Audiobook Review: Medicus by Ruth Downie
Posted on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
This story follows military medicus (doctor) Gaius Petreius Ruso who is a Roman man living in Brittania (England). He’s escaped to the Brittania to heal from a disaster of a marriage that ended in divorce and the death of his father that left the family with many undue debts to pay. Brittania is considered a backwater town but important nonetheless. It’s too small to be considered grand, but too large to be ignored by the Romans. As if going from everything to having nothing wasn’t bad enough, women continue to bring trouble for Ruso after he examines a dead woman found in the river and rescues a slave from her callous owner.
This story takes place during a time when modern medicine was just beginning to emerge. Doctors were regarded as suspicious conmen and “healers” still ruled surpreme. I loved how Downie weaved that into the story, showing how doctors began to record treatment and discover new ways to deal with various medical ailments and conditions. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Ruso ushered around the new doctors in training and reveled in their naïveté after one fainted (and the others just barely made it out) when Ruso showed them a particular gruesome case. The description made me chuckle because it was just so Ruso-like.
Ruso is a bit cynical and serious, but he does have a little bit of a dry comedic side. He’s very sure of his abilities as a medicus almost to the point of cockiness, but unlike his friend and fellow medicus, Valens, he keeps to himself in a world where knowing the right people means everything. He often feels awkward in social situations and almost always says the wrong things in his mind, so he tends to keep to himself. His bedside manners are cool because he’s a man of logic, even by his own admission, but Ruso cares more about people more than he shows. This care extends beyond mere medical interest, but he’s not sure how to “fix” people beyond what physically ails them.
Ruso complains that he shouldn’t get involved in certain matters, but still he finds that his underlying compassion and concern causes him to do the exact opposite, which is how he ends up “investigating” a murder that he insists he’s not investigating. He’s also terrible at being a hard ass as shown when he became Tilla’s “master.” Tilla is just one of a group of ragtag friends he picks up during the course of the story which includes the charming Valens who thinks that Ruso needs a new wife, an overenthusiastic scribe named Albanus, and a dog he claims not to care for. He complains about them, of course, but I don’t think he’d know what to do without them.
Despite all the elements that could make this a complicated story to listen to, it was very easy to follow. Nothing really went beyond my grasp or caused me to pause and rewind just to make sure I was understanding what I’d heard. Downie didn’t use language that was too complicated, and the things that seemed a little unfamiliar she was able to explain in the simplest terms, even when it didn’t really seem necessary. However, this was a surprisingly light listen. I was afraid that I would get partway in and decide that I need to read the book rather than listen to the audiobook.
One of the chief complaints I’d heard about this book was that the language was “too modern,” but that’s the usual complaint of many historical fiction settings ranging from books to television. I wasn’t surprised to hear the complaint, but it just seems like old news now since many shows and books take this approach. I think that’s because it makes it easier on the reader and the writer. How many people would really be interested in reading this if written in the style of that time? What writer would stick to writing a story in such a style? It would be tedious for both the reader and the writer. I agree that maybe some word choices absolutely were too modern, but that’s such a nitpicky thing. However, I can only say that it doesn’t bother me. Your mileage may vary.
As far as the narration goes, Simon Vance is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. He has a voice that is perfect for reading. This will be the third book I’ve listened to with him as the narrator and he never fails to impress me with his read. He’s remarkable; his narration is always so impeccable. I have never encountered a narrator with such clean narration skills. Also, he understands that timbre not pitch determines how realistically a female voice will come across when reading, and even when faced with multiple female speakers in one scene, he gives them all their own personality that makes them easily discernible one from another.
The only real complaint I have is that he’s a fast talker. I tend to speed up my audiobooks between 1.25 to 2.0 times faster than normal. With him, I have to get used to the pace he’s keeping before I can speed it up, but that’s really a trivial complaint when compared to how extraordinary he is as a narrator.
This was a great opening for the series, and I look forward to following more of Ruso’s misadventures as narrated by Simon Vance.
