Book Review: The Leopard by K.V. Johansen
Posted on June 20, 2014 1 Comment
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Marakand
Publisher: Pyr (June 10, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Leopard was a really tough book to rate and as I sit down to write this review, I find myself waffling back and forth on my thoughts. For one thing, I did not expect the unconventional structure, effectively dividing the novel into two separate parts. Because The Leopard is also the first installment of a duology, with the bulk of the story still left untold in book two, it’s also hard to decide how I really feel based on what happened here alone.
After the prologue, we are introduced to Deyandara, a bastard tribal princess who suddenly becomes her mother’s sole heir when everyone else in the family was murdered. But before this news even has the chance to settle, Deyandara is made messenger to the goddess Catairanach, who sends her on a quest to seek out the assassin known as the Leopard. Said assassin, whose true name is Ahjvar, is a cursed man who only wants to die, taking his burden to the grave. However, Deyandara’s message from the goddess changes all that. If he accepts her mission to kill the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach promises to free him from his curse. Along with his companion the escaped slave Ghu, Ahj sets off to perform this one final task.
Then we reach Part Two of the novel, which features a whole cast of different characters, apparently bringing back some of the familiar faces for those who have read Blackdog, an earlier novel based in K.V. Johansen’s world of the Marakand. We don’t get to see much (or anything) of Deyandara, Ahjvar or Ghu again. I don’t even know what more I can say beyond that, since Part Two also really lost me, and I found myself struggling through the rest of the novel. The truth is, while I ate up Part One, I practically had to force myself through Part Two, and almost had to throw in the towel. I spent most of the time trying to care about Moth, Mikki, and the other new characters, but never quite managed.
Though it is not necessary to read Blackdog first before tackling The Leopard, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this second part more if I had. At the very least, I think I would have felt more of a connection to the characters, this group of mysterious shapeshifters and otherworldly beings whose convoluted activities only seem to have a tenuous link to the storyline I read in Part One. In Part Two we see that Ahj’s activities have resulted in some rather strong ripples, but I still found it hard to stay focused since all the while Ahjvar, Deyandara and Ghu remained ever present in the back of my mind. It wasn’t long until I realized I wish I could have been reading about them instead.
This book won’t be for everyone; because of the vast difference in my feelings for the two different story lines, I still wonder if it is for me. Johansen’s style also takes getting used to. She clearly loves detail, but it’s a double-edged sword. The wonderful descriptions that made Part One such a vivid and scintillating experience also made Part Two feel lagging and tedious – though no doubt this has a lot to do with how effectively each story line captured my attention. My love of the setting was a constant, however; I’m a big fan of sword and sorcery set in Middle Eastern and Eastern influenced worlds, and Johansen’s writing is perfect for bringing this environment to life.
The world of Marakand really is quite lovely, and I enjoy its people, cultures and magic. But it wasn’t enough, because ultimately the main issue I had with this book was its structure. It’s one thing to weave two different storylines in tandem, it’s quite another to place a very distinct split in the middle of a novel. I put a lot of stock in characters and I’m usually extremely averse to the idea of drastic changes in players or perspective, so I don’t think this book worked for me – but it might for you.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books!
Tough Traveling: Mentor
Posted on June 19, 2014 Leave a Comment
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: Mentor
A tour official who will be at your service until halfway through the tour, when you will unexpectedly lose him.
Ah, I love it when we get “easier” theme weeks. That’s when we get to play around with more unconventional lists and I’m always looking forward to what others might put on theirs. Mentors of all shapes and sizes populate the fantasy and sci-fi genres so I’m gonna have some fun.
Midnight Riot/Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Probably one of my favorite mentor figures in an urban fantasy series is Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who’s not only one talented detective but a hell of a wizard as well. Head of the Folly and the last officially sanctioned English Wizard, Nightingale takes on the protagonist Peter Grant as his apprentice and subjects him to repetitive magical exercises. Nightingale’s a bit of an anachronism, being much older than he looks, and his total fail with modern technology is merely a part of his charm.
