Panels: All-Star Superman
Posted on October 27, 2014 Leave a Comment
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely sum up the Superman story in four epic panels. Pithy!
Book Review: Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
Posted on October 27, 2014 26 Comments
Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Blackthorn and Grim
Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2014)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Spellbinding” is the only word to describe Dreamer’s Pool. Reading it was like walking into a gorgeous, living fairy tale. I just loved this book, it’s probably one of the best I’ve read all year…and I’ve read A LOT of books this year.
This is the first in an adult series by Juliet Marillier, called Blackthorn and Grim. Blackthorn is a woman we meet at the beginning of the novel, imprisoned for speaking out against a wicked and corrupt chieftain. Hours before she is to be executed, she is visited by the fey, who offers her a chance to escape in exchange for her promise to set aside her desire for vengeance. Reluctantly, Blackthorn agrees and makes her way north to Dalriada to start her new life. She is trailed by her fellow prisoner and escapee Grim, a hulking man of few words. Unable to turn away anyone who asks her for help, Blackthorn also recognizes Grim’s potential as an ally, and the two of them strike up a tentative partnership.
Meanwhile in Dalriada, Prince Oran prepares to wed. He has never met his future bride the Lady Flidais, though he has seen her portrait and they have written extensively to each other. However, the crown prince is convinced that the sweet, compassionate and intelligent woman he has come to know through her letters is his perfect match, which is why he is dismayed when the Flidais who arrives at his castle is nothing like the Flidais he thought he knew. Had he been taken for a fool, merely blinded by youthful naiveté? Or is there something stranger, more mystical afoot? Perhaps the newly arrived wise woman and her big strong helper could be of some assistance in this mystery.
This is a tale of magic, set in a world where one imagines myths and legends can come to life, but it also feels surprisingly grounded at the same time, almost like a fairy tale infused with a bit of realism. These elements gave the world more depth and kept it from feeling too simplistic, but they were also muted enough not to be overbearing or risk completely obliterating the magical nuances. Marillier tackles the craft of world-building meticulously and flawlessly, striking the perfect tone. I’m beyond impressed.
Dreamer’s Pool is told through the perspectives of Blackthorn, Grim and Oran. These three characters made this book a joy to read, and there’s no hemming and hawing about it – I loved them all equally. They’re very different people, and the way they’re written by Marillier, you would never mistake any one of them for another. Each person’s voice feels unique and extraordinarily real and powerful. The reader perceives the world and various events through a character’s eyes, at the same time watching him or her develop along with the story. We’re with Oran as he grows from a young, carefree man into a thoughtful and worldly leader. We’re in Blackthorn’s head even as she is blinded by her own personal biases and unaware of her flaws. And Grim is just Grim. He’s simply an amazing and special man and there can be no other like him.
This book made me wonder why I waited so long to pick up something by Juliet Marillier. She writes so beautifully, with every word like an enchantment or spell drawing the reader deeper into the story. There’s a mystery here I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of, and then as we drew closer to the conclusion I didn’t want this story to end!
Alas, it did. But I’m also glad this is going to be a series because I can’t wait until we can return to the world of Blackthorn and Grim. Until then, I’ve bought other books by Marillier because I just can’t get enough of her writing. Dreamer’s Pool gave me a taste, and now I’m hooked.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!
Sunday Musings: Recovering Gamer
Posted on October 26, 2014 3 Comments
I’m just getting up after sleeping off the effects of pulling an all-nighter–something I haven’t done in a long, long time. No regrets, though, since this all-nighter was for the kids. As in the Extra Life gaming marathon in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Together, we raised an astounding five million dollars–and the numbers are still climbing. I’m still pretty sleepy today, but I’m damn proud of what we accomplish during this event.
CURRENTLY READING
In preparation for SciFi November, I’m getting started with a classic: War of the Worlds. Read by the incomparable Simon Vance–well, I guess in this case, he’s not quite incomparable, considering the original radio broadcast by Orson Welles, and the panic that ensued.
(Source)
WRITERY THINGS
Tonight, author Jason M. Hough is hosting a Scrivener tutorial.
