Book Review: The Godless by Ben Peek
Posted on September 23, 2014 17 Comments
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Children
Publisher: Tor (UK: August 14, 2014), Thomas Dunne (US: August 19, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Godless caught me off guard a bit, as it ended up not being the kind of book I was expecting at all. Mainly, it doesn’t read like it was meant to have a traditional story plot, and I don’t doubt that could be the reason for the many reviews I’ve seen describing it as confusing or difficult to summarize. Books like these are generally not my cup of tea, but The Godless did manage to hold me rapt with its epic world and fascinating mythology.
Thousands of years ago, the gods warred. After their conflict, the dead or dying ended up scattered across the world, becoming part of the forests, mountains, and other features of the land. Since then, men and women have awakened with strange and spectacular powers that are derived from the fallen gods’ bodies. The Godless takes place mostly in Mirea, a city built by a massive stone wall that spans a mountain range which houses the body of one of these gods, Ger.
The book follows the lives of several characters: Ayae, the young apprentice of a cartographer who discovers she is “cursed” after emerging completely unharmed from the flames that devoured her shop; Bueralan, an exiled baron who leads a team of mercenaries hired by Mirea to sabotage Leera, a neighboring enemy kingdom; and Zaifyr, a mysterious, centuries-old mystic who teaches and advises Ayae after the emergence of her powers.
The Godless is indeed a bit difficult to describe, as I found it overall heavy on ideas and history while coming in on the lighter side when it came to plot and character development. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even though books like this aren’t typically my taste, they are chockfull of potential if written well. To its credit, The Godless did keep me interested, but it didn’t have the momentum I desired. While the concepts of the gods and the individuals with special powers are nothing short of extraordinary, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing from the story, a lack of a unifying thread tying it all together which would have made this one a truly engaging read.
The characters themselves are well-formed with very complete backstories, but their personalities seemed muted somehow. I felt no particular affinity towards any of them, and despite the time spent with each character, I regarded them from an emotional distance. The Godless also isn’t something I would call fast-paced or a page-turner, though it does have its moments at the beginning and towards the end. There’s a lot of detail to take in in between, meant to be absorbed and savored, so I wasn’t surprised this one ended up being a slower read.
I think I went into this expecting something akin to a heroic fantasy, but that wasn’t how it played out, and it was through no fault of the book or the author. By design, the narrative seemed more interested in emphasizing the complex philosophy and theological ideas, the political history between Miera and Leera, as well as the lore and mythology behind the gods’ war and the Cursed.
It’s a compelling read, and there’s no denying that. This first book is a great introduction to a series with a boatload of potential. Still, while I enjoyed reading about the world of The Godless with its diverse peoples and cultures, its rich history and politics, my own priority would be characters and story. But obviously, we all have different tastes. If the sort of world building I described in the above paragraph is something you enjoy, then this book would be perfect for you.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Tor UK!
Panels: Battlefields: Night Witches
Posted on September 22, 2014 Leave a Comment
Discrimination was the least of the problems that the Night Witches of Russia would face in World War II. Learn more about these brave women here or in Garth Ennis’ Battlefields: Night Witches.
AudioBook Review: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Posted on September 22, 2014 14 Comments
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Genre: Fantasy, Dragons
Series: Memoirs by Lady Trent #1
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates (February 2013)
Author Info: swantower.com
Narrator Info: Facebook
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was not exactly what I expected. That is to say, there isn’t a lot about dragons, much less their history. I was expecting something that could almost be an accompaniment to His Majesty’s Dragon, and, if I wanted to get my headcanon on, I could manage a good mash up, with this book being like a prequel where Lady Trent and her ilk are learning about the enigmatic creatures. But alas, this is actually a memoir *of* Lady Trent, by the lady herself. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking for dragons, they be not really here.
Instead, we get a look into the life of a young woman with an insatiably curious scientific mind that takes particular interest in the insect-like sparklings in her backyard. These tiny creatures would be the instruments of her fate in many ways, first sparking her interest in dragons, and later inspiring her continued research that leads her and her husband across the world to find real live dragons.