The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu
Tao is an atypical mentor, being an ancient alien life-form called a Quasing whose race crash-landed on the planet millions of years before the first humans even walked the earth. Incompatible with the atmosphere, Quasings must take a host in order to survive. Now split into two warring factions, the Quasings are at war. That’s how our protagonist, the self-doubting, weak-willed, TV-dinner-munching Roen Tan wakes up one day with an alien’s voice in his head. Tao must whip out-of-shape Roen for the coming battle, turning him from a loser to a super spy killing machine.
The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
In book two of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series, Natalie is the young woman who shares Isabella’s love and fascination with dragons and natural history. Refusing to be married off by her family, Natalie joins the expedition to Eriga against her father’s wishes. Isabella makes arrangements to stow Natalie away on the ship, hiding her away until they are safely away from port. On their journey, Natalie becomes Isabella’s apprentice of sorts, becoming her companion while also learning research methods.
The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Emperor Sanlitun has three children, the oldest being Kaden the heir who has spent the last eight years of his life sequestered in a remote monastery in the mountains, learning the mysteries of the monks who live there. One day, Kaden gets a new mentor in the form of Master Tan, whose teaching methods generally boil down to committing child abuse and torture on his poor royal apprentice, including depriving him of sustenance and beating him bloody almost on a daily basis and pretty much just making Kaden’s life a living hell.
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
The Monstrumologist series is probably the most un-YA young adult series I’ve ever read – as in, if adapted completely faithfully, a movie based on this novel would get no lower than a resounding R-rating in terms of all the violence, blood and gore. The books are written in the form of a diary by protagonist Will Henry, who recalls his life as a twelve year old orphan taken in by Dr. Pellinore Warthope, a man with a most unusual, gruesome specialty. Will Henry becomes the doctor’s indispensable assistant and apprentice in his study and research of monsters.
Book Review: vN by Madeline Ashby
Posted on June 18, 2014 Leave a Comment
vN by Madeline Ashby
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of The Machine Dynasty
Publisher: Angry Robot (July 31, 2012)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
While reading vN, I was frequently reminded of a mission statement I saw once on Angry Robot’s website – to publish the best in modern adult genre fiction, or in their words, “SF, F and WTF?!” This book certainly falls mostly in the first category, but also possesses a strong generous splash of the third.
At the heart of vN is a story about choice and independence in synthetic humans/artificial intelligences which in itself is not a very original premise in science fiction, but Ashby piles on a ton of new ideas of her own that make this book a fascinating and sometimes disturbing read. Called “vonNeumanns” or vNs after their creator, the original proposal for the self-replicating humanoid robots in this novel in fact came from the most unlikely source – an End Times group who wanted to leave a body of helpers behind for the millions of unsaved after the rapture.
Other bizarre or perturbing things include a graphic scene of robot cannibalism; a harrowing jail break; a male vN giving birth (or “iterating”) in a sticky, gooey process; the implication that pedophiles acquire vN and make them stay forever young by keeping them – all in the prologue and first couple of chapters. The robots have a failsafe that prevent them from doing harm to humans, and witnessing anything violent or upsetting can risk triggering it, shorting the vN out. But still, while it’s apparent that vNs themselves look, act and have emotions much like humans do, their lives aren’t valued the same way; non-functioning or “blue-screened” vN are tossed aside like garbage, a process described in all its unpleasantness. Not to mention the use of vNs in the porn industry, or some of the other sickening and questionable things humans do to them. All this made the book a unique and sometimes eyebrow-raising read, but at least there’s no accusing it of not being able to hold my attention.
