comic we see slips of what life was like for Earl as a child growing up with a father who was the despised sheriff juxtaposed against the ugly, gritty reality of every day life in his small town in the present.
Earl comes from a place where college football is more than just a sport and Paul Bear Bryant’s autograph was on the bat his father used to beat down a group rednecks with. There’s nothing idyllic or charmingly southern about this book as we’re introduced to the cast of characters.
This book struck a chord with me that I did not expect. I’d heard praise for this series, but it wasn’t until I read this #1 that I realized what I was getting myself into. This is the beginning of a true Southern Gothic tale. It’s brutal, it’s ugly, and it’s tinged with just a touch of wry southern humor where a drawled “That’s nice…” is synonymous with “Fuck you!”
Nothing resonated more with me and this book the final page from Aaron and Latour on being southern and loving the south. I’m a southerner, so I feel their words on a visceral level when they write about what it feels like to be southern and what the south means to them. Jason Aaron summed it up poetically in only the way a southerner can:
The south is more peaceful than any other place I’ve ever been. But more primal too. More timeless. But more haunted. More spiritual. More beautiful. More scarred. And that’s what this series is about. A place you can love and hate and miss and fear all at the same time.
I look forward to learning more about Earl, why he seems so angry, and how that will play out in his hometown where he’s already starting to make waves with all the wrong people.
Nailbiter #1 by Joshua Williamson
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Horror, Crime
Buckaroo, Oregon has the distinction of being the place where sixteen of the world’s most atrocious serial killers hail from starting with a killer known as the Book Burner to their most recent nicknamed Nailbiter for the fact that he targeted people who chewed their nails. He would kidnap them, let their nails grow out, and chew them down to the bone before murdering them.
Army Intelligence agent, Nicholas Finch, travels to Buckaroo at the behest of his partner, Eliot Carroll, who believes he’s solved the mystery of Buckaroo and its serial killers. However, when Finch arrives, Carroll is nowhere to be found. Instead Finch meets Sheriff Crane who says that Carroll’s been meeting her every morning for coffee, except the morning of Finch’s arrival. Crane says that nobody minded Carroll snooping aside from “THE OBVIOUS,” Edward “Nailbiter” Warren who has been acquitted of murder.
This book has me morbidly curious, especially since such a gross killer is out and about. It would be too easy to assume that he had anything to do with Carroll’s disappearance, but you just know that he’s going to become that source they reluctantly consult with as they try to find out what happened to Carroll.
I’m wondering if we’ll learn more about Warren’s past or if they’ll only build up on him as he is now after his acquittal. Either angle could be interesting. My main concern is that they won’t be able to continue to keep me curious. A story like this feels there’s only so much they can do with it to keep it fresh, but I could be wrong. I have been in the past about things like this.
Dead Letters #1 by Christopher Sebela
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Genre: Crime, Supernatural, Fantasy
“My name is Sam. I’m a bad buy. I know how to blow things up, how to shoot people, how to play them. I know how to destroy. I seem to enjoy it.”
A man wakes up in a sleazy hotel. He doesn’t remember his name, where he’s from, or where he is. He gets a mysterious phone call that tells him to run. He may not remember anything, but he remembers how to survive. The men chasing him use the name “Sam” to call after him. He knows that he has to be Sam, but the name means nothing to him. He instinctively does things that he doesn’t remember knowing. He equates this experience to watching a movie of a man, a man named Sam, someone he’s supposed to be but can’t remember. As he continues to play this game with the men chasing him, he realizes that a part of him is relishing in the chase, in the the disaster he’s causing.
His abductors eventually catch up with him, but instead of being killed he’s sent out on a mission after being given a choice. Sam calculates his odds and goes with what he believes to be the best course of action and the one he feels will bring him freedom. However, Sam doesn’t count on men not dying when you blow their heads off. He learns you can’t kill what’s already dead. That includes him, and Here is the place he’s stranded. Some like to call it Purgatory, but everyone else sticks to Here.
This started out like your typical crime story with the dark, gritty art. I liked Sam’s perspective of himself in the beginning as he uses knowledge he didn’t know he had but seems like instinct when pitted against his need not to die. Then, this subtly veered off into the supernatural world without making things too fantastic and hurting the story’s rough edged theme. It manages to combine the crime element and the supernatural element in a clever way that doesn’t make it feel garish or out of place in the crime setting.
