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November 07
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Here we go! This is the link for the 2009 roundup of humorous science fiction and fantasy. Let this be the first step toward a new age, an age in ...
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Published on November 07, 2009 10:37
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October 28
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Jim
gave  to:
Cybermancy (Paperback)
by
Kelly McCullough
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my rating:
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August 07
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Jim
added:
Truthseekers: Welcome to Blackriver (Paperback)
by
Rob St. Martin
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my rating:
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read in July, 2009
Jim said:
"This first Truthseekers volume is a collection of intertwined short stories centering around fifteen-year-old Ashley Bennett. When Ashley’s parents are murdered, she has to leave Toronto and move to the small town of Blackriver to live with her old...more
This first Truthseekers volume is a collection of intertwined short stories centering around fifteen-year-old Ashley Bennett. When Ashley’s parents are murdered, she has to leave Toronto and move to the small town of Blackriver to live with her older cousin Mark. Over the course of the book, Ashley begins to uncover secrets about her parents, her cousin, and herself.
I joked with Rob that the book reminded me of Buffy, only without the angst of the last few seasons. Imagine Sunnydale as a backwater Canadian town, and you’ll start to get a sense of the book’s vibe. Blackriver is located on the junction of several ley lines, so naturally all sorts of supernatural trouble ensues. Ashley and friends go up against vampires, witches, ghosts, secret societies, and cow tippers. Evil cow tippers.Not to mention the thing that killed her parents…
It’s a fun, easyread aimed at a YA audience. (I enjoyed it too, but there are those who’ll argue whether I qualify as a grown-up.) Ashley’s secret is a fascinating one. I saw it coming, but that doesn’t matter; I stilllike the implications about what she is and what she can do.
I liked the format overall. It was nice to be able to read in bite-sized chunks, advancing through the larger story one self-contained adventure at a time. Though there were a few times I’d start in on the next story and think to myself, Wait, why aren’t you guys doing more about X from the last story?
I only had two complaints. The first was that some of the stories started slowly. There’s a pattern of following Ashley through some of the mundane aspects of her life before we get into the weirdness. I can appreciate the contrast, but after a few stories, I found myself wanting to skip the first few pages and jump ahead.
The second issue was with the ending. I didn’t expect the book to wrap up every single loose thread, but I find it ironic that while the individual stories are self-contained, the book as a whole leaves you hanging. Though perhaps that’s a good reason to mention that Truthseekers 2: Birthright is also available?
Every time I try to figure out how to wrap up this review, I keep coming back to the fact that it’s a fun read. Likeable characters, a good balance between the serious and the not-so-much, and an overall arc that has me curious about book two.(less)
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May 27
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Jim
added:
Deader Still (Simon Canderous, #2)
by
Anton Strout (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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May 25
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Jim
added:
Nightmare (The Silent Empire, #1)
by
Steven Harper
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my rating:
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May 07
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Jim
added:
Imaginary Friends (Paperback)
by
Martin H. Greenberg
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my rating:
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April 22
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Jim
added:
Once a Princess (Sasharia en Garde! Book 1)
by
Sherwood Smith (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
Jim said:
"There's a lot to like about Once a Princess. From the product description, "Warning: This title contains a kick-butt mother-daughter team, a wicked king, a witty pirate with an unfortunate taste for neon colors, inept resistance fighters, a drea...more
There's a lot to like about Once a Princess. From the product description, "Warning: This title contains a kick-butt mother-daughter team, a wicked king, a witty pirate with an unfortunate taste for neon colors, inept resistance fighters, a dreamy prince who gallops earnestly hither and yon, and a kick-butt princess in waiting."
Sasha and her mother fled Sartorias-deles when Canardan Merindar usurped the throne from Sasha's father. Sasha is living in LA when men from her world come looking for her. She soon returns to Sartorias-deles and is swept up in the resistance as the ally? prisoner? of sexy but fashion-challenged pirate Zathdar. Sun follows, looking for her daughter, and ends up in the hands of Merindar. Politics, intrigue, fighting, and romance all ensue.
