Graphic Novel Review: Batman vol.1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Posted on August 29, 2014 8 Comments
Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Series: Batman vol II #1-7
Publisher: DC Comics
Wendy’s Rating ~ 4 of 5 stars
What is Gotham? Well, according to Batman, Gotham is Batman. This is how the first issue opens, with Batman’s conceit on full display. All the corruption and depravity that prevails within a city that seems to birth villains daily from its loins belongs to the Bat, and he takes pride in that. Batman’s hubris has never been in question, but it’s pretty impressive to have him so blatantly express it himself. Being so high on himself, it implies that there is only one place for Batman to go: down.
But first, we flip over to Bruce Wayne who, in a rare moment, is using his powers of wealth to help Gotham, instead of just his powers of punch you in your face because I’m the goddamn Batman. At a gala event, Bruce Wayne isn’t simply playing the playboy, he is genuinely investing in his city and inviting the other one percent to do the same to create a bright future for their dark city.
But lurking in the shadows is the Court of Owls. Which is pretty impressive, since Batman believes the shadows to be his domain, and believes that he knows every aspect of his city.
This is where I became a bit sceptical. I’ve already read the Batman: Hush series of books, where a significant new enemy—one who knows all there is to know about Batman, is shoehorned into his life. I wasn’t looking forward to that here. But Snyder does an excellent job, first by building Batman’s conceit and his insistence that the Court of Owls does not exist. He writes off the brutal attack and all the signs. Not that he’s letting his guard down and not doing his proper detective work. Batman simply refuses to believe the Court of Owls to be a greater threat than they are, because his detective work has never proven their existence beyond the circumstantial. It doesn’t register with Batman that the reason why he knows so little about them is because they are better than him. And they know a Gotham that goes well beyond Batman’s knowledge.
It’s no secret that Batman is a sociopath, whether or not he realizes that himself, and I love the writers who aren’t afraid to reveal the full extent of his assholery, which often comes through the eyes of his companions (in this case, Dick Grayson).
I was also a bit thrown by Greg Capullo’s art. I love his art, but initially, his Batman seemed too… cute. The bright blue eyes and boxy face worked well enough for Bruce Wayne, but, somehow, the style wasn’t working for me as Batman. But as the story progresses, and the Court of Owls digs their talons more deeply into the Batman’s psyche, Capullo’s crisp, clean cut Batman starts to fall apart, both inside and out, and his art perfectly reflects that disintegration.
Panels begin to twist and tighten as Batman navigates the Court’s torment, forcing the reader into the depths of the labyrinth with him.
What initially began as a three star story, earned itself another star toward the end as Snyder tears Batman apart from the inside. I definitely need to read on to find out how Batman manages to make it out of this one.
Tough Traveling: Towers
Posted on August 28, 2014 23 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: Towers
TOWERS stand along in waster areas and almost always belong to Wizards. All are several storeys high, round, doorless, virtually windowless, and composed of smooth blocks of masonry that make them very hard to climb.
Ooh, towers, now that’s a tough one. Lucky for us, this week Wendy is joining in the fun too!
Wendy’s Picks:
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Turns out, J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t exactly know which two towers he was referring to when he titled the second book in the Lord of the Rings. For the sake of the film, director Peter Jackson determined these towers to be Isengard, where the wizard Saruman concocted his schemes, and The Dark Tower in Mordor, where the great eye of Sauron watched and waited.
Dragon Age: Asunder by David Gaider
No Dragon Age game or story is complete without a visit to or at least a mention of the Circle of Magi and the towers that have been built across Thedas for the sole purpose of training of magic users. The Chantry might be believe they are doing this for the safety of both the mages and ordinary citizens, but the mages aren’t too happy with the way they are treated by the Chantry, and the Templars who guard them.
A Feast of Crows by George R. R. Martin
After the death of their father, Oberyn Martell, the infamous Sand Snakes are out for Lannister blood. The only way to keep them under control is for their uncle to lock them in the Spear Tower, along with his own conniving daughter and heir, Arianne Martell.
