Book Review: The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Posted on January 6, 2014 1 Comment
The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne
Publisher: Tor
Date of Publication: January 14, 2014
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Looks like epic fantasy in 2014 is off to a running start with The Emperor’s Blades, a novel by Brian Staveley featuring an intricate plot about a murdered sovereign and his trio of offspring who survive him. As debuts go, it was a great book despite a few hitches in the story that tripped me up. Still, I don’t doubt for a second that Staveley will be winning himself a lot of fans with this one, and you can count me in amongst those who are looking forward to his future work.
From the very beginning, the author has my undivided attention with introductions to Emperor Sanlitun’s two sons and daughter. First things first: take those images you have of pampered princesses and princelings living in luxury in a cushy decadent palace and throw them out the window, for the lives of Sanlitun’s children are about as far removed from that as you can imagine.
Kaden the heir has spent the last eight years sequestered in a remote monastery in the moutains, learning the mysteries of the monks who live there. It’s also where he gets beaten bloody on an almost daily basis, for not grasping his lessons quickly enough. Meanwhile, younger son Valyn trains with the Kettral (an elite group of the empire’s warriors — think of them as the emperor’s special forces) but leads a life no less brutal for all the dangerous tests he is made to go through before earning his place on a Wing. Finally, back at the capital Sanlitun’s only daughter Adare fights treachery, conspiracy and political unrest in order to maintain stability in the heart of the empire in the wake of her father’s murder.
The scope of the story turned out to be not as vast or immense as I’d expected, maintaining a tight focus on the perspectives of these three characters for much of the novel. That’s not a bad thing at all, especially if character development is as important to you as it is for me; narrowing down the interest and activity to Kaden, Velyn and Adare allowed me to get acquainted with them more closely.
If the three plot lines have a common thread, it’s that nothing ever seems to go right for the siblings. Kaden can’t seem get anything right in his mentor’s eyes, Valyn comes off almost as incompetent in his failures during training while simultaneously trying to root out a plot against him, and Adare is mostly helpless and unable to take action. For much of the novel it’s almost painful to read about how each of them are outmaneuvered, outsmarted, outgunned. But you know what they say about experiences that are upsetting, humiliating, or distressing: it builds character! That’s literally the case in this book. And really, there’s plenty enough action and excitement in Kaden, Valyn and Adare’s lives to keep things interesting, certainly enough to keep the novel’s pace up and maintain its level of epicness even when following just a handful of characters.
To be honest though, something never quite sat right with me when it came to their situations. It’s one thing to send your royal children away to pick up new skills, see the world, or learn of what real life is like outside the palace, but it’s quite another to expose your only (and therefore presumably precious) heirs to such terrible risk and brutality. In the book, we are told that Kaden and Valyn were victims of a kidnapping or assassination attempt when they were very young, but the perpetrators were caught and executed summarily for their troubles. However, Sanlitun is apparently happy enough to let monks and the Kettral do any more would-be assassins’ jobs for them, by sending his sons to places where the punishments equate to child abuse and torture in Kaden’s case, while Valyn is made to go through the type of training exercises where a single mistep could snuff his life out at any second.
I’m also a bit mystified by all the people around Kaden and Valyn who have the guts to treat the emperor’s sons so poorly, knowing full well that these young men are only a heartbeat or two away from the Unhewn Throne and being the supreme ruler of your land able to order your head lopped off from your shoulders on a mere whim. Maybe it’s just me, but crown princes aren’t exactly people I’d want to offend, let alone bully, because payback would be a real bitch in this case. Adare also has her own troubles with garnering respect in the capital, and here I’m also a little frustrated that her character was not given as much attention. Her chapters make a few brief appearances between long stretches, but for the most part she is underrepresented in this story. It’s a shame since I get the feeling she possesses just as much strength and intelligence as either of her two brothers, and that needs to come to the forefront.