“NaNoWriMo is starting soon, and since you can download a trial version of Scrivener for free during the event, I thought I’d give people a quick tutorial on the software and how I use it.”
BOOKISH THOUGHTS
17 problems Only Book Lovers Will Understand
Lootz: Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on October 25, 2014 20 Comments
Welcome to this biweekly feature where I showcase all the books I bought/won/received for review in the past fortnight. First, the physical pile:
The Turning Season – this was a surprise arrival from Penguin, and when I looked it up afterwards I learned that it is the third book of the Shifting Circle series. While I don’t usually jump on board a series midway especially on an unsolicited book, I might actually make an exception for this one if it turns out I can read this without getting hopelessly lost, since Sharon Shinn’s one of those authors I’ve always wanted to check out. Let me know if you’ve read this series, I’d love to hear your input.
Another One Bites the Dust – this was the only review book this week that I specifically requested. I read the first book Only the Good Die Young earlier this year and was delighted to see it was the beginning of a new urban fantasy series starring a ghost protagonist. That’s not something you see everyday, and I was very interested in continuing. My thanks to Penguin.
A Play of Shadow – when this one showed up in the mail, I was reminded that I still need to read the first book A Turn of Light! I best get to it soon. My thanks to Penguin again.
Covenant’s End – I was so excited to see this ARC arrive from Pyr Books a couple weeks ago! I love this series, and Covenant’s End is apparently the fourth and final book. I’m so looking forward to the conclusion of Widdershins’ adventures, and I’ve already heard from the publicist that the ending is pretty amazing.
Insignia and The Iron Trial – My thanks to Tabitha from NotYetRead for sending me her extra ARCs of these YA books! I’m really interested in reading them, especially The Iron Trial because I’ve always been curious about both Cassandra Clare and Holly Black’s writing, and here I get a twofer!
And now the digital ebooks/audiobooks pile, which is mercifully small this week:
Daughter of the Forest – looks like Audible got me again with one of their sales, this time with their Start A New Series promotion. I saw this one in the list and didn’t even hesitate. I’m currently reading Marillier’s upcoming novel Dreamer’s Pool and I’m LOVING IT!!! It’s definitely made me curious about her other books.
Sixth of the Dusk – grabbed this the other day, because even Brandon Sanderson’s short stories and novellas are amazing reads. This one was actually part of an already published anthology, but nonetheless I was glad to be able to grab it on its own for a couple of bucks.
Audiobook Review: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Posted on October 24, 2014 5 Comments
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Series: The Broken Empire #3
Publisher: Harper Voyager (August 2013)
Author Info: marklawrence.buzz
Wendy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Though common sense will occasionally bind me,
I’ll be fucked if fear will.
Emperor of Thorns is unique in the trilogy because it is the first time where we jump out of Jorg’s head and into the third person as Chella the necromancer’s story comes into play. She has been dogging Jorg this entire time, and now, returned to living flesh, she serves the will of the Dead King who is out to break the broken empire — unless Jorg can stop him. Jorg is no hero. He might regret the ghosts that haunt him, but even Jorg isn’t going to let the Dead King spread his plague of corruption. Meanwhile, the Builders’ secrets are slowly being revealed … though there is no one left to understand them.
Jorg always seems to be going somewhere in these books, and I always find myself at a loss as to the reason for the journey. I have a vague idea that the journey relates to his next ascension and a definitive enemy, and he conveniently walks paths that lead him to new powers and knowledge that help in his end game.
This ambiguity could be considered a flaw in Lawrence’s story telling. Or maybe it’s just me not paying close enough attention as I listen to James Clamp’s incredible narration. But I am here for Jorg and these journeys give me ample opportunity to spend time with him, inside his mind.
To assume Jorg has no conscience is wrong. He has one. He just doesn’t allow time wasted on the decision making process because of it. His number one priority is survival–ironic since he has little fear of death. But with the coming of his son in this book, his ruthlessness takes on new meaning.