I’m a big fan of stories that play on theological beliefs. The old Heaven vs. Hell story and everybody’s the bad guy is right up my alley. Purgatory has been divided into rival factions. We’re not told who these rival groups are. It seems like you’d want to assume it’s Heaven’s agents and Hell’s agents competing for souls, but this doesn’t seem to be the case as Sam is contacted by an agent who claims to work for God and they have a job for him. I’ll curiously wander into the next book.
Waiting on Wednesday 02/18/15
Posted on February 18, 2015 15 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:
Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien de Castell: March 5, 2015 (Jo Fletcher)
Up there on the list of my most anticipated books of 2015 is Knight’s Shadow, sequel to Traitor’s Blade. I had so much fun with the first book, I can’t wait to continue with the story of Falcio Val Mond and his Greatcoat buddies Kest and Brasti.
“Tristia is a nation overcome by intrigue and corruption. The idealistic young King Paelis is dead and the Greatcoats – legendary travelling magistrates who brought justice to the Kingdom – have been branded as traitors. But just before his head was impaled on a spike, the King swore each of his hundred and forty-four Greatcoats to a different mission.
Falcio Val Mond, First Cantor, with the help of fellow Greatcoats Kest and Brasti, has completed his King’s final task: he has found his Charoites – well, one at least, and she was not quite what they expected. Now they must protect the girl from the many who would see her dead, and place her on the throne of a lawless kingdom. That would be simple enough, if it weren’t for the Daishini, an equally legendary band of assassins, getting in their way, not to forget the Dukes who are determined to hold on to their fractured Kingdoms, or the fact that the heir to the throne is only thirteen years old. Oh, and the poison that is slowly killing Falcio.
That’s not even mentioning the Greatcoat’s Lament…”
Book Review: Your Servants and Your People by David Towsey
Posted on February 17, 2015 15 Comments
Your Servants and Your People by David Towsey
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Walkin’ Trilogy
Publisher: Jo Fletcher (November 6, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In 2013, Jo Fletcher Books sent me a copy of David Towsey’s Your Brother’s Blood and introduced me to a whole new perspective on the walking dead, and I realized I was looking at something very special. A “zombie-western series with the feels” is how I would describe The Walkin’ books, except I wouldn’t want to lead readers into a false sense of security either! Yes, while Towsey does show a more “human” side to zombies by letting them retain their emotions, intelligence and awareness of everything around them, like most tales that take place in the wild and lawless frontier, these novels possess an air of that steely grimness.
Your Servants and Your People is the sequel to Your Brother’s Blood that takes place seven years later. In that time, many things have changed. The Walkin’, or those who have died and come back, are tolerated in society, if not wholly embraced. In many towns they are still discriminated against and treated as an inferior class, though without the need to eat or sleep, most find work as laborers for the living.
Our protagonist Thomas McDermott on the other hand is a Walkin’ who just wants to be left alone. Since the end of the first book, he has reunited with his very-much-alive wife Sarah and daughter Mary, but there hasn’t yet been a happy ending for the three of them. In fact, the McDermotts are on the move again, looking for a place to settle after being forced to abandon home after home. Seems folks aren’t too accepting of a Walkin’ cohabiting with the living. Now Thomas is leading his family to a more remote part of the country, far away from the judging eyes of society, and escorting the McDermotts are a group of soldiers who are also on their way to the frontier garrison of Fort Wilson.
The series is clearly maturing, with book two differing from its predecessor in several major ways. Firstly, the years have changed the characters, none more so than Mary, who was just a child in Your Brother’s Blood. That little girl has grown into a young woman, and gone is her sweet innocence, which has been replaced by a bitter aloofness. Mary doesn’t say much, but she doesn’t need to for readers to grasp that this is one angry and rebellious teenager. Towsey portrays her character with a quiet intensity; he’s really good when it comes to “showing, not telling” and I love his subtle touch with all his characters.
The scope of the story has also expanded beyond the McDermott family. We branch into two significant threads here, the first one following Thomas, Sarah and Mary’s progress in establishing their homestead, and the second following the group of soldiers who were sent to Fort Wilson. A young man named Bryn is the focus of this second group, and he and comrades go through some awful, unspeakable things while holed up in that lonely outpost, things that I won’t go into detail here but that I will say are worthy of the most chilling of horror stories.
