Waiting on Wednesday 12/17/14
Posted on December 17, 2014 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:
Unseemly Science by Rod Duncan: May 5, 2015 (Angry Robot)
Angry Robot is on a little break right now, but you can be sure they’ll be coming back with a vengeance once the new year hits. There are so many books to look forward to from this publisher in the first half of 2015. One that I think deserves more attention is this sequel to The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter, which I think slipped through a lot of radars earlier this year. A shame, because it was quite good.
Also, get a load of that cover. I love the effect.
“In the divided land of England, Elizabeth Barnabus has been living a double life – as both herself and as her brother, the private detective. Witnessing the hanging of Alice Carter, the false duchess, Elizabeth resolves to throw the Bullet Catcher’s Handbook into the fire, and forget her past. If only it were that easy!
There is a new charitable organisation in town, run by some highly respectable women. But something doesn’t feel right to Elizabeth. Perhaps it is time for her fictional brother to come out of retirement for one last case…? Her unstoppable curiosity leads her to a dark world of body-snatching, unseemly experimentation, politics and scandal. Never was it harder for a woman in a man’s world…”
Graphic Novel Review: Criminal, Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Posted on December 16, 2014 7 Comments
Criminal, Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Genre: Noir, Crime
Publisher: Marvel (December 2011)
Wendy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brubaker and Phillips are known for their off-the-wall noir storytelling, so it is no surprise to see all the noir elements at play in their Criminal series. But volume 6, The Last of the Innocent, adds an unusual visual twist by combining the dark, gritty noir vibe with a bright, cartoony style reminiscent of Archie comics.
The Archie similarities go far deeper than the art, though, as Brubaker spins a story of a man named Riley Richards. Riley has it all, thanks to his marriage to the beautiful, lusty rich girl. But it’s the girl-next-door that he really wants. When the death of Riley’s father draws him back to his backwater home town of Brookview, he begins plotting murder.
Basically, this is a cautionary tale for Archie, warning him that Betty was always the better choice over Veronica. That might seem like just a joke to you, or, if you’re an Archie fan, you might not like the idea of having your favourite characters presented so darkly, but for me, this was a stunning read, particularly because of how the story plays out around Riley’s best friend, Freakout. Freakout is a drug addict, and spends his time either high and constantly eating (sound familiar?), or looking for his next hit. When Riley returns to Brookview, Freakout is on the road to recovery, with an entire year drug free. But what are best friends for, if not to be the perfect alibi for murder?
Through Freakout, Brubaker gives heartbreaking look at friendship and loyalty, and forces us to question happiness and the lengths some might go to attain it.
Or the illusion of it.
This is the sixth volume of the series. There are small connections to the other volumes, which you can discern through the cover images of the other books, but the stories within each volume stand on their own.
Book Review: My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Posted on December 15, 2014 16 Comments
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Zombies
Publisher: DAW (January 2011)
Author Info: dianarowland.com
Wendy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves have been getting the Hollywood treatment lately, turning them into sparkly objects of desire.
Well, zombies need love too!
Unfortunately, there’s that whole mindless, brain-eating, decomposing corpse aspect that makes them less than appealing…
But Diana Rowland fixes all of that! Sort of. Well, there’s still the decomposition. And the compelling hunger. But as long as brains are in fresh supply, the social stigma against zombies can easily be avoided!
Angel wakes up in the hospital with a vague recollection of a car accident and a lot of blood, yet she has no scars, and the strange note she finds leaves no answers. But the note does offer her a way out of her crappy, drug-addicted, domestic abuse life with a well-paying job at the local morgue as a driver. She has no idea who her benefactor is, but vows not to waste the opportunity.
Everything is going well, until she starts getting *hungry* and realizes that the only thing that will satisfy her are the brains of the dead she happens to be surrounded by at her new job. As she comes to understand her new state of undead, a mystery develops around her as bodies start to pile up…
This is, plain and simple, a fun book. Narrated in first person by Angel, it pokes just as much fun at itself and the main character, as it does the zombie genre. Angel’s self-deprecation is endearing and amusing, rather than melodramatic. She accepts her flaws and weaknesses, and, even before growing and overcoming them, she proves her worth.
