Wendy’s Winter Reading List
Posted on December 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
My new year’s reading resolution for 2014 includes a half-hearted promise not to buy any more new books next year because I need to focus on my mighty to-be-read pile. There are a number of books that I have sitting right beside my bed or at the top of my ebook list because I keep meaning to read next, but something always hops in the way. Making a list challenges me to stick to it. Oh I’m sure a lot of other things will pop up, such as review requests, book club reads and other challenges, but these books are definitely going to be read this winter.
The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
I’m a bit amazed to look at the calendar and see that it’s already been a year since I finished reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms for the second time within two months. I didn’t continue with the Inheritance Trilogy at that time because I just wasn’t ready for the emotional commitment. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was emotionally exhausting! But a year is ample time to get over that, so here we go…
The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny
The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind
A few years ago, my parents took the kids for a week and I had myself a Legend of the Seeker marathon. I really enjoyed the show and have been meaning to read its source material, starting with The Wizard’s First Rule. I mulled over this for a while, but decided to go with the newer book, The First Confessor, which is the beginning of a new series that predates The Sword of Truth timeline.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
As far as gaming goes, I have determined that 2014 will the The Year of The Witcher. This game has been sitting in my Steam library for a while now as a result of the painful original Mass Effect 3 endings. I’m a fan of books based on my favourite video games, but I have not yet read a book that inspired a game.
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
Goodreads recommended this book to me, but before I got around to reading it, Lord’s second book, The Best of All Possible Worlds, popped up on NetGalley. I loved The Best of All Possible Worlds, and the sequel for it will be out in the spring from Jo Fletcher books, but it’s about time I checked out Redemption in Indigo.
Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock
Pronounced ” mee-seh-reh-reh,” this is a book that I’ve been meaning to read since Mogsy’s glowing review, but more so now that I’ve unofficially become one of Ms. Frohock’s twitter minions. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about the book blogosphere is the opportunity to interact with the authors, and Ms. Frohock is absolutely one of the best of them. She is good, good peeps.
Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
The moment I finished reading The Cloud Roads, I went and bought a whole bunch of Wells’ other books, including this one. I ought to be reading the next book in The Books of the Raksura series, but this one caught my attention first. I really enjoy Wells’ world building and, while I do plan to return to the Raksura, I’m curious about the other worlds she’s created.
Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on December 28, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Stormcaller – it was a truly epic haul for me this past fortnight, with my deepest thanks to Pyr Books, starting with The Stormcaller. I was very much intrigued by the full-length novels in the Twilight Reign series by Tom Lloyd after reading The God Tattoo anthology, so the publisher very kindly provided me with a review copy of the first book.
Blood and Iron and The Barrow – ARCs of two fantasy novels which are high on my list of most anticipated fantasy novels in 2014. I’m going to have to re-read the first volume of Mark Smylie’s Artesia as well as catch up with the rest of the series before tackling The Barrow, which is based on the world of the graphic novels (Edited to clarify that it’s a standalone though, and not being familiar with the comics won’t stop you from enjoying the book! You know me, I just like to brush up on the setting, not to mention any excuse to read comics!)
The Grendel Affair – the first book of a new urban fantasy series by Lisa Shearin that I got from Ace Books for review. I had a lot of fun with this one, so be sure to keep an eye out for my thoughts in the next week or two!
The Goblin Corps – I had such a good time with Ari Marmell’s Widdershins Adventures series, that Pyr also thought I might enjoy Ari Marmell’s The Goblin Corps. The tagline on the cover of this one reads: “The Few. The Proud. The Obscene.” Hmm, yeah, I think I actually will like this one!
We Are the Goldens – something a little different that I got from the recently-gone-defunct RandomBuzzers. It was a vibrant young adult books community, and I was sad to see it go. Before it shut down though, I had quite a few leftover points to spent on ARCs at their store and I thought this looked like an interesting tale about two sisters.