I’ve mentioned a few times now that I am steadily growing tired of speculative media where women are the inferior of the species, but sometimes, despite my misgivings, I can appreciate a book that sticks to this concept if it is done well. Most often, such stories are written by women, with Lois McMaster Bujold, being the most prominent example that springs to mind. Actually, prior to reading this book, Bujold was the only author I consider to write underprivileged women well, by showing how they understand their role as lesser beings, and work within it to achieve their goals and prove themselves, and are respected by men who aren’t bound to their society’s close-minded views. Brennan allows Isabella Trent to speak plainly about the role of females in society, though Isabella does not necessarily rail against it. She simply realizes that her passions do not coincide with societal norms for her sex. Fortunately, she is loved and respected by men who will not simply indulge her desire for knowledge, but encourage and enable it.
A recent essay by a young girl who lauds the character of Hermoine Granger from the Harry Potter series, speaks about how Hermoine’s skill and intelligence is what is respected about the character, without her ever needing to play the damsel in distress to get the boys to help her out. Isabella has to struggle a bit to make the men in her life understand how important her study of dragons is to her, but once they do understand, they quickly respect her for her intelligence and consider her their equal in as much.
In terms of the dragons, as I mentioned, we don’t see much of them, even during the pivotal and climactic moments. But I liked the way Brennan maintained Trent’s critical and scientific mind when the dragons are present–especially at a particularly critical moment. It makes her seem emotionally detached from everything and everyone else, but this too is addressed well by Brennan, and when Isabella does allow herself emotions, I found it to be very moving. In fact, I was surprised by my reaction to the ending. I had not quite realized how deeply I had become involved.
I give some credit there to Kate Reading, whose narration, as always, is impeccable. She gives such nobility, humility, dignity and strength to the women she narrates.
I also liked Isabella’s relationship with Dagmira, the irascible maid servant assigned to her when she travels across the world to study dragons attacking Dagmira’s village. It is an atypical relationship that never quite reaches the point of friendship, though grudging respect creeps in from time to time. It is a refreshing and sometimes amusing companionship.
The political intrigue and illegal comings and goings that eventually take over the plot in the second half of the book are the story’s only flaw. It all works, and thankfully does not slow anything down, but at times, the connection to the dragons feels a bit tenuous and forced. When things turn in this direction, the lack of dragons becomes more glaring.
Still, a very enjoyable read, and an unusual take on ‘history’ and science that brings dragons to life.
Sunday Musings: Nothing but the Rain
Posted on September 21, 2014 6 Comments
It’s nice to wake up to the rain at your window, even if there’s a little bit of lightning and thunder to go with it. For me, it signifies a day that should be spent in bed with a good book, and/or a good lap top.
CURRENTLY READING
In my quest to find a Superman book that will help me finally appreciate the character, I’ve come, at last, to All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Superman already has so much working against him with me, because I just don’t like the character and have yet to find a well written story about him, despite numerous recommendations that I disagree with for various reasons. There’s also my dislike for Grant Morrison to worry about.
But I did like Morrison’s writing in We3 when he let Frank Quitely’s art tell the story, as it should be, with sequential storytelling. And I definitely like Morrison’s creative decision to avoid “re-doing origin stories or unpacking classic narratives.” [x]
That’s an approach I can appreciate, so, despite my negatives about Superman stories in the past, I’m walking into this one feeling pretty positive.
GAMERY THINGS
There are lots of video games based on movies or television shows and comics, but what about video games based on novels and short stories? Imagine my gamer surprise when I discovered that my recent read, I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream is also a game! Guess what I will be playing soon??
That said, the story it is based on is quite … trippy… to put it mildly. This game is going to be veeery interesting, to say the least. Perhaps I shall save it for the wee hours of my Extra Life charity gaming marathon.
BOOKISH THOUGHTS
My dad can literally count on one hand how many times he’s been late to a scheduled appointment. It’s a trait that he has instilled in me. Not only does it show respect for other people’s time, but it gives you that extra time to read. This also works well with my kids’ extra curricular activities. An hour and a half worth of gymnastics lessons? Perfect reading time.
YA Weekend: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Posted on September 20, 2014 15 Comments
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Throne of Glass
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s (September 2, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Few subsequent installments in a Young Adult series have lived up to the bar set by their first books, so color me impressed by the way Heir of Fire has managed to do this while at the same time helping me get over the bad taste that Crown of Midnight left in my mouth.
This is going to be a difficult review to write without stomping all over spoiler territory for the previous books, but I’ll do my best not to divulge anything beyond what’s already in the book’s description. So much has happened in the series since the beginning. We last left Celaena on a ship bound for Wendlyn, sent there by her former lover and captain of the King’s Guard Chaol Westfall. Significant events as of late have also marked Wendlyn as her destination for answers to her past, and a way to thwart the King of Adarlan’s nefarious plans.