That this is an adult novel is no doubt a given, considering some of its mature themes. But within it I was also a little surprised to find a coming-of-age story … in a sense. The book’s protagonist Amy is a vN living in a mixed-family, a young iteration of her vN mother who is of the same clade. Amy’s human father, perhaps a little naively, tries to give his android daughter a “normal” life, controlling her diet so that she physically looks like a little girl, attending school and participating in other activities that real kids do. But when an incident strikes Amy’s kindergarten graduation, Amy ends up devouring her vN grandmother (yeah, you read that right…it’s a long, freaky story), somehow integrating her software. The extra food source also transforms Amy, so overnight she becomes a grown woman sharing her mind with the voice of her psychotic grandmother.
Literally a new person, Amy is forced to make her way through the world and gain an adult perspective on matters her parents had previously shielded her from. In a way, everything is new and strange to her and the reader both. I found myself asking the same questions as her about the things she saw. Was her father deluding himself with the life he wanted for himself and for her? What is a vN’s role: helper, companion or just another technological tool? How should society deal with sentient beings that aren’t really alive? Are artificial intelligences even capable of love? Is Amy limited by her programming, or is there a possibility of growing beyond her code?
Despite some of the weirdness in this novel, it is a fascinating tale of Amy’s self-discovery and emergence from the shadow of others’ expectations of her. Probably my biggest disappointment was the way things ended. It was a pretty weak conclusion, a little random and out of nowhere after everything that came before, but the tepid ending notwithstanding, I thought this was an overall absorbing and poignant read. Definitely one of the bolder, more provocative titles from Angry Robot.
Waiting on Wednesday 06/18/14
Posted on June 18, 2014 Leave a Comment
“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 Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan: March 31, 2015 (Tor Books)
I can’t tell you how much I love the Memoirs of Lady Trent books. As someone fascinated by the natural sciences and the study of animal behavior, I was naturally drawn to this series about a strong female character who loves science and dragons. Even before the premise pulled me in, I was enchanted by the gorgeous covers.
“Devoted readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, are well aware of how Isabella Camherst first achieved a degree of fame (not to mention notoriety) as an adventurous dragon naturalist who seldom let danger or social convention stand in the way of unraveling the thorny mysteries of draconic taxonomy. Those familiar with her illustrious career may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now.
Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist who interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal.
Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.”
Book Review: Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin
Posted on June 17, 2014 2 Comments
Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Deadly Curiosities
Publisher: Solaris (June 24, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second novel I’ve read by Gail Z. Martin and I have to say, her books have a way of wrapping around the reader like a well-loved, comfortable sweater. Prior to Deadly Curiosities, I’ve read the first book of her Ascendant Kingdoms series Ice Forged, and as traditional fantasies go, it wasn’t groundbreaking but still offered enough new with the old to give me that nice, warm fuzzy feeling. Similarly, I felt good about being in familiar urban fantasy territory with her new book Deadly Curiosities, at the same time delighting in some of the things that made it unique.
The book stars Cassidy Kincaide, owner of an upscale antique/curio store called Trifles & Folly in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. Being able to touch an object and know its history is a special psychic gift that runs in her family – an ability that comes in handy in her line of work. It’s the perfect front for Cassidy and the Alliance’s real work: to seek out supernatural and possibly dangerous items and weed them out of the general public before they can harm anyone. However, when reports that a number of mundane antiques are suddenly turning into “Spookies”, it’s up to Cassidy and her coworkers to find out what dark force is changing all these previously harmless things into haunted objects.
Without a doubt, the highlight of this book for me was the setting. No joke, I wanted to drop everything right there and then and move to Charleston. I have read urban fantasies set in a number of different places, from big cities to sleepy towns, and very few have made me feel a pull this intense. Martin captured the atmosphere perfectly, combining the fictional paranormal elements with the rich history and culture of the city, as well as the hospitality and charm of its people. I wanted to shop the antique shops, visit the museums, stay at the bed and breakfasts, even do the nighttime ghost tours and the whole shebang. Well, minus the evil demons, of course.
