Posted on July 3, 2014 Leave a Comment
“Instructing you, sweet Ista, would be like teaching a falcon to walk up to its prey. It might with great effort be done, but one would end with a very footsore and cranky bird, and a tedious wait for dinner. With a wingspan like yours, it’s ever so much easier just to shake you from my wrist and let you fly.”
~ Lois McMaster Bujold, Paladin of Souls
Book Review: The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney
Posted on July 3, 2014 20 Comments
The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Golden City
Publisher: Roc (November 5, 2013 )
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Golden City is a book that may take a bit of patience to get into, but it ends up being well worth the time once the story gets going. It also stands out for being one of the more unique novels I’ve read this year, with its one-of-a-kind setting in an alternate Portugal around the turn of the 20th century and its rousing combination of subjects like dark magic and sea folk.
The book begins with an introduction to Oriana Paredes, a spy for her people called the sereia. As a member of a race of sea folk banned from the city by the ruling king, Oriana has been posing as a maid working undercover in a wealthy aristocratic household for two years, but has befriended the family’s lovely and vivacious daughter Isabel. When Isabel decides to elope to Paris, Oriana decides to help her make her escape by disguising themselves as simple servants. But before the young women could depart, they are abducted and left to die in an underwater trap. Saved by what she is, but at the same time forced to watch Isabel drown, Oriana is set on a course to uncover the mystery of a string of similar murders and seek justice for her human friend.
Ouch. I just want to say how surprised I was at how hard I took Isabel’s death. While it is revealed in the book’s description, I didn’t do much more than skim the back cover before I started reading and so the beginning was still quite a shock for me. But it was a good kind of surprise. In just a handful of pages, J. Kathleen Cheney has established a realistic friendship between the two girls and made me care for Isabel and the prospect of her grand romance. And in a blink, that life was taken away. It was a very effective and impactful (not to mention heartbreaking) way to start the book, and it only worked this well because the writing was so convincing. At this stage in the story, I still had only a vague sense of the bigger picture, but I understood the desire for vengeance as the driving force behind Oriana’s actions. I seized upon it, looking to it as the backbone of this novel, despite all the questions still buzzing away at the back of my mind.
For believe me, there were questions aplenty. While overall I enjoyed The Golden City, it did take me a while to immerse myself completely into it. Books that thrust me into the middle of situation tend to have me at a disadvantage. Admittedly, I will also sometimes overwhelm myself by asking too many questions. Possibly the biggest blank for me was Oriana’s role as a spy. The goals of her mission were never really clarified, and I wasn’t sure what kind of information she was supposed to be bringing back to her superiors. The “City Under the Sea”, which is a massive underwater art show featuring replicas of the aristocratic houses placed there by a mysterious artist, was also another source of confusion for me. A project that is so grand and ambitious even by today’s standards would have plenty of buzz and investigation into it, but it seemed like much of the city took its appearance for granted.
In fact, it is the replica of Isabel’s house in the City Under the Sea which should have been Oriana’s water grave, if she weren’t a sereia. After extracting herself from the death trap, she finds herself adrift in a city whose citizens would arrest or do worse to her if they discovered her true nature. That is until she crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira, a police consultant who has secrets of his own. Like Oriana, Duilio is looking into the disappearances of servants from wealthy households, but he is also the half human son of a Selkie (mythological creatures said to live as seals in the sea but shed their pelt to become humans on land) and is also in the midst of investigating certain crimes against his family.
Which leads me to the main reason why I’m glad I found a book like The Golden City – Sirens! Selkies! I am always on the lookout for good books about “sea people” that aren’t rife with The Little Mermaid clichés or that don’t simply portray creatures like sirens as malevolent seductresses. Cheney does a fantastic job providing Oriana with personality and purpose, and I love the cultural, historical and mythological details she has worked into her world.
In time, something more than a business partnership develops between Oriana and Duilio, but the romance is in no way distracting or overbearing. The romantic elements, like the mystery elements, are well blended and balanced. It won’t be enough for everyone, but it was perfect for me as someone who prefers a more subtle and natural approach to romance, and the author teases the relationship between her two characters just enough for me to remain invested in seeing how their feelings for each other will be resolved.