I was not a fan of the True Blood television series, which is based on Charlaine Harris‘s Sookie Stackhouse books. White Trash Zombie shares a similar urban supernatural vibe, but it doesn’t take itself as seriously, which makes it much more appealing to me. I would love to see a white trash zombie on my television.
Book Review: The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenko
Posted on December 14, 2014 6 Comments
The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenko
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Open Road Media
Wendy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed Lukyanenko’s Night Watch, so I was quick to grab this one. I like when authors diversify their offerings. With Lukyanenko, he’s smoothly transitioned from an urban supernatural story in Night Watch, to hardcore science fiction.
Don’t let me scare you with the term “hardcore,” if you are wary of scifi. I don’t often read the genre, but I could easily get into the intricacies of Lukyanenko’s futuristic world where humans have spread far beyond Earth. Humanity has also expanded far into the field of genetic manipulation, right from the embryo.
Alex Romanov is a pilot-spesh. That is, upon metamorphosis, physical changes to his body allow him to easily compensate for gravity and inertia, while his mind has been altered to allow for integrity, honesty, and the utmost loyalty of his crew. He also is unable to love — which proves problematic when he helps a youg fighter spesh through her transformation and discovers there’s more to her than there seems.
When Alex takes a job with a mysterious company and must pull together an unusual crew, things really get interesting as Lukyanenko explores their various specializations (or lack thereof), their backgrounds, and their interactions with each other. All of which will truly be tested when they take on their first mission — transporting a clone and his alien charges.
Before I go on, I want to shower some praise on Lukyanenko for not only writing interesting female characters, but for actually dealing with their sex and sexuality — from breastfeeding to menstruation — in completely natural ways within the story. It’s almost as if these things are *gasp* normal.
I am, however, disappointed in the way he, like many other authors I’ve read, tends to focus on racial differences. I appreciate the diversity of the cast of characters, but I find it so annoying to have the black woman constantly described as “the black woman” when there is no contextual reason for it. How often do you read “the white man picked up his sword,” yet “said the black woman” is a constant thing. I suppose I should be blessed that Lukyanenko doesn’t go through the thesaurus of colours that George R.R. Martin does when he’s busy describing the “exotic” folks who are so obviously not white.
Anyway, Lukyanenko introduces an intriguing cast and a few interesting plot devices that promises an exciting second half.
But instead, the book suddenly becomes this strange Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, complete with a Sherlock Holmes clone and a Watson to solve it. The change is so abrupt and disappointing, that, what promised to be a great read, suddenly left a strange taste in my mouth as Alex tries to piece together the mystery and protect his crew before the detective does. Only, despite the story being told from Alex’s point of view, the reader isn’t allowed into his thought processes anymore, as he leaps from conclusion to conclusion, none of which make sense.
Everyone on board his ship has motive, and, based on the great character and political issues introduced at the start, I had such high hopes for where things were going to go. But the switch in tone is jarring and the detective work is just plain silly.
Still, I liked the beginning of the book well enough to recommend that much!
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lootz: Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on December 13, 2014 22 Comments
‘Tis the season when the upcoming new year’s books are starting to come in. More have arrived this week after I already cataloged this post , but first we have the exciting titles that were received in the previous few weeks that deserve attention:
Master of Plagues – I was thrilled when this arrived! This book is of course the sequel to the amazing fantasy/mystery Darkwalker, which I recommend highly. I can’t wait to meet up with Nicolas Lenoir again in book two. My thanks to Roc Books!
The Whispering Swarm – I’ve yet to read anything by the esteemed Michael Moorcock, but I know the launch of his first new trilogy in ten years is something of a huge deal. Book one of the Sanctuary of the White Friars series looks really good, and I’m excited for The Whispering Swarm to be my first Moorcock book. My thanks to Tor Books.
Echo 8 – Also courtesy of Tor is Echo 8, which you might remember seeing me feature in one of my Waiting on Wednesdays during Sci-Fi November. I’m looking forward to reading this novel of romance and science fiction from Sharon Lynn Fisher.
The Traders’ War – A while ago, I received The Bloodline Feud from Tor Books, an omnibus that collects the first two books of Charles Stross’s The Merchant Princes series. Not long ago, the publisher kindly also sent me The Traders’ War, which collects books three and four.
City of Eternal Night – Courtesy of Orbit Books came this sequel to Kristen Painter’s House of the Rising Sun. I’ve already read this second book of the Crescent City series and in case you missed it, you can check out my review here!
