Book Review: Those Poor, Poor Bastards by Tim Marquitz , J.M. Martin, Kenny Soward
Posted on March 7, 2014 Leave a Comment
Those Poor, Poor Bastards by Tim Marquitz, J.M. Martin, Kenny Soward
Genre: Horror, Western
Series: Book 1 of Dead West
Publisher: Ragnarok Publications (February 19, 2014)
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book at first. Thank goodness I was wrong! Still, can you really blame me for having my doubts? After being inundated in recent years with the dozens upon dozens of movies, TV shows, video games etc. all featuring the same mindless gory battles against the shambling, moaning hordes of the undead, my initial thought was: been there, done that, now what more can this zombie book offer?
Well, this is the review where I happily eat my words! I should have known better anyway, because Ragnarok Publications has never let me down. As it turned out, Those Poor, Poor Bastards had a lot more to offer than I’d anticipated, in addition to that charming little title. The book did contain some of the usual trappings you’ll find in a lot of zombie stories, but there were some twists as well, and I loved how the authors took the familiar and created something new. Also, while I haven’t read enough of the Weird West sub-genre to consider myself a fan, a description like “Zombie Western” wasn’t really something I could resist.
It is 1868, in the Sierra Nevada. The book begins with Nina Weaver and her father Lincoln riding into Coburn Station only to find that everything has gone to hell in a chuckwagon. The “Deaduns” have arisen and are sowing bloody carnage all over town, forcing the living to band together in order to survive. In typical fashion, you end up with a large, diverse ensemble cast. And like watching The Walking Dead, you just know before you even begin that many of them are going to end up zombie food before this whole thing is over.
Put a big group of people with disparate personalities into a stressful situation and you’ll also inevitably get your clashes and alliances within the ranks. There are the good folks like Nina and her pa, the priest Father Mathias as well as the charming James Manning. On the other side of the fence you have the less savory types and troublemakers like the Daggett brothers or the scummy Mister Strobridge. Then there are those caught in the middle who just aren’t sure. With tensions this high and a swarm of Deaduns at the door, it’s the perfect set up for explosive conflict. Emphasis on explosive.
So far, with the exception of the western setting, things might be sounding rather familiar. But then, the authors work their magic and you suddenly realize there is way more to this story. Bucking tradition, we’re actually given an explanation into the Deaduns and how they came to be. Their origins and motives, not to mention the actual reveal itself, were so unique that it completely threw me for a loop — in a good way! I have to say this ended up being a delightfully fun read, in all its blood-splattered glory.
Those Poor, Poor Bastards also taught me something important about myself — that I will never be too old or too jaded for a good ol’ zombie story! What a fast-paced, crazy wild book. I think I’ll just end this review with a suggestion to the potential reader: there are a lot of characters, so definitely try to tackle this novel all in one go if you can, ensuring that the dozen or so identities will always remain fresh in your mind. Besides, it shouldn’t be too difficult — because once you start reading, you just might find it hard to stop!
Book Review: The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
Posted on March 6, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
Genre: Fantasy, Magic
Series: The Black Magician Trilogy
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: February 2009
Wendy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
The Magician’s Apprentice is considered #0.5 in Trudi Canavan’s The Black Magician Trilogy. It was written after, but serves as a set up for The Magicians’ Guild, which I have not read. It mainly follows the story of Tessia, a young healer apprenticed to her father, who discovers her magical abilities when she deflects the advances of a Sachakan mage. She becomes apprenticed to Lord Dakon, joining his apprentice Jayan, who initially disdains the fact that he must share his education with a woman.
There are two other characters who occasionally get to tell their story, namely Stara, a Sachakan noble daughter who is forced into an unwanted marriage in order to produce an heir for her father, and Hanara, the slave of the Sachakan mage who tried to take Tessia. While I appreciated the effort to reveal the other sides of the story, these characters weren’t particularly strong enough in their telling. I’m not sure where Hanara’s story is supposed to lead, though Stara is obviously meant to connect this prequel to Canavan’s other series, The Traitor’s Spy.