Mogsy’s Picks:
Theft of Swords and The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
Both these books starring Sullivan’s beloved Riyria duo involve scaling and breaking into a nearly inaccessible tower for a great treasure. In Theft of Swords, I am thinking specifically of the second story in the omnibus, Avempartha, where Hadrian and Royce have to steal a sword, the only weapon capable of slaying a dragon-like monster terrorizing the country side. In The Crown Tower, the two are tasked to enter the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
I would be shocked — utterly FLABBERGASTED — if I don’t see this one on many lists this week. The tower of towers, The Dark Tower, is the center of all creation, the center of the whole damn multiverse! It is a six-hundred-floor spire and mostly magical, entered through only one of the infinite number of worlds, Mid-World. I’d say it satisfies most of the requirements.
Tower and Knife Trilogy by Mazarkis Williams
Following tradition, the emperor’s brothers are all killed the day he ascends the throne. That is, all except Prince Sarmin, who was kept locked up in a tower as a secret backup — just in case. In this series, there is also the Mage’s Tower, which is virtually synonymous with the magic users and their seat of power. It is home to the emperor’s Tower Mages.
Book Review: Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier
Posted on August 27, 2014 10 Comments
Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1
Publisher: DAW (July 1, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m a pretty fast reader, but Shattering the Ley still took me about a couple months to read, due to the fact I started it earlier this summer right around the time when things got really busy. I was only able to read it in small chunks over the weeks, though it’s actually a very interesting book with well-developed characters and a good foundation in place when it comes to world building. That said, apparently it wasn’t a “must drop everything to read this now” kind of novel for me either, seeing how long it took for me to complete.
The story takes place in Erenthrall, one of many large cities powered by the Nexus and a system of magical ley lines. This also links Erenthrall to the world beyond. Specialists called Prime Wielders control the Nexus and the ley lines, maintaining and protecting the infrastructure, but it is the all-powerful Baron who controls the Wielders. Seeking to overthrow the Baron and destroy the ley system, rebels who call themselves the Kormanley are carrying out attacks across the city, shaping the future of Erenthrall and forever changing the lives of many.
The story is told in multiple parts, following several characters through different stages of their lives. Kara is first introduced to us as a young child, but later on in the book we see her as a young woman coming into her power as a Wielder, then finally as a Prime. Likewise, we follow another character named Allen, a “Dog” in the Baron’s guard who goes from being a green recruit to a fugitive on the run with his infant daughter. The timeline skips ahead at least twice during the course of this novel; the first time it jumps ahead by about two years, but the second time it jumps ahead by about twelve.
Time jumps like these are necessary sometimes to tell a story, but they can also be quite dicey. There’s the risk of the reader becoming detached from the characters, and to some extent I think that’s what happened for me. I never really felt connected to Kara, despite practically watching her grow into adulthood. The same goes for Allen because I felt we missed out on too much of his life, especially in the twelve years since he was exiled and had to raise his child by himself. People change after all that time, and I couldn’t help but wonder about those untold years.
To the book’s credit, very little of the story is given to filler. There’s a lot happening, constantly driving the plot forward, and the political intrigue and ideological conflicts between the clashing factions keep things fresh and engaging. There are many intense scenes, often followed by effects that are significant in the long run. But another obstacle that kept me from being completely immersed was the complexity of the ley line system and the fact it wasn’t explained very well. I wasn’t exactly sure how the Nexus and the ley lines were powering the city, or how the Wielders’ abilities worked specifically in controlling this system. Like I said, we were given a pretty good starting point for the idea, but I still had many questions. No doubt more can be built upon this premise. And the great thing is, I think it has a lot of potential.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to DAW Books!
Waiting on Wednesday 08/27/14
Posted on August 27, 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:
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice: October 28, 2014 (Knopf)
I know, I know. Despite the later Vampire Chronicles novels kinda going downhill, I can’t help it. I see Anne Rice and another vampire book in the same sentence and it’s like a kneejerk reaction: I MUST READ THIS. And it’s Lestat. Need I say more?
Anyway, it’s been years since Rice has written another Vampire Chronicles book, this will be number 11, according to Goodreads, following Blood Canticle published in 2003. For better or worse, I’m really curious and looking forward to checking this one out.