Not only has Heir of Fire sparked my enthusiasm to follow Celaena on her adventures again, it’s also now my favorite book of this series. I noted as well that this third book was remarkably light on relationship drama and all that bullshit. Coincidence? Probably not. The incessant shoving of an unimaginative, hackneyed romantic side-plot down my throat in Crown of Midnight was what almost made me lose my patience with that last book. It’s a welcome change to be somewhat free of that stuff this time around, and I’m glad Heir of Fire switched gears to focus on more action and rigorous story-development.
Of course, there were a few close calls with Rowan Whitethorn, introduced here as the warrior tasked by the Fae-Queen Maeve to train and guide Celaena to control her magic, but Celaena thankfully manages to remember that the remains of her poor and battered broken heart still technically belongs to someone else. I honestly thought Rowan would be yet another blip in the long line of male-mentors-to-YA-female-protagonists, but rescued from being labeled as yet another possible love interest (boring!), he actually ends up becoming a formidable mentor, ally, and friend to Celaena (much more interesting!) Getting to that point was also quite the journey, their interactions punctuated by ups and downs, but then some of the strongest and most loyal partnerships are forged in this manner.
Back in Adarlan we also have a couple storylines threaded with mystery and intrigue, as Chaol does some sleuthing and uncovers several important revelations about Aedion, the newly arrived general at the royal court. Meanwhile, Prince Dorian struggles with his own secret, one that could cost him his life if his father the king ever found out about it. He strikes up a friendship and later a romance with a palace healer who tries to help him. It would cheapen the experience to give way any more detail than that, but suffice to say, both Chaol and Dorian’s storylines ended up converging in a shocking, gut wrenching climax that seriously knocked me for a loop. Looks like things in this series has started moving away from the predictable throwaway elements, and is instead focusing on working in bolder and weightier developments that might actually cause major ripples further down the road.
It also wouldn’t be right to talk about this book without mentioning the Manon Blackbeak, another character who makes her first appearance in Heir of Fire. The King of Adarlan’s latest plans for domination involve Manon and her people, the wyvern-riding witches. Vicious, bloodthirsty and completely determined to prove herself as the most capable Wing Leader, Manon became an instant favorite, despite her role thus far as an accessory to a tyrant. I loved the side story in here of how she ended up with her wyvern – kind of like How to Train Your Dragon, except considerably less heartwarming and with 500% more brutality. But the bond between rider and mount is well-written and convincing, and the circumstances behind how Manon actually ended up with her wyvern made for an amazing sequence, and it’s one of my favorite scenes in the book.
This one’s much longer book than its two predecessors, but almost everything in the story was important, with hardly any dithering around. It’s a step up from both Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, dealing with heavier and more developed themes. We also go deeper into each character, with the new players like Rowan, Aedion and Manon getting the introductions they deserve, and even familiar characters like Celaena, Chaol and Dorian getting much love and attention from the author when it comes to building up their stories and personalities. So whaddya know, looks like a series can indeed mature with time and subsequent novels, and Heir of Fire is exemplary.
Book Review: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Posted on September 19, 2014 14 Comments
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories
Originally published in 1967, republished in 1983
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I can’t truly appreciate one of my favourite authors, Octavia E. Butler, without having read anything by her friend and mentor, Harlan Ellison, which is why I have included him on my Bucket List Worlds Without End reading challenge.
As you can tell by my four stars, I am not disappointed, but that does not necessarily mean that I enjoyed Ellison’s work in its entirety. Similarly, I don’t like the context of everything Butler writes, but gods do I love reading what spills from their incredible minds.
In Ted Sturgeon’s introduction to this collection of short stories, he comments on the hallucinogenic nature of one particular tale, but notes that Ellison never partook of such stuff. A biochemist friend confirmed to Sturgeon that, due to a blood fraction that is chemically, almost identical to psilocybin (as found in ‘magic mushrooms’), some people’s brains may well “live out their lives, with a consciousness more aware, more comprehending, more–well, expanded–than the rest of us.”