In the past I’ve also noticed that authors who go from writing epic fantasy to urban fantasy often stumble with pacing. There is definitely less of an issue with Deadly Curiosities. However, I did feel that sections in the middle lagged a bit, and several characters central to the strike team at the end were introduced much later than I would have preferred. Still, this was probably my one and only complaint. On the whole, this was a great story and I especially enjoyed the first part of the novel, which hooked right away with the introduction to the central premise. I also love the smooth, natural and modern voices of Cassidy and the crew. Gail Z. Martin is a natural at writing urban fantasy; you would think she’s been doing this right from the start.
One interesting thing to note though, is that unlike every other urban fantasy series out there, there is a conspicuous lack of a romantic side plot for our protagonist. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to the individual reader. Those who like a bit of romance with their UF might be disappointed, while others who are neutral or don’t mind something different might find it refreshing. Personally, I don’t think you can force a love story; it either works or it doesn’t. I would rather read an urban fantasy sans romance than one with a romance awkwardly shoehorned in just for the sake of having one, so I say good for Martin! (But for a second, I did get worried – I thought perhaps Cassidy would end up falling for Sorren, her silent business partner at Trifles & Folly. He’s also a 500-year-old vampire. So in this case, I guess you can say I was doubly glad it did not happen. The world has enough vampire romances.)
I am, however, a little tempted to hunt down Gail Z. Martin’s other Deadly Curiosity Adventure stories, from her series that spans over 500 years starring Sorren. That’s what a good book does – make you want more. I do hope she has plans to continue expanding Cassidy’s story as well, because this was a lot of fun. I would return to Charleston and Trifies & Folly in a heartbeat.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Solaris Books!
Book Review: Skin Game by Jim Butcher
Posted on June 16, 2014 Leave a Comment
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 15 of Dresden Files
Publisher: Roc (May 27, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Let’s face it, there’s really no such thing as a bad Dresden Files book – but some are better than others. For me, this series reached its peak round book 5 or 6. I loved Death Masks and Blood Rites, and though everything since has been very enjoyable, there are still times I get nostalgic for the days where Harry’s life was a lot simpler. Well, relatively simpler. The point is, each installment has added another layer of complexity and drama, until each book became a tangle of White Council politics, vampire mischief and Fae court shenanigans, and basically if you haven’t been following the series you wouldn’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of figuring out what’s going on if you’d only jumped on board at this point.
I understand it had to happen. Change is a good thing, especially when it comes to a long running urban fantasy series, otherwise things would get old quick. But gone are the days when we used to get fun things like cases that send Harry to a horror film festival, or like, to the set of a porno flick. After about ten books, the inevitable bloat happened. The series was in need of a reset button, or at least a way to start tying things together.
For me, Changes was that reset button. And Ghost Story and Cold Days did the tying up. These books marked an important transition for the series, one that I felt was needed and that this handful of novels achieved quite well. However, it wasn’t until Skin Game that I felt that we were finally taking the first real step in this new direction. I have not enjoyed a Dresden Files book this much in a while, and I’m convinced now that the series has regained its feet at last. Sure, we still have the White Council politics, vampire mischief, Fae Court shenanigans, and what have you, but once more we’re back to having a very tightly focused story around a single EPIC situation – it’s heist time, baby!
Ever since he took on the mantle of the Winter Knight, Harry’s life has taken some pretty dark turns. Mab still has him bent over a barrel, but that hasn’t stopped him from fighting back, looking for ways to push the limits of her authority. So when the Queen of the Winter court orders him to aid the big bad Nicodemus and his gang of fallen angels, Harry finds himself in quite a jam. The Denarians want to break into Hades’ vault and steal the Holy Grail, and Harry’s service to Mab requires him to help, but who’s to say Nicodemus will honor his bargain and keep from killing them all after the job is done? And that’s assuming the job CAN be done.