US Cover – Text says it all
“From Anne Rice, perennial best seller, single-handed reinventor of the vampire universe beginning with the now iconic INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, and QUEEN OF THE DAMNED—a stunning departure, a surprising and compelling return . . . a new, exhilarating novel that deepens Rice’s vampire mythology, and gives us a chillingly hypnotic, rich mystery-thriller.
“What can we do but reach for the embrace that must now contain both heaven and hell: our doom again and again and again…” —from The Vampire Lestat
Rice once again summons up the irresistible spirit-world of the oldest and most powerful forces of the night, invisible beings unleashed on an unsuspecting world able to take blood from humans, in a long-awaited return to the extraordinary world of the Vampire Chronicles and the uniquely seductive Queen of the Damned (“mesmerizing” —SF Chronicle), a long-awaited novel that picks up where The Vampire Lestat (“brilliant…its undead characters are utterly alive” —New York Times) left off more than a quarter of a century ago to create an extraordinary new world of spirits and forces—the characters, legend, and lore of all the Vampire Chronicles.
The novel opens with the vampire world in crisis…vampires have been proliferating out of control; burnings have commenced all over the world, huge massacres similar to those carried out by Akasha in The Queen of the Damned… Old vampires, roused from slumber in the earth are doing the bidding of a Voice commanding that they indiscriminately burn vampire-mavericks in cities from Paris and Mumbai to Hong Kong, Kyoto, and San Francisco. As the novel moves from present-day New York and the West Coast to ancient Egypt, fourth century Carthage, 14th-century Rome, the Venice of the Renaissance, the worlds and beings of all the Vampire Chronicles—Louis de Pointe du Lac; the eternally young Armand, whose face is that of a Boticelli angel; Mekare and Maharet, Pandora and Flavius; David Talbot, vampire and ultimate fixer from the secret Talamasca; and Marius, the true Child of the Millennia; along with all the other new seductive, supernatural creatures—come together in this large, luxuriant, fiercely ambitious novel to ultimately rise up and seek out who—or what—the Voice is, and to discover the secret of what it desires and why…
And, at the book’s center, the seemingly absent, curiously missing hero-wanderer, the dazzling, dangerous rebel-outlaw—the great hope of the Undead, the dazzling Prince Lestat…”
UK Covers (Original and Updated)
Graphic Novel Review: Superman Earth One (vol.1&2) by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis
Posted on August 26, 2014 5 Comments
Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis
Publisher: DC Comics (November 2010/2012)
Wendy’s Rating ~ 2 of 5 stars
I am still searching for a story about Superman that will make me like him, that will make his acceptance into society make sense. Based on the fact that several origin stories, along with two questionable movies, have popped up over the past decade or so that find alternate ways to give me this, I suspect that DC and its writers are still trying to figure that out as well.
You see, the reason why I don’t like him is because my thinking falls in line with Lex Luthor and Batman: he is an alien among us, superior to us in every way. No matter how much nurturing Ma and Pa Kent have given him, nothing removes the fact that he is not one of us, and as Clark Kent, he is attempting to suppress what makes him different. While I do agree that he is the danger that Lex and Batman believe he can be if turned against us, I have a far easier time in believing a Superman that, in his benevolence, chooses to rule over our lesser species in order to protect us. Which is a far more deadly version of Superman than one who simply wants to destroy us, and has been depicted well in alternate universe stories like Superman: Red Son and the Injustice: Gods Among Us game and comics.
But Superman: Earth One, like so many other Superman stories, adheres to the canonical depiction of an outsider who just wants to belong and use his powers to help everyone, attempting to fit in. Straczynski succeeds in humanizing the character, but because he is still bound to the standard elements of the Superman canonical story, a lot of it just doesn’t work.
The story begins with a rather original take on a young Clark as he heads out on the town to find his purpose in life. He attempt to find a suitable career, but this is actually more of a test of how his advanced skills will be accepted in society. As an athlete, he’s highly desired. As a scientist, he solves a troublesome equation in seconds and is offered a huge salary to continue to do so. The latter is intriguing because it is the first time I’ve seen Clark’s superior intelligence addressed at all. But Clark doesn’t find any of these things fulfilling.