In spite of that, there is a lesser sense of urgency here in Your Servants and Your People as compared to Your Brother’s Blood. The first book’s premise was a lot more intense, following Thomas and Mary as they flee desperately across a forbidding wasteland, trying to keep ahead of a gang of zealots bent on killing them both. In contrast, for most of this book the plot moves at a gentler and steadier pace. Thomas and his family make their way to a new part of the country, stake their claim on a piece of land and begin the slow task of building a house. It’s the classic pioneer’s life story…well, save for the fact that the head of your party is a zombie.
These books have feeling because at their heart they are about love and devotion to family – after all, not even dying could stop Thomas from coming home to Mary, or from providing his wife and daughter a safe place to live. But there are still those who see him as an abomination and will stop at nothing to see him destroyed. I was hoping to finally see the McDermotts settle into their new life, because if anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s them. But as it turns out, the gradual pacing of this book fooled me into thinking that the threat was over, so that the bombshell the author dropped at the end crept up on me when I was least expecting it. Well played, Mr. Towsey.
The Walkin’ series is fresh, richly imagined, and sure to stand out for readers looking for a new twist on a classic genre. Beautiful and haunting, Your Servants and Your People is a sequel that brings back everything that was great about Your Brother’s Blood but at the same time feels different enough for me to see that the series is evolving. David Towsey has a knack for writing very gritty, very real protagonists with depth, and my heart is aching and anxious for the McDermotts now, wondering what will happen to them in the next book. I’m definitely not missing out on the final installment of this trilogy.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Jo Fletcher Books!
Posted on February 16, 2015 1 Comment
“How many walking the earth know exactly why they breathe and understand exactly what they must do before passing into the afterdeath.”
Acacia: The War with the Mein
by David Anthony Durham
Book Review: The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Posted on February 16, 2015 21 Comments
The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Maradaine
Publisher: DAW (February 3, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Marshall Ryan Maresca introduces us to the world of Maradaine with his new novel The Thorn of Dentonhill, transporting us to a vibrant and diverse city where powerful mages, university students, assassins and street gangs all call home. Our protagonist is Veranix Calbert, a magic student by day and vigilante by night. When the sun goes down, Veranix ventures out into the streets, disrupting the local drug trade in the hopes of bringing down the notorious crime boss Fenmere, the man who killed Veranix’s father and destroyed his mother’s mind.
One night, Veranix intercepts a delivery in progress, absconding with a major shipment worth forty thousand crowns. But instead of finding the mother lode of drugs in the satchel, he finds…a cloak and a coil of rope?! What’s so special about these mundane objects, and what could Fenmere want with them? What follows is a highly entertaining tale of mystery and adventure as we learn more about circumstances behind this botched trade.
There’s also the intriguing details when it comes to Veranix’s double life. The idea of an average everyman moonlighting as a crime-fighter/vigilante certainly isn’t a new one, but the novel feels unique nonetheless, thanks to the author bringing his own fresh twist to the story. For example, it turns out that Veranix isn’t just your typical mage-in-training, and his tragic history and his family ties to the street gangs make him an irresistible hero.
One of the key strengths here are the characters. At times, even the indomitable Veranix is outshined by the supporting cast, with his friend and roommate Delmin standing out as one of my favorites. Another character who ended up growing on me is Veranix’s cousin Colin, street captain of the Rose Street Princes. This also brings me to how much I loved Maresca’s portrayal of the different street gangs, painting most of them as a lovable bunch of guys rather than just your typical two-bit delinquents. Above all else, the Princes are family and united against the “true” bad guys, who are Fenmere and his buddies at the top. It’s really refreshing to see support within a gang rather than the usual power-struggles.
I also love the world Maresca has created. It’s surprisingly rich, featuring a long and complex history and populated by many cultures. Other than a couple of awkward information dumps near the beginning of the novel, most of the world-building is revealed to us organically over the course of the story. In retrospect, I find it quite impressive that the author was able to work in so much information without overwhelming the reader or distracting from the plot.