I always fear that Lawrence will cop out and soften Jorg by seeking his redemption. He hasn’t failed me yet. Jorg’s son does soften him, in that special way newborns have on new fathers, but it simply gives Jorg a new edge; a new purpose to add to the calculations he makes when determining his next move.
And I do so enjoy those calculations. There’s an element of the recent Sherlock Holmes films at play, where Jorg has an inkling of what his opponent might do. But his calculations aren’t about artful point and counterpoint. It’s about Jorg’s unpredictability, in spite of those calculations. Especially against opponents who can see the future or mathemagically plot their course. Some might have issue with how easily Jorg can pull his ass out of the fire each time because of this. I enjoy the creativity behind it and how Jorg’s decisions and actions are always new, keen, and interesting.
I have found, of late, that authors seem to write trilogies because it’s the trendy thing to do. Lots of extraneous words and scenes are added to stretch the story into three books. But, as I have said in previous reviews, Lawrence’s words are precise and never wasted. This is a trilogy because it needs to be a trilogy. And though I get a bit lost with the journeys Jorg takes, I never get the feeling that Lawrence writes them without purpose. He knows exactly where the story needs to go and chooses the most pithy path to get there.
Tough Traveling: Elves
Posted on October 23, 2014 16 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. Compulsive list-maker that I am, I’m very excited to take part!
This week’s tour topic is: Elves
ELVES claims to have been the first people in Fantasyland. They are called the Elder Race. They did not evolve like humans, but sprang into being just as they are now.
Mogsy’s Picks:
When it comes to elves in fantasy, I imagine quite a few minds will jump immediately to Tolkien’s elves, which have pretty much set the standard for the taller, slimmer, more beautiful, graceful and intelligent elf archetype you see often in pop culture — and don’t forget, they’re usually more environmentally conscious, at one with nature, and immortal and magical too! On the other end of the spectrum, however, we also have the popular image of the short, tiny and cute elf, with a tendency to be workers or servants. Think Christmas elves or the house elf Dobby from Harry Potter.
To cut to the chase, elves seem to show up a lot in fantasy fiction, but I want to talk about some of the ones I’ve encountered while reading that I feel are a bit different from more conventional portrayals.
Iron Night by M.L. Brennan
Talk about unconventional, Brennan’s series features a very unique and different portrayal of elves. First of all, they’re not beautiful and they don’t even look remotely human, their faces more resembling lizards. They are also a warmongering race, and are so bloodthirsty and love to kill each other so much that they’ve virtually decimated their own population. With low fertility rates and the problem of inbreeding, now the elves (they call themselves the Ad-hene) struggle to find ways to procreate and increase their numbers again, resorting to some pretty heinous methods.
Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
From what I’ve seen of the first couple books, the MHI series seems to be a pretty run-of-the-mill, testosterone-injected action- urban fantasy, but it’s got some pretty interesting elves. Protagonist and super geek Owen Pitt was excited when he realized he’d be meeting the elves of the Enchanted Forest, only to find out that it’s Enchanted Forest Trailer Park and the elves that live in it are trailer trash rednecks.
Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne by David Gaider
Rather than being regarded as the fairer folk and the “higher” race, elves in the Dragon Age universe used to be an advanced and immortal society until humans showed up and conquered them. They were enslaved until Andraste freed the majority of them, though now slaves are still discriminated against and many of them are forced to work as servants and live in designated slum-like areas for them in cities, called alienages. The remaining free elves are closer to the original glorious and noble elf archetype, living deep in the woods trying to retain whatever’s left of their once great culture.
The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
Another series where elves — or at least those humans with elf-blood — are considered at the bottom of the societal hierarchy or have been enslaved. Full-blooded elves are actually pretty powerful, magical and practically immortal creatures, but because they have such a low birth rate, humans pretty much came along and zerged them into submission. All elves living among the humans now are actually half-breeds, while the full-blooded elves mainly keep to themselves and want very little to do with the rest of the world.