Sherwood Smith's books blow my mind for the sheer world-building that goes into them. I'm awed by the time and work Smith has spent developing this world and its history, the races and the individual characters, the magic and the cosmology.
This has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, there were times I felt like I was missing some of the larger picture. On the other, Smith has created a world you can dive into as deeply as you choose, and stay there as long as you'd like. The story works wonderfully on its own, but it feels more ... solid than most. (As opposed to some books, where you see the Hollywood-style facade if you stop to look at anything too closely.)
The book is a fun read. Sasha and Zathdar were my favorites, with plenty of good banter and tension between them. Prince Jehan is a fun character as well, once you start to learn more about him. I didn't get as much of a sense as Sun, but she's as strong and determined as her daughter, just in a different arena. (Politics and intrigue as opposed to fighting and running about.) Actually, there's a nice range of strong female characters in this one.
A final warning - if you're going to read Once a Princess, you'll probably want to pick up Twice a Prince as well, since the end of book one leaves a fair amount unresolved. (It was originally one story, split into two books by the publisher.)(less)
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February 01
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January 14
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Jim
gave to:
Heaven's Bones (Mass Market Paperback)
by
Samantha Henderson
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Jim said:
"if not for the Wizards of the Coast logo, I never would have realized this was a tie-in. Heaven's Bones is a Ravenloft title, putting this into the dark/horror side of the gaming world. I've Henderson puts the evil mists of Ravenloft to good use, set...more
if not for the Wizards of the Coast logo, I never would have realized this was a tie-in. Heaven's Bones is a Ravenloft title, putting this into the dark/horror side of the gaming world. I've Henderson puts the evil mists of Ravenloft to good use, setting much of the book in 19th century England, where impenetrable, putrid smog is just part of the London scenery. (Although 19th century Whitechapel is a bit of a giveaway about what's coming. There are no direct Jack the Ripper references, though.)
There are a number of different storylines which come together by the end of the book. The primary stories are those of Dr. Sebastian Robarts, and the Vistani called Trueblood. Trueblood was born with the gift of cursing. While this doesn't make him evil, he chose a dark path, and was punished by his people. His name was stripped from him, and he found himself living in the mists.
Dr. Robarts is a tragic figure, a skilled surgeon who loses his wife and child in childbirth. Trueblood reaches out to Robarts, driving him mad. Robarts begins kidnapping women, using a combination of his surgical skills and Trueblood's magic to reshape them in horrible ways, with the goal of creating angels of humans, gifts for his lost wife and child.
I was a little disoriented at first -- Henderson introduces one set of characters, and as I'm getting into their story, we jump to another. But one of the pleasures of the book is starting to see how these storylines all begin to intersect and inform one another across multiple worlds and times. It's an ambitious book, one Henderson pulls off quite well, for the most part. (I didn't feel like Fanny's story fit as tightly as the rest, though the very end does justify their inclusion.)
Heaven's Bones is a disturbing read at times, which is to be expected from a Ravenloft novel. I think the most disturbing aspect is how well Henderson brings us into Robarts' mindset, his fascination with reshaping these women. In reality, Robarts is a fearsome creature, torturing and enslaving his victims. Yet as we follow his work, using magic and scalpel to cut away organs and flesh, rebuilding bone and trying time and again to craft wings capable of flight ... on some level, a part of me wanted to see him succeed. Every once in a while, for a paragraph or a page, I shared his madness ... seeing past the horror to the ultimate goal, something that transcends humanity and becomes beautiful. Becomes angelic.
The book is full of horribly fascinating ideas. The "angel" from the cover art is a particularly twisted example. Seriah, the recording angel, is a brilliant character. There is no gore for the sake of gore, no cheap thrills. It's a dark novel, but the darkness is there for a reason.
My only complaints would be that Fanny's storyline seemed less connected, and as I read her parts I found myself getting impatient to return to the other storyline. And our heroes Sophie and Artemis never felt quite as... developed? engaging? ...as their foils Robarts and Trueblood. Neither of these are serious concerns.
Overall, this is an impressive book. Not one I'd recommend to everyone, but if you like a darker, more complex story, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.(less)
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