Holding the number two spot in the Uglies trilogy (though I see there’s a fourth book out as well; which is par for the course when it comes to fantas...moreHolding the number two spot in the Uglies trilogy (though I see there’s a fourth book out as well; which is par for the course when it comes to fantasy triplets) is Pretties. It’s a standard middle novel in a longer story, which is to say it starts without a beginning and ends without an end—it’s got The Two Towers syndrome. I’m not opposed to this, just mentioning it in case you were thinking this was an installment kind of series instead of a true serial.
I continue to really enjoy Tally and her adventures. Westerfeld does a great job being true to his own world while giving us some new excitement to chew on. I particularly like the way he’s used the last lines of these first two novels to suck us headlong into the title of the next book, and the next stage in Tally’s journey. Very much looking forward to Specials! (less)
For the most part, I read speculative fiction, also known as either Science Fiction or Fantasy, and more specifically Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy...moreFor the most part, I read speculative fiction, also known as either Science Fiction or Fantasy, and more specifically Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, and Steampunk, especially the Young Adult iterations of those sub-genres. Every once in awhile though, I have to surface from the vast deeps of the story ocean and take a breath of salt-tinged non-fiction air.
When it comes to non-fiction, I like histories with unusual focuses and memoirs of people doing interesting and odd things. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky is a favorite example of the former.
For a specimen of the latter you needn’t go much further than Avi Steinberg’s Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian. This one was an NPR recommendation, and typical of the breed: brainy, insightful, and well-written.
Here’s the gist of it: The author, after an interesting but ultimately isolating career as an obituary writer for the Boston Globe newspaper, stumbles across a job working in the library of a nearby prison. He takes it, not out of an overabundance of idealism, but largely because the job comes with benefits.
I don’t really know how to review a book like this—I certainly can’t compare it to others of its kind that I’ve read. I really liked it, if that helps. Steinberg does a great job of describing the people and place, tells the stories of those people in that place well, and then reflects on them in deep and poignant ways, without making it obvious that he’s doing so. He makes the prisoners real, discovering for himself the humanity they hide, while not in the end shielding us from the fact that some of them have done horrible things.
The tragedy of the lives lived in prison, both prisoners and guards, grows in your mind as you read. I guess that’s the last thing I’ll say about this book: that it lets you figure out for yourself what to think. This isn’t an argument for overhauling the prison system, or a manifesto on human liberty, or a condemnation of our society. You could draw any of those conclusions if you were inclined to, but they’d be your conclusions, not something the author is forcing on you. (less)
I’ve been enjoying Scott Westerfeld’s steam-punk series that started with Leviathan, but I think I like Uglies even better.
Instead of an alternate his...moreI’ve been enjoying Scott Westerfeld’s steam-punk series that started with Leviathan, but I think I like Uglies even better.
Instead of an alternate history setting, Uglies takes place in a dystopian future. Tally, our heroine, is fifteen, making this a Young Adult novel. Her age is critical, because in Tally’s world, as soon as you turn sixteen you are made pretty. I should probably capitalize that, as in, ‘you are made Pretty.’ This mandatory cosmetic surgery also enhances the body, giving everyone along, disease free, happy life. Indeed, the reason for the surgery is to make society more equitable; if everyone is equally attractive, there can be no jealousy, no advantage given to taller people, no prejudice against the ugly or overweight. It sounds pretty great, actually, and in combination with this new future’s nearly perfect environmental consciousness, generates some real sympathy with the society.
Alas, all is not well, for Tally is just fifteen and her best friend has recently turned sixteen. Now’s he’s Pretty, but she’s still an Ugly. In theory he could come visit her, but in practice Pretties almost never leave New Pretty Town to return to Uglyville, where Uglies age 11 through 15 live in dorms. And as an Ugly, Tally is forbidden to enter New Pretty Town.
And that’s where we start, with Tally breaking the rules and getting a glimpse behind the curtain. This glimpse keeps getting deeper and deeper as she discovers more and more of the darkness behind the light and color of Pretty society. She’s eventually forced to betray a new friend and in the end, to decide for herself how she wants to grown up—how she wants to live: as a happy Pretty or a free Ugly.