Ah, I love heist stories. It’s a bit of a niche topic in fantasy, but it gets me excited every time. And everyone knows that a good heist story needs a posse, so of course we have a wonderful cast of characters with us on this particular adventure. Some old friends come along for the ride, as well as a few new faces. Among this team of talented individuals, we have the thief Anna Valmont, the rogue warlock Hannah Ascher, the wizard mercenary Binder, a shapeshifter named Goodman Grey, and even a forest creature called a Genoskwa. And of course, Harry, Karrin Murphy, and Michael Carpenter. They are led by the nefarious Nicodemus and his daughter Deirdre. As a result, we have a good mixture of humor and easygoing camaraderie with savage, violent action. Whenever the Denarians get involved, you also know we’ll get our fair share of treachery, deceit, and unexpected twists and turns.
The other great thing about this series is the continued development of Harry’s character. He’s a far cry from the simple wizard he used to be; along with this series, his role has ballooned into epic proportions, albeit he is still very humble and self-deprecating about it. For this reason, I loved a couple of the conversations he has with Michael in this novel. For all his denials, we know Harry is special, but he’s been beating himself up over the last fifteen books and it’s time someone really put it into perspective. Jim Butcher really does a stellar job with these heart-to-heart talks.
Also, completely unrelated but just have to say this – boy, can the man can write one HELL of a sex scene. In the end, the circumstances aren’t really what you think and Harry might have to wait a little longer in the love department, but still. Wowzas.
This book was just pure fun, harkening back to the days when I could enjoy a good Harry story without having it spin out of control into half a dozen different directions. For the first time in years, I finished a Dresden Files book without feeling mentally exhausted. Finally, the next stage for this series has become fully realized right here in Skin Game, I’m hoping the trend will continue into the next book Peace Talks and beyond.
YA Weekend: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
Posted on June 15, 2014 2 Comments
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Midnight Thief
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (July 8, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was introduced to the world of Midnight Thief late last year when author Livia Blackburne offered me a review copy of the prequel novella, Poison Dance. After reading it I came to two conclusions. First, Ms. Blackburne obviously puts a lot of care and effort into her writing, and knows how to tell a great story. And second, if what I saw in her novella was any indication, the actual book is going to be awesome.
In Midnight Thief, we get to meet a couple of brand new protagonists: Kyra, the thief who barely manages to eke out a living by stealing or doing the odd job, and Tristam of Brancel, the newly promoted Palace Knight (or glorified Palace Guard, depending on how you look at it). If you’ve read Poison Dance, some familiar faces turn up too, like James, now leader of the Assassin’s Guild, who approaches Kyra with a lucrative offer. All she has to do is train with the guild, run a few errands, and he promises her that she will never lack for anything again.
Meanwhile, trade in Forge is disrupted as a clan of vicious raiders begin targeting the caravans to and from the city. These Demon Riders and their wild cats keep young Tristam and his fellow knights busy on patrol as gradually the attacks grow bolder and closer to Forge. On one fateful raid, Tristam and Kyra’s paths cross and their lives become irrevocably intertwined. Thief and Knight must join forces and learn to work together if they’re going to uncover a greater conspiracy rotting at the heart of Forge.
Though classified as Young Adult, the book feels like it could be aimed at younger readers, perhaps closer to upper Middle Grade. There is a strong thread of romance, but it isn’t a big part of the novel, nor does it come into play until much later. Tristam doesn’t even make his first appearance until after a handful of Kyra’s chapters, and it also surprised me how long it took for them to finally meet face-to-face for the first time. This struck me as an oddity, until I realized I didn’t actually mind. It’s nice to see a YA novel once in a while that doesn’t follow the formula, and we were able to get to know Kyra and Tristam a lot better individually without the overbearing pressure to thrust the two of them into a relationship right away.
The story was also in line with my thoughts on the target audience — straightforward and suitably complex, if a bit predictable at times (there were a lot of not-too-subtle hints at Kyra’s “startling secret” about her past, for one). In spite of this, I still found this book greatly enjoyable and entertaining; the plot may not have held any unseen surprises for me, but the characters sure did. The dynamics were so intricate and layered that I never could determine which faction were the “good guys” or the “bad”, because nothing was ever so simple or black and white. In the end, I just gave up trying to put a label on anybody’s motivations and ultimately settled for rooting for Kyra. I liked her, and no matter what I knew I wanted to see things end up well for our talented young thief.