Jhereg by Steven Brust
In these books, the elves called the Dragaerans are better and more amazing and more powerful than humans, which is why they actually have taken over the world. They’re also arrogant, unbelievable assholes who think that their race and everything they do is perfect. Strangely enough, despite their tall slender frames, pointed ears, longevity and magical abilities, Dragaerans actually consider and call themselves “humans”, while the REAL humans, the Easterners, call them “elves” or sometimes “faeries”.
Wendy’s Picks
The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks
Well of course the Shanarra books have elves, but, in my younger days, I found the Shannara books pretty darn boring. Fortunately, my brother introduced me to the Genesis of Shannara series, which takes an interesting post-apocalyptic twist, explaining that the fantasy world that many of us grew up with, is actually the, well, the actual world we grew up with and ended up making a mess of. Now, the elves, who have been hiding out all this time, are making an epic come back and bringing the wishstones back into play.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Another series that turns the usually holier than thou elves into outcasts, shunned by the human world. In the Witcher series of video games, elves are the downtrodden, and the motto is that “the only good elf is a dead elf.” But the elves aren’t down for the count just yet…
The Arch Mage: An EverQuest Next Novella by Robert Lassen
Elves are back on top in the revamped world of EverQuest, but that just means they have further to fall. Especially when they start messing with dragons.
Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey
The typical fantasy races appear in Carey’s Sundering series, but the bittersweet love story is told mainly from the point of view of the bad guys, including the warlord who kidnaps the elvish princess, Cerelinde
From A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Images from the Star Wars: Imperial Handbook
Posted on October 22, 2014 7 Comments
I make it no secret that I’m a pretty big fan of Star Wars. That’s why I was pretty thrilled when Wunderkind PR provided me some gorgeous images and artwork to share from the Star Wars: Imperial Handbook, published by Becker&Mayer and available now.
Hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I did. Get a load of that Aquatic Stormtrooper, is that full of awesome or what?
The Empire has taken hold of the galaxy. Soon, with the completion of the Death Star, its control will be absolute. To prepare for the influx of military personnel required to complete this phase of the Emperor’s plan, elite Imperial officers have outlined the processes, protocols, and hierarchy each newly-promoted Imperial Commander must carry out to fulfill the Emperor’s vision.
Star Wars®: Imperial Handbook: A Commander’s Guide is written by top Imperial officers from the Imperial Army, Navy, and Stormtrooper Corps. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Imperial war machine—from coordination between the various military branches to Imperial battle tactics, mission reports, and equipment supply chains—and its role within the Emperor’s long-term plan for galactic domination.
Following the Battle of Endor, this copy of Imperial Handbook fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance. Through handwritten notes left in margins, leaders for the Rebel Alliance, such as Princess Leia, General Madine, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker provide a running counter-commentary to the official Imperial propaganda.
Waiting on Wednesday 10/22/14
Posted on October 22, 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:
Black Heart by Mark Smylie: August 5, 2015 (Pyr)
You’re probably thinking August 2015 sounds so far away right now, aren’t you? And I say DAMN RIGHT it does, especially when I want to read this book so badly my heart actually skipped a beat when I saw the cover and a description. It’s the follow up to the dark, brutal and explicit adventure-fantasy The Barrow which totally rocked my world earlier this year.
“The last survivors of the raid on the Barrow of Azharad have scattered to the four winds, each walking a separate path. For some, it is the path of noble service, as the households of great kings and warlords beckon, offering a chance to enter the fray of politics with the fate of nations on the line. For others, it is the path of secrets and magic, as the veil of the world parts to reveal the hidden truths that dwell in shadow and spirit.
And for Stjepan Black-Heart, royal cartographer and suspected murderer, it is the path of battle and sacrifice, as he is summoned to attend the household of the Grand Duke Owen Lis Red, the Earl Marshal to the High King of the Middle Kingdoms, on his latest campaign to find and kill Porloss, the Rebel Earl: an elusive quarry lurking behind an army of ruthless renegade knights in the wild hills of the Manon Mole, a land where every step could be your last, and where lie secrets best left undisturbed.”