It’s a really wonderful story, full of powerful themes about becoming—themes that are not simplistic but full of complexity that makes them feel very real. I’m very much looking forward to the next book, Pretties, for while Uglies ended in a satisfying way, there is definitely more to this story! (less)
There’s hardly a need to say anything more about Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol, the book having already been dissected, praised, and excoriated by reviewers...moreThere’s hardly a need to say anything more about Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol, the book having already been dissected, praised, and excoriated by reviewers and pundits far above my pay grade. If you like Dan Brown, you’ll like it, if you don’t, you won’t. For my part, I’ll just say that while I’m not arguing that he’s any kind of genius, the man knows how to write a story that keeps me turning pages. It was an enjoyable read, and if he comes out with another doorstop full of esoteric semi-truths cloaked in mysticism and symbolism I’ll probably read that too.(less)
I read Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan a few months back after a recommendation I picked up at the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Summer Co...moreI read Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan a few months back after a recommendation I picked up at the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Summer Conference. I enjoyed it, and pretty much everything I had to say about it also applies to Behemoth.
Behemoth continues the story begun in the first volume in the same grand style. The world is done beautifully and is at once completely familiar and thoroughly fantastic. Pre-WWI Europe is divided along the lines of Darwinists whose technology is largely biological, and Clankers who operate their societies with complicated machines. There’s a very slight echo of Tolkein’s bias away from industry and towards the natural in his own metaphor building around continental warfare in Europe.
The novel is meant for a young adult audience and is completely clean as far as that goes. Highly recommended for any of the young folks on your gift list this winter.
My aspiring author interest in these two book is Westerfeld’s choice of narrative voice. He tells the story in a third person view, lingering almost exclusively on one or the other of the two protagonists. It works as an adventure tale, but I feel a bit less engaged with the characters than I might otherwise. I like them, and they are multi-faceted and all, but something about the storytelling is keeping me a bit distant from them. I’ll keep thinking about this, particularly as I pick up Westerfeld’s other series that begins with Uglies. (less)
**spoiler alert** I read David Weber’s On Basilisk Station a couple years back an enjoyed it. The first of many books featuring Honor Harington, it’s...more**spoiler alert** I read David Weber’s On Basilisk Station a couple years back an enjoyed it. The first of many books featuring Honor Harington, it’s Weber’s most popular series. My enjoyment of the books went down as they went up in number, but on the whole I appreciated Weber’s straightforward military science fiction.
Out of the Dark came to me, like so many books do, from the new fiction shelf at my local library. Weber’s name got me to pick it up, and the flyleaf description made the story sound interesting: a very near future military sci-fi novel of first contact. Cool.
The novel starts with a long prologue, which is already a strike against it. Not every prologue is bad, but most of them are, and of the ones that aren’t nearly all are unnecessary. A group of aliens are observing the human race. Specifically, they’re observing a bloody medieval battle. The aliens are horrified at humanity’s violence, and appalled that the vastly outnumbered English manage to defeat the French. Now you know the whole story. It’s an interesting idea, to me anyways, but Weber gives the whole thing away before he’s even begun his novel.
It’s an interesting premise, which is the only thing that kept me reading it. What if the universe is governed by a huge consortium of races that are far more peaceful than we are? What if the aliens arrive at earth and we manage to kick their asses on the ground? It’s an odd angle, to imagine that a race of aliens might have the technology to travel the stars but might arrive at earth with only a marginal advantage, not an overwhelming one. Weber explains this in what I felt were reasonable terms given his premise. We’d end up being the terrorists, fighting an asymmetrical war with the occupying alien forces.
As I said, this premise kept me turning pages even through the plentiful scenes of exposition. It felt to me like a good 80% of the novel was either the good guys being one-dimensionally jocular with each other (including the women) or the bad guys explaining to each other in excruciating detail what they were going to do next. The other 20% was really high quality action sequences, which Weber does very well; a little heavy on tech description and jargon, but par for the course with military sci-fi. These action scenes were thoroughly enjoyable, to the point where I was tempted to skip paragraphs and pages looking for the next one.