I have always been fascinating by Butler’s mind, and her willingness to write things well beyond the typical fare we are used to in the genre of speculative fiction. And I can see how Ellison influenced and encouraged that, in reading his work. The topics and settings are sometimes quite obscure and the characters don’t follow any conventions that can easily be discerned. Women are, as seems to be typical of (male) writers of his time, not much more than two-dimensional, and I’m not overly fond of some of the things that happens to them. But there is a depth to the stories and the emotions he evokes. Such expansive and complete universes he builds within just a few thousand words.
And the style of his writing. Sturgeon comments that Harlan has learned and knows the necessary structures of writing, and can contain himself within them, but here, he has become “big enough, good enough–confident enough” to go well beyond. To “write it as it came, let it pour out as his inner needs demanded.”
The results are truly spectacular, and something I think any aspiring writer should read. Again, you may not like the content, or even the form, but I would hope you could appreciate the uniqueness of the voice and the mind behind it.
Tough Traveling: Witches
Posted on September 18, 2014 22 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. Compulsive list-maker that I am, I’m very excited to take part!
This week’s tour topic is: Witches
Witches are special and probably at least the equal of wizards.
Wendy’s Picks
First off, there’s something important to point out about the witches of fantasy: most often they fall into two categories: hags, or seductresses (or both), and, unlike wizards and warlocks, their male counterparts, witches often don’t get the opportunity to ever be considered one of the good guys, and they have to prove themselves equal to, if not more powerful, rather than be accepted as such, unless they are evil. Hell, even this category description doesn’t give them much credit…
Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind
“Witch women are known for their ability to ensnare the minds of those they encounter, and for their unusual affinity to the magic of visions and prophecy.”
Shota is the witch that even wizards fear. Though she is sometimes referred to as a sorceress, her powers lie in illusion–the ability to delve into the mind and provide that which one most desires or fears.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
Reviled as a maegi by the Dothraki, Mirri Maz Duur uses blood magic to curse Daenerys Targaryen and her fledgling family. In a plot twist that increasingly makes me feel like GRRM has no clue what to do with his story anymore, he introduces another maegi, Maggy the Frog, who offers Cersei Lannister a prophecy that drives her to madness. And, followed as a priestess of the red god, R’hllor, Melisandre is considered a shadowbinder. She can summon shadows to do her bidding, and also likes to play with fire and blood.
The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton
Fearing that he will lose Leia to a handsome prince in a political marriage, Han carries her off to a planet where they meet the “Force Witches,” women who have delved into the dark side of the Force, but may not necessarily be evil, in spite of their veiny purple faces.
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Jadis was born before Narnia, and, as the White Witch, rules it with an icy fist, blanketing the realm in an endless winter–and she would have kept ruling it too, if it weren’t for those pesky Pevensie kids.
And now, an excuse to post a picture of Tilda Swinton, who played the White Witch in the movie.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Adarlan’s Assassin almost met her match when she crossed Baba Yellowlegs, a former queen of the Ironteeth Clans. Believed to have died out, the Ironteeth have, in fact, gone into hiding, with some, like Baba Yellowlegs, plying their services as fortunetellers in circuses. For the right price….
Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne by David Gaider
Flemeth has many names, but most often, she and her daughters are referred to as the Witches of the Wilds. Weavers of powerful magics, her daughters, of whom we have met only two, can do many dark things, but their mom? Well, she can turn into a dragon….
Mogsy’s Picks
Looks like Wendy’s got things covered! Since there’s certainly no shortage of books with Witches this week, I’m going to forgo the more obvious choices and chime in with a few titles I haven’t featured before in previous Tough Traveling lists.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
All you have to know is that this series has been described as “Twilight with witches”. Instead, I’m going to share a story here of why I decided to read this book. You see, I’m a big fan of Jeremy Irons. So big a fan, that I suffered through the two-hour train wreck that was the movie adaptation, just because he was in it. Out of morbid curiosity, I picked up the book afterward to see how it compared. (Verdict: the novel was perhaps just a smidgen better.)
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
There were so many things about this book that rubbed me the wrong way, but hey, its about witches (look, look, it’s even in the title!) The story boils down to romance between the main character who is a witch and her centuries-old vampire lover, brought together by a mysterious manuscript she uncovered from the depths of Oxford’s Bodleian Library. There’s also this wacky weird gene theory to try and explain witches’ powers which honestly made no sense at all.
Naamah’s Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
The first book of the second “follow-up” trilogy to Carey’s original Phedre trilogy in her wonderful Kushiel Universe series, Naamah’s Kiss introduces us to Moirin of the Maghuin Dhonn. Known as a “bear witch”, her mother’s line possess certain magical druid-like powers.