Edge of Dark – Last year I read and reviewed The Diamond Deep, a compelling work of social science fiction by Brenda Cooper. When Pyr asked if I would be interested in reviewing an upcoming book by the author, I enthusiastically said yes. Edge of Dark is the start of a new series, so it’ll be great to be able to jump right in. My thanks to the publisher.
The Wide World’s End – Also from Pyr comes this third book from James Enge’s A Tournament of Shadows. I’ve read the first book but haven’t gotten to the second yet, but I’ve been intrigued by this “prequel” series featuring the author’s celebrated character Morlock Ambrosius.
I also bought a little something for myself. On Black Friday, I got a coupon and used it on The World of Ice & Fire, snagging this beauty of a book for about $17. I can’t believe I’d contemplated getting this one in audiobook or ebook format. I can safely say now that that would have been a mistake, as I’m admiring the embossed cover and gorgeous illustrations within this ENORMOUS volume. A must-have for A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones fans, this was an amazing addition to my collection of art books, and so worth it especially at the price I got it at.
Now the digital pile:
Golden Son – All I can say is *hyperventilate* *hyperventilate* *hyperventilate* As soon as I got that email saying Golden Son was finally available to request on Netgalley, you can bet I clicked that REQUEST NOW button so fast you’d think it was going out of style.
Owl and the Japanese Circus – Also from Netgalley, I finally got approved for this book after a long time of waiting (that’s what I get for requesting around Thanksgiving week!) I’m reading this now and it’s a lot of fun so far!
The Heresy Within – I got an email about Ragnarok Publications’ new titles in January earlier this week, informing me that the upcoming second book of Rob J Hayes’ The Ties That Bind series is available for review. I’m curious about this grimdark series but haven’t read the first book, so naturally I went and got it.
The Prophecy Con – My audiobook purchase of the week. Gotta put that $10 credit I earned from Audible back in November to good use, after all — and I’ve still got more to spare. I loved the first book of this fantasy heist series, and I can’t wait to read this sequel.
Book Review: Another One Bites the Dust by Chris Marie Green
Posted on December 12, 2014 15 Comments
Another One Bites the Dust by Chris Marie Green
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire
Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Another One Bites the Dust continues the Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire series which has the distinction of being one of the few urban fantasies out there featuring a dead girl as the protagonist. Jensen isn’t just technically dead, living dead, or undead – she’s DEAD dead, an ordinary California girl who was murdered in the woods by a serial killer in the eighties. She’s back now in modern times, pulled out of her time loop by a psychic named Amanda Lee.
Together with her ghostly friends and Amanda Lee, Jensen is putting her talents to good use by helping catch bad guy and solve mysteries, including that of her own murder. This second novel puts her skills to the test with a tough case involving a woman and her hotheaded and potentially dangerous boyfriend who might be just be a few short fuses away from snapping.
The neat thing is, ghosts in this series have quite an arsenal of abilities up their sleeves to go about investigating these kinds of situations, including creating hallucinations, entering dreams, or getting a feel for someone’s emotions and thoughts simply by making contact with them. This is just one example of the many unique ideas found in the first book, which impressed me enough to want to continue the series. I’m also quite invested in Jensen’s personal story, given how the mystery and details surrounding her horrific murder have been greatly built up. I’d like know who killed her, and hopefully see Jensen find closure and make peace with the fact that her life was so unfairly cut short.
What surprised me was that my wish might be granted sooner than I thought. I know there are at least three books planned so far for this series, and I did not expect it to even begin delving into Jensen’s death until at least the third installment. There are a lot of things going on in this book as a result – first, we have the main storyline involving Heidi and her concern for her friend Nichelle who is dating the loose cannon/possible psychopath Tim. Second, we have the major side plot in which Jensen does some independent investigating into her murder and makes some huge discoveries. Third, we get the chance to follow up with Gavin and Wendy, the siblings we got to meet in book one. Jensen still has some residual feelings for Gavin that she needs to resolve, not to mention her reluctant attraction towards “Fake Dean”, the mysterious supernatural entity that has taken on the guise of her old high school sweetheart.