Up to this point I’d give the novel two out of five stars, maybe two and a half if you like David Weber or military sci-fi. On page 330 a crime is committed against narrative justice and the book drops to below one star. I would break out negative stars for this thing if I could. What is this crime, you ask? Well, on page 330 of a 380 page novel, vampires arrive and kill all the aliens. No, I am not kidding.
Nothing sets this up. There is no hint in the first 329 pages of the novel that this is a paranormal thriller. It is straight ahead, solid, predictable military sci-fi. Then, when humanity has successfully driven the aliens to the point of despair, and the aliens have decided to cut their losses and sterilize the earth from orbit, and I’m actually interested in finding out how this is going to end, vampires show up. And not just any vampires either; it’s Dracula. It’s a deus ex machina of the worst possible kind.
And this is from a reader who would probably pick up a book that sold itself honestly as vampires vs. aliens. (less)
Little remains to be said about this series of books; I’ve reviewed two novels in this series already in the previous two reviews posted here. I conti...moreLittle remains to be said about this series of books; I’ve reviewed two novels in this series already in the previous two reviews posted here. I continue to like the characters and the universe and will probably read more in the future, though I’m switching for now. My recommendation for this one is the same as for the last: good and fun, though not as amazing as the debut novel in the series.
The Last Colony is a bit better than The Ghost Brigades, if only because it brings John Perry (the protagonist of John Scalzi's Old Man's War) back to center stage, while continuing to share Jane Sagan (the protagonist of The Ghost Brigades) with us. The two make an excellent team, both in the action of the story and in enjoyment for the reader.
If you’ve liked the prior episodes of this series I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one too. Cheers! (less)
I caught the name of this series of books on a podcast I was listening to late one night last week. Sounded interesting, so off to the library next do...moreI caught the name of this series of books on a podcast I was listening to late one night last week. Sounded interesting, so off to the library next door I went.
Flashman, by George MacDonald Fraser is a helluva book. For some reason I’d imagined it would be in the SciFi/Fantasy section (probably wouldn’t have gone looking for it otherwise), but I found it in the general literature section. Technically, it’s historical fiction, as the events and characters come from the British Empire of around 1840. It’s a fairly short novel, the authorial conceit of which is that the book itself is written by the eponymous protagonist, while Fraser is merely the editor, adding a few historical footnotes scattered throughout. It’s a technique I’ve seen before and disliked immensely, but here it works, for whatever reason.
Here’s the part I find most interesting, from a writer’s perspective: Flashman is not a good guy. The back cover calls him “history’s greatest adventurer, randiest cad, and most incorrigible scoundrel.” This is truly told, but even those titles make him out to be a better person than he is. He’s lazy and lives off inherited wealth. In the worst tradition of British nobility, he considers persons below him to be non-human, treating them with at best contempt and at worst casual brutality, while constantly ingratiating himself with those of higher rank. He’s a coward who has purchased a position as a military officer. He’s completely amoral when it comes to women, which is where the worst of his behavior shows: he buys and sells two different women to be his sex slaves, and outright rapes another.
All of this is probably historically accurate in general. It’s fiction, of course, but based on practices of the time, to which the novel is rated very faithful by people who know more about that history than I do. I had trouble with Flashman’s behavior at a couple points (not least the casually accomplished rape of a native person who’s country Flashman’s was occupying), and certainly felt no sympathy for him. By today’s standards he’s a sociopath.
That said, both Flashman and the novel are damn funny. He continually fails his way to success while exposing the utter ridiculousness of social and political institutions all along the way. I don’t feel bad for Ol’ Flashy when he suffers the consequences of his horrible behavior, but I also cheer a little when he gets out of those sticky situations by taking guileless advantage of sheer, dumb luck. All of this is accomplished with the celebrated British “stiff upper lip”, which makes the whole thing even more fun.