In sum, The Golden City may start off slowly, but the payoff will come. Somewhere along the way, it just clicked. And most of the answers I sought were answered by the end of the book. If an alternate historical with a dash of fantasy and mystery sounds like your thing, or if you’re intrigued by a story set in a unique place starring magical sea creatures as its main players, you may want to push this up to the top of your reading list. I’m looking forward to see what will happen in the next book of this series.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!
Tough Traveling: Necromancy
Posted on July 3, 2014 21 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: Necromancy
NECROMANCY is, in Fantasyland, the art of raising the dead and you need a specialized MAGIC USER to do it.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton
All right, as badly as these books made me want to put a fist through the wall by around book seven or so, I feel no list about necromancers can be without Anita Blake. Being a vampire executioner may be something she does on the side, but her day job as an professional animator for Animators, Inc. is how she makes a living at the beginning of the series. The business primarily specializes in raising the dead as zombies, and Anita’s one of their best necromancers.
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
Prince Jalan is running from a lot of things, from angry creditors to a necromancer and their nightmarish creatures. Together with his companion Snorri ver Snaggason, our two reluctant adventurers travel to the north to try to break the spell that binds them, but run afoul of everything from vicious mercenaries to an undead army. (See review)
Silence by Michelle Sagara
Necromancy is more than just raising the dead, it can also involve just communicating with them. This book follows Emma, a grief-stricken teen who has taken to visiting the graveyard at nights ever since her boyfriend died in a car accident. One night, she encounters a mysterious old woman. At the crone’s touch, Emma experiences some kind of change. Ever since then, she realizes she can see, touch and speak with the dead. (See review)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
The process of necromancy is a bit different in this series. Known as “The Resurectionist”, Brimstone of the Chimaera resurrects the bodies of his fallen brethren by capturing their fleeting souls in a thurible before transferring them into new bodies created by teeth, horns and other creature parts. This allows the dead to rise to fight again in their ongoing war against the seraphim. After the demise of Brimstone, Karou takes up the mantle of neighborhood necromancer. (See review)
Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin
Gail Z. Martin actually has a series called Chronicles of the Necromancer, but since I haven’t read it yet, we’re using this book instead! It also features a necromancer, who ends up being the big baddie Cassidy and her friends and hunting when they try to investigate why so many mundane objects are suddenly turning harmful and haunted. (See review)
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
This a story about Tara Abernathy, a young woman with a degree in necromancy who finds herself unexpected hired by the necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecth, and Ao. Her first assignment: to work with her mentor, the talented and experienced necromancer and senior lawyer Elayne Kevain, to resurrect a dead god before the unrest can tear the city apart.
PANELS: Nextwave Vol. 1: This Is What They Want
Posted on July 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
Healing America by beating people up.
Nextwave Vol. 1: This Is What They Want
Book Review: Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
Posted on July 2, 2014 13 Comments
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Magic
Series: Magic Ex Libris #1
Publisher: DAW (August 2012)
Author Info: www.jimchines.com
Wendy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m not going to say this was the greatest story ever, or that I really came to care about the characters and their fate, but for the sake of the magical concepts in this book, I will recommend that every bibliophile put it on their list. Because how many book lovers have ever read a book and not imagined what it would be like to visit or even live in the worlds we read about? A libriomancer isn’t quite able to do that without going crazy, but they can pull out elements of books to use in the real world. Fighting monsters? Reach in and grab Excalibur to tip the scales in your favour! Wounded in battle? Grab a healing potion from Narnia!
Okay, I am not normally presented with such situations, but I would totally raid Cersei Lannister’s dinner table when I get a bit peckish, and Hermoine Granger’s time turner would sure come in handy now and then.
Fortunately, there are porters to make sure libriomancers don’t get carried away or take advantage of their magical abilities, lest the veil between reality and magic fall apart. That’s where Isaac Vanio comes in. A porter on suspension for overuse of his powers (in self-defense), he comes under attack, throwing him into the centre of a mystery involving vampires, a dryad, murdered mentors, and the founder of the porters.
I will go ahead and make the inevitable comparison between Isaac and Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden, in that they are both males, both wear long jackets, and both wield magic. Isaac is much less self-deprecating than Harry, and, once you get over the initial comparison, he holds his own as a character, especially when the dryad, Lena becomes involved. In fact, I’m not sure either of Hines’ characters would be as interesting without the other, though the pairing does feel a bit forced due to Lena’s circumstances.