The use of magic is one of the most interesting aspects of this book. Through Tessia’s training, we get a peek into the process of how magic works in Canavan’s world. I was surprised by the idea of magical wars entirely fought by mages. Unfortunately, when the battles are fought in the story, they are very anti-climactic. In fact, I had to reread several of them, believing I must have missed something because they were so brief. Something happens, mages on one side or the other die, but despite all the descriptions that go into Tessia’s training, we get no insight on the battle magic. Then certain magical items and practices – that I assume have significance in the future books – are introduced like deus ex machina.
As the war with the Sachakans rages on, things really started to unravel for me. Characters suddenly seemed to be forced into certain roles with no previous indication of why that would be so. Along with the magical elements, several guilds and factions are mentioned, and several relationships are forced awkwardly into place. All of this comes piling in toward the end in a jumble that made me feel like I should have read the other books in order to at least appreciate the significance of these things within the greater picture. I didn’t need to read the other books to understand what they were or understand what was going on in this book, but things might have held more meaning, rather than feeling like a sudden rush of elements meant to connect the past to the present.
I’m sure the rest of the series is quite interesting and I did appreciate the glimpse I got of it here, but I sense that this backstory would have better served as a wiki entry instead.
Graphic Novel Review: Cemetery Girl by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden
Posted on March 5, 2014 Leave a Comment
Cemetery Girl: The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden
Genre: Graphic Novel, Paranormal
Series: Volume 1 of The Cemetery Girl Trilogy
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (January 2, 2014)
Author Information: Charlaine Harris | Christopher Golden
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Despite reading my fair share of comics and graphic novels, I usually leave the reviewing of them to Wendy and Tiara. Theirs are always really good, whereas I wouldn’t even have any idea where to begin! So, you’re going to have to bear with me here. This will be my first ever comic review for the site, but I’m also really excited because it is for none other than Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden’s Cemetery Girl from Jo Fletcher books. Come to think of it, it’s a first for JFB too. This title is the first ever graphic novel published by them, and I was pretty thrilled when they sent me a copy.
The summary of it is as follows: the body of a young nameless woman, presumed dead, is dumped from the trunk of a car into a cemetery. But oh, actually she was still very much alive! In the rough landing, she hits her head and wakes up with no memory of who she was, or anything about her past. All she knows is that someone tried to kill her. Lost and alone, the girl decides to take shelter in a mausoleum, and as the days pass the place eventually becomes home. Combining the names from different tombstones and from the cemetery itself, the girl comes up with a new identity: Calexa Rose Dunhill.
The main plot of Cemetery Girl really gets going when Calexa witnesses a murder but is unable to go to the police, fearing that it would draw attention to herself, especially since her unknown would-be killer is still somewhere out there. But there’s a bigger mystery arc here too, invoking questions like, Who is Calexa, really? Who’s out to get her and why? On top of that, she seems to have developed a strange ability to see things, ever since waking up not-dead from her brutal attack. Basically, this volume contains a wonderful self-contained story, but you can also tell that the best has yet to come.
Anyway, you might think, oh what’s the big deal, Mogsy! Just review a graphic novel like you would a regular novel! But I don’t know. Being presented with a story visually, particularly in sequential art form, really changes things for me, especially since I have had experience penciling comic art in the past. In comics, there’s of course the added factor of how well the art meshes with the writing. So when it comes to questions I ask myself while writing a review, I have to reference them to the effectiveness of the illustrations as well. You gotta check this out, though:
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| From: http://www.jofletcherbooks.com/2013/11/cemetery-girl |
From this awesome panel alone, you can tell that Kramer’s art and Rudoni’s colors definitely “click” with the tone of the story. Cemeteries are a tricky setting to pull off in art, since they are places of such emotion. You could say getting the atmosphere just right here is very important, since that’s where most of the story takes place. I think the artwork does the setting justice though, and the night time and stormy scenes are especially well done. The art in general is quite easy on the eyes.
As for the story, I felt it fit nicely with the format. With graphic novels, you could arguably get away with rushing the pace a little. Still, even as the days fly by for Calexa (Night one, Night two, Night twenty-six, Night sixty-eight, etc.), the story never loses sight of its goals. Sometimes, just a panel or two and a few lines of dialogue are enough to convey the more complex feelings, not to mention the writing makes use of quite a few silences as well, to good effect. I was most impressed by the way both writers and artists were able to develop the minor characters, like the cemetery caretaker or old Lucinda, and make them stand out for the reader.
