The Generation V Livetweet begins today at #MLBGENV with author ML Brennan
Posted on August 4, 2014 2 Comments
Generation V author M.L. Brennan will be joining me as I read through the first book in her American Vampire urban fantasy series! Grab a copy of Generation V and join the fun with questions, quotes and quomments on Twitter using the hashtag #MLBGenV. Stay tuned at the end of the event for a surprise!
Reality Bites
Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human. But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how. But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.… Check out Mogsy’s review of Generation V here or her interview with M.L. Brennan here!
Graphic Novel Review: A Voice in the Dark Volume 1 by Larime Taylor
Posted on August 4, 2014 12 Comments
A Voice in the Dark, Volume 1 by Larime Taylor
Genre: Horror, Crime
Publisher: image Comics (July 2014)
Author/Artist Info: www.larimetaylor.com
Wendy’s Rating – 5 of 5 stars
Taylor’s crisp lines and style–all drawn by mouth–are wonderfully detailed in their simplicity, and I love how well he brings the characters to life in both art and dialogue.
The striking cover caught my eye first, but when I watched the trailer, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. With tongue firmly in cheek, the trailer informed me that A Voice in the Dark fulfilled all the important criteria I want in my modern day comics, from the Strong Female ProtagonistTM to racial and sexual inclusivity. Which ought to have made me happy, right? But instead, it made me a little angry. Yes, I want those things, but dammit, I don’t want them turned into an advertising gimmick. With these conflicty emotions in place, I decided to grab the first issue. Read it. Bought the next six issues.
A Voice In the Dark is the name of Zoey Aarons’ radio call-in show where she invites people to anonymously share their darker side. Through this, Zoey hopes to find out that she is actually quite normal. That the darkness within her isn’t that unusual, even when it demands that she commit murder.
But who doesn’t think about some satisfying violence once in a while if someone really, really deserves it. Are any of us immune to such dark thoughts?
The comparison to stories like Dexter are immediate, but Zoey doesn’t fall into the typical serial killer mould. In fact, in his introduction, Taylor explains that the point of his story is to take all those typical slasher flick tropes and turn them upside down—starting with the fact that Zoey is a young woman of colour, who, according to the rules, should be one of the first to fall victim. Though Taylor tells Comic Book Alliance that Zoey is not a psychopath or a sociopath, she certainly does fulfill the criteria of the latter. But she is also a surprisingly caring person. The murders she commits or plans are not random and not without very specific purpose: to protect the people she cares about. The focus is, thankfully, not on gratuitously ghastly murders for the sake of shock value, but on Zoey herself.
Meanwhile, there actually is a serial killer roaming around campus. Zoey’s detective uncle is on the case and even seeks insight from Zoey herself, who has read all the books on serial killers that Uncle Zeke has recommended—though that’s not what has made her a killer. Through her inner monologues, A Voice in the Dark pulls the reader along on Zoey’s compelling journey to figure out who she is and why she does the things she does.
Taylor both writes and draws A Voice in the Dark, but I warn that, despite the vibrant covers, the comic itself is in black and white. I noticed a few of the letters mentioning that the black and white was a potential turn off for them, but once they got into it, they couldn’t put it down. Personally, I love black and white imagery. Taylor’s crisp lines and style–all drawn by mouth–are wonderfully detailed in their simplicity, and I love how well he brings the characters to life in both art and dialogue.
Sunday Musings: Cottage Life, Comics and Meaningful Violence
Posted on August 3, 2014 4 Comments
Sundays are my reading and writing days, but this weekend, we are at enjoying the lakeside view at the cottage, so I’m swatting at mosquitoes instead of spending the day in my PJs in the comfort of my own bed.
CURRENTLY READING
This week has been a comic heavy week for me, beginning with J. Michael Straczynski’s Superman: Earth One. After being admonished on the internet for my dislike for DC’s boyscout, I’ve been looking for some interesting Superman reads, and accepted this recommendation. It was definitely an interesting take on Superman, but it lost me when the bad guy showed up. What I did like was the greater focus on the Daily Planet staff, namely Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Lois Lane was there too, but she was rather disappointingly used. More to come in my review!
I’ve also been catching up on Rat Queens. I was trying to hold out to purchase the next collected volume, but the book is just too darn good. I love these ladies soooo much!
Random discoveries were Scarlet and A Voice in the Dark, both of which were not what I expected, but a pair of five stars later, are definitely on my need more list. Watch out for reviews coming soon!
I’m also prepping for my liveread of ML Brennan’s Generation V. Very excited to finally be reading her much talked about series and sooo looking forward to having some twitter fun with her.