He ends up at the Daily Planet, submitting his resume to chief editor Perry White, who, for the first time ever, becomes a real person for me. In my experience, White has always been depicted as an overbearing boss with no empathy. Though not as boisterous and callous as Spiderman’s J. Jonah Jameson, White has always been a caricature. But in his introduction here, he shows compassion, honesty, and full knowledge of the job, even providing Lois Lane with some writing advice that I’ve taken to heart:
“You fell in love with the words and put yourself too far into the story. Write about what you’re writing about, not about you writing about what you’re writing about.”
Lane is a disappointment in this telling. Straczynski seems to work on the assumption that we know her to be the feisty news reporter who’ll go out of her way for the story, so he doesn’t really bother to show her doing any of that. Instead, he has her go after Clark in the second volume, because she is suspicious of him. It pangs of envy, rather than going after the news, and ultimately serves only as a device to give us a bit more of Clark’s personality and history, rather than defining Lane as an interesting character herself.
Photographer Jimmy Olsen on the other hand, is written very well, and seems to be, through his integrity, determination, and courage, the reason why Superman decides to don the cape and save the world.
So the save the world part—this is where volume one really begins to fail for me. Unmemorable bad guy (we’ll call him notZod) who helped orchestrate the utter destruction of Krypton, Clark’s home planet, has traversed the galaxy to kill the lone survivor of that genocide. Why? Because he really, really hates Kryptonians.
I suspect that a lot of the Man of Steel story line came from this book, though I prefer the movie’s more logical reason for Zod hunting down Kal’El and seeking the destruction of earth. But like this book, we’ve still got this ridiculous notion that Superman is still doing the right thing, despite the destruction and death of millions being his fault for existing. Sure I can’t lump the genocide decision on Clark’s shoulders just because the bad guy came after him, but for me to believe in Superman, I want to see a whole lot more survivor’s guilt, instead of “Oh well, lemme make up for this mess by saving kittens, and BONUS, giving the government the proverbial finger.” Straczynski tries to give me this, most notably in an “exclusive” interview that Clark scores with Superman himself, earning him employment at the Daily Planet despite White’s initial rejection. (We will ignore the fact 
that Olsen and Lane were at ground zero, face to face with Superman, even catching his face on camera, but failed to connect him with Clark. And we’ll ignore the fact that Clark’s interview was actually very poorly written, journalistically speaking).
Conveeeeeniently, the businessman who’d offered Clark a six figure salary before, finds him in the aftermath of the battle to repeat the offer, but Clark refuses because the businessman obviously has no concern for humanity, returning to the Daily Planet instead because of the integrity and courage the staff there have shown him. From there, Superman can keep a finger on the pulse of the world and dash off to save people as needed. (Unfortunate, since Clark’s proven intelligence could be used to truly help people, in the same way Bruce Wayne could do more for Gotham as rich businessman Bruce Wayne, than as the revenge-seeking Batman. )
In volume two, the focus is on the world view of Superman, with the government and military concerned that he is a significant threat that needs to be controlled, if not destroyed. Enter Lex2, the sexy Luthor husband and wife team, who spend their panels being sexy, and making blasé comments about how smart they are. Prior to their arrival, Superman must deal with another big bad, Parasite, who feeds on energy, of which Superman has lots. This leads to the sub-plot of Clark’s sex life, along with an attempt to pull at our heart strings with the residents of Clark’s bad-part-of-town apartment. Let’s just say that I’d much rather read about the quirky neighbours and their issues in the Hawkeye graphic novels, where you actually come to care about these people as far more than just plot lines, though the story about Clark’s pet cat was sweet.
Clark also has to deal with the consequences of his actions when he tries to do the right thing against a dictator in another country, revealing that it is impossible to keep your hands clean, even if you don’t actually kill the bad guy yourself.
I really wanted to like these stories, but I find that they suffer the same problem I’ve had with all of the stories that try to explain Superman. They all have to make it to this same end goal that I don’t find believable in the first place, so everything thrown in along the way just comes off as superficial elements funneled through a filter to create the same end product. He has to work at the Planet. He has to try to fit in. Lois Lane. He has to save kittens. He has to face off with bad guys. Things need to be destroyed (with no clean up effort from him in the aftermath). Each story attempts to be creative with these required pieces of the Superman puzzle, but it’s only in alternate universes that I truly get depth and connection with those pieces, resulting in a truly believable character.