Can graphic novels can have a “young adult” feel? If so, then Cemetery Girl definitely has a bit of that. Most likely this is due to the apparent age of the protagonist, not to mention the story also involves a group of trouble-making teens. The plot is relatively straightforward and character development may on the lighter side, but for a first volume this was extremely well done. Quite promising, too. Like I said, there are still many questions that need answering, and I find myself eager for news of the next volume!
Waiting on Wednesday 03/05/14
Posted on March 5, 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!
Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.”
Book Review: Blood and Iron by Jon Sprunk
Posted on March 4, 2014 Leave a Comment
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Book of the Black Earth
Publisher: Pyr (March 11, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
When trying to make a good impression, the saying goes you should put your best foot forward as soon as possible, and that’s definitely true for books as well. The fact that Blood and Iron was a bit slow in doing so may have weakened it a little in my eyes, but it is by no means a bad book. Indeed there are a lot of strengths, ones that I think would have made this book even better if the narrative had seized full advantage of them and taken things all the way.
Book Review: Titan by John Varley
Posted on March 3, 2014 2 Comments
Titan by John Varley
Publisher: Berkley Books
Date of Publication: March 1979
Author Information: website
During an exploration expedition to the planet Saturn, Cirocco “Rocky” Jones–captain of the space vessel, Ringmaster–and her crew encounter an anomalous satellite revolving around the planet. The closer they get to the anomaly, the more they begin to realize that it’s actually a habitat of some sort. While trying to report their findings back to NASA, they are pulled into the satellite. The Ringmaster is destroyed, and Cirocco and her crew are rendered unconscious.
After spending some time in darkness, with no idea of how much time has passed for them in that unconscious state, the crew wakens naked, hairless, and separated (at first) in this strange habitat. The descriptions used during their time unconscious and their eventual awakening sort of seems to be some analogy to birth. However, their time in the darkness is terrifying for them, and instead of coming into this new world innocent, they still have much of their personality and memories in tact.
The planet has changed them, though, and some of them learn this faster than others. Many of them learn, they are able to communicate with various intelligent species that live on the planet. Cirocco learns that she’s able to communicate with a centaur-like race called Titanides who speak a music based language. The Titanides are locked in a bitter war with a race of winged creatures called Angels. They don’t know why they fight. They only know that when they’re close to one another they’re compelled to fight.
Cirocco learns about a controlling deity called Gaea from the Titanides. She takes a journey to confront this being.
Gaea is an interesting paradox. She really is something of a goddess to the planet. She is capricious and curious, and she uses her powers to satisfy her whims. She programmed the Titanides and Angels to fight for practice. She has a keen interest in humanity and knows that one day, because it’s in our nature, we will declare war on her. She doesn’t know how to fight, and fears that, even though she is powerful, she still would not withstand an attack from humans. She feels that humans are better prepared and better tacticians than she will ever be.
Because she doesn’t have the knowledge to prepare for war, she hopes that her warring races will be able to create the things–strategy, tools, and knowledge–needed for war through their own struggle.
However, she is facing another obstacle that complicates things. She’s going insane, and her “children” are rebelling. Here we have a being who is essentially a god whose “mind” has started to fracture into parts. She acknowledges that she is losing control of herself. There are other intelligent godlike beings on the habitat, beings that she spawned and calls her children–one of whom she considers her most rebellious and volatile, the one she blames for Cirocco’s crash.
This book wasn’t quite what I expecting. The first pages was all about the sex life of the crew, and I started wondering what I’d gotten myself into. Then, it settled into a more serious tone, but continued to throw me for a loop throughout the story. One minute, they’re having a very technical talk about a subject and the next they’re gawking at seeing their first centaur penis, which I’ll admit had me chuckling like a 12-year-old, but that’s what I liked about this book. While there is plenty of science for the sci-fi lover, Varley also incorporated mythic fantasy and quite a bit of humor into this story. He played around with the idea of gods, their relationship with their creations, and how fickle they can be.