Lena is an unusual character in that she directly speaks to the treatment of female characters within this genre/industry and many others. Like the objects Isaac is able to pull from books, Lena herself was pulled out of a book – one written for the sole purpose of (male) fantasy, creating a creature bound to her partner. She has no identify of her own and conforms to her partners’ beliefs and desires. Basically, an unwitting sex slave.
While her sexuality plays a part in her personality within the story, Hines focuses first and foremost on her physical strength and her determination. She is not a creature without fear, but she confronts everything head on, with her only true weakness being those she loves. After the loss of her mate, Lena comes to Isaac more or less seeking a replacement, but Isaac struggles with this as he doesn’t want to take advantage of her. Hines handles the relationship well, without dragging it on or making it all unbearably sappy, and gives both Isaac and the reader a lot to chew on when it comes to Lena’s choices and free will.
As I said, this wasn’t the greatest story ever. The plot took some interesting twists and turns, but nothing overly thrilling. The best part about this book is the libriomancy, as well as the recommendations it offers as Isaac rattles off the various reads in his arsenal.
Waiting on Wednesday 07/02/14
Posted on July 2, 2014 11 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!
wab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.
Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands.
There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London…but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, who first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.”
Guest Post: “Writing the Revolution” by Django Wexler
Posted on July 1, 2014 16 Comments
It’s an exciting day, for it is a pleasure to welcome one of my favorite authors to The BiblioSanctum. Last year, Django Wexler blew me away with The Thousand Names, his epic military flintlock fantasy. Now, in the sequel, the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel are replaced with the cries of revolution. The Shadow Throne hits the shelves in the US today! Be sure to check out our review, and join us as we go behind the scenes for this compelling look at the second novel of The Shadow Campaigns.
WRITING THE REVOLUTION
by Django Wexler
A friend of mine, after reading the early draft of The Shadow Throne, said that the parts describing the inner politics of the revolution made him laugh. “I know some people who were in Occupy Wall Street,” he said, “and you’ve nailed it exactly. It’s so clever that you used that stuff in a fantasy book.”
As Janus comments in the book, it’s easy to look like a genius when you take credit for everything that coincidentally goes your way. Grudgingly, I had to allow that the real-life basis for the politics of the Vordanai revolutionaries was not New York in 2011, but Paris in 1789. That fact that one could be confused for the other, after more than two hundred years, is a tribute to the fact that the basic dynamics of human interaction never really change.
When The Shadow Throne opens, King Farus VIII of Vordan is on his deathbed, fighting a losing battle against a wasting illness. Princess Raesinia is young and (in the view of the court) weak, which means that on the king’s death the true power in Vordan will pass into the hands of Duke Orlanko, the Minister of Information and master of the all-powerful Concordat secret police.
But Raesinia is tougher and smarter than the Duke can understand, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep his hands off the reins of power. To get there, she has to work with rebellious elements in the city, and that’s where the revolution comes in.
When it comes to writing The Shadow Campaigns, the most important thing I try to take from history is the feel of events. In The Thousand Names, for instance, I tried my best to capture the feel of eighteenth-century warfare from the point of view of the participants — the choking smoke that covered everything, the way cavalry would charge in a rush but flow away from steady bayonets like water breaking around a rock, how an attack would either press forward and drive the enemy before it or falter and break down in disorganization and terror. While the military element is still important in The Shadow Throne, there’s a big political component as well, and what I wanted to try to do was think about how that ought to feel for the characters.
Reading histo
ry is essential for this, and in particular narrative history — not just listing of names and dates, but a story that treats historical personages as fleshed-out characters, preferably backed up with primary sources. Narrative histories are sometimes disdained by serious historians, which is fair, but for my purposes they’re invaluable; not only are they entertaining to read, but as a fantasy writer I don’t have to fret that some historian might choose a more dramatic interpretation over a more likely one. Bring on the drama! (For The Shadow Throne, my most useful source was Simon Schama’s Citizens, on the French Revolution, and I highly recommend you take a look at it.)