Honorable Mention:
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Speaking of misunderstood witches, The Mists of Avalon retells the magical legend of King Arthur through the eyes and lives of the women who helped bolster Camelot’s rise and facilitated its fall from behind the scenes. Throughout history, Morgaine, the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois and half sister to King Arthur has often been portrayed as a witch or powerful sorceress.
Book Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Posted on September 17, 2014 15 Comments
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Kate Daniels
Publisher: Ace (April 1, 2007)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hooray! From now on, whenever someone asks me if I have read any Ilona Andrews, no longer do I have to look down shame-facedly at my shoes and admit, “No, but I’ve been meaning to for the longest time, I swear!”
Of course, when it comes to the authors’ books and the question of where to start, for me it had to be the quintessential Kate Daniels series. In a world where technology has progressed too much and too fast, the volatile forces of magic have struck back with a vengeance. While magic feeds on technology, everything is unpredictable – machinery, vehicles or electrically powered objects can fail at any time, making it a pretty screwed up world of ruined streets lined with shells of crumbling skyscrapers.
And that’s not all. The way it works, magic rises and falls with no warning, and when the precarious balance between the magical and the technological is thrown out of whack, weird things happen – peculiar magical effects and paranormal monsters wreaking havoc on the world, and what have you. In the middle of it all, a tenacious and headstrong mercenary makes her living attempting to clean up all the resulting messes of this magical apocalypse. Kate’s just another human with a bit of magic blood in her, trying to make ends meet in this crazy messed up milieu, while dodging vampires, shapeshifters, and other nasties. But when her guardian is brutally murdered, Kate’s making it her personal mission to hunt down the one responsible.
So, wow, great setting and premise for an urban fantasy, amirite? But I do have a confession to make. I honestly couldn’t make heads or tails of this world from the explanation provided by the book as I was reading. Afterwards, I had to cheat and had to look up on wikis and other reviews to understand how the whole magic vs. technology process actually worked because what I was given didn’t feel like it was enough at all. Did that take away from my enjoyment of the story? Not really. Technically, you don’t need to understand how and why everything in this world is the way it is, but in some ways, I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a movie that had already started. I got by okay, but if you don’t like feeling like that, then this first book might be a struggle.
As for the main character herself, I liked her. Kate Daniels is smart, resourceful, a bit of a wisecracker and comes in at a hundred percent on the kickass meter – admittedly, much like a lot of other female protagonists in the urban fantasy genre. There’s really not much else I can say, but that’s not really a negative. While I can’t pin down anything that would make her stand out in particular from the rest, archetypal UF characters like Kate are what make this genre great and so fun to read.
I think I approach urban fantasy as a whole with a similar attitude. Arguably, there are a handful of requisite tropes in this genre that will probably never go out of style, and you know what? I wouldn’t want it any other way. These days, I’m happy enough diving into a good UF, and if it happens to do something wildly different and amazing, that’s just gravy. Magic Bites probably isn’t exceptional when it comes to characters and its light-on-plot story, but it does have a pretty cool setting (if only it was explained better).
Regardless, I love tackling books like this especially after a string of heavier reads, because sometimes you just want to sit back and relax with a light, entertaining read, and I have to say it filled that need perfectly. To be honest, you really can’t screw up with me when it comes to this genre, unless you’re doing something terribly, terribly wrong – and I didn’t doubt for second that a series like Kate Daniels, which has been going strong for so many years, would have garnered so many fans if it hadn’t been delivering the right stuff.
So yep, you’ll see me continuing on with this series for sure.
Waiting on Wednesday 09/17/14
Posted on September 17, 2014 14 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:
Cherry Bomb by Kathleen Tierney/Caitlín R. Kiernan: Feb 3, 2015 (Roc)
This is the third installment of Caitlín R. Kiernan’s (writing as Kathleen Tierney) Siobhan Quinn series, continuing the eponymous heroine’s adventures as a half-werewolf-half-vampire (werepire!) through a side of the urban fantasy world you don’t usually see!
“Three years have passed since Quinn turned her back on Providence, Rhode Island’s seedy supernatural underbelly, walking out on Mr. B. and taking a bus headed anywhere. She hoped her escape would give her some peace from the endless parade of horrors. But a dead girl who quarrels with the moon can’t catch a break, and, on the streets of Manhattan, Quinn finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place. Again.