This story challenged gender, race, and sexuality roles. Given the period it was written, when I compare it to some other science fiction books written around the same time and how they handled similar subjects, Varley’s stands out as being a bit more progressive and imaginative than most. I’d complained about another popular science fiction writer from that same period not knowing what to do with the women in his books and the distasteful direction he took with sexuality. So, I was a little afraid that this might be the same.
I really appreciated that Varley was able to write this book and realize that the hang-ups that people had about various social issues at that time probably wouldn’t matter much in the year 2025. He didn’t erase the issues or try to make everyone seem so PC about everything. There are moments when ignorance rears its head, but mostly, these issues are not taboo.
Of course, this book didn’t do everything right. There were times when it felt a bit too childish, campy, and kitschy. I could see where this book might annoy someone who wants a strict hard science/first encounter type story. It may be be a bit too whimsical and fantastic in scope for some science fiction readers. Personally, I didn’t like how one of the character’s eventual sickening and evil actions were explained and sort of pitied, for lack of better word, because it was easier just to blame the planet for his actions.
If you like science fiction stories that heavily blend science and fantasy, this book is worth checking out.
Book Review: Only The Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green
Posted on March 3, 2014 1 Comment
Only The Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire
Publisher: Roc (February 4, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Vampires, werewolves, and even faeries and ghouls populate the urban fantasy genre in abundance, but it’s not often that I stumble across a series centered around ghosts. Even rarer still to find a one that’s told from the perspective of a ghost, which is why I was initially drawn to this book.
Only the Good Die Young is the first of a brand new series by Chris Marie Green featuring protagonist Jensen Murphy, a twenty-three year old woman who was murdered in Elfin Woods sometime in the 1980s. Her death was so traumatic that not only did she lose all her memories of that night, her spirit was also trapped in a time loop and became an imprint until a psychic medium named Amanda Lee came along and snapped her out of it. Ever since then, Amanda Lee has been helping Jensen get up to speed on all that has happened in the last thirty years (unsurprisingly, our protagonist’s mind is totally blown by this whole internet thing).
The psychic has been keeping secrets, however. It turns out that one of the reasons she rescued Jensen was so that she could have access to a ghostly assistant, in the hopes that her spirit abilities could help identify the killer of one of Amanda Lee’s dearest friends who was murdered a few years ago. The main suspect was the victim’s ex-boyfriend. Convinced that he did it, Amanda Lee now wants Jensen to haunt the guy and scare the bejeezus out of him so badly that he will eventually break down and confess his crime.
Putting it that way, the plot sounds rather goofy, I know. I’m actually still coming down from the surprise of how light this book ended up being, since I was admittedly expecting something a lot darker given the brutal circumstances around Jensen’s death (someone in a creepy mask, wielding an axe, alone in the woods, etc.) Not that this book is all sunshine and rainbows either, but it definitely contains a lot less horror and bleakness, and instead a lot more humor and energy than I’d anticipated. For a ghost book, that is.
I have to say this one took its time to grow on me. I was so unimpressed by the main characters at the beginning, turned off by Jensen’s yielding nature and especially by Amanda Lee’s judgmental and cynical ways. Because someone designed a violent video game, he must be guilty of murder? People only adopt children from third world countries because doing it is a symbol of status? Oh my, get as far away as you can from this woman, Jensen, and do it as soon as you can. The fact that she just kept hanging around this Amanda Lee person made it difficult for me to continue reading.
But then, something happened. As Jensen also noted about herself, she grew a backbone. She stuck up for herself, found some new friends to hang out with. And how fun these new friends are! I loved the “ghost budders” Randy, Twyla, Scott and Louis, who teach Jensen what it is to be a ghost and what she can do. Ghosts in this series have some pretty cool powers, actually. They can induce hallucinations, imitate sounds and throw their voices around. They can enter dreams and sift through your memories. These abilities take a lot out of a ghost though, because they are made up of pure energy. To recharge, they have to draw from a source of electricity in order to juice up again. Some really neat ideas in here, and the imagery of Jensen and her fellow ghosts sitting on a power line is pretty funny!