WRITERY THINGS
My friend posts many writing articles and discussion pieces and prompts in her G+ community and every now and then, one really speaks to me. This week, it’s The Rules Of Violence – Part Two. I haven’t read part one, but I liked what this post had to say about writing violence and making sure it is meaningful. Even seemingly senseless violence ought to have meaning to someone.
Making violence have meaning was much easier to achieve in a world where any gun held only one shot and most of the violence was performed with sword or dagger. In the words of Frank Miller’s Batman, ‘We kill too often because we’ve made it easy… too easy… sparing ourselves the mess and the work.’ If you’re going to kill someone with a sword or knife, there’s a certain commitment to the deed, as it will take work. What a good story-teller can do is make taking a life work, re-create that commitment, and never make it casual or easy.
The post made me think of Jorg Ancrath from King of Thorns, which I’ve managed to get back to this week. While he and his companions are mostly psychopaths who don’t put much value on life, each act of violence and each life they take is given care and attention by the author.
While I don’t feel the need to get too graphically detailed when I write violent scenes, I do enjoy writing them. I tend to naturally approach them through the characters’ eyes such that I’m always aware of how violence and death affects them.
FINAL BOOKISH THOUGHTS
Do you?
YA Weekend: Blightborn by Chuck Wendig
Posted on August 2, 2014 14 Comments
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 of The Heartland Trilogy
Publisher: Skyscape (July 29, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I make it no secret that I’ve been in a bit of a YA slump lately. This year saw a few of my favorite YA series finishing their runs and I’ve been flitting around checking out more books to fill the void, and it’s been difficult finding anything that clicked with me. This has led to discouragement and no small amount of burnout, so I’m really glad for books like Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King and now Chuck Wendig’s Blighborn to come along and snap me out of my funk.
If you’ve read the first book of The Heartland Trilogy, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Under the Empyrean Sky was a real shaker-upper for me, making itself stand out from a lot of Young Adult dystopians novels by being surprisingly candid and authentic. The Heartland is a rough place that breeds rough folk, a place where killer corn, deadly Blights and piss-blizzards are an everyday reality. After several YA sequels have disappointed me earlier in the year for having plots that are unimaginative and contrived, Wendig’s refusal to sugarcoat or hold anything back is exactly what I needed. Blightborn was interesting and unpredictable, much like life in the Heartland.
The book picks up where the first one left off, with Cael, Rigo and Lane on the run, looking to find a way skyward to the Empyrean flotilla. Right on their heels are Boyland Barnes Jr., Rigo’s father, and Wanda, who all have their reasons to pursue the three friends. Boyland wants revenge, after believing Cael killed his father. Rigo’s father just wants his son back. And Wanda hopes to be reunited with Cael, her “Obligated”. However, Cael’s heart already belongs to Gwennie, who is living the life of a Lottery winner on the floating city of Ormond Stirling Saranyu and is realizing it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
As you can see, interwoven between the various plot threads are these intricate relationships between the characters which add a lot to the story, so I highly recommend grabbing the Under the Empyrean Sky before reading Blightborn to fully experience all the underlying nuances. Wendig continues to explore and develop these relationships, especially when it comes to the dynamics between Cael, Lane and Rigo. As their fight for survival intensifies, the three friends learn to trust each other. Over a number of intense and sometimes touching scenes, they discover new things and gain a deeper understanding of each other and themselves in the process.
Romance also isn’t a central focus of this series, but love and devotion certainly plays a part. It’s the motivation behind so much of what the characters do, after all, with Cael and Boyland both going after Gwennie, Wanda after Cael, etc. Usually, I have very little patience with stuff like love triangles – or God forbid, love squares – but I’ve come to appreciate the complicated emotions flying between all these characters and the fact that they never remain static. Cael and his friends do a lot of growing up, and with growth also comes a more mature way of looking at the world and others. Cael, for example, is much less self-absorbed in this book, learning to put himself in his friends’ shoes, and sometimes even in his enemy’s. While he and Boyland have always been at odds, Cael can still admit to himself that what the other boy feels for Gwennie could be genuine and respect that, which is a huge step for him as a character in my eyes.
Another thing I loved about this book is the expansion of the readers’ world into the skies. We’d heard over and over about the corruption and decadence of the Empyrean in the first book, and now we finally get to catch a glimpse of how the elite live. It was important to see the huge disparity between life on the flotilla and life down in the Heartland as it builds the story up quite a bit, setting up the stage for new players like the Sleeping Dogs rebels, who do their share of stirring things up both in the skies and on the ground. No dystopian novel is complete without an uprising, and the pressure that has been around since the first book finally boils over in Blightborn, culminating in a stunning climax, but not before Wendig takes us on a crazy wild ride to get to that point.