What do you do when you’re stuck in the middle of a three-million-year-old grudge match between the ghouls and the djinn, accidentally in possession of a hellish artifact that could turn the tide of the war, all the while being hunted by depraved half-ghoul twins intent on taking the object and ushering in a terrifying Dark Age?
Especially when you’ve fallen in love with the woman who got you into this mess—and you ain’t nobody’s hero…”
Book Review: Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs
Posted on September 16, 2014 21 Comments
Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Anthology
Series: Mercy Thompson
Publisher: Ace (September 2, 2014)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I want to start by saying I’m not a big reader of short fiction, and on the whole I tend not to bother with any novellas, short stories or anthologies that are companion to an existing series. Part of this is due to my preference for full-length novels, but I’ve also not had the best experiences when it comes to the short format. Characters are world building are important for me, and with only a few exceptions, most short stories don’t go as in-depth into these aspects as I would like. Also, I always end up forming attachments to only a small handful of characters whenever I read a series, and I don’t often find myself as interested in companion novellas/shorts that feature the perspectives of other minor characters and people in a series’ “universe”.
That said, I had a really good time with Shifting Shadows. I’ve really fallen in love with the Mercy Thompson series in the last couple of years, which sparked my interest in this book despite it being an anthology. Aside from four new additions, most of the stories in here have previously been published, though I never felt the need to read them due to the reasons stated above, so I am reading everything with fresh eyes. Sure, as with any short story collection there are ups and downs, but overall I was very impressed with this book, and it probably ranks as up there as one of the best urban fantasy anthologies I’ve ever read.
Here’s a more detailed look at the contents:
SILVER
According to the description, this is one of the new stories, written as an “origin” tale of sorts for the werewolves of Mercy Thompson’s world. We’ve always been told Bran and Samuel are old, but now we realize just how old. We’re talking possibly around the time Christianity first came to Wales. This story also has a bit of romance and sadness, detailing how Samuel and his beloved Ariana first met, but to me its true importance in the fact that it fills in a lot of history to help readers better understand the werewolf mythos as well as Bran and Samuel’s familial ties. A great starter to this anthology, and highly apt.
FAIRY GIFTS
Unfortunately, after this comes a few stories that I just wasn’t as fond of. Thomas Hao was a vampire character I barely remember from his appearance in Frost Burned, though he may have been in any of Patricia Briggs’ other books/spin-off series, but since I haven’t read anything other than Mercy Thompson I really wouldn’t know. I like the “western” feel of this story, but other than that I have to say it was pretty forgettable. I was scarcely able to follow along with the story with its confusing back-and-forth time jumps, and I felt like I was dumped into the middle of a situation without knowing what was going on or who everyone was and why they mattered. Going back to my opening paragraph, this story is a pretty good example of my issues with series companion short stories.
GRAY
The stories in here are arranged in chronological order based on the timeline of the Mercy Thompson series, and at this point we’re still in pre-Moon Called territory. Which is probably why I still found myself asking “Who are you and why do you matter again?” I feel a little guilty that I don’t remember who Elyna is, or even if I have encountered her before in any of the Mercy books. This is another one about vampires, but it’s also a ghost story at its heart. The story itself isn’t half bad, but again I would rather be reading about characters I’m more familiar with. This is definitely not one of my favorites either.
SEEING EYE
This story features Tom and Moira, two characters from Hunting Ground, book two of Briggs’ other series Alpha & Omega – which I have not read. But despite not being familiar with these characters, the author did a good job of really fleshing them out and I actually found myself curious to find out more about them beyond the events of this story. We have a perspective character here who is a witch, which was a treat. The plot also had a clear beginning and end, with the build-up and climax and everything good in between, so I didn’t feel lost at all. I loved how this story had a bit of mystery and sleuthing by the characters, and a sweet romance that ends up blossoming between them.
ALPHA AND OMEGA
I’ve always wanted to check out Alpha & Omega, though to be honest, I don’t know if I feel more or less enthusiastic about picking it up now, after reading this story. I was happy to meet up with Charles (yay, finally a character I recognize again) but I don’t know if I like the way he was portrayed here, or how Anna was portrayed either. Which is a bit ironic, I know, given how this technically gave rise to the series of the same name. It’s always grated on me a little, how the werewolf characters in the world of Mercy Thompson frequently let their wolf side take over all common sense and turn the human into chauvinistic testosterone-fueled meatheads. In this story, we are repeatedly told that Anna still has fire in her, despite being beaten and broken by her abusive pack, but it feels like whatever strength in her that’s fighting to get out is constantly being smothered by Charles’ overbearing need to own her and protect her. I realize this all fits in the context of Briggs’ “pack magic”, but it just always rankles whenever I see an over-possessive male and a helpless female that needs him to do the rescuing.