I don’t know what to say by way of recommendation. It’s a great book, I’ll probably read more of them (there are many Flashman Papers novels), but I hesitate to wholeheartedly endorse such a bastard of a main character. You’ll have to make this call for yourself. (less)
The subject of sequels has been hashed over before, particularly when it comes to movies. Lists of sequels that are better than their originals are no...moreThe subject of sequels has been hashed over before, particularly when it comes to movies. Lists of sequels that are better than their originals are notable because they are fairly short lists—the exceptions that prove the rule that sequels are usually junk designed to make more money rather than tell a good story.
Serial novels are in a bit of a different place than movie sequels, though even with movies we ought to acknowledge that there’s a difference between a sequel to a stand-alone movie and a series of movies designed to be one whole story told in parts. Serial novels are something I’ve spent a long time thinking about over the past couple years as I’ve been working on a novel whose characters could be serialized if things ever went that far.
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi brings the issue back to mind with a vengeance. My last review, of Scalzi’s Old Man's War, was effusive in its praise. I stand by that praise. I loved that book. My next door library didn’t have any more of Scalzi’s work on the shelves, so I pedaled one town over to my back up library and grabbed the next two novels he wrote based on the same characters and invented universe.
The Ghost Brigades is good. It’s not as good as Old Man’s War. So now what do I tell you? Should you read it? Or let the taste of the first, spectacular novel linger on your palette forever?
I had this problem with Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which I referenced in my previous review. Ender’s Game was amazing. People I trust (about novels anyway) tell me that the subsequent Ender’s books aren’t as good. This isn’t an insult, they say, how could they be as good? Ender’s Game is phenomenal! You could read the sequels, and they might be enjoyable, but nothing can beat the original. So far I haven’t read anything else past the original work of novelistic art.
Is The Ghost Brigades the same way? Should you read it and then not move on?
Here’s what I think: You should read Old Man’s War. Even if you don’t normally read science fiction, or military fiction, or anything else like it. If you like good stories told exceptionally well, you should read Old Man’s War. Should you read The Ghost Brigades? Yes, but only if you like the genre already and want to follow up with some of the characters you met in Old Man’s War. If you like science fiction with a military theme, you’ll probably enjoy The Ghost Brigades—it’s a good story well told. But it’s no Old Man’s War.
Every once in awhile I’ll pick up a book, start reading it, and know within the first 50 pages that I will not sleep again until that book is finished...moreEvery once in awhile I’ll pick up a book, start reading it, and know within the first 50 pages that I will not sleep again until that book is finished. This is a category as far above the overused “page turner”, as the flaming-sword wielding choirs of Seraphim are over the pudgy little Cherubim with their silly bows and arrows. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi is just such a book. I read it yesterday. All of it. Cracked the cover at lunch time and finished it at midnight, with a break around 7pm for a Vestry meeting at church.
If you’ve read much science fiction you’ll probably have read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Old Man’s War feels the same, except instead of kids it’s old people. I’m not saying the plot is the same (though they start very similarly) but that here are two novels equally compelling in their densely packed brevity and complete mastery of a style. Scalzi’s novel transcends science fiction, I think, while simultaneously honoring each aspect of the genre that makes it great.
I can’t really tell you any more about the novel without ruining it. There is great suspense in the beginning as you share the main character’s willing ignorance of what he’s getting into. In fact, if you decide to read this book, I strongly recommend that you DO NOT read the back cover until you’ve finished the first hundred pages. It’s not a quite a spoiler, but I’m glad I hadn’t read the words there until after I finished the story.
I’m off to the booksellers of the internets to buy this one!
My second time in China Miéville’s world, and a visit every bit as compelling as the first. More so, even.
The Scar begins when a fugitive from New Cro...moreMy second time in China Miéville’s world, and a visit every bit as compelling as the first. More so, even.