I highly recommend this series, especially if you’re a fan of Chuck Wendig. I’ve always loved his writing style and characters, and that hasn’t changed even with his venture into YA dystopian. Books like this one keep me excited about the genre!
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Skyscape!
Graphic Novel Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis
Posted on August 1, 2014 8 Comments
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis
Series: Collects Guardians of the Galaxy #1-3 and #0.1 and Infinite #1
Publisher: Marvel (August 2013)
Author Info: www.jinxworld.com
Wendy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Prior to the announcement of the movie, I did not even know the Guardians of the Galaxy existed, but the previews have been amusing enough to pique my interest. Too bad the source material isn’t nearly as impressive.
Volume one serves as an introduction to Marvel’s “cosmic Avengers,” opening with the crash landing of an alien vessel in the backyard of a lovely young lady, who nurses the occupant back to health. They fall in love and make Peter Quill, but before he’s actually born, daddy heads back to space and goes on to become the King of Spartax, making Peter the Star-Lord.
This ought to be an interesting plot twist, save for the fact that the King turns out to be a pretty shady character–which in itself is fine, but we don’t get to find out how or why that is. We just have to accept that, after completely different aliens show up to kill Peter and his mom while he’s still a boy, presumably because they know of his Spartax blood, that this leads Peter to find his way into space, perhaps looking for his dad? But I guess when Peter finds his dad stuff happens and Peter gets mad and runs off to form his own team of avengers to keep earth safe from um… his dad and anyone his dad hangs out with?
Forgive the vagueness and confusion, but that’s more or less how I felt when we skipped from happy couple to “My dad’s an evil dictator.” There’s a big section where dad gathers the various alien leaders, such as the Brood Queen and informs them that Earth shouldn’t be attacked, but apparently, that is all just a ruse and what he’s actually doing is manipulating them into doing what he says they shouldn’t. But then while that meeting is going on, bad guys are already attacking earth. But the Guardians, along with a really dull Iron Man, are able to fight them off, only to be captured by the Spartax army to be punished for defending the planet dad said no one should attack.
Anyway. At least the main story art was kind of cool, if somewhat Jim Lee clone-ish.
The rest of the book is comprised of character stories introducing the other Guardians. The format for each is pretty standard: character does something unique to their character, battles their way through respective bad guys to show us what kind of person and fighter they are, wins battle, Star-Lord shows up to ask them to help him defend earth. There is little learned about the characters through this process, and there’s an even bigger gap in understanding why they are willing to fight alongside Quill to defend a planet that is not their own.
Here the art changed for each character, with the Gamora story being my favourite. Michael del Mundo captures the aloof and deadly nature of Thanos’ daughter perfectly.
So as far as introductions and origins go, this one is very disappointing, which can often be the case with origin stories. I’d much rather see the movie in hopes of finding a plot and character reasoning that actually makes sense. That’s not to say I’ll never read another Guardians of the Galaxy comic, though. I’d like to think that, with these pesky origin stories out of the way, the actual comic will get going in volume 2.
Book Review: The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Posted on July 31, 2014 15 Comments
The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Magicians
Publisher: Viking (August 9, 2011)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Back in my review of The Magicians, I wrote that you could have a miserably unlikeable character for the sake of writing a miserably unlikeable character and that I wouldn’t mind, just as long as you could give me a reason to care about him or her. While that’s still true, it does really help if your protagonist isn’t a whiny little ingrate and actually shows growth over the course of the novel. I really think that’s why The Magician King worked better for me than its predecessor. Like, a lot better. The ending of the first book gave me hope that I would enjoy the sequel more, and I did.
Things were looking up right from the start, with our story opening with a return to Fillory, the otherworldly realm from Quentin’s beloved childhood fantasy series that turned out to be a real place. He and his friends are now the kings and queens of this magical kingdom, but after a routine morning hunt goes wrong, Quentin and Julia decide to set off across the seas to the far reaches of Fillory to take care of certain matters. But their journey is interrupted by an unceremonious ejection from Fillory back to Earth and the mundane world. Thus begins an epic quest to find their way back, with the fate of all magic hanging in the balance.
I’ll admit it, the first book had its high points, but on the whole I wasn’t too enamored. The wonderful sections featuring Quentin at Brakebills aside, I thought most of the book was directionless and tedious, and I wasn’t impressed with the characters and their attitudes until almost the very end when they discover Fillory and set out to explore it. The thing is, I loved the spellbinding world of Fillory and its amazing denizens, as well as the incredible sights and sounds. When the final pages of The Magicians teased that we may be going back, I was very pleased. That’s one reason why The Magician King worked better for me; the fact that we got to be in Fillory right away was a huge plus.