The truth is, Kaden and Valyn take center stage here, and the story heats up even more when the two finally reunite for a showdown against their enemies. As endings go, the novel finishes off in style, wrapping up the major threads while leaving plenty more to tease the next installment. You can be sure I’ll be picking it up and continuing this epic series, with high hopes for more action, a deeper look into the world’s magic and history, as well as a larger role for Adare. Several parts of The Emperor’s Blades may exhibit the type of rawness not uncommon in debut novels, but it’s certainly still a hit in my eyes.
Authors Just Wanna Have Fun: Freya Robertson
Posted on January 5, 2014 1 Comment
It’s one thing to love an author’s books, especially when you recognize how much of themselves they put into their written worlds. It’s something more when you realize that these authors are actually *gasp* real human beings with hopes and dreams and even similar interests!
Freya Robertson isn’t shy about her love of gaming and it’s no secret that one of her favourite past times has snuck into her epic fantasy, Heartwood. I love the gorgeous world of Anguis she has created and the epic sense of adventure she has packed into the quests her characters undertake. I could certainly feel that MMORPG influence and was very excited to discover that she counts Guild Wars 2 as one of her many influences. She even writes fanfic about the adventures of Freya Wildstorm for the Chronicles of Tyria.
I love doing author interviews and digging beyond the story they’ve written, but this time, I just wanted to have fun with someone who clearly shared my love of a wonderful game. Freya indulged my whims and voila! We ended up running around Tyria completing hearts, poking at strange objects, exploring…
And, in honour of our uncoordinated gaming club, we even dared to try a jumping puzzle or two, making it almost all the way to the top before we crashed and burned!
We had such enormous fun, that we called for everyone to come! That is, we invited my co-bloggers Tiara and Mogsy to hop on board for the Winterfest Infinitarium dungeon. After overcoming obstacles that included overheating laptops and chicken wings, we successfully completed the dungeon.
Many thanks to Freya, her husband and Mogsy and Tiara. Gaming is always that much better with friends and it was fantastic to get to spend the time with you!
YA Weekend: Pantomime by Laura Lam
Posted on January 4, 2014 Leave a Comment
Graphic Novel Review: Locke & Key vol.6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Posted on January 4, 2014 Leave a Comment
Locke and Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Genre: Horror
Series: Collects Locke and Key Omega #1-5 and Alpha #1-2
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: February 2014
Wendy’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dodge has all the keys, as well as little Bode’s body and, with all the prom kids in the horrible cave, he’s all set to unleash hell on earth and build himself a nice demon family. Kinsey, Ty and all those that aren’t dead or under Dodge’s control must fight desperately to stop Dodge from making his violent dream come true.
As far as epic battles go, this one is brutal. With all the keys at his disposal, Dodge unleashes all manner of chaos and debauchery, turning their friends and loved ones against Kinsey and Ty, while savagely murdering others. Once again, the seemingly cute and wide-eyed innocence of Rodriguez art powers through all of this, and then settles back into the quiet comfort and pain of a family dealing with all of their losses, hoping they can somehow heal.
But the end disappointed me. It felt too abrupt and too … perfect. It was a Pyrrhic Victory, and I expected it to be so and shed the appropriate tears, but I was disappointed in one particular aspect of the ending that wrapped things up too nicely. I’m not a fan of forced happy endings, but otherwise, I appreciate the steps the story went through in the end, especially with Ty.
With thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Book Review: Iron Night by M.L. Brennan
Posted on January 3, 2014 1 Comment
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of American Vampire
Publisher: Roc
Date of Publication: January 7, 2013
Author Information: Website | Twitter
All right, important things first: Urban Fantasy fans, you NEED to drop everything and check out Generation V by M.L. Brennan. Like, right now! I’ll wait. After you read it, you’ll be all caught up for Iron Night and then you will understand why I love this book so much, because if there’s one word I can use to describe this sequel, it is “Perfection”. I really enjoyed Generation V, but Iron Night takes things to the next level, and even goes further to address everything I had ever wondered or was skeptical about in the first book.