That’s not to say that I don’t think anyone can write a good Superman story, even bound to these Superman standards, but I definitely don’t believe Straczynski achieved this. Instead, he vacillates between branching off with interesting new elements of the character that he doesn’t delve into deeply enough, and tossing out the standard Superman elements with the assumption that we already know them, so he doesn’t have to give them anything more than a cursory word or two.
I’ll end on a positive note by praising the art, (though not Clark’s Bieber hair.) I liked the idea of Clark being physically our superior, without having to look it in an overly beefed up, neckless depiction. Davis gets very creative with the panel arrangements and I liked the way each page has its own colour-scheme that reflects the environment and mood. The Daily Planet is covered in soft browns, Clark’s brooding introspection and time spent with his mother is usually blue, explosions are a bright, harsh orange…
Book Review: Lock In by John Scalzi + Novella Review: Unlocked
Posted on August 25, 2014 26 Comments
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (August 26, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Whenever I need a good pick-me-up or book to brighten up my day I always turn to John Scalzi, and he hasn’t let me down yet. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since I read Old Man’s War, and that’s also when I started associating his work with light, humorous sci-fi that’s also accessible and not too overwhelming for someone like me, who is predominantly a fantasy reader and not always in the mood for hard science fiction or heavy techno-jargon. In fact, many of Scalzi’s books were my gateway to the genre; they were perfect for when I was first getting my feet wet and trying to read more sci-fi.
So I was very excited to read Lock In, his latest novel about a future society of robots and humans. Of course, the big twist here is how this robot revolution came about, and the premise is unique and unlike anything I’ve encountered before. Indeed, Lock In is also quite different from all of Scalzi’s previous books – its tone is perhaps more pensive and serious, with a few scientific and technological concepts that are more complex and may be a little more difficult to grasp.
In this near-future setting, the world has survived a virulent flu that has swept across the globe and devastated much of humanity. This deadly new strain of the disease killed many of those infected in the first stage, but some of those who survived were also relentlessly hit with a second stage of symptoms which included acute meningitis. A percentage who went on to survive this second stage found themselves “locked in”, trapped in a state of being fully awake and aware, but having no control over their voluntary nervous systems.
This condition, named Haden’s Syndrome after the president’s wife who was the most famous person afflicted with lock in, was given much attention and a lot of money was thrown at it in the hopes of finding a cure. None was found, but a way to get “Hadens” walking and talking again was developed, thanks to biological advancements in neural networks and technological advancements in robotics. The brains of those locked in were essentially linked up to humanoid personal transports affectionately named “Threeps” (after C-3PO of Star Wars fame), allowing them to interact with the world once more.
Thus Scalzi sets the stage for the real story, which most closely resembles a mystery-suspense. However most of the above background information has to be pieced together as the reader progresses through the book, as we are pretty much dropped right into the thick of things without much explanation upfront. We don’t find out until about a dozen pages in the protagonist of the novel is a Haden himself. It’s rookie FBI Agent Chris Shane’s first couple of days on the job and already he’s thrust into a what looks to be a messy could-be-murder-could-be-suicide case involving an Integrator, who are rare individuals that survived the flu and the meningitis stage and didn’t get locked in, only to develop a brain structure which would allow Hadens to link up their minds to use their bodies as if they were their own or a Threeps’.
As you can see, the concepts in this novel are quite intricate and complex, and I’m actually really impressed Scalzi was able to get all the relevant information across without having to commit the cardinal sin of shameless, wholesale info-dumping all over these pages. After having a peek at several early reviews of Lock In from readers who found themselves slightly lost and confused especially at the beginning of this novel, I was a bit concerned that I would feel the same way, but surprisingly I did not. It’s true that not all the details and answers about the world are available right away, but I still found the story easy to follow and I ultimately liked the way knowledge about Haden’s Syndrome and its history were gradually presented to us. All the information came to light eventually, and it happened very naturally and in a way that didn’t distract from the storytelling.
And while this book is a tale of mystery at its heart, what I liked best about its was its subtle societal themes and messages about topics like disability, ethics in medicine, and other tough questions for a country in which millions suffer from a very expensive and life-altering condition. Scalzi explores the implications of this and the effects that Threeps might have on the population. I’ve always thought of his books as more “popcorn reads”, like with novels such as Redshirts or Agent to the Stars, but Lock In also surprised me with its depth and moments of thoughtfulness.