Primary Fault – I — wait, what? Can it be that I actually didn’t give in to any Kindle Daily Deals or ebook sales these past two weeks? It’s true, my digital pile is just review requests this time. First up is Primary Fault. A supernatural suspense involving magic, geophysics and seismology? Yes, please.
Tales of Jack the Ripper – a review copy and gift from one of the contributing authors Mercedes M. Yardley, whose novella Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu is a book I recently reviewed and very much enjoyed. I can’t tell you how excited I was to receive this! I’ve always had an interest in fiction about The Ripper, and this collection looks to be filled with a wide variety of interesting stories, and I can’t wait to read Yardley’s. As you know, I’m picky about anthologies, but this one grabbed my attention right away.
YA Weekend: World After by Susan Ee
Posted on December 28, 2013 Leave a Comment
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Penryn & the End of Days
Publisher: Skyscape
Date of Publication: November 19, 2013
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Earlier this year I read Angelfall and was very impressed, more than I would’ve expected to be by a young adult paranormal novel which initially appeared quite typical on the surface. Featuring a teenaged female protagonist in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by invading angels, I figured it would do for an entertaining read, but didn’t think it would go beyond covering old ground. I was mistaken, of course! I ended up loving Angelfall for the high quality of the storytelling and fantastic characters, and thank goodness I didn’t discover the book until late summer because that meant much less of a wait for World After, this much anticipated sequel.
The story picks up where Angelfall left off, after the rebels’ attack on the angel stronghold. Penryn had spent most of the last book trying to find her sister and ultimately succeeded in her quest, though little Paige has suffered much at the hands of the enemy and is no longer the girl she used to be. Driven out by the other human survivors that consider her a monster, Paige takes off, leaving Penryn to try and track her down…again.
Meanwhile, the angel Raffe was left scarred in more ways than one in the aftermath of the explosive assault on the Aerie, still hunting his wings that were severed and taken away from him. Penryn is crushed knowing that he still thinks she’s dead, but she has more pressing things on her mind. While working for the resistance and looking for Paige, she discovers a nefarious plot at hand.
After reading World After, I still think Angelfall was a better book, though only by a small margin. The first book was a great debut that set some pretty high standards, and I knew it was going to be tough to beat. Nevertheless, the series continues to impress me with this sequel, which shows no sign of the plot slowing down. That’s what I’ve been loving so much about this story, the fact that there is very little filler and no tedious expounding of the characters’ emotional hangups or pointless dragging out of the romance. Less is more sometimes, and we all know a relationship is what’s shaping up between Penryn and Raffe after all; I didn’t need the extra bells and whistles to still have a great time anticipating the moment when the two of them will be reunited again.
So much of my enjoyment for a book depends on how much I take to the main character, and I think that is the key to why I’m a such fan. In a genre where topics like survival in the post-apocalyptic world (and even angels) have been done six ways to Sunday, Penryn is what makes this series stand out. She is a take-charge leader and a fighter, and the best part is that she is consistent, not switching from a tough girl one moment to a shrinking violet the next. She’s also sassy, but not in an over-confident or obnoxious kind of way. Of course, she is not without her problems, but what’s important is that she doesn’t dwell on them or whine about the things she knows she cannot change.
Basically, Penryn feels like a real person just doing her best to stay alive in a difficult situation, though the events of this book definitely tests her mettle. While she may be resilient, she is not dismissive of her own pain or that of others’. There are some very heart-wrenching moments when Penryn sees what her sister has become and has to struggle to accept her. Indeed, what chance does the human race have, when people are turning on their own, especially on those who have endured the worst? It will also be interesting now to see how Penryn will respond to her deepening feelings towards Raffe. In my experience, nothing changes a YA heroine faster than a burgeoning romance, and here’s hoping Penryn remains the strong female protagonist I know and love!