THE STAR OF DAVID
Hooray, we’re finally into Moon Called-territory and familiar ground for me. This is a great story about Adam’s fellow army ranger, David, whose tragic history illustrates the awful things that can happen when a werewolf isn’t in control of their wolf side. He reconnects with his estranged daughter in this heartwarming tale. My only problem with this story involves some of the implausible and unconvincing aspects of the situation, but given the limitations of the short story format, I didn’t let it bother me too much.
ROSES IN WINTER
This is one of the new stories, and it’s hands down my favorite out of this entire anthology. In my opinion, it’s worth picking up Shifting Shadows for this one alone. Again, I barely remember Kara since she was such a minor character (mentioned in Blood Bound, but never even appeared in any of the books) but I do recall Asil. Though I believe he’s a character in Alpha & Omega, he did make a very strong impression on me from his appearance in Frost Burned. But wow. I never imagined I would grow to love his character so much, and it was all thanks to this story. I had tears in my eyes at the end of this one, that’s how amazing it is.
IN RED, WITH PEARLS
This was a nice detective story, starring Warren. Someone sent a zombie to kill his boyfriend Kyle, and Warren’s not going to rest until he finds out who. Patricia Briggs did a fantastic job making him sound like the cowboy that he is, and I can tell she probably had a lot of fun writing this. We also get to see a few moments of tenderness between Warren and Kyle, but the best part of getting a story from Warren’s perspective is being able to experience his anxieties and doubts from inside his head. In the regular series, through Mercy’s eyes we see Warren as a happy-go-lucky, fiercely loyal friend. But as this story shows, there’s so much more to him beneath the surface.
REDEMPTION
Probably my second favorite story in the anthology, this one features Ben. It’s hard to get a bead on his character in the regular series. On the one hand, it’s been implied that Ben has a rather distasteful past, and his attitude towards women leaves a lot to be desired. On the other, Adam and Mercy seem to trust him implicitly, and Ben has gone out of his way for both of them on more than one occasion. This story gives the reader a better sense of who he is, and how he got this way. But it’s also downright hilarious. You gotta love Ben; he can be a real gentleman when he wants to be, and he takes crap from no one, not even when he’s not allowed to swear.
HOLLOW
I was beginning to think we weren’t going to get a Mercy story at all, which despite some of the other great offerings in here, would have been disappointing. But fear not, this one’s all about Mercy, told from her point of view. And as Mercy stories go, I have to say it’s pretty standard – it reads like it could have been a story from one of the novels, but of course it’s much more condensed in this form. This meant I enjoyed it, but I admit, it does feel like Briggs crammed this one in just for the sake of having a story told in Mercy’s perspective. Just a little.
OUTTAKE FROM SILVER BORNE
Sorry to say, but…there’s probably a good reason why this was an outtake and never made it to the final book. Yeah, it gives a bit of closure to Samuel and Ariana’s story, but I wouldn’t say it’s needed in the least to enjoy the story of their relationship. I could take it or leave it. I think it was the right call to leave it out.
OUTTAKE FROM NIGHT BROKEN
On the other hand, I wish Briggs could have worked this one in somehow. I loved this scene from Adam’s point of view, at the end of Night Broken in the wake of all the craziness that happened. It endeared me to Adam, and my heart melts for his deep love for Mercy. It might just be me, but this scene would have also made the ending to that book a lot less confusing.
Concluding thoughts: there’s definitely a reason why this book is described as “Stories from the world of Mercy Thompson”, because as you can see, most of what you see in here isn’t about Mercy or even the people close to her. But with the exception of a couple of stories, that didn’t really put a damper on my experience reading Shifting Shadows. In fact, on the whole I think this book gave me a deeper understanding of the Mercy Thompson universe and made me appreciate it more. I’ve read similar anthologies and regretted it deeply afterwards, but this is not one of those cases. I highly recommended this for fans of the series, because if someone like me loved it, you probably will too.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Ace Books!
The BiblioSanctum 