The best part is, you still get all the elements that made Generation V so great. Fortitude Scott is back, and though he may be one step closer to becoming a full-fledged vampire, he is still the underdog with a heart of gold that we know and love! Things seem to be finally looking up for Fort, too. His friendship with the kitsune Suzume Hollis is deepening, his brother is showing him the ropes to running the family territory, and though waiting tables isn’t exactly bringing in the big bucks, at least he’s got a job. And for once, he’s even got a pretty cool roommate.
It was all too good to last for Fort, though. That cool roommate of his ends up dead one night, killed by something unnatural. The powerful Scott family matriarch immediately throws her weight around and covers up the details, pinning the crime on a patsy. Fort is left as the only one trying to figure out the truth behind his friend’s murder, resolved to make the real killer pay. What he finds, however, is something more dangerous and terrifying than he could have possibly imagined.
First, what a great story, bolstered by incredible character development. If you’ve read Generation V you’ll already know that the protagonist Fortitude Scott was funny, sweet, cute, but — let’s face it — also kind of a doormat. Used and manipulated by everyone in his life, it almost got too painful to read! Like any underdog though, he comes into his own. I started to see that happening by the end of the first book, and I’d looked forward to seeing M.L. Brennan take that further in Iron Night and boy, does she ever! Fort’s kind heart and goodness still shines through and gets him into trouble, but he’s not letting just anyone walk all over him now (okay, Suzume still gets to but that’s because, well, she’s the Suze). A transitioning process like that has to be gradual and handled carefully, without making Fort go from “the little guy” to “top dog” overnight, and the author pulls that off flawlessly.
We also get to know more about the Scott family, along with those fascinating dynamics. Some of the best scenes in the book feature Fort’s interactions with his family members, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually beginning to really like his sister Prudence. I was very glad to see her greater involvement in this novel, even though she’s still insane and scary as hell. And finally, we get some answers and explanations into why Fortitude is “different” than his siblings. That was something I’d been itching to find out since the end of the last book!
Also, recall how I was completely blown away by the wildly original and unique ideas in Generation V. I bet you’ve never encountered vampires like M.L. Brennan’s vampires! She does it again in Iron Night, offering a fresh take on supernatural creatures…though this time, it’s with elves! Let’s just say after reading this book, I’ll never look at Legolas the same way again. And how can I review this book without talking about the humor? A lot of UF series these days feature humor, but this is one of the few that has actually made me burst out laughing. Incidentally, this was how I almost choked to death on the granola bar I was munching on while reading Iron Night, and that was only on page 2. Curse you, M.L. Brennan, your sharp wit will be my undoing!
There are just some amazing moments in this book. Having followed Fort’s story over these two installments, I am so invested in these characters, both main and supporting, and it’s nice to see the author has all kinds of surprises up her sleeve. I desperately wish I could go into one of my favorite scenes without revealing any spoilers, but for now I can only describe my reaction to it: the feeling I got at the end of the movie Se7en. All I can say is that the baddie in this book is one evil, ruthless monster. And it only made this story all the more awesome.
I can’t recommend these books enough. This sequel was simply amazing, and it was everything I’d hoped for and more. Earlier this year when I read Generation V, I knew this had the potential to become one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. Well, Iron Night pretty much made that official!
Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
Posted on January 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
Date of Publication: January 28, 2012
Book Review: The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Posted on January 1, 2014 1 Comment
The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Magic
Series: The Inheritance Trilogy #2
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: November 2010
Author Info: www.nkjemisin.com
Wendy’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
So I would live, if only to spite them.”
The first book in the Inheritance Trilogy was told by its main character, Yeine, in recollection. I read it a second time almost immediately and was blown away by all the clues to the slowly, deliciously unravelled mystery that Jemisin so carefully and subtly wove into the story. You’d think reading a book a second time within that many months would mean boredom, but instead, it was an eye opening experience.