The Scar begins when a fugitive from New Crobuzon, the fascinating city of Perdido Street Station, takes ship for a colony of the bloated polis. It’s a slave ship, of course. En route, the ship is not-so-coincidentally taken by pirates. These are very peculiar pirates however, for they are not as interested as booty and prizes as Johnny Depp has led you to believe all pirates are. In fact, it’s a scientist they want, though they’re happy to have the slaves as well, to whom they give jobs and their freedom once back to port.
And oh, what a port. Miéville clearly has a love for cities, and in this tale he crafts another. Armada is a floating city, wrought of derelict ships and antique sailing vessels, rafts, steamers, paddlewheels, and anything else that floats, all bound together, bridged, and built up. The main viewpoint character, who spends much time writing a wonderfully post-modern letter to someone she has yet to decide upon, is billeted in a circular room converted from part of the smokestack of a centuries old coal burning steamship.
The thing that made The Scar a better read for me than Perdido Street Station was that in this novel I could detect the bones of the story underneath the amazing flesh Miéville covered them with. I’ve described the beginnings of the vivid surroundings in which this story takes place, but they are not the story; this plot is no excuse to make up bizarre and wonderful worlds. There are serious layers here, but they are discernible if you wish to discern them: a passionate love and/or a desperate narcissism between “The Lovers” drives Armada and its pirate citizenry to feats of science and bravery that threaten to ultimately destroy them. Coupled to that is an intricate nest of deception and bondage in which our protagonist is used, again and again, against and with her will, to accomplish the ends of others—ends she never understands until too late, and then has to go through with anyways.
**spoiler alert** For those of you who generally don’t bother with books I review because you aren’t into the speculative fiction genre, here’s one th...more**spoiler alert** For those of you who generally don’t bother with books I review because you aren’t into the speculative fiction genre, here’s one that’s different. Justin Cronin’s The Passage is a contemporary thriller with a bit of horror mixed in. Reading it, I recalled Stephen King’s The Stand at many points. I liked it, am glad I read it, would recommend it to anyone interested in these kinds of stories. It wasn’t a page-turner, but there was no way I could have dropped it at any point, despite its 769 page length. That said, I’m not buying it for my collection and in the end I felt like the structure was flawed, at least in terms of my personal enjoyment. The flaw I’m perceiving is related to the length, and the ending. I don’t dislike ambiguous endings automatically, though I’ll admit to a preference for nice, neat wrap-ups, as long as they’re done well. The ending of The Passage was a bit up in the air, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except that it felt to me like it didn’t fit. Like it wasn’t quite the artistic leaving-unsaid, nor was it a cliff-hanger for another novel. It just left me with some seriously unanswered questions about the main characters, which made me feel like I’d invested in caring about these characters more than the author had. Because of the length, this felt more like the first two novels of a three novel story. There was plenty of scope for that format as well. The story begins with a fairly standard, though very well re-told, tale of government experimentation and military science gone wrong. An expedition in the jungle, an ancient disease uncovered, ethics-bending testing on human subjects, and (surprise surprise) things go wrong: test subjects escape, civilization as we know it will come to an end if somebody doesn’t do something. If the heroes had managed to avert the crisis, this would have been a nice, though somewhat pedestrian, 250 page thriller. They don’t manage though, and civilization does indeed come to an end. There are some great bits about government officials and regular people trying to cope with the spreading plague. Here’s where book two could have kicked in. The next part of the story, which felt a lot like starting a whole new novel, takes place about a hundred years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are incredibly scarce and live under constant threat in an armed compound. A slightly mystical savior figure appears and a new set of characters undertake a quest to find the source of the plague and maybe defeat it. This part of the story is amazing. It could stand alone without the first section, or serve as a string second novel in a series. And there’s my only complaint. I want book three. I want to know what happens next, now that they have some answers and an idea of how to proceed. Maybe the author will write more, but there wasn’t any indication of that. In a book that paralleled The Stand so closely in my mind, I have to give the best ending award to Mr. King. Nevertheless, if you’re at all interested in these kinds of narratives, give Cronin’s doorstop a read. I doubt you’ll regret it. (less)
I read Richard Kadrey's "Sandman Slim" back in June and loved it. I anticipated the next novel featuring the same main character with such excitement...moreI read Richard Kadrey's "Sandman Slim" back in June and loved it. I anticipated the next novel featuring the same main character with such excitement that I pre-ordered it twice. Both copies showed up last week. I read one. Might read the other too, it was so much fun.