Which reminds me, if you haven’t read Poison Dance yet, I do highly recommend making the effort to pick it up first before tackling this novel. It’s not required, but it’s a short read and won’t take up much of your time. More importantly, the novella will help you see a certain character in Midnight Thief in a whole different light, and perhaps make him a lot more sympathetic in your eyes. It definitely served to enhance my experience.
If you’re looking for a good medieval era inspired YA fantasy and don’t mind a narrative that skews a tad towards younger readers, I would recommend this novel. It’s fun, adventurous, and strong on character development.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Disney-Hyperion!
Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on June 14, 2014 1 Comment
The Golden City and The Seat of Magic – an urban fantasy set in an alternate world Portugal featuring mermaids and selkies and other mythological beings? How cool! I have yet to read a good “sea creature” book and these sound promising. My thanks to Roc for sending along the series for review.
Xom-B – from Thomas Dunne Books comes a zombie book that is also unlike any zombie book I’ve ever read, apparently. I can see that. When else have I come across something that mixes zombies and robots together?
Tower Lord – book two of the Raven’s Shadow series, I am super excited about reading this sequel to Blood Song and continuing Vaelin Al Sorna’s story.
Falling Sky – upcoming steampunk post-apocalyptic novel from Pyr about airship societies after humanity took the the skies in the wake of a virus outbreak that turned most of the population into “Ferals”. Don’t know about you, but that sounds suspiciously like zombies to me as well. Regardless, this one looks fascinating.
The Crossing – I received a copy of Resurrection for review a couple weeks ago, which is the third book of the Blood of the Lamb series. After the premise piqued my interest, I decided I should check out the first book.
Motherless Child and The Ring and the Crown – my thanks to my ARC trading buddy and super sweetie Tabitha from Not Yet Read for sending me these books! Both of these titles are high on my to read list!
Nothing in the digital pile for me this week, though there were a lot of good ebook deals I had to pass on. (Just let it go, Mogsy, let it go…) I’m trying to cut back on my book buys this summer, there are just too many stacking up!
Book Review: The Shadow Master by Craig Cormick
Posted on June 13, 2014 2 Comments
The Shadow Master by Craig Cormick
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Angry Robot (June 24, 2014)
Author Information: Website
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I wish I could write a more positive review for this book, I really do. The Shadow Master has so much going for it, including a setting resembling an alternate-history Renaissance Italy, with just a touch of that steampunk flavor with its clockwork inventions and automatons. We also mustn’t forget the biggie for me – a plot thread about a pair of star-crossed lovers separated by the warring between their families. I do get a kick out of Forbidden Love. This book just seemed made for me, and indeed I liked a lot of its separate parts. I’m just not sure how well I liked the whole.
If the book’s description didn’t make you think it already, then I’m sure its epigraph “A plague a’ both your houses!” certainly would – the basic plot is very much reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. However, this is not a romance. In fact, one of my biggest disappointments was not feeling any connection at all between the two young lovers: Lucia, daughter of the Duke of House Lorraine and Lorenzo, whose loyalties lies with the House Medici.
With the two families at each other’s throats, the future of Lucia and Lorenzo’s relationship hangs in the balance, but without first being convinced of their bond, I found it hard to stay interested. Their love story, which should have served as the starting point and foundation of the novel, didn’t initially captivate me, and as a result the rest of the story failed to deliver the desired impact.
But as I’d alluded to, there were quite a few things I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed the appearance of several historical figures including Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci, even though they weren’t contemporaries, but their “war of the wits” gave the Medici vs. Lorraine battle a certain fantastical flare. Both are reluctant geniuses caught in the conflict between the Houses, receiving pressure from their leaders to design and build magical inventions that would give their side the advantage. The city is also threatened by plague, a problem literally at its doorstep as hordes of the sick and dying amass outside the gates. The first half of this book was quite engaging for these reasons.