The Broken Kingdoms is a similar and yet entirely different experience that takes dramatic irony to an entirely new level. Oree Shoth, like many of the other inhabitants of this world, has no idea what went on ten years ago in Sky. She knows only that politics and worship has changed by the say-so of the powers that be. No longer is Bright Itempas the “All Father.” There are now two mysterious others. And the godlings have returned, though only in Shadow, the city beneath the World Tree that grew when the Gray Lady was born ten years ago. While curious, none of this is a surprise to the reader, not even the strange, mute man whom Oree has jokingly named “Shiny” because of the way his aura glows at dawn.
I am too emotionally involved in this trilogy now to determine this, but I would be curious to know if this book could stand alone. I would be curious to see how a reader reacts, reading this first, then going back and reading it again after reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Would they see it all with entirely new eyes?
Eyes. Sight. Seeing. This is a fascinating aspect of this book because Oree is blind. She is not merely unable to see, but her eyes are actually deformed. She is, as she is told, a very beautiful woman, but for this deformity that she refuses to hide. Jemisin establishes her blindness from the beginning, but makes it very clear that it is not a disability. She is not coddled by those around her and her other senses have done their duty and taken up the slack and Jemisin skilfully paints words of scent and sound and feel to help us see the world that Oree cannot.
But Oree is not completely without sight. She is able to see magic, which draws her to Shadow, which is filled with magic and with godlings. Unsurprisingly, she becomes very much involved with them. Jemisin uses this sixth sense to further paint the scenes and people, even including emotions and expressions. Painting is a very important part of this story, with each chapter named as if it were a painting or sculpture, complete with the kind of mediums used. Lee Moyer so perfectly brings Oree and her world to life in this image:
And with this image, the rational part of my review – as written within the first one hundred pages of the book – comes to an end, but I will spare you the flail and possible reaction GIFs this book elicits. Just assume that the rest of my review dissolves into the tears and emotional twirling that ought to explain why it’s taken me a year to read The Broken Kingdoms, after the emotionally draining experience of its predecessor.
January Book Club Read: Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Posted on January 1, 2014 Leave a Comment
The LeVar’s Rainbow Book Club has been on hiatus for the past two months due to NaNoWriMo and the craziness of Christmas. For the new year, we’ll be getting back into it with a book selected from this list of fairy tales for grown ups.
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma’s astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.
Waiting on Wednesday 01/01/14
Posted on January 1, 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!
Sixteen-year-old Mia Kish has always been afraid of the dark. After all, she’s baby Mia, the one who fell down a well. That was years ago, though the darkness still haunts her. But when her classmates and teachers at ritzy Westbrook Academy start dying of old age from a bizarre and frightening virus that ages its victims years in a matter of hours, Mia becomes haunted by a lot more than the dark. Their deaths are gruesome and Mia worries she and her friends may be next. In order to survive, Mia and her small crew must break quarantine and outrun armed soldiers in hazmat suits who shoot first and ask questions later.
And there’s only one place to go—the Cave, aka Fenton Electronics. Mia knows it’s somehow connected and hopes her dad, Director of Fenton Electronics, who has always been strangely secretive about his work, has the answers she needs, and more importantly a cure to save everyone before the whole town succumbs to the mysterious virus. Unfortunately, it’s not answers Mia discovers, but something far more treacherous and impossible than even the virus itself.
A high-stakes, fast-paced adventure with imagination and heart.”
Top 10 Reads of 2013
Posted on December 31, 2013 1 Comment
2013 has been a fantastic year for our reading lists (or a horrible one, if you consider how much larger our to-read piles have grown). We’ve read a lot of brilliant books, but we’ve managed to narrow our list of favorites down to the top ten books that truly resonated with us this year.
Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh
MOGSY SAYS: I read more than 200 novels this year. 200. Asking me to pick just a handful of my favorites is a nigh impossible task, because I read so many amazing books in 2013. I could easily fill this list myself with 10, 25, or even 50 of my greatest reads this year, but alas I cannot, or my co-bloggers will surely beat me into coma with their heaviest of epic fantasy tomes (they already let me choose four instead of their three).
But Wendy has helped me narrow things down, with the description she wrote for the post above. The keyword is “resonate”. And I suppose few other books have resonated with me this year as strongly as Will McIntosh’s Love Minus Eighty. In a future full of advanced technology, people still strive for that timeless, formless, unshakeable connection to another soul known as love. It is what makes us human.
Provocative. Thoughtful. Beautiful. Passionate. This book is all that and more, and definitely deserves more attention. Way more. (Read more in my review)
The Boys by Garth Ennis
TIARA SAYS: This year has been all about the comics/manga for me, so while I’ve read some really great novels, I wanted to do something a little different and highlight some of the great comics I’ve read this year starting with The Boys. Now, I haven’t actually put up a review of this series yet, but I’ve been working on one that may find its way to my personal blog because it’s a long, introspective thing that keeps growing. The Boys is bloody disgusting. Within these pages, you will find an overabundance of disgusting human behavior. There is an excess of gross conduct and no one is truly beyond it. It’s offensive, hard to swallow, and out of control. It is also BRILLIANT.
Depending on your view of things, you may either feel that Ennis pointed out some very disturbing trends in comics, especially as they start to explore darker concepts with the audience shift, or you may feel that he missed the mark on some issues which has started some interesting debates. Personal interpretation is everything with this series. I’ve seen interpretations of the same events in to the book differ wildly, but prove to be valid ways of looking at things. Either way, this series is one of those stories that’s hard to shelve. You want to look away, but it’s such a veritable, horrific mess that you just can’t stop reading it.
The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
MOGSY SAYS: Like Wendy, one way to know that a book has impressed me is when I go on the hunt to track down all of the author’s other works as soon as I’m finished reading. This is exactly what happened when I finished The Thousand Names.
This book was so difficult to put down; I devoured all 500+ pages in days. I couldn’t even make myself slow down to savor it because it was just that absorbing. I’ve always had a soft spot for flintlock fantasy, Wexler gave me everything I wanted with his epic fantasy featuring magic, revolution, blood and gunpowder.
Military fantasy fans as well as wargamers rejoice, this book will put you right where the action is, with rich world-building as well as memorable and fully-realized characters to boot. (Read more in my review)
Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama
TIARA SAYS: Before I started reading this (and watching the anime), if someone had asked me what my favorite manga of all time was, I would’ve said, “Simple. Tite Kubo’s Bleach.” If you were to ask me now, I’d probably do some fidgeting and get annoyed because I think this series has claimed the number one spot in my heart, and I feel like I’m cheating on my first love (Bleach) that I’ve been with for years. I still love you, Bleach. Don’t leave!
I’ve gotten into quite a few new mangas this year, but none have fascinated me quite like this one. What I love about this series and what always stays on my mind is how human these characters are, how vulnerable they are both physically and metaphysically, and how these characters, the situation they’re in, captures so much of the human need to fight and survive–even when it looks hopeless. It’s a story about the courage in the face of fear. It presses upon the reader that, in order to survive, humans have to depend on each other and bring their individual strengths to the table to win this fight. It captures the indomitable spirit of humans without compromising other emotions such as fear, trust, and uncertainty. The fact that all this captured with few words and visuals. Amazing! (Read more in my reviews)
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
WENDY SAYS: This is a sneaky little book. It’s actually a romance that cleverly disguises itself as science fiction. While you’re blissfully enjoying the displaced Sadiri people’s hunt for suitable mates to help replenish their society after the heinous destruction of their planet, you slowly come to realize that you’ve fallen in love with Delarua and Dllenahkh, who slowly come to realize that they’ve fallen in love with each other.