I still maintain that Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, is the R rated Harry Dresden. "Kill the Dead" is a first person, present tense, noir detective story with a thoroughly modern feel. If 'gritty' weren't such an overused descriptor of urban fantasy, I'd call it that, but it would be an understatement. Kadrey make's 'gritty' look like a feather bed.
So enough gushing, here's a specific that I love about these novels: Kadrey has a way with comparisons--similes, metaphors, etc.--that is jolting while at the same time blending in with his narrative. Instead of calling a street quiet, it is "a funeral on Christmas morning." Instead of saying he's bloody all over, he "looks like I'd been sumo wrestling in a barbwire kimono."
It feels like forever since I've posted a book here. I read half of a novel that was pretty terrible, wasting a week or so before giving up on it. The...moreIt feels like forever since I've posted a book here. I read half of a novel that was pretty terrible, wasting a week or so before giving up on it. Then I had China Mieville recommended to me by a member of my writing critique group and started in on the 700 pages of this amazing work of fiction.
Mieville's invented city of New Crobuzon is a horrifyingly fascinating place. A steampunk slum of epic proportions and thoroughly decaying grandeur, the city itself is perhaps the most intriguing character in a list of wonderfully odd characters.
The prose is dense, dark, and demanding. This isn't a page turner, but I was never once tempted to give up. It isn't often that I have to look words up when reading fiction, but I actually paid for an iphone dictionary app halfway through this text because I was needing it at least once a chapter. Yet the vocabulary, while strenuous, seemed to fit in for me.
The story is what I've come to think of as British dark fantasy. Indeed, the closest comparison I can make is to Joe Abercrombie, whose stories, while high fantasy instead of steampunk, are just as wonderfully real and depressing as Mieville's.
There are two more books by the author set in this city. I'm very much looking forward to them, but I'm planning to read a palate cleanser first, for the sake of my sanity.(less)
"His Majesty's Dragon" is one of my favorite finds of this year, such a compelling juxtaposition of Napoleonic historical fantasy with the postulation...more"His Majesty's Dragon" is one of my favorite finds of this year, such a compelling juxtaposition of Napoleonic historical fantasy with the postulation of ship-of-the-line sized dragons. Novik managed to keep the series interesting for many volumes, but I found this one too light. At only 250 pages, it felt like the first half of a novel, or else a novella with an interminable travel scenario stuck in the center (ala Harry Potter #7 and the never ending camping trip of boredom). I already bought the book, and I'll hang onto it until the next volume comes out, in case it can be redeemed. Otherwise, I'll probably resell this edition and save some precious shelf space, keeping the original four or five stories which I liked much better. Don't let this stop you reading the first book if you haven't; it's well worth it.(less)
An interesting cross-genre, halfway between high fantasy and romance. I'm much less qualified to discuss the romance elements, but I can say that they...moreAn interesting cross-genre, halfway between high fantasy and romance. I'm much less qualified to discuss the romance elements, but I can say that they weren't too overwhelming for someone who came looking for some pretty straightforward fantasy. The dual protagonists are interesting characters each in their own rights. The magic system is subtle and interesting, with the greater magics requiring hefty sacrifice. The pre-history of the world is also innovative, if only for background. I'll not buy this one for my own shelves, but I will be looking for installment #2 on the library shelves.(less)
The third and final(!) installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. I started this book yesterday. Finished it yesterday too, if that tells you anything a...moreThe third and final(!) installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. I started this book yesterday. Finished it yesterday too, if that tells you anything about how entrancing it was. This is probably my favorite YA series of the year (so far) and was finished off by a volume that was not just up to par with the first two novels but may have actually exceeded them. Katniss, the protagonist, is such a wonderfully drawn character who suffers much in a very realistic way. The mental wounds she suffers are even more real and damaging than the physical ones, a portrayal of the costs of human cruelty that is so often lacking in the speculative fiction genres. I can't recommend this one highly enough. Loved it.(less)