Tiara: Favorite Quote from Your Favorite Book
Posted on June 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
“In a way, her strangeness, her naiveté, her craving for the other half of her equation was the consequence of an idle imagination. Had she paints, or clay, or knew the discipline of the dance, or strings, had she anything to engage her tremendous curiosity and her gift for metaphor, she might have exchanged the restlessness and preoccupation with whim for an activity that provided her with all she yearned for. And like an artist with no art form, she became dangerous.”
― Sula, Toni Morrison
Book Review: The Magicians’ Guild by Trudi Canavan
Posted on June 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Magicians’ Guild byTrudi Canavan
Trudi Canavan is an author I’d been looking forward to read for a long time, which is why she’s pretty high on my list for the WWEnd Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge. Thanks to my book hoarding habits, I found that I actually own the first books from both her Black Magician Trilogy and the Traitor Spy Trilogy and didn’t know which to tackle first. Then I found out that the latter series is a continuing story of some of the characters in the former, which ultimately decided it for me. I always I prefer to read things chronologically and in publishing order, so The Magicians’ Guild it is!
The book centers around the life of Sonea, a young vagrant girl caught up in the disturbance which occurs every year during the Purge, an event which expels all the city’s poor, homeless, beggars and other undesirables from within its boundaries. Sonea sees a group of children trying to annoy the guild magicians in charge by throwing stones at their magical shield, and decides for fun to join in. In a moment of anger, however, the stone she throws somehow manages to pierce the magicians’ protection, beaning one of them on the side of the head. Then everything explodes into chaos.
The Magicians’ Guild immediately launches a manhunt for the little girl who so effortlessly foiled their shield spell, because it must mean she possesses magical ability as well. No untrained magic user can be trusted to roam unchecked around the city, for the results of that uncontrolled power can be dangerous for all. Not knowing this, Sonea flees and goes deeper underground with the help of her friends, but a time will soon come when she won’t be able to escape anymore, neither from the magicians nor herself.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this. I spent a good chunk of the book wondering when the story will get to the part where the Magician’s Guild and Sonea meet up with each other, so that they can finally get on to training her properly in the ways of magic. That’s how these kinds of stories usually go, right? Then I realized that the hunt for her was actually the whole point for the entire first half of the novel, dashing any preexisting expectations I had for the plot.
Going to be honest here, the book still didn’t quite hook me until the Magicians do eventually end up finding Sonea, and that was around the halfway mark. Everything that occurred before this point detailing the search and Sonea’s struggle to control her magic felt like this huge, unnecessarily drawn out introduction, but the good new is, I started to enjoy myself a lot more. It’s almost like, “Okay, now that all that’s out of the way, we can finally get this show on the road.” The conflicts in the plot started to get more interesting, and I found myself drawn to characters like Rothen, for whom I previously felt nothing.
It also wasn’t until I finished this book that I heard this series had been re-marketed for the young adult market. If so, that actually made a lot of sense. Assuming that a YA audience probably wouldn’t be as critical as I’m being, I thought the story and characters were strong but could have done with a little more depth, especially since a few sections of the plot felt thin to me and not very convincing. As general fantasy though, I liked this book well enough and I think it can be appreciated by all.
Book Review: Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
Posted on June 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
I really enjoy books about famous fictional heroes that aren’t actually about the famous fictional heroes.
Will in Scarlet is a Robin Hood story told first and foremost through the eyes of the young lord, William Shackley. Later, the voice of Much, the miller’s daughter turned son, is added. Their stories and the paths that lead them to the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest shape the lore around the infamous Robin Hood. But while we get a glimpse into the wanted bandit, it’s Will and Much who the reader gets to know and care about, though we do get to see Robin Hood through their eyes. Turns out, the leader of the Merry Men isn’t quite what we expect him to be.
It only took me a few pages to really like this story and the characters. I’ve never really Will Scarlet in a particularly positive light in the various mediums I’ve previously met him in, but this one sets out to give him heart and soul and easily achieves it. Robin might lead the Merry Men, but Will is the one who gives them their purpose and helps to define the vast division between nobility and the regular folk without being preachy or petulant.