Book Review: Dragon Age: Asunder by David Gaider
Posted on December 27, 2013 6 Comments
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Series: Dragon Age #3
Publisher: Titan Publishing Company
Publication Date: 2011
Author Info: dgaider.tumblr.com
Wendy’s Rating 3 of 5: Despite the presence of three beloved characters from Dragon Age: Origins and a few amusing moments with them, the characters in Asunder fell flat for me – which is very unusual since I love Gaider’s characterization.
If you’re still clinging to the hope that your Warden and Darkspawn will show up in Dragon Age: Inquisition, this book should remove that silly notion. Darkspawn did make a brief appearance (though sadly, no random ogres) and the Hero of Ferelden is mentioned a few times, but otherwise, Asunder firmly establishes the Mage/Templar War as the new focus of this age.
Taking place a year after Anders blew up the Kirkwall Chantry, things are not particularly good for mages. Not that they were good before, but now a lot of the Circles have been put on lockdown by the templars, with some already sacrificed to the Right of Annulment. Asunder literally takes us deep into the heart of the White Spire, the Orlais Circle, and shows us just how poorly treated the mages are. Even without a war to fuel the templars, mages clearly don’t live a good life within the many of the Circles and we get some insight that was conspicuously missing from Dragon Age II.
First, we meet Cole, vaguely known as the Ghost of the Spire. He spends most of his time in the Pit, where mages are brought for punishment. He is also, apparently, a murderer, but since no one else can see him, blame for the murders falls on Enchanter Rhys, a spirit medium and the only one who can see Cole. Along with the murders, there is also the inconvenience of a mage’s attempted murder of the Divine, the leader of the Chantry. None of this works in Rhys’ favour, so it’s fortunate for him that Enchanter Wynne of Blight fame requests his accompaniment on a special mission ordained by the Divine herself. Wynne’s friend Pharamond, a Tranquil, has been possessed by a demon – something that isn’t supposed to be possible since Tranquils are cut off from their magic. Pharamond’s research may also imply that the Rite of Tranquility can be reversed, which the templars are none too happy about. Knight-Commander Evangeline is sent along with Wynne, Rhys and another mage, Adrian, to assess the situation and do whatever is necessary to protect the templars’ interests.
 |
| Wynne still won’t talk to me about griffons. |
While the templars continue to be painted in a very poor light as they were in the game, Evangeline serves as a counter. She believes in her duty and in the templars, but she does not follow the orders of the Lord Seeker blindly and, most importantly, respects mages as human beings. With this in mind, the outcome of events is not particularly difficult to predict.
One of the things I’ve loved about Gaider’s writing is his characters. I’ve even been able to overlook weak plots just because the characters and their interactions were so well done. Yet despite the presence of three beloved characters from Dragon Age: Origins, the characters in Asunder fall flat. There are some amusing moments with Shale’s snark and Wynne revealing what she’d really been doing while I was busy in the Deep Roads, but otherwise, this was a rather dull journey. It provided some interesting information that I assume will have significant ramifications in the future game. We also get a few hints about what the Orlesian Empress Celene is up to, which I assume will be expanded upon in Dragon Age: The Masked Empire. But overall, I don’t think I would have lost much by just reading the wiki version.
Worlds Without End Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted on December 26, 2013 Leave a Comment
A few months into the year, I discovered Worlds Without End, a site dedicated to critically acclaimed books of genre fiction. The site is a great source of literature, flaunting the motto “We don’t want you to ever have to read a bad book again,” and featuring a booktrackr that identifies where your reads fit on the many lists of great books out there.
This year, WWE featured the Women of Genre Fiction reading challenge, encouraging readers to discover the many books written by female authors. Personally speaking, I choose a book because it intrigues me and sometimes specifically because the author is a person of colour, but I had not chosen books specifically because of the author’s gender. I know some readers discovered their reading collection grossly devoid of female authors and I love that this challenge opened their eyes to all the incredible women who are and always have been writing genre fiction. WWE’s reviews certainly reflect that now, thanks to this challenge.