That being said, this book is still pure Scalzi in terms of his light, easy prose and plenty of humorous and snappy dialogue. Lock In was fun and entertaining, and I had a fantastic time reading this, but I also feel this is a next step for the author. It’s a huge part of what made this book such a great read, because to be honest, as mystery or suspense novels go, it’s not as mysterious or suspenseful as it could be (after all, it was pretty obvious who the bad guy was, and there’s really no having to guess whatsoever). But the writing, the premise of the story along with the background of Haden’s Syndrome and what it means for the world all came together in one perfect package for me. As a result I devoured this book in a bit more than a day and I loved every minute of it.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Tor Books!
Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi
If you haven’t read Lock In yet and have concerns about being overwhelmed by the details of Haden’s Syndrome, or if you’ve finished the book and would like to know more, I highly recommend checking out this companion novella that you can actually read online for free here.
Told in an epistolary format in the form of collected interviews, Unlocked features narratives from many different people, all in one way or another intimately involved in the history of Haden’s Syndrome and the Great Flu that precipitated it all. It’s meant to give you more information about the condition, as well some history on how the world struggled with and recovered from the epidemic only to end up trying to find a way to help the millions that experienced “lock in”.
Through the various perspectives, we get to find out what the devastating flu was like, how it was spread, as well as the response when everyone realized that the illness was unlike anything the world has ever seen. The most relevant part, of course, is what happens afterwards, when Haden’s Syndrome rears its ugly head. As someone who read Lock In first before checking this out, I knew that President Haden had a major role in galvanizing the country and uniting everyone’s efforts in finding a way to help the victims of the condition, and I was so happy that I got to have the whole story of how it happened here, in all its glory.
Just in keep in mind that this novella is meant to inform, so it wouldn’t be fair to go into this with the usual expectations for a story. There’s not a lot of plot or character development, which is okay because that’s not its goal. Nonetheless, I was completely fascinated by the way this book went through the different stages of the whole Haden’s Syndrome saga. Several of the characters also made themselves stand out with distinct “voices” as they related stories of their experience with Haden’s.
Unlocked shows just how invested John Scalzi is into the world of his book Lock In, and perhaps he rightly recognized that readers will want to know more about it. It probably doesn’t matter whether you read this before or after you read the full-length novel, but all I can say is, either way it’s worth it.
Sunday Musings
Posted on August 24, 2014 6 Comments
The sun is shining, the birds are singing. But it’s awfully humid, so I’m just going to muse in the basement where it’s nice and cool.
CURRENTLY READING
Apocalypse fiction has been a pretty big topic for me recently, and I suspect this great big conversation influenced my recent reading choice of Susan Ee’s Angelfall. I jumped right into World After, and now am chomping at the bit for more of Penryn & the End of Days. How exciting to learn that this might end up on the big screen!
I can’t call myself a true fan of Octavia E. Butler if I haven’t read her friend and mentor, Harlan Ellison. He has a large collection of short stories, each with such unique names, and even more unique stories within. I chose I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream because sometimes, that’s exactly how I feel…
WRITERY THINGS
I love fantasy and science fiction. But I am so very tired of the rhetoric that keeps telling me that I have no place in it as a woman of colour unless I am a whore or an exotic novelty. Simply put, if you can imagine alien species and dragons and all sorts of wonderful magical things, then you can most certainly imagine that people like me can be actual people in your stories, rather than plot devices. And if you want to use the excuse that you’re trying to reflect the cultural dynamic of the area and the history, then do your damn research.
BOOKISH THOUGHTS
Things I need in my life: a custom made sidetable to house my favourite books.
YA Weekend and GIVEAWAY: Storm Siren by Mary Weber
Posted on August 23, 2014 12 Comments
*** The giveaway is now over, thank you to everyone who entered! ***
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Storm Siren
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (August 19, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
When I finished Storm Siren, I was speechless. If I am correct about what the ending implies, I just could not believe the story had the audacity and boldness to say, “Oh YES indeedy, I am going to go there!” And honestly, it’s refreshing whenever a Young Adult novel surprises me. I like unpredictability especially when it comes to my YA, and weird as this may sound, I admit I do get a little thrill in my heart whenever I get completely blindsided.