Maresca brings the whole package, complete and well-constructed. If you’re looking for something fun and adventurous for your next fantasy read, look no further than The Thorn of Dentonhill, an incredible start to a new series, from an author who is clearly on his way to great things. I liked its balance between drama and action, and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of world building and character development. I’m looking forward to seeing more!
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to DAW Books!
Graphic Novel Review Bites
Posted on February 15, 2015 6 Comments
The Wicked and The Divine: The Faust Act
Every 90 years, the Pantheon of gods returns, reincarnating in the bodies of young people. They will live, love, hate, and laugh, and then, in two years, they will die. During that time, there is only one rule: they must not harm humanity with their abilities. Lucifer, always the troublemaker, takes issue with this.
The story is told mainly through Laura, a diehard fan of all of the gods, who has seen all of their concerts and performances and simply worships them. When Lucy is charged with the murder of a few humans, Laura is later joined by Cassandra, a journalist with a degree in mythology, who doesn’t believe these gods are anything more than freaks and a lightshow.
I’m not an expert on the different mythological gods, but I’m familiar enough to enjoy this modern take on all of them. For a more detailed exploration of the gods as they appear in this delicious comic, click here.
Sentient robots. The story’s been done countless times before. So what makes this one so special?
Tecnically, nothing. It’s about a man named Alex who’s recently gone through a bad break up, has a mundane life, and figures things are going to stay that way, until his grandmother gifts him with a shiny new android companion. After the tragic artificial intelligence uprising that resulted in a massacre, A.I.s are a big no-no. But, while Alex initially doesn’t want to keep Ada, because it’s weird, he changes his mind, but finds that her lack of a personality leaves him wanting more. But what will it mean if he illegally unlocks Ada’s A.I. and lets her truly experience what it means to be a real person?
Alex’s struggles are the focus of this first volume of the series. It is a slow story, but a deep one that digs into questions about sentiences, humanity, and responsibility. The threat of violent backlash looms, but, more important is writer Jonathan Luna’s quiet exploration of what it means to be lonely. By taking the time to tell this story, it gives the reader the time to ask the simple question: What would I do in Alex’s place…?
This is a gritty and violent story about a young girl who claws her way to the top of the food chain within her gang-infested L.A. neighbourhoods. And when she gathers all of the gangs under her command, she turns their disenfranchised rage on their oppressors. This isn’t simply about gang warfare. Because Destiny is, as the title implies, a genius. And her strategy goes well beyond the bullets on the streets.
This book pulls zero punches. It doesn’t pander to any one side. Instead, it points out the simple fact: humans, like all animals, will do whatever it takes to survive. And if you keep beating an animal into a corner, it will eventually fight back.
Destiny is a cold and calculating commander, but she is not immune to emotions that Bernardin lets sneak in with obvious, and less obvious moments. But what really impressed me was the final page, filled with panels that promise a truly intriguing future for Destiny, and ask the question, was this her move all along?
Book Review: Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno
Posted on February 14, 2015 4 Comments
Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno
Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In
Series: Star Wars Universe
Publisher: Del Rey (November 4, 2014)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ve been a great admirer of James Luceno’s Star Wars work in the past, especially his book Darth Plagueis about the eponymous Sith Lord who was the master of Darth Sidious. Having experienced Luceno’s approach to writing Star Wars villains and the credit he does them, I didn’t hesitate to add Tarkin to my reading list with high hopes for the author’s insight into the formidable Grand Moff.
Even if you’re only passing familiar with the films, you’ve probably heard of the name Tarkin. Introduced as the primary antagonist in the first original Star Wars movie, you may recall he’s the evil bastard who threatens Princess Leia with the destruction of her home planet Alderaan if she doesn’t give up the location of the rebel base, and then turns around and blows it up anyway when she gives him a name. But he’s also a soldier and a politician. A scion of a great house. A former Republic proponent and friend of the Jedi. This novel explores all this and more as we delve deeper into this notorious character’s background and history.
In the wake of Palpatine’s rise to power, rebels and freedom fighters continue to be a bane to the empire. As a trusted advisor to his emperor, Tarkin is tasked along with the fearsome and mysterious Darth Vader to squirrel out pockets of the insurgency and extinguish the spark of rebellion before it has a chance to catch.