Book Review: Sword of the Bright Lady by M.C. Planck
Posted on October 21, 2014 17 Comments
Sword of the Bright Lady by M.C. Planck
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of World of Prime
Publisher: Pyr (September 9, 2014)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Many will probably read Sword of the Bright Lady and think what a peculiar world our protagonist Christopher Sinclair has landed in, with all these funny magical rules and strange way of doing things. On the other hand, if you’re a gamer, then you just might see things a bit differently, and a lot of the elements will have that persistent, familiar ring.
As already pointed out by many reviewers, the world of this book feels reminiscent of a video game. For example, gaining ranks and becoming more powerful by defeating your enemies, then plundering their bodies for loot is like the foundation of any role-playing game. Fortifying your base, allocating your resources, and delegating responsibilities to your minions while arming your fighters and supplying your crafters to make sure they churn out raw materials and products for the war effort also happens to be essential for strategy games. And the golden rule of battles and duels in Sword of the Bright Lady – that is, fight and deplete your opponent’s tael before they deplete yours – sounds extraordinary like the tongue-in-cheek “advice” I used to tell my raid group back when I was leading 25-mans in World of Warcraft: “Let’s all try and get the boss’ hit points to zero before he gets our hit points to zero, please.”
There are many more examples like this, and as the author had confirmed in a comment on another blogger’s review that he had intended to write a book exploring what it would feel like to be an actual person in the games we play, I had a lot of fun spotting the similarities and wondering what aspects might actually be subtle references to gaming. The concept itself is REALLY cool. The book begins with Christopher waking up in a strange, new world with no memory of how he got there. How many game narrative start off just like that? He gets drafted into an eternal war (as an online gamer, a war that goes on forever was one of those “AHA!” moments for me, because we all know in an MMO you can never truly “win”) by serving as a priest of the Bright Lady, joining the ranks of her followers who can heal wounds by using their magic and, for the right price, resurrect the dead (another “AHA!”) But then, drawn by the opportunity to return home to his own world, Christopher goes and pledges himself to the god of war, which sets off a series of unpredictable and violent events.
By all rights, I should have fallen in love with Sword of the Bright Lady. After all, I usually find myself drawn to any story with a gaming angle, no matter how tenuous the link. However, in the end “love” might be too powerful a word to describe how I felt about the book, though I did have fun and enjoyed reading it quite a bit. There were just a few things that added up to keep me from embracing this one completely.
Firstly, something about Christopher just doesn’t sit right with me. While I don’t pretend to be an expert on how a person would react when waking up to an unfamiliar world surrounded by strangers, still, Christopher’s behavior and many of his decisions and actions just didn’t seem realistic or normal to me. And while he clearly didn’t know about all the ways of this new place, he did seem to know quite a lot – perhaps too much to be believable. And though I was aware of the nature of this fantasy world, the people took to Christopher’s new ideas and projects much too easily, with not much fuss or resistance at all, which also didn’t feel very believable to me.
This segues perfectly into my second point, which is that the whole premise of this novel feeling like it’s hovering in this awkward place between trying to convey the realism and authenticity of this world but at the same time negating a lot of that by throwing in some pretty outlandish situations that make the story feel almost satirical. The book feels like it wants it both ways, which is a difficult balance to strike. I’m not sure I liked this “in between” feeling, and in fact if Christopher’s experience is meant to be a parody of sorts of what it might feel like to be a person in a video game – which is quite an ingenious and unique idea – I’d actually have liked to see the author carry that premise even further.
To sum it all up, I think there are a couple of missed opportunities to make this book stand out more, which for me is the only factor holding it back from being a truly excellent read. But I can’t deny there are some fascinating ideas in here, and overall it’s a very strong novel from author M.C. Planck.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books!
PANELS: Batman: The Court of Owls
Posted on October 20, 2014 Leave a Comment
Batman has been missing for over a week. The bat signal has been shining every night since, until the bulb blows on the eighth day. Batman’s son, Damian, stands vigil with Commissioner Gordon, wondering how his father will find his way home in Batman: The Court of Owls.
The BiblioSanctum 