It was, however, a journey to get to that point. One of the reasons why I think Storm Siren will be a very successful book is because it mixes the familiar with the new. Yes, we have some unexpected plot twists and bombshells, an incredible world with a rich magic system, and a heroine with a unique superpower. But balanced with this is also a novel that feels distinctly like it belongs in this genre, with archetypal characters and the usual tropes of YA. Despite this, I believe YA readers will feel comfortable with it and love it for what it is.
The book opens with our protagonist, a seventeen-year-old Elemental girl named Nym, facing her fifteenth sell as a slave. An unfortunate incident triggers her storm-summoning powers while she is on the auction block, resulting in chaos and panic. After passing out, Nym wakes up inexplicably in a luxurious bedroom in a mansion, and is informed that she has been purchased by Adora, the rich and influential noblewoman and court advisor to the king of Faelen.
Throughout this entire novel, we are told that Nym is special. This is practically thrust into our faces the entire time, from the fact that she shouldn’t even exist, since Elementals are all supposed to be only born male, to her role as the only person who can save Faelen in the war against the neighboring kingdom of Bron. But Nym isn’t the perfect savior either. She’s reluctant to use her powers even in defense of her friends due to her inability to control the storm. She has also already caused no small number of deaths in her life, albeit accidentally, and hates the idea of killing more people even if they are the enemy.
Storm Siren features a great story, encompassing a lot of political intrigue and epic battles. The story itself is definitely a winner. But that isn’t to say it couldn’t have been stronger, and perhaps it is a credit to the book and author that my only issue was that I always felt like wanting more.
I mentioned the world and the magic earlier in this review, for example. When Nym is sent to train with a tutor to hone her Elemental abilities, her classmate as it were is a boy named Colin who is a Terrene, someone from his land who can manipulate the earth and stone. Terrenes are also always born as twins, with one twin having abilities and the other not. Apparently, there are even more “brands” of magic users in this world, each with their own specific types of powers and presumably interesting facts about their backgrounds. I mean, this stuff is great! It’s world-building gold. Unfortunately, we just don’t get to learn much about them at all. This is possibly due to limitations like book length or the fact the author couldn’t work those details into the plot, but I sometimes also felt like she may have been trying to put too much into her story.
I also think more emphasis could have been placed on supporting characters. We only have a total of about five characters we really get to know, and I found Breck and Eogan interesting but a few others were quite superficial, like Adora the classic cold villain or Colin with the heart of gold and a personality of a golden retriever puppy. I thought some of the other characters of the court, like the king and a couple of visiting nobles and a princess could have been developed more as well, since relatively they weren’t given much attention but they all had pivotal roles to play by the end of the novel. It would have given the politics and the brewing war between the different kingdoms that extra oomph, and perhaps made things less confusing.
Like I said, I wanted more – but I’m also the kind of person who constantly asks questions when I’m reading, especially when it comes to a book’s world and lore. Did I need all this information to enjoy the story? No, the story itself is solid, even though I felt more world building could have enhanced it. Just when I thought for sure I had everything nailed down, just when I figured it was all going to end the same neat and tidy way that all YA books do, the last few chapters with the final showdown threw me for a loop. I learned that Mary Weber is someone who is not afraid to do things with her characters, even if it means shock and heartbreak to the reader. And I just have to admire and raise my glass to that.
The issues I mentioned notwithstanding, I did have a good time with this book. It started out like the YA novel it’s meant to be – feels like YA, reads like YA – but then went and gave me a surprise at the end. So ultimately I got exactly what I expected, plus a bit more as a bonus! 3.5 to 4 stars from me.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Wunderkind PR!
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STORM SIREN GIVEAWAY
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for! We have a print copy of Storm Siren up for grabs in this giveaway to one lucky winner. As per the sponsor’s policy, this giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Entering is super easy, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “STORM SIREN” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Saturday, August 30th, 2014.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner and sending them their book. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Book Review: Astra by Naomi Foyle
Posted on August 22, 2014 7 Comments
Astra by Naomi Foyle
Genre: Post-apocalyptic, Utopian Society, Science Fiction
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (February 2014)
Author Info: naomifoyle.com
Wendy’s Rating ~ 4 of 5 stars
Foyle’s words are an elegant brush on paper, painting such vivid images across the reader’s mind as she builds her world through Astra’s young eyes.