Part way through this book, Tiara asked how I was enjoying it and I gave her a gushing response about how it felt like sitting comfortably on a couch, hanging out with good friends – who happen to like science fiction.
This book was so subtle and unassuming, which made it easily able to get right under my skin. (Read more in my review)
Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock
MOGSY SAYS: This was a book I read in early spring, so sadly I was unable to feature it in my “Best of Summer” list. That’s why I’m so glad to have the opportunity to talk about it now in our year end Top Reads post.
Simply put, this book is gorgeous. The writing, the depth of the characters and the strength of their emotions made me want to hurl myself to my knees and thank the book gods that we have writers like Teresa Frohock and novels like Miserere. It is an intensely alluring book, taking its time to reveal its true nature, doling out details about its world in a trickle as you read. Needless to say, patience will be rewarded — in spades. The author’s talent is on full display, giving us the most brutal and disconcerting elements of horror, but as well showing how the most powerful of loves can endure and offer redemption. And Teresa Frohock does it all oh so beautifully. (Read more in my review)
Batgirl by Gail Simone
TIARA SAYS: I’ve read many amazing comics this year, and I could gush on and on about books like Saga, East of West, and Locke and Key just to name a few. However, I wanted to highlight Gail Simone’s Batgirl for a few reasons. One being that it’s been a long time since I really appreciated the story in mainstream comic. This book joins books such as Kingdom Come and Old Man Logan as a book that rises above the usual wash, rinse, repeat in mainstream comics, and it’s not even an AU (alternate universe) like those two–unless you just don’t acknowledge the DCnU, which is totally legit in my opinion.
Now, admittedly, I think Gail’s writing can be a little corny (and I still think Barbara is more formidable as Oracle), but I have been enjoying Batgirl. First, I think Gail has done a wonderful job of showing Barbara as a survivor, a survivor who both rejoices in and questions her miracle, a survivor who has triggers that she’s still trying to overcome, a survivor who questions the validity and intent of Gotham heroes, even herself. Of the books I’ve read, Barbara’s stories have highlighted many of these issues, showing the upside and the downside. I think Gail does a wonderful job tackling some harder issues. Barbara’s return has been plagued with issues and doubts she’s dealing with, and I appreciate Gail doing that rather than trying to make Barbara’s return to the mantle all rainbows and good times. (Read more of my reviews)
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
WENDY SAYS: All of my subsequent YA reads have to stand up to this book in terms of characterization. I love the way Stiefvater writes young adults. They are not the obnoxious, completely self-absorbed creatures that I don’t enjoy reading. That is, sure they are a bit self-absorbed, but they aren’t written in such a way that their teenage flaws become grating. Yet they aren’t written as adults in teen bodies. Stiefvater handles them respectfully in a way that both teens and adults can appreciate.
The other thing that I adore about Stiefvater’s writing is the way she foregoes allusions when painting her world. Instead, she uses actions and absence to describe a scene, and most importantly, to make her characters very, very real. Her descriptions are absolutely delicious. (Read more in my review)
Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan
MOGSY SAYS: It’s a great time to be a speculative fiction reader right now, with so many great and original ideas having found their way to being published in recent years. Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter have their place too, because if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of reading this incredible book in 2013.
What struck me about Hollow World isn’t so much the story, but the main character’s personal journey — the things he learns about himself and the questions he asks about life and love. I didn’t expect such heavy subject matters when I first picked this one up, but it was a welcome surprise. The book took my emotions on a roller coaster ride — I felt ecstatic, shocked, angry, sad, annoyed, disturbed, deeply touched, so moved that I was almost in tears…all that and more just from reading the story, and any book that can give me the kind of feels that Hollow World did certainly qualifies as having resonated with me. (Review coming in Spring 2014 closer to release)
The BiblioSanctum 