Another installment of the boy criminal-mastermind series. I liked this one pretty much exactly as much as I liked all the others, which is an accompl...moreAnother installment of the boy criminal-mastermind series. I liked this one pretty much exactly as much as I liked all the others, which is an accomplishment I think, as the longer these series' go on the less enamored of them I tend to get. The story seemed short, but I think that might also be a function of the long series syndrome, where the author has to fit in a bit of all the characters and signature scenes that fans have come to expect. I bought this one new, sight-unseen, in part to complete my collection but also because Colfer just writes great YA (Possibly Middle Grade) stories. I liked Artemis better when he was more of a criminal and more flawed (again, earlier in the series) but I was very happy to spend time with him again in this novel.(less)
OK, I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I liked the setting. I liked the characters. I liked the action. Really, I liked most everything about i...moreOK, I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I liked the setting. I liked the characters. I liked the action. Really, I liked most everything about it that I can think to identify. But I couldn't finish it. I just didn't care what happened next. There was no narrative element that was pulling me through to the end. At any number of points I felt like I could stop reading and not really miss out on anything, so eventually that's what I did. The book is set up as three interlocking novellas, which is a trick I usually enjoy, but in this instance just didn't work for me. I wonder if the co-authorship scenario had anything to do with this? If you like steampunk, I'd say give this book a try, but otherwise I can't get very excited about recommending this one to you. (less)
Westerfeld is a well published Young Adult novelist, so this one counts as research into that category as well as into the SteamPunk Genre. In my opin...moreWesterfeld is a well published Young Adult novelist, so this one counts as research into that category as well as into the SteamPunk Genre. In my opinion, it succeeds well on both counts. Standard YA elements (orphaned children, nobility in hiding, girl vs. society) are handled deftly and ring true for the paired main characters who come together across a war front.
Characterization is good; despite the fact that this is a lighter read with lots of focus on setting, the protagonists read true as kids while maintaining enough depth to feel real. The supporting characters are also complex enough to care about, with their own, adult, motivations and concerns.
The setting is fantastic, my favorite part of the novel. The eponymous airship flies over a European Continent divided by its dependence on opposing technologies: the Clankers build mechanical engines of great complexity while the Darwinists craft their machines from biological parts. I’m looking forward to the next installment, and will keep my eyes out for a copy of this one for my library. (less)
The third Takeshi Kovacs novel. I liked this one a hair more than the second. There's lots of revelation about Kovacs's early life, which is of intere...moreThe third Takeshi Kovacs novel. I liked this one a hair more than the second. There's lots of revelation about Kovacs's early life, which is of interest to readers who are fans by this point, though I preferred the unspoken backstory of the first novel. I'm not sure what it is about these novels, but I get really slowed down about two thirds of the way through. There's nothing obviously wrong, and I enjoy them, so I'm not blaming the author for this. Just can't decide why I love the beginnings so much and feel like I have to motivate myself to finish. Still, great books. Tarantino's "Kill Bill" translated to a bleak future.(less)
I read this as part of my immersion course in steampunk. It's really a collection of three novellas featuring the same main characters. I enjoyed them...moreI read this as part of my immersion course in steampunk. It's really a collection of three novellas featuring the same main characters. I enjoyed them all, but particularly liked the middle one which is written in the first person of a servant of the main character. The third story has a neat time travel sketch, well done, and depicts the main character loosing his mind pretty convincingly. Solidly in the 19th century British mode of steampunk with only minor departures from history into odd science.(less)
Seems like it took me forever to get through this book, not because it is long, but because I never hit that 'reading stride' where you just eat half...moreSeems like it took me forever to get through this book, not because it is long, but because I never hit that 'reading stride' where you just eat half a novel in one go and can't wait to pick it up again once you're forced to set it down. Different books engender this to different extents, and generally when a book fails to so-engender I call it a book I don't like. I did like this book, but it never engendered.