I also liked how the Sheriff of Nottingham, while not necessarily a likable character overall, is one that I could sympathize with to some extent. His actions are given greater reasoning than him simply being a greedy and evil jerk.
This was a fun read, with well thought out characters, lots of interesting action and a fair bit of humour.
Book Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by
Posted on June 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
I picked up this book because I love the series. The premise of a serial killer killing other serial killers was just too interesting to pass up. You actually root for Dex, even though you know that he’s the bad guy as well. The beginning of this book was just like watching the series. The series mirrored it perfectly. I could hear Michael C. Hall in my head just as he sounded on that first episode while reading the beginning of this.
Dexter spends a great deal of time trying to make us believe that he is completely incapable of any kind of human emotion, even as he does express a certain amount of elation while he’s butchering others and while he’s admiring the work of this new killer, and while that seemed repetitive for some readers, I interpreted it as a mechanism to make himself truly believe that he has no feelings because many of his actions and thoughts say otherwise. Yes, I do believe that he’s partly right in his assessment of himself. It takes a certain kind of uncaring, broken person to do the things he does, even if it IS to others like himself. However, I don’t believe that he’s really as uncaring as he tries to paint himself to believe.
This book was like a personal look into the dark side of a person’s psych (same with the series). It makes you wonder if that bright smile from the mailman is really hiding something sinister behind it.
Book Review: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Posted on June 15, 2013 1 Comment
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
John Carter is awesome. I know this, because John Carter told me so. Everyone is impressed by John Carter. I know this, because John Carter said so. Dejah Thoris is beautiful. I know this, because John Carter said so. Dejah Thoris is incomparable. I know this, because John Carter told me so.
And for these reasons of awesome impressive incomparableness, these two fine specimens of Earthan and Martian perfection fell in love. The fact that they wear very little clothing may also have had something to do with their fated romance.
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| Oh who am I kidding. I’d totally fall for this too. Dejah Thoris by Artgerm |
To be fair, this is pulp fiction and I assume the “story” told here is standard for the time and genre. Maybe if I read it back then, I’d appreciate it more. Maybe if read the comic version instead, I’d appreciate Dejah Thoris’ jewel covered pretty bits and John Carter’s manly manliness more. For now, I can safely confirm that this style of writing just doesn’t work for me, though I’ll give credit to Burroughs’ rich descriptions of the planet and its inhabitants. Plus “Barsoom” (a.k.a. Mars) is really fun to say.
My husband and I watched the movie prior to me reading the book and it wasn’t bad at all. Clearly it suffered from Disney’s poor marketing decision, but otherwise, it was a passable film and thankfully it did not follow the story it originated from too closely, at least in terms of characterization. I don’t think it would have translated very well in our times. Instead, they opted to make the story a bit more interesting and slightly less about John Carter being awesome. Most importantly, Dejah Thoris got to serve a greater purpose than mere trophy princess.
Cover Lover: Maggie Stiefvater Edition
Posted on June 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
Welcome to Cover Lover, a feature on this blog dedicated to book covers! For a long time, I’d wanted a place where I can share some of my favorite covers, or talk about any that might have caught my eye. So when I came across this idea on fellow gamer/book lover Angelya’s site The Oaken Bookcase, I jumped at the opportunity to adopt it as well. The “meme” was originally created by another friend of mine, Jaedia, on her book blog Once Upon A Time, so be sure to check out both their sites and take a look at some of the covers they have featured.
Today I want to share several of Maggie Stiefvater’s books that have had a way of attracting my attention by their cover images alone. My eyes immediately went to them amidst the dozens of other books the shelf, and I’m always amazed at how they all manage to do so utilizing a single color scheme.
Take The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, for example. Years ago I borrowed the audiobooks from the library, even though at the time I hadn’t even heard of the series, and I’ll admit it was all because I thought the covers were gorgeous, especially the first book Shiver. The first time, I almost missed that wolf silhouette in the corner!