As it turns out, I already had several books by female authors under my belt, but the challenge introduced me to so many more. Not all of them ended up as part of my challenge, but a lot of them definitely ended up in my to-be-read pile. And now that I’m finished this challenge, I can’t wait to find out what next year’s challenge will be!
~WENDY
I’ve always lived by the tenet: “Read what you’re interested in…but also keep an open mind.” You’ll never know what you’re missing unless you encourage yourself to experience things, and that is what I love about Worlds Without End’s Women of Genre Fiction reading challenge.
I believe there will always be a place for challenges like these, for they introduce us to new books by authors we’ve never read before. More importantly, they also ensure that the speculative fiction by talented women do not go ignored — because sometimes, readers might not even realize they are doing it.
Throughout the years, I’ve always maintained a reading list with a good mix of books by authors of both genders, but participating in the challenge was still important for me. For one, it was a lot of fun — trying out new authors always is, as well as getting the opportunity to procure more books — and I also finally got to read many of the titles that have been on my to-read list for a while. All in all, I would say this challenge was a great success.
~MOGSY
The Gift of Reading
Posted on December 25, 2013 Leave a Comment
My children are, thankfully, healthy. That gives me all the more reason to support Sick Kids Hospital. My heart forever goes out to those who are not as fortunate as I, and so, this is one of two charities I support regularly with monthly contributions, as well as participating in events like Extra Life on an annual basis.
My daughters get to choose a charity to support each year at Christmas and what subsequent gift to give. They chose Sick Kids Hospital and selected the option to share our love of reading.
“Children use the Reading Room to escape from their daily and sometimes difficult hospital routine. Around the holidays children really love to read all the winter classics that we all love. Story-time and book delivery service, where books are delivered right to the children in their hospital bed, are just a couple of the children’s favourite services you can help support. Your gift may help provide a child with hours of enjoyment during their hospital stay and will help fund popular and classic books of all kinds – in different languages, on tape, and for all reading levels.”
On behalf of my family, and on behalf of my co-bloggers, Tiara and Mogsy and their families, I hope that the holidays are good to you and yours and wish you the very best for the new year. 🙂
Waiting on Wednesday 12/25/13
Posted on December 25, 2013 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!
Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.
He doesn’t know the half of it….
Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.
It’s a smash-and-grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he’s dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.
Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance….”
Book Review: The Troop by Nick Cutter
Posted on December 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand-alone
Publisher: Gallery Books
Date of Publication: January 7, 2014
Author Information: Website
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I love delving into the horror genre every now and then, and I have to say the description on The Troop sold me right away. Something about being stranded in an isolated area like the woods or on a lonely island just invokes a primal kind of fear in my heart, the idea that no one can hear you scream when the stuff of nightmares comes to life around you.
Of course, for me the icing on the cake is that this book is written by a Canadian author (Nick Cutter is the pen name of Craig Davidson, according to the copyright details) and takes place in Canada, in a sleepy town off the coast of Prince Edward Island to be exact. A bucolic maritime province, P.E.I. is known for its fisheries, tourism and potatoes, and I’ll always remember it in my mind as a place of lush landscapes and gorgeous coastlines. That said, the contrasting effects created by juxtaposing this setting alongside the horrific things that happen in this book is probably what made it even more terrifying.
When I’m reading, there are two parts to being scared. First, there are the descriptive details that appeal to my senses — the sight of gore, the smell of blood, the taste of vomit on the back of a frightened character’s throat, etc. Also known as the gross-out factor, I think I can safely say that this book did that very well. Still, I find many authors are able to write very descriptively, but simply making me feel nauseous and disgusted is only half of the picture.