Not surprisingly, Jensen is kept quite busy throughout this book, and we jump along with her from one event to another. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, the book feels very scattered. But on the other, you’re never going to have an opportunity to be bored. In the end, the pros and cons probably balance each other out, though I do wish we could have slowed down just enough to have gotten to know the side characters a bit better, especially Jensen’s group of “ghost budders” who so delighted me in Only the Good Die Young. Personalities like Twyla, Randy, Scott and Louis were pivotal in making the first book grow on me, and I just can’t get enough of them.
Poor Jensen, though. I think the author is attempting to inject a bit of romance into the series by giving her these complicated feelings for both Gavin and Fake Dean, but I just can’t help but feel both these relationships (if you can even go as far as to call them that) are simply doomed. The girl is a ghost, while one of the guys is very much alive and the other is some weird, ethereal and celestial…thing. Fake Dean is very much a big question mark, and it is still unclear whether he is a force of good or evil in Jensen’s life. In any case, I’m not getting a sense of chemistry between either of these pairings so admittedly, any romance is falling flat.
Still, overall we’re definitely getting somewhere with the main story. I am loving the tone of these books, enjoying the way light and dark mingle. We have some humor and cheerful interludes provided by the banter and camaraderie of the ghosts mixed with the creepy and disturbing circumstances of Jensen’s murder as well as the grim nature of the cases she and Amanda Lee decide to take on. The antagonist in this novel is a very troubled and unstable individual, and the few glimpses we get into his mind and into his dreams aren’t very pleasant at all.
All told, this was an enjoyable follow up. The series might not be blowing me away quite yet, but I like how it’s bringing something unique to the genre and the new ideas are enough to make me want to stick around, and I am also very curious how things will end up for our protagonist.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!
Tough Traveling: Drugs
Posted on December 11, 2014 28 Comments
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan ofReview 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: Drugs
DRUGS – Driver of all the underground economies. At times glorified, at times responsible for all the world’s evil, but just as common in Fantasyland as our own. A big thanks to Tammy for the suggestion as this is not from the Tough Guide.
Mogsy’s Picks:
Thank you Tammy for choosing such an interesting topic this week!
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
There’s no way I can do a Tough Traveling list about drugs in fantasy fiction without talking about denner resin. Made from the sap of the denner tree, this highly addictive substance causes euphoria and deliriousness, and its numbing effects also makes it useful as a powerful anesthetic. Too much, however, can be poisonous, and its users may become addicted. Denner addicts are also called “Sweet Eaters”, and can be recognized immediately by their unnaturally white teeth.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Drugs are just as ubiquitous in science fiction as it is in fantasy, perhaps even more. In this book, the drug Kef is highly addictive, believed to dull emotions thus increasing greater rationality in the user. The effects only last a short time, however, wearing off quickly after a few doses. The lasting intoxicating sensation afterwards is what causes so many to be come addicted.
The Powder Mage series by Brian McClellan
In this series, specialized magic users called Powder Mages snort gunpowder like a drug user would snort cocaine — ouch — giving their abilities an extra boost when they do. However, the drug also makes the mage feel more alert and energized, sharpening his or her senses and thinking. This is how the key character Taniel becomes addicted to the powder in the second book, following his severe injuries and emotional trauma.
The entire story line in this book revolves around the hunt for a rare psychedelic mushroom — enough said!
Wendy’s Picks
Ah good old Dragon Age. Never lets me down! Lyrium is a potent and volatile substance mined and refined by dwarves and sold to the Chantry. It is used to fuel a mage’s power, but it is also used to enslave the Chantry’s templars, who take it to enhance their mage monitoring abilities and defences. Adverse effects include paranoia, obsession, and dementia.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Drugs come in many forms and not all of them involve pills in a bottle or dried up leaves. OASIS is a place where players can escape reality, letting their brains enjoy the fantasy of a virtual world that can be almost anything they want it to be.
Mass Effect: Ascension by Drew Karpyshyn
No matter how advanced our species becomes, we’ll never kick the habit. Red dust is now the drug of choice, and a man’s addiction to the substance is what the terrorist leader, The Illusive Man, uses to keep control of his daughter, a powerful young biotic girl.
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
The emperor may sit on the sunburst throne, but he does not rule. It is the hetawa that controls him, carefully driving him slowly insane through the use of dreamblood. Well that sure came back to bite them in the arse, didn’t it.