Looking throughout history, though, it’s easy to see that revolutions share some common elements, and those were always going to be part of the feel I was trying to capture. Revolutionary groups (meaning popular revolutions, rather than a coup d’etat by the elite) are almost always disorganized and heterogeneous, with hundreds of tiny splinter factions forming and dissolving alliances with bewildering speed. Sometimes this cripples them, and they fall into infighting and chaos. More successful revolutionaries find the one thing that unites them is their desire for a change; whatever their ultimate aim, every group can agree that the current situation is intolerable.
The almost inevitable result is that in the event the revolution is successful at gaining power, it almost immediately fractures into warring factions, since the only thing that provided any unity has been lost. It’s this dynamic, the coming-together of bitter ideological foes and their difficulty in staying together at points of decision, that I tried to capture in The Shadow Throne; it’s also the dynamic that sets up the similarities between Occupy and Paris in 1789, or for that matter Paris in 1830 or Moscow in 1917. The ideologies are different, the goals and motivations are different, and the trappings change, but people are always people.
I don’t want to reveal too much of the story, so I won’t talk about the ultimate fate of my revolution. But it was a lot of fun to write, and I hope it turns out to be a lot of fun to read!
* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.
Mogsy’s Summer 2014 Reading List
Posted on June 30, 2014 19 Comments
I know I haven’t been doing so well with my past seasonal reading lists, but hey, a tradition is a tradition! Summer is a great time for some catching up, after all. I have a huge review pile at the moment and no doubt review books are going to keep coming in, but I’m also going to make a bigger effort towards completing my reading challenges and also to read some of my purchased books, especially after my audiobook binge last week.
The good news is, while summers are busy, I should still get plenty of time to listen to audiobooks. They are, after all, perfect for chores like yard work!
So without further ado…
Books from my spring reading list that I didn’t get to which are coming back:
Shadowplay by Laura Lam ~ London Falling by Paul Cornell
Audiobooks:
The Boy with the Porcelain Blade by Den Patrick ~ Malice by John Gwynn ~ The Line by J.D. Horn ~ No Return by Zachary Jernigan ~ Crux by Ramez Naam ~ Necessary Evil by Ian Tregellis ~ The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer ~ Koko Takes A Holiday by Kieran Shea ~ The Remaining: Aftermath by D.J. Molles ~ The Martian by Andy Weir
YA Weekend:
The Ring & The Crown by Melissa de la Cruz ~ Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo ~ A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
General TBR:
The Ophelia Prophecy by Sharon Lynn Fisher ~ Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead ~ Dragon Age: The Masked Empire by Patrick Weekes ~ Archetype by M.D. Waters
YA Weekend: Half A King by Joe Abercrombie
Posted on June 29, 2014 19 Comments
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Shattered Sea
Publisher: Del Rey (July 15, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Half a King is marketed as a Young Adult novel so I’m also going to label it as such, but doing so also feels wrong somehow. It’s not just because it is so different and unconventional compared to what we may think of as “mainstream” YA out there, but I also think adult fantasy readers or those familiar with Joe Abercrombie’s gritty adult fantasy novels will no doubt feel right at home reading this too. Now, if you’re thinking to yourself, “Joe Abercrombie and YA? Now THIS I have to see,” well, yes, yes you do. As a fan of his work, I was very curious to see how his first venture into YA fiction would work out, and I have to say I’m quite astounded and impressed with the results.
The book follows Yarvi, a young prince born with a crippled hand. In a warrior society that values fighting prowess, this disability has limited him and led him to be treated with disdain his whole life. When his father and older brother are unexpectedly killed in an enemy ambush, Yarvi has no choice but to inherit the throne, but he barely has the chance to warm the seat before he is betrayed and left for dead. His fight for survival sees him sold into slavery, taken on the high seas and far away from home, but Yarvi knows he will not give up until he gets his revenge.
As ever, character development is Abercrombie’s strong suit, and everyone you meet is a constantly evolving tapestry, realistically woven with hardly any black-and-whites. Despite the YA nature of the novel, we don’t see a sacrifice in the quality of the characters or storytelling. Yarvi feels like the genuine product of his history and upbringing as the forgotten royal son, dismissed for a failure and never being able to become anyone important. Those sentiments have rubbed off on Yarvi himself, who has a tendency towards self-doubt and is prone to question his own worth. He’s no prince charming, and what use does he have for pride and honor? The only constants that keep him alive are his anger and sharp wit. It makes for some very interesting decisions on his part.