As expected, Luceno’s work here is solid. If I have any criticisms at all with this novel – and I do have a few – it would have absolutely nothing to do with his writing or storytelling. Quite simply, the author does a thoroughly impressive job pulling together the past and present in order to paint a comprehensive picture of Wilhuff Tarkin. The story is deftly told using a combination of flashbacks and memories woven into the narrative that tells us what’s currently happening. Considering the way we go back and forth throughout the course of the story, I’m somewhat surprised that the pacing did not suffer.
Instead, most of my problems with this book lies with the character. Let’s face it, despite being one of the most ruthless and cold-blooded villains in Star Wars history who even holds “Darth Vader’s leash”, you’re just not as sexy or high on the popularity food chain if you aren’t swinging a lightsaber or wielding the force. Luceno had his work cut out for him making Tarkin a more interesting and appealing character, and I don’t know if he quite manages. We all know Tarkin’s an evil bastard. And after this book, he’s still an evil bastard. Sure, there are some great insights into his past here, such as how his experience playing “Survivor” in the Carrion honed his future skills as a cunning soldier and military strategist. But what does that tell me about the man inside? Everything we learn about him merely scratches the surface while the core of his personality remains aloof. There’s scant little dynamic in his character and I felt like an observer kept at arm’s length.
However, we do gain more understanding into Tarkin’s relationship with both the Emperor and Darth Vader. These were the three who controlled the galaxy by sowing fear after the Clone Wars, and long has it been speculated that Palpatine partnered up the other two on purpose so that they could benefit from each other’s skills. The story in this book showed how that plan ultimately created one of the most fearsome teams that ever existed. In a way, the plot here played out almost like a twisted buddy movie, with the added irony that Tarkin and the Jedi Anakin Skywalker used to be friendly and worked quite closely together. It’s the little moments, like when Tarkin regards Darth Vader and starts surmising his true identity that are probably more rewarding than anything else.
This book was actually quite enjoyable, even if it probably won’t rank up there with my favorite Star Wars novels. It doesn’t stand out, though not for want of trying. Luceno did a great job on the writing front, and was probably only held back by the limitations that are inherent in Tarkin’s character himself.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Del Rey Books!
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Book Haul, Backlist, What I’ve Read
Posted on February 14, 2015 36 Comments
Now that I’m caring for a newborn 24/7, I’ve learned pretty quickly to do everything with only one hand…everything except holding a heavy hardcover while trying to flip pages at the same time! I’ve relied a little more on eARCs in recent weeks as a result.
Received for Review:
The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett – From NetGalley. I was really glad to get a copy of this and started reading it almost right away, which isn’t something I usually do when a book’s release date is still a ways off. But then I desperately wanted to find out what happened after the end of the previous book and got hooked in as a result…
The Novice by Taran Matharu – From NetGalley. A Young Adult title that caught my eye and shows great promise. I sure hope it turns out better than the last time I took a chance on a YA novel that caught my interest on NG.
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon – Audiobook, with thanks to Audible Studios. Ever since I read The Bone Season I’ve been curious about the sequel.
The Revolution Trade by Charles Stross – Review copy, with thanks to Tor. This is the third omnibus in the reprint of Charles Stross’s The Merchant Princes series, which reminds me once again I need to get on reading the other two.
Hexed: The Sisters of Witchdown by Michael Alan Nelson – Physical ARC, with thanks to Pyr. I’m so grateful to the publisher for sending me this book because it’s been on my wishlist for a while and I’m really excited to check it out!
Purchased:
Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb – Audiobook. This was an Audible daily deal that I couldn’t resist. I haven’t finished the Farseer Trilogy yet, with still one last book to go, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have the first book of the Tawny Man series on hand. After all, I do have plans to read all the Fitz books…some day.
Back to the Backlist:
On tap from the backlist bar this week:
California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout – Personal library. I’m finally putting my money where my mouth is! After saying for months that I will read this book, I’m gonna be making it happen this week. For anyone curious, this book has been on my TBR since November 4, 2013 according to Goodreads, so it definitely qualifies for my backlist challenge.
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update:
I’ve been very productive! Keep an eye out for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks.
Panels: Genius
Posted on February 13, 2015 Leave a Comment
Destiny discovers an outlet for her brilliant mind in Genius from Image Comics
The BiblioSanctum 