If you're interested, it's Young Adult fiction, the main characters are teenaged twins, male and female, guided by the eponymous Flamel and accompanied by various other historically real figures given their mythological powers in modern times. Not a bad idea, and not a bad book, it just never sucked me in. Could have been me.(less)
Great! Such fun. An alternate Seattle of 1886 suffers a runaway contraption that undermines the city and releases a blight which kills many and raises...moreGreat! Such fun. An alternate Seattle of 1886 suffers a runaway contraption that undermines the city and releases a blight which kills many and raises some to a shambling undeath. Steampunk Zombies! Besides the excellent premise and setting, characters are interesting, well-developed, and very likable. A hard backstory is revealed in dribs and drabs, pulling your attention out to the very end. This one's going in the collection for sure.(less)
A "dark" faerie tale in the YA category. I picked this up in an attempt to figure out what Young Adult fiction means as a discrete function of the pub...moreA "dark" faerie tale in the YA category. I picked this up in an attempt to figure out what Young Adult fiction means as a discrete function of the publishing world. What I learned: graphic descriptions of sex, no. Implied sex, fine. Swearing, fine. Gay kissing, fine. Moderately graphic violence, fine. Drug use, up to and including death by overdose, fine. I'm not being judgmental here, I'm just surprised to have found lots of themes that I would have thought off limits--things that the parents of young adults that I know would certainly not want their kids reading. It's almost as if the only "young adult" feature of the book is that fact that the main characters are teenagers. Maybe that's it, then. In the end I didn't like the story, not for the elements listed above, but just because it didn't flow for me as a plot, nor did I find that I especially cared for the characters. I've read some novels with evil faeries in them before and these are not they. To be fair, it looks like this is a third book; maybe I'd care about the characters if I'd been properly introduced two books ago.(less)
The second "Takeshi Kovacs" novel, this book features "Kill Bill" levels of graphic violence along with plenty of graphic sex. We're still in the "dar...moreThe second "Takeshi Kovacs" novel, this book features "Kill Bill" levels of graphic violence along with plenty of graphic sex. We're still in the "dark" mode here--something of a cyberpunk offering--but this novel does not draw nearly as much from the noir detective tradition as the first novel did. For that reason I liked it less, though that may have been because I kept wanting it to be the first book or because reading the two back-to-back like this may have burned my brain a little. We're still dealing with a great book of its genre, and I'm eagerly anticipating the third installment. I might read something a little less skull-thumping first though...(less)
Sweet! Another score for the Puyallup Public Library, I found this author on an end-of-aisle display, then backtracked his bibliography to this first...moreSweet! Another score for the Puyallup Public Library, I found this author on an end-of-aisle display, then backtracked his bibliography to this first novel.
Set in the twenty-fifth century, this novel is science fiction, but the future it lives in is recognizable in almost all its parts. It almost feels like a post-apocalyptic setting, though no apocalypse occurred. It fits right in with my current love for near-noir style: a hard, cyber-punk aesthetic featuring a morally questionable protagonist. The main character has a wonderfully conflicted personality, a complicated past, and a series of entanglements with the other characters that make sense while constantly being startling.
I'm really looking forward to the second novel, waiting on my desk, on loan from the library.(less)
OK, so now I've read the first book in all three trilogies in this series; a very odd way to follow a story. This one is my favorite (the 4th of 9 boo...moreOK, so now I've read the first book in all three trilogies in this series; a very odd way to follow a story. This one is my favorite (the 4th of 9 books, as far as I can tell). Basically, a deus-ex-machina causes all electricity, high explosives, and even steam pressure to cease to function, relegating the world to a technological level circa the late middle ages: no electronics, no gunpowder, no engines of any sort.
The story was fun to read, though not a page turner. There are two serious flaws in the story: first, the premise is so obviously a fiat against technology! It's never explained, and even the characters wonder what or who would send them back to a fantasy level of technology in while leaving them in the modern world. Clearly