The second reason is something I’ve already alluded to, that being Quentin has come a long way from the moody, self-absorbed and aimless young man he was in book one. He has grown up a lot between the two novels in my eyes, no doubt in part due to the traumatic events he experienced at the end of The Magicians. His concern for a young crew member and the neglected daughter of a diplomat really touched me; it’s not something I would have expected in a million years from the old Quentin. In this book, he is driven and finds it possible to become excited about the prospects of adventure again, and – shocker! – in the process he became someone I wanted to read more about.
The same could not be said for Julia, however. My one gripe about this novel are her chapters, which more or less alternated with the chapters focusing on the main story. Julia’s tale encompasses her own rise to the world of magic after failing her Brakebills entrance exam, which couldn’t have been more different than Quentin’s academically formal training. Her journey through the underground magical scene is actually quite interesting, though I was initially unsure how it all related to the book’s central premise. What bothered me wasn’t so much her story, but the fact that the role of annoyingly maudlin and dissatisfied character seemed to have been passed from Quentin to Julia, though we do see that she has had to go through a lot of suffering and very difficult times. I could also appreciate how the two lines of thought eventually came together, but felt that her “backstory” was a bit distracting at first.
All in all, however, I was pleasantly surprised by my positive reactions to this book. On the whole, this was a much deeper and complex novel, but also much more entertaining and engaging on multiple levels. I liked how a lot of the world was expanded, as well as the answers to a lot questions brought up by the first book. And that ending! I can’t believe my heart is actually aching for Quentin. It’s very rare for a sequel to grab me, especially since book one failed to do so, and it’s great whenever that happens. I’m really starting to see the appeal behind this series, and this second installment has really made it grow on me.
Tough Traveling: Princesses
Posted on July 31, 2014 18 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: Princesses
RINCESSES come in two main kinds:
1. Wimps.
2 Spirited and wilful. Spirited Princesses often disguise themselves as boys and invariably marry commoners of sterling worth.
Certainly no shortages of princesses in fantasy! Though actually, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a wimpy princess these days. Fragile and helpless damsels in distress are so passe! My favorite princesses are most definitely of the spirited and willful kind.
The Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan
Arista Essendon is the princess of Melengar and sister of Alric the heir, though I think she is more clever and competent than her brother by far. She’s a bit iffy when she’s first introduced; we’re led to wonder about her character and whether she’s a friend or foe, working with or against Hadrian and Royce. Later on, she actually has a much larger role to play, and her abilities with magic make her a worthy ally.
The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke
Speaking of iffy…Princess Mathilda has a lot to offer as a character, but she can also be a self-absorbed brat or even an airheaded ninny sometimes. Her actions in the book have some rather serious ramifications, especially for the protagonist Saker rampion, a priest and a spy. Mathilda might not make the best choices, but she was by far the most interesting character.
Vampire Empire series by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
I love this series. I honestly don’t know why I still haven’t finished up the last book in the trilogy, but I really should. This is an alternate history-ish steampunk adventure, set in the year 1870 when vampires have taken over large swathes of the world. Princess Adele, heir to the Equatorian empire, and the mysterious vampire hunter known as Greyfriar work together to drive the plague of vampires back.
The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
I just had to go with Princess Clarice for this one. Spirited? Check. Willful? Check. Disguising herself as a boy and invariably marrying a commoner of sterling worth? Check! Clarice masquerades as a young lord “Clarence” traveling on a ship to the new world, befriending the handsome navigator Dominick and eventually falling in love with him.
The Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan
Princess Lyrna, another princess who is arguably stronger and more capable than her royal brother the king. She is also smart, independent, and possesses a powerful presence. Lyrna was introduced in Blood Song but gets a much larger role in this second book, and is a point-of-view character as readers follow her on her own journey.
The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler
Princess Raesenia may seem small, frail and weak in appearance, but she is anything but. In truth, she’s a lot more than she appears, harboring a huge secret. Disguising herself as a commoner, Raesenia gets involved with young revolutionaries, hoping to oust the power-hungry Duke Orlanko in order to protect the future of her rule.
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
After learning of her sister’s fatal illness, Princess Cleo embarks on a rough and perilous journey to find a cure. Raised in pampered luxury, it’s a quest that will test the limits of her will and strength as she must venture into enemy territory with her hopes riding on the rumor of powerful magics long thought extinct.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
I’ve featured The Stormlight Archive a lot, but no list of princesses would be complete without Jasnah Kholin, sister of King Elhokar, daughter of the late King Gavilar, and niece of Highprince Dalinar. She’s also a powerful surgebinder and a brilliant scholar, training Shallan Davar as her ward.
Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells
Princess Leia…because Princess Leia.
Book Review: Frostborn by Lou Anders
Posted on July 30, 2014 7 Comments
Genre: Fantasy, Young Readers (age 8-12)
Series: www.thronesandbones.com #1
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (August 5, 2014)
Author Info: www.louanders.com
Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars:
I am a firm believer in learning something new every day, and this is one of the many places where Frostborn really shines.
Karn is a young Norrønir boy who shuns his father’s farm life and his responsibilities. He’d rather be playing his favourite strategy game, Thrones and Bones, than wielding a sword or haggling for food and supplies. Meanwhile, further north, Thianna is determined to prove herself every bit a giant, while hating the half-human part of her that makes her so obviously different. At the seasonal gathering where Norrønir and giants come together to trade, the two young ones meet and discover that they really don’t have anything in common except what makes them different. When circumstances later exile them from their respective worlds, they are forced to trust in each other, and in their own uniqueness to get themselves out of some pretty big trouble.
Right from the prologue, I was sucked in as Anders weaves a thrilling escape for a mysterious woman and the beast she rides, culminating in a very moving climax that promised that the rest of the book could only get better. While this is most certainly a children’s book, I really enjoyed Anders’ approach to its serious, painful and sometimes frightening elements. Anders, who has a young son and a daughter, is clearly writing for his children (and later realized he was writing about them), but the storytelling holds a sense of maturity that I think is sometimes lacking in books aimed at this age group (8-12). That’s not to say that the book is too “grown up.” The language is fun mix of classical and colloquial, there’s a sharp sense of wit and humour on display, and Thianna and Karn are definitely the kinds of kids a young reader can relate to. Anders eloquently balances the fun side of childhood, while respecting that quite often, kids know and understand quite a lot more than adults give them credit for.
I also loved the casual little interjections of trivia. I learned a few things from Anders’s little tidbits of information, and I know young readers would be just as fascinated by the knowledge. I am a firm believer in learning something new every day, and this is one of the many places where Frostborn really shines.
I expected Frostborn to end up being a typical buddy quest adventure, and while there were elements of that involved and implied for future books, I really loved the way Anders focuses on the kids separately as much as they are together. They each come to terms with their situations and its often after the moments of self-discovery that they are able to be of stronger aid to their friend. Together, they both remain unique and probably don’t agree on a lot of things, but there is a healthy level of respect for each other and their differences as they work toward resolving their problems.
Overall, a really impressive entry into the young readers fantasy genre that both kids and parents can have fun with and learn from. And then follow up family reading night with a game of Thrones and Bones!
With thanks to Crown Books and the author for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Waiting on Wednesday 07/30/14
Posted on July 30, 2014 17 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:
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter: September 2, 2014 (Ace)
The Midnight Queen didn’t make itself known on my radar until fairly recently, but it sounds so magical, beautiful, and just…special. Maybe a touch of romance? Maybe a bit of mystery?
“In the hallowed halls of Oxford’s Merlin College, the most talented—and highest born—sons of the Kingdom of Britain are taught the intricacies of magickal theory. But what dazzles can also destroy, as Gray Marshall is about to discover…
Gray’s deep talent for magick has won him a place at Merlin College. But when he accompanies four fellow students on a mysterious midnight errand that ends in disaster and death, he is sent away in disgrace—and without a trace of his power. He must spend the summer under the watchful eye of his domineering professor, Appius Callender, working in the gardens of Callender’s country estate and hoping to recover his abilities. And it is there, toiling away on a summer afternoon, that he meets the professor’s daughter.
Even though she has no talent of her own, Sophie Callender longs to be educated in the lore of magick. Her father has kept her isolated at the estate and forbidden her interest; everyone knows that teaching arcane magickal theory to women is the height of impropriety. But against her father’s wishes, Sophie has studied his ancient volumes on the subject. And in the tall, stammering, yet oddly charming Gray, she finally finds someone who encourages her interest and awakens new ideas and feelings.
Sophie and Gray’s meeting touches off a series of events that begins to unravel secrets about each of them. And after the king’s closest advisor pays the professor a closed-door visit, they begin to wonder if what Gray witnessed in Oxford might be even more sinister than it seemed. They are determined to find out, no matter the cost…”
Posted on July 29, 2014 Leave a Comment
“That which yields is not always weak.”
― Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Dart
The BiblioSanctum