Amanda Lee also didn’t turn out to be so bad after all. Of all the characters, she was probably the most invested in the outcome of the mystery, even more so than Jensen. As her character became more and more defined, it grew easier to see where she’s coming from even if I didn’t agree with her methods. At the end of this, the identity of her friend’s murderer comes to light, and the answer may shock you! I certainly didn’t see it coming.
So yes, I liked this book a lot more once it got going; certainly my feelings about it were more positive by the end, and I’m glad the plot ultimately sorted itself out. Still, there’s a bigger murder mystery to be solved here, that of Jensen’s, of course. Somehow, I have a feeling her story is going to be a part of a much bigger arc. Now that I’m fully on board, I’m looking forward to finding out.
Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on March 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf – this week I’m stacking the shelves with a couple surprise arrivals and luck from February contests/giveaways. I was so happy to win this book by Martin Millar and I have Nathan from Review Barn to thank for hosting that giveaway! Review Barn has held some great giveaways, which speaking of, they’re actually running one right now for The Barrow (a fantastic book!) which I encourage you to check out.
The Well’s End – scored a copy of this ARC courtesy of the publisher from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program! Seth Fishman is the agent of a couple of my favorite authors, so he definitely knows what good writing looks like. I’m so excited to read his first novel The Well’s End which is YA and sounds right up my alley.
A Turn of Light – courtesy of DAW, this book came and I was surprised to see how thick it was. It will probably take a while for me read this, but from what I’ve seen others say about the story there’s romance and dragons and it just seems like all around the kind of high fantasy I really enjoy. Looking forward to this one.
My Real Children and The Pilgrims – I was psyched to win these ARCs from a publisher sweepstakes, and I’m especially excited about My Real Children. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never read Jo Walton before this, and this book looks like a great place to start.
Words of Radiance – total shocker when this big boy showed up outside my front door earlier this week, unsolicited but heck I’m not complainin’! A HUGE thanks to Tor Books! Needless to say I was speechless with excitement and dug into it right away. Release in just two days! I’d already preordered the book, the ebook, and the audiobook (yes, I love this series that much!) and I’m practically counting down the hours.
The digital pile:
The Forever Watch – just when I thought I was doing such a great job clearing out my NetGalley pile. I totally blame Pabkins at MyShelfConfessions for this one, but she sold the description of the book to me and I have to admit it sounded pretty amazing!
Those Poor, Poor Bastards – I wholeheartedly jumped on board to review this one. Ragnarok Publications has published quite a few gems I really like, and who could say no to a book with a title that awesome?
Review Copy Cleanup – The #RCCleanup Wrap-up Post
Posted on March 1, 2014 Leave a Comment
Well, with February now over and the Review Copy Cleanup challenge coming to a close, it’s time to take a look at how I did for the last month. SPOILER ALERT! I did not complete my goals.
Still, I think that was to be expected. It’s always better to have too many books on a reading list than too few, is what I say, and even though I am what you would call a fast reader, I went into the challenging knowing I’ve loaded myself with more than I could probably finish in a month. There were a few really long books in my list, and not surprisingly those were the ones I procrastinated from picking up, tackling the YA titles and shorter ones first. I also made up for some of it by sneaking in a couple books that weren’t on the list.
The important thing is, I came close. And even more importantly, I had fun and it was nice chatting up other bloggers on Twitter and catching up on everyone’s progress. Plus, my to-review pile is looking distinctly more manageable now, which was why I did this in the first place. So, without further ado, the month’s final tally:
Cemetery Girl by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden – READ! Review coming soon.
Honor’s Knight by Rachel Bach – READ! Review here.
Lumiere by Jacqueline Garlick – READ! Review coming soon.
YA Weekend: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
Posted on March 1, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Elemental Trilogy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 17, 2013)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Burning Sky is a beautifully written novel, told in what I feel is a slightly more formal tone than most young adult fiction. The main plot itself — about a girl who discovers she is the greatest elemental mage of her generation and who now must avoid being taken by enemies that want her power — is actually quite straightforward, but the classical style adds on multiple layers to this fantasy story.
The BiblioSanctum 