This is where the second part comes in, which is more abstract and subjective. For me to be truly creeped out, there has to be that factor of suspense; the horror novelist has to strike me with that sense of dread which makes me want to keep turning the pages and not want to at the same time. I’m happy to report that The Troop succeeded in this as well, artfully combining the two parts to make this reading the book a truly unnerving horror experience.
A big part of this is of course the idea behind the story — a Scoutmaster and his troop of five scouts being abandoned on a small deserted island to fend for themselves against an unknown infection. Reading about the boys and their interactions, I can’t help but be reminded of Stephen King and the easy camaraderie he usually has between the adolescent characters in his stories. I always think it’s so much more disturbing when a horror novel stars teenagers, because their behaviors are that much more unpredictable. The boys’ minds have not reached full maturity, and this leads to a lot of unsettling things happening, especially given the wide range of personalities present in The Troop. Being kids and scouts, their first inclination is to help others in need, and the fact this natural drive is exploited by the contagious threat is what made the book even more chilling.
You can kind of tell that the author delights in doing this to the reader as well, as the writing in the horror scenes seem to come off more naturally and elegantly than the other parts. Believe it or not, the introduction was the toughest section for me to get through, since the narratives of the Scoutmaster and the boys felt very awkward, rough and unfocused before finally smoothing out after the first few chapters. It’s like the book doesn’t settle into its groove until the horror parts are underway, but once it does the momentum just builds and builds and doesn’t stop! I was on pins and needles right up to the end.
Book Review: Mage’s Blood by David Hair
Posted on December 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Moontide Quartet
Publisher: Jo Fletcher
Date of Publication: September 27, 2012
Author Information: Website
Books like Mage’s Blood are extremely hard for me to review, and not least of all because the many comparisons of this to A Song of Ice and Fire are mostly appropriate; this first book of the Moontide Quartet is a sprawling epic indeed! Still, I’m of the mind that George R.R. Martin’s epic series stands uniquely on its own…but then so does David Hair’s. It would be impossible for me to go into every single thing I liked about this book without having to talk about why, because that would just lead to lengthy explanations into the details of the plot, and if I did that this review will end up being thirty pages long with half of it made up of spoilers. Obviously, we can’t have that.
Suffice to say though, this book has it all: nations at war, clashing religions, political intrigue, mages and sorcery, multiple points of view. Yuros and Antiopia are two lands long separated by vast ocean. But every Moontide, the seas part to reveal the magnificent mage-crafted Leviathan Bridge, allowing trade and communication between the two continents. Unfortunately, the passage is also a source of much bitterness and conflict. The last two Moontides have involved crusades of conquest, thanks to the lofty ambitions of the Magi.
Now another Moontide is at hand. As the time draws nearer, the people on both sides prepare for war. Antonin Meiros, a mage of great renown (in fact, it was he who was the intellect behind the Leviathan Bridge) seeks a new wife, and travels to Lahk to wed Ramita. Ramita, however, is already betrothed to the hotheaded Kazim. In another part of the world, Elena Anborn has pledged her life to protect the royal family of Javon, fighting off the assassination attempts and conspiracies masterminded by her former lover Gurvon Gyle, who works for powerful political enemies. Meanwhile in Noros, Elena’s nephew Alaron prepares for his mage finals. But during the presentation of his thesis, he unwittingly proposes a dangerous topic that could mean the end to his hopes and dreams.
Everything and everyone is connected in this massive and intricate web that David Hair has woven. The scale of both setting and story are vast. The continents involved here encompass various nations, many of which are described here with great thought and detail. Their populations, including their cultures, languages, religions, rituals and even food and styles of dress are given the same exacting care. This is a world where both magic and theology form a strong basis for society, and it is diverse.