Also belying the familiar tale of the betrayed prince seeking to retake his stolen throne is a much more complicated story packed with unexpected twists and turns. It may have been fine-tuned for a younger audience, but the plot loses none of its subtlety. The problem with a lot of YA novels today involve the overuse of tired old tropes, and thank goodness Abercrombie decided to forgo pretty much all of them. You can never predict for a certainty where he will go with a story, and since I’ve enjoyed his crafty, clever writing in style in a lot of his adult books, I’m really glad to see it here in Half a King as well. You never know what tiny little detail can come back later on in the book and haunt you, so don’t even blink!
Best yet, while it is the first book of a series, it can most definitely be read as a standalone with no cliffhangers or glaring unresolved conflicts. Clearly, there are many more places we can go with the characters and ideas in this novel, but here we have a complete, self-contained story. Again, THANK YOU.
In sum, this feels like a young adult book. But it also feels like a Joe Abercrombie book. Take the best of both worlds, like the easy, engaging and action-packed fast pace of the former and the elegant writing style of the latter, and you have Half a King, which is Full of Awesome. I would recommend it in general, but also especially for readers who have always struggled with the YA category, or who might be suffering burnout from the same old, same old. I frequently find myself in this camp. While I love YA, sometimes all the love triangles and cliffhangers can take its toll, and a book like Half a King is the perfect cure to invigorate my interest and make the genre exciting again.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Del Rey!
Lootz: Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on June 28, 2014 23 Comments
Featuring the new additions to my library for this past fortnight, as usual kicking things off with the physical pile…
The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory – I’d requested an eARC of this, but then was lucky enough to win a physical copy through a sweepstakes! Really looking forward to some good maritime fantasy.
Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake – Book two of the Goddess War series and sequel to Antigoddess. I really enjoyed the mythological themes in the first book, so I’m pretty excited about reading this.
Lightspeed Women Destroy Science Fiction! Special Issue edited by Christie Yant – I love Kickstarter goodies! Earlier in the year, I had backed the Women Destroy Science Fiction project from Lightspeed magazine, featuring this special issue entirely written and edited by women.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett – Though I own several of Robert Jackson Bennett’s books, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I haven’t read anything by him yet. I’m sure that will be rectified soon, as I won this sweet book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. I’ve already heard some awesome things about it.
Grudgebearer by J.F. Lewis – From Pyr, this book actually didn’t hit my radar until I received it in the mail. It looks interesting, so if I have time I’ll probably check it out.
Sword of the Bright Lady by M.C. Planck – Another ARC from Pyr, but this one I actually requested. The premise — which sounds like an eclectic mix of cross genre elements — looked too cool to pass up.
The Asteroid Threat by William E. Burrows – I don’t read much non-fiction, which is what this book published by Prometheus looks like. But interestingly enough, killer asteroids happen to be the focus of several books and movies I’ve enjoyed recently, leading to a lot of discussion between me and my husband about whether or not humans can really do anything to stop a mass-extinction-causing asteroid on a collision course with earth. I may take a look at this out of curiosity.
And now on to the digital pile…
The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer – Until I make a dent in my reading list, my book buying ban is still in effect for the summer, but I just couldn’t resist this one when I saw it offered as a Kindle deal. It’s been on my wishlist/TBR for a long time!
Koko Takes A Holiday by Kieran Shea – Sigh, what was that on the book-buying ban again? Well, I’ll make an exception for audiobooks. Audible is having a sale right now, and I had a couple coupons kicking around about to expire at the end of the month. Ever since I saw the cover for this, I’d been itching to pick it up and check it out. On sale, it was a no-brainer.
The Martian by Andy Weir – Another purchase from the sale. I’ve wanted to read this one so badly ever since it came out. I finally have it now, and since I have it in audiobook format, it’s jumped to the top of my reading list.
A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani – I kinda got tired of waiting for my library to get this. Since I adored the first book in audio and we have the same narrator for the second, I binged one last time at the sale and picked this up too.
The BiblioSanctum 