Waiting on Wednesday 12/10/14
Posted on December 10, 2014 25 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:
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie: February 17, 2015 (Del Rey)
Seriously, it feels like just yesterday I was just finishing up Half A King and already the release of the sequel is on the horizon, just a few months away. I love it when series have shorter interval times between books, not to mention 2014 seems to have just blown right by.
Half the World appears to pick up sometime after the first book, where Yarvi is now minister and the story focuses instead on a young female warrior.
“New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie’s thrilling new series continues in the follow-up to Half a King, which George R. R. Martin hailed as “a fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”
Sometimes a girl is touched by Mother War.
Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named a murderer by the very man who trained her to kill.
Sometimes a woman becomes a warrior.
She finds herself caught up in the schemes of Father Yarvi, Gettland’s deeply cunning minister. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit.
Sometimes a warrior becomes a weapon.
Beside her on the journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill, a failure in his eyes and hers, but with one chance at redemption.
And weapons are made for one purpose.
Will Thorn forever be a pawn in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path?”
Book Review: City of Eternal Night by Kristen Painter
Posted on December 9, 2014 17 Comments
City of Eternal Night by Kristen Painter
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Crescent City
Publisher: Orbit (December 2, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
My excitement to read this book is evidence enough for me that the first installment of this series ended a lot stronger than it began. I went through the first two-thirds of House of the Rising Sun feeling rather ambivalent towards the protagonists, but by the conclusion Augustine and Harlow managed to win me over. A couple of significant events in the previous novel taught both of them lessons in humility and responsibility, and Harlow especially did a lot of growing up. As such, I looked forward to City of Eternal Night with a newfound respect for the characters.
On top of that, this sequel raises the stakes in every way by setting up a new arc that is bigger, stronger, and more encompassing. The story now goes beyond Augustine and Harlow’s personal problems to involve the whole supernatural community. Of course, the diabolical Branzino also makes a return in an attempt to further disrupt Harlow’s life as well as kill Augustine, and as usual the witches’ coven are up to no good again, but the huge whammy that rocks the fae world this time around is the kidnapping of a young girl from the Mardi Gras Exemplar Ball, which is the by far most important and lavish fae event of the year. There’s no ransom price, just a demand for Augustine to relinquish his role as the city’s fae Guardian – and everyone knows the only way to resign from that position is death.
First, what I loved: speaking of Exemplar Ball, I continue to really enjoy Kristen Painter’s portrayal of the city of New Orleans and the fae community’s place in it. I was even more enchanted by the atmosphere of the ball in this book than I was with the scenes from Nokturnos in House of the Rising Sun. Of course, the Exemplar Ball had to be a masquerade and the theme is predictably “Enchanted Forest”. A little overindulgent, perhaps, but boy, what I wouldn’t give to have been invited to that particular shindig. The descriptions of the decorations, costumes and even the food were wild and extraordinary and magnificent.
I also appreciated Painter’s expansion of the fae world in this installment. It’s easy to forget that this series actually takes place in the future, so sometimes the advanced technology can be a bit jarring. But mixed in with this “new and high-tech” is also mythology and the ancient lore of faeries. The history and background of Lally, a secondary character, is further explored with several big revelations about the old mansion that belonged to Harlow’s mother, also explaining why Branzino also wants it so much. A lot of things start to come together in this sequel, and the author continues to tease the details little by little.
Now for a couple of criticisms, which are minor: firstly, there is absolutely no mystery at all when it comes to the kidnapping case. There are a very limited number of suspects, and despite Augustine and the fae council going nuts over trying to narrow down the culprit, the one responsible is practically named in the book’s own description.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any other surprises.
Take the ending, for example. On the one hand, it was abrupt and left us with one hell of a cliffhanger, but on the other, we are set up for a pretty big conundrum which makes me mighty curious as to how things will be resolved.
Finally, despite maturing a bit since the first book, every once in a while Harlow still gets on my nerves. She may be less of a selfish brat, but she’s still terribly naïve (or dumb with a capital D, if you’re feeling less generous). Sad to say, but she brings a lot of her problems on herself. It’s one thing to be socially awkward and a little sheltered, it’s another to have someone tell you straight out NOT to do a certain thing because there will be dire consequences – and even give you examples! – and you go do it anyway. That’s Harlow for you.