At the same time, readers will find there is much that is familiar in this fantasy world of Urte. Most of the nations and cultures in this book bear marked resemblances to those in our reality — even when it comes to religion and geography. The nature of this brought to mind a recent discussion I had with a friend, regarding settings in various epic fantasies and how he usually preferred fictional worlds that he can imagine as our own earth, whereas I tended to prefer the opposite. Needless to say, a book like Mage’s Blood can appeal to both camps. As well, even I can admit that real-world historical and cultural influences in a fantasy setting can add a lot to a story, a prime example being Jacqueline Carey’s original Kushiel’s Universe trilogy which remains one of my favorite series of all time.
With a book so massive which features a cast so big, it was perhaps no surprise that the first quarter of Mage’s Blood is the most demanding of the reader. The different characters and their story lines are cleanly organized and separated by chapters, which is why this is my favorite format for epic novels. Nevertheless, it makes for a slower start, when an author has to cycle through the perspectives while introducing all the main players, and the first couple hundred pages were dedicated to this task. Patience pays off though, as the book finishes setting the scene and gradually builds up momentum in the middle chapters. This is the meat of the story, and it is amazing how David Hair manages keep all the plates spinning at once, giving each character and plot thread the attention they deserve, while also meticulously bringing them all together so that they eventually form a much bigger picture.
As Mage’s Blood features an ensemble cast, obviously I had my favorites (the notable example being Ramita and her story with Antonin Meiros) while others were not as interesting to me. Each person has an important role to play though, and this was made clear by the climax and the ending, which is in a word incredible. It is a conclusion that is positively incendiary, leaving me wondering what else the author has in store. As the series name implies, Mage’s Blood is only the first in what is meant to be series of four books, and as such there is much left wide open for huge things to come. However, at the same time David Hair has wrapped things up in a way that is straightforward and satisfying, without any abruptness. I think this is a far rarer skill than people realize.
I have a feeling a lot will be happening in The Scarlet Tides. Mage’s Blood may have been encumbered by a lengthy introduction and a slow build-up to the story, which I honestly don’t think could have been avoided. I suspect, however, that we will jump right into the action with the sequel. I’m excited, and can’t wait to see where things will go.
Novella Review: Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne
Posted on December 22, 2013 1 Comment
Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Prequel to Midnight Thief
Publisher: Lion’s Quill Press
Date of Publication: September 12, 2013
Author Information: Website | Twitter
When I first saw the intriguing description for the upcoming book Midnight Thief, I just knew I had to check it out. But with a release date of summer 2014, it was going to be quite the wait. So it was a pleasant surprise when I was contacted by the author and asked if I would like to read and review the book’s prequel novella, Poison Dance. Needless to say, I eagerly accepted; I hadn’t even known there was a prequel, and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to catch an early glimpse of the world and get a taste of the writing style.
Now that I’ve read it, I’m just as excited if not more for the first book of the series. Livia Blackburne first described Poison Dance to me as “darker, and heavier on the romance” than Midnight Thief, and probably leans more towards adult fantasy than young adult. She’s absolutely spot on, as those are all things I picked up from this novella. It stars James, a skilled assassin who is approached one night by Thalia, a dancing girl who offers him a job to kill a powerful nobleman. And if he won’t take it, she is determined to go through with it all the same, with or without his help.
I’m typically very picky about my short stories and novellas; characters always come first in my reading, so I find the fewer pages there are in a story, the more challenging it is to make me grow attached to or form a connection with the protagonist. However, Poison Dance impressed me immediately, painting a clear picture of who James is in a very short period of time. I also found out later that he will only be a supporting character in Midnight Thief, but that just makes me think: how much more awesome will the characterization in that book be, if even someone in the supporting cast like James gets this much thought into his back story? Livia Blackburne obviously puts a lot of care and effort into her world and characters, and if what I saw in Poison Dance is any indication, I’m sure it’s going to pay off.
This novella sets the tone nicely, and gives a good general background for the world in which the series will take place. I didn’t expect too much world building, but what is there definitely piques my interest. If Poison Dance is meant to build up my enthusiasm and fuel my eagerness for Midnight Thief, then its mission was most certainly accomplished.
The BiblioSanctum 