Then there is The Scorpio Races. Between reprints and international editions there’s a whole slew of covers for this title, actually, but interestingly enough most of them tend to play on the color scheme red.
I’m actually not all that fond of the original hardcover image now that I’ve seen the others; it’s a little too Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron for me, I guess!
Now that I’ve seen the other versions, I think I much prefer any of those. But still, I gotta ask, that’s with the heart on this Scholastic paperback edition? Seriously.
My favorite cover for this book though, is probably the new one from Scholastic. Simply gorgeous.
If interested, you can check out my review for The Scorpio Races here.
Mogsy: Favorite Series
Posted on June 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Oh whyyyyyyy, why must you make me choooooooose?
This is the reason I’m always chafing at these kinds of “What’s your favorite ______?” questions. Whether it’s movies, songs, books, etc. I don’t know how anyone can name just one. I know I can’t. A book series is no exception, but if I gotta pick just one…
Putting aside a whole slew of series I’ve fallen in love with just recently, or ones that still have too few books published in it to be included, I’ll probably have to go with this long-time personal favorite of mine — Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Universe, which is nine books split into three trilogies: Books 1-3: Phèdre Trilogy, Books 4-6: Imriel’s Trilogy, Books 7-9: Moirin Trilogy.
All of them are quite fantastic, even though I felt the Moirin Trilogy might have missed its mark, and Imriel’s Trilogy as a follow-up wasn’t really that bad at all. Still, it’s the Phèdre Trilogy that I completely adore. It’s the one that first introduced me to the wonders and beauty of Terre D’Ange, its magic and its people.
For a long time, many of the books in this series has ranked among some of the best I’ve ever read, and I always remember the reading experience fondly and with pleasant nostalgia.
The Brian K. Vaughaning
Posted on June 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
This one time, I admitted that I had not read very much of Brian K. Vaughan’s comics. The result was a Twitter deluge of my friends – some of whom were in the midst of dealing with current issues of Saga – expressing their Brian K. Vaughan love and all the feels that he invokes in them. Since then, I’ve been slowly working my way through his books and have pretty much come to the same conclusion about how incredible a writer he is.
If you break down the stories, they are almost simple. All stories that have been told before. Teens dealing with the betrayal of parents. Rebels who just wanted to belong. Caged souls seeking freedom. Love conquers all. But Vaughan takes these simple seeds and plants them in such diverse gardens. Environments, timelines, events and especially the characters are all woven together so magically. I really love the way that reading one of his stories in no way prepares you for reading any of the others. They are all so amazing. Credit also goes to the artists’ skills in capturing Vaughan’s unique (and sometimes veeery disturbing) visions.
Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy (art by Adrian Alphona)
I’ve never been drawn to the comics about teenaged superheroes, even when I was a teen, but as the first series in my BKV adventure, I find myself wishing I’d stumbled on this one sooner. First of all, I love the entire concept of a group of teens who discover their parents are eeevil and decide to stop them. The kids themselves are more than just typical teens with typical mutant powers. In fact, some don’t even have powers at all, while one shares a psychic bond with a velociraptor. How cool is that? Actually, they are fairly typical teens, but Vaughn does a great job of fleshing each one out and helping them to work through the ultimate betrayal of discovering their parents are not what they seem.
“Yeah my parents were practically unconscious.Satanic rituals must really wear a person down.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You (art by Georges Jeanty)
I read this a while ago and couldn’t remember it well enough to know why I had given it a mere two stars on Goodreads. I know that I definitely fell out of love with season eight towards the end and even Joss had to apologize for where things went, but this was only volume two, so it shouldn’t have rated so low. I’ve reread it since and suspect that my two-starring was either accidental or perhaps because, by the end of the book, I was really mad at Buffy, Giles and Faith for being Buffy, Giles and Faith. Which means that Vaughan did his job well to make me feel such anger and frustration towards these characters. He did such a good job of digging into their broken hearts and souls, while maintaining the whimsy and cynicism we’ve come to expect of Whedon’s characters. This story was about inner demons and paying for the past and relationships and jumping to the wrong conclusions and loneliness and need and betrayal because you have no other choice. My only disappointment in this book is that we never get to see the further adventures of Faith and Giles…
“But those of us who refused to pay the piper during our adolescence have a responsibility to shoulder the most most unpleasant costs of adulthood.”