Still, my feelings about her notwithstanding, I continue to believe Harlow will become a more sympathetic character, and I’m following the budding romance between her and Augustine with interest. I’m also enjoying the world of this series a lot, and the story is getting better. This sequel is without question an improvement over the first book, and I’m definitely on board for book three.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Orbit Books!
Guest Post: “Friendships Between Strong Female Characters” by Karina Sumner-Smith
Posted on December 8, 2014 22 Comments
As you may recall, last month for Sci-Fi November I reviewed Radiant, a brilliant and unique speculative fiction novel debut from Karina Sumner-Smith. What also made this book stand out for me was its focus around a remarkable friendship between Xhea and Shai, two young women from very different walks of life. Hence it is with great honor that we welcome Karina here at the BiblioSanctum today to talk about this very topic!
FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS
by Karina Sumner-Smith
I say “strong female character”—and you cringe.
It’s okay, I understand the reaction. I think many of us are tired of the cardboard characters presented as “strong”. We all know the type: the attractive, kick-ass girl with a sarcastic comeback for every statement; the one who inevitably catches the eye of nearly every man in the story … and the one who usually ends up needing to be saved, no matter how many guns she’s toting. (Adjust details as required for your genre or medium of choice.)
For me, the idea of a strong female character really means an interesting female character—ideally, a woman who is the protagonist of her own tale, not just a sidekick or a victim or a helpless damsel waiting to be saved. A female character who has her flaws and quirks and bad days, yes, just as she has her intelligence and humor and moments of brilliance.
In other words, a character who reads like a real person.
Yet somewhere along the way, I think the wires got crossed. The typical understanding of a “strong female character” conflates the idea of emotional resilience with physical strength, and autonomy with extreme independence. As frustrating as it is to see the capability for violence stand in as a catch-all symbol for strength, it’s the latter that bothers me most of all.
Why, to be strong, must a female character stand alone? What happened to family and friends? Where are her colleagues and classmates? I wince at the possible subtext: that a smart, capable woman is destined to be alone.
As a reaction to the stereotype of the helpless damsel, or the female character who can’t seem to get anything done without male support, I can understand the appeal of a character who can handle everything just fine on her own, thank you very much. Yet true isolation makes one hurt and brittle, not strong; and collaborating with others, or accepting help when it’s needed (or appreciated), shouldn’t be made into weaknesses.
But if it’s irksome both to have female characters exist and act in isolation, and others who ultimately rely on male help to get the job done, where’s the middle ground? The more I thought about it, the answer seemed simple: not one, but two strong female characters. Women who work together. Women who—dare I say it?—are friends.
When I struggled to find more than a handful of SFF novels with a friendship between women as the story’s core emotional driver, I wrote one. Radiant is about two young women from opposite ends of their society who are thrown together by circumstance and must learn to understand and trust each other if they want to survive.
In many ways, my protagonist, Xhea, is a reaction to that too-independent stereotype. Homeless, desperately poor, and abandoned, Xhea has learned that she can only trust herself. Lacking size and physical strength, her only weapons are her wits, the edge of her too-sharp tongue, and the speed at which she can run away.
Sheltered and gentle and massively powerful, Shai presents a different kind of strength. She is careful and intelligent, and is caught between fear, responsibility, and the creeping realization that she’s been raised to believe a lie. (She also happens to be a ghost—and not even death has saved her from the pursuers on her trail.)
In writing a novel in which the central relationship is not a romance but the development of a friendship between two very different young women, I knew that I was taking a risk. There’s a market for romance, and for kick-ass female loners—but friendship? Never mind a publisher’s marketing team; I wasn’t sure how to connect with the audience for this novel. Who raves and cheers about two women working to trust and understand each other?
Me, I realized. I was that person. I hope that you are too.
* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karina Sumner-Smith is a fantasy author and freelance writer. Her debut novel, Radiant, was published by Talos/Skyhorse in September 2014, and in audiobook by Audible Studios. The second and third books in the trilogy are scheduled to follow in 2015. Prior to focusing on novel-length work, Karina published a range of fantasy, science fiction and horror short stories, including Nebula Award nominated story “An End to All Things,” and ultra-short story “When the Zombies Win,” which appeared in two Best of the Year anthologies. Visit her at karinasumnersmith.com.
The BiblioSanctum