Astra is a beautiful, beautiful book, featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic world, and focused on its eponymous main character. Astra is just seven years old when Foyle invites us into her life and her utopian world, where the people live in harmony with Gaia, the earth mother, and work toward healing the earth after all the damage caused by war, neglect, and ignorance.
Foyle’s words are an elegant brush on paper, painting such vivid images across the reader’s mind as she builds her world through Astra’s young eyes. The story is told in third person, but from Astra’s point of view, which is a daunting task. Balancing effective story telling, while maintaining Astra’s immaturity is not easy, but Foyle does a stellar job, even as Astra grows into a teenager and deals with all the angst and anxiety that goes with. Unfortunately, while I think Foyle did an excellent job with this, it is also where the story simply does not work for me, because Astra’s personality becomes increasingly grating, outweighing her curiosity and the issues surrounding her.
As often happens in utopian stories, the utopia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that is no different here. While the people of Is-Land seem to have the right intentions, when we learn about the Security Serum, it becomes obvious that this utopia is, not unexpectedly, based on control and obedience, as well as ignorance of the past and the outside world. Which makes things all the more difficult for Astra when her Shelter mother, Hokma, secretly prevents Astra from receiving the security shot that would turn her into a passive contributor to society. The ‘wild child’ Lil, who begins as Astra’s rival but becomes more than her friend, also plays a big role in Astra’s life, tempting her with glimpses and ideas beyond the controlled teachings of Is-Land. On top of having to deal with teenage angst, Astra must fight to maintain control over her emotions in order to avoid suspicion. Unfortunately, her combative nature does not make this easy, which is where I began to become as frustrated with her as her other parents, Nimma and Khlor, who are not privy to Hokma’s deception. I appreciate Astra’s struggle, but I have trouble with young adult novels that focus too heavily on the whining, selfishness, and petulance of teenagers. I know this is very much a part of teenage life, but it’s not the only part of teenage life and I find it a disservice when authors don’t balance the emotions on display.
I was also disappointed that I really didn’t get to see the positive results of Hokma’s plans, aside from the obvious fact that she would not be mind controlled. Hokma convinced Astra to go along with this plan by filling her head with the promise that she could become a “genius” if her brain is not numbed like the other children. I was never quite certain what the term “genius” construed here, because Astra does not show any particular aptitude. Still, there is obvious potential for her future, because she is not bound by the serum, and by the end of the book, Foyle positions the story with a lot of possibilities in terms of what Astra will choose to do next.
Still, I enjoyed the views Foyle expressed on certain aspects, and especially liked that she didn’t shy away from sexuality. This is a society where the human body and sexuality is treated with as much respect as Gaia herself (with the act of intercourse actually referred to as “Gaia worship.”) Sexuality is a topic that we often don’t find properly explored in genre fiction, with authors either brushing over it, or going to the violent and sexist extreme.
While this book wasn’t as enjoyable for me as I’d hoped, I will still give it four stars, because it is still so very deserving of it.
With thanks to Jo Fletcher Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Panels: The Boys, Vol 8: Highland Laddie
Posted on August 21, 2014 Leave a Comment
Hughie: “Aye, you see, that’s the thing that’s always bothered me about supes… or maybe just the idea o’ supes. All right, so you’ve got your powers, but you’ve no idea how to do what you’re doin’, have you? So why do you just–dress up like a load o’ bams and start in? I mean if you wanna help folk, why d’you no’ go along to a hospital an’ say–I could work here, I could fly casualties in after an accident or offer to kick doors down for firemen, or whatever. I mean they could at least train you properly, couldn’t they…?”
Annie: “Good question.It never came up for us. But… with hindsight, I’d guess that Vought don’t want superpower anywhere near federal hands. Or local services either.”
Hughie questions why superheroes don’t use their powers to actually help people rather than destroy things.
The BiblioSanctum 