Around the 60% mark, however, events of the story suddenly made a turn for the confusing. Kidnappings and assassination attempts and negotiations become entangled in mystical machines, madmen and ancients. The events were so jumbled and disconnected that I’m still a bit uncertain as to what really happened.
I think the language and the author’s writing style might have also made following the story a little more difficult. I didn’t click with some of the dialogue between characters spoken in riddles, and at times the prose also had a tendency to feel overly embellished with the use of euphemisms, especially during moments of intensity. Torture scenes or sex scenes were made incredibly awkward by terms like “serpent of sin”, “tower of ivory”, “fountain of relief”, “cave of wonders” and “mountains of the goddess”. There was speculation between me and another blogger that some of these were done purposely for the sake of satire, which I admit was something that hadn’t occurred to me. It’s possible, I suppose, though if that’s the case it’s not presented in a very obvious manner.
If the last half had been tightened up and more clear and consistent, I might have enjoyed The Shadow Master a bit more, but as it is, the book feels slightly unfinished and rushed. I had pretty high hopes, but in the end this one just didn’t work very well for me.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Angry Robot Books!
Tough Traveling: Large Man
Posted on June 12, 2014 3 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: Large Man
LARGE MAN…He is very calm, very strong, and not at all stupid. In some cases he will have been a BLACKSMITH, which accounts for the ease with which he severs the chains in the Galley.
Okay, so I was completely stuck for the theme for this week. I tried googling for ideas. And let’s just say, I hope no one else made the same mistake I did with the search term “fantasy large men”. Yeah, I don’t recommend that at all. You would not believe the results that came up. Not what I had in mind.
So I’m afraid I’m going to have a rather weak list this week. The thing is, the LARGE MAN (who is also sometimes a blacksmith) feels like it has come up a lot in the books I read, but I can never remember, as this character is so often in the background, “just some guy” the main characters happen to meet, who might not even be named. A few on my list are going to be more prominent and better known large men instead, even if they don’t really fit the description.
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
Lamb is Shy South’s cowardly old stepfather, a big man but also quiet and taciturn. The two come back from town one day to find their farm burned to their ground, and Shy’s two young siblings Ro and Pit stolen away. Their journey to get the children brings out a whole new side in Lamb, and we discover he has actually been hiding a bloody past of his own. If you’ve read The First Law trilogy before this, you’re in for a treat!
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
Martin’s series is peppered with freakishly large men (and women, in the case of Brienne of Tarth). We have the Clegane brothers, Ser Gregor and Sandor who are both huge and heavily muscled, the former who is nicked name “The Mountain” because of his enormous stature. We also have Hodor, of course. Well over seven feet tall, it has even been suggested by Osha that he might have some giant’s blood in him.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Speaking of giant’s blood, we move on to a character who actually is half-giant. Rubeus Hagrid is the son of a human and a giantess, and at age six he was able to pick up his father and put him on top of the dresser if he annoyed him. Plus, every one of these Tough Traveling posts requires Harry Potter, so glad I was able to get it in for this week.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Horneater called Rock is Kaladin’s fellow bridgeman in Sadeas’ army whose real name is so hard to pronounce that everyone just calls him by the nickname. He is also a large man. He is described as nearly seven feet tall with thick limbs and a powerful torso. Despite his size, others around him are generally not intimidated by him because of his jovial nature. He is quick to laugh and is well-liked. He likes to cook and refuses to fight because being a soldier is not considered reputable in his culture.
The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence
Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath travels with his band of gritty brutes, with Brother Rike being notably one of the larger and more blood thirsty members of his gang. There’s even a great quote about his size: “Most men have at least one redeeming feature. Finding one for Brother Rike requires a stretch. Is ‘big’ a redeeming feature?”
The BiblioSanctum 