Pride of Baghdad (art by Niko Henrichon)
I remember reading an article in National Geographic about Baghdad just before America took its “War on Terror” to its doorstep. It spoke of the people and their everyday lives and how they understood the world’s views of Saddam Hussein’s reign, but for them, it was different. Their lives were not horrible. They were not entirely oppressed by the evil dictator. And they did not ask for the world to step in to liberate them.
This is what came to mind as I read this anthropomorphic story of a pride of lions who escaped the Baghdad Zoo during a military attack. Based on a true story, it follows Zill, Noor, Safa and little Ali as they come to terms with their world turned upside down. Is leaving their cage to fight for survival in a crumbling city truly freedom? Is freedom worth the cost?
“Is that a horizon?”
Saga (art by Fiona Staples)
In simple terms, Saga is a science fiction meets fantasy love story about two young soldiers on opposing sides who meet and fall in love and will risk everything to to keep their new little family safe.
In more accurate terms, the reviews from friends to convince me – or anyone – to read this book, go something like this: “Yes there is a lot of kinky, crazy sex (OMG don’t read this at work!) but it’s all contextual, I swear! And OMG this book is so amazing! My feeeeels! When does the next one come out? jakljdflkajfljafiu!!!”
How could I resist such glowing and intriguing reviews? And now that I have read volume one, I can safely say, “Yes there is a lot of kinky, crazy sex (OMG don’t read this at work!) but it’s all contextual, I swear! And OMG this book is so amazing! My feeeeels! When does the next one come out? jakljdflkajfljafiu!!!”
“It’s not like I grow up to become some great war hero or any sort of all-important savior…but thanks to these two, at least I get to grow old.”
The Private Eye (art by Marcos Martin)
The Private Eye’ is a pay-whatever-the-hell-you-want online comic that will make you question your online activities (like making online purchases) and just how much privacy exists in the ether. It is a futuristic throwback to classic detective stories where everyone has a secret identity after everyone’s information is exposed for all to see. I had some involvement in the #Nymwars that followed the release of Google+, so the concept really hits home for me. Toss in an intriguing mystery and off we go.
“I’m not a pervert. I just use this nym when I want to be left alone.”
Ex Machina (art by Tony Harris)
Mitchel Hundred is America’s first superhero, created by a freak accident that gives him control over machinery. With the help of his two friends, he dons the identity The Great Machine and takes of the responsibility of saving New York from evil. Only, unlike in the comic books, this — erm — comic book quickly points out that super heroes tend to cause more trouble than they think they do, especially for the authorities. Eventually, following 9/11, Hundred takes off his mask to run for mayor of New York, a position where he actually can do some good. A lot of the plot focuses on the daily political problems, including a major one at an art museum that impressed me for not pulling politically correct punches on the subject matter. Add to that a snow storm that cripples the city and the return of The Great Machine’s nemesis who is targeting snow plow drivers. I really loved how much information and detail was brought in through only five issues without being overwhelming or verbose.
“When people ask who saved you, tell them it was The Great Machine. Tell them everything’s going to be all right!”
Y:The Last Man (art by Pia Guerra)
I love the way sexism and misogyny are front and centre from the start, but all presented within the context of the situations where we meet the major female players in this story and the single male who survives the gender apocalypse. All male mammals but Yorick and his monkey suddenly and mysteriously die, leaving the world in sudden chaos. The statistics presented at the end of issue one are staggering. Forty-eight percent of the population is dead, but the number of males in various positions of power are near 100%. I really liked how the remaining women weren’t all stellar examples of humanity, meant to prove that women really can do things better than men. The Amazonian movement is frightening and the Republican reaction certainly reminds me of current events.
“Men. Can’t live with ’em…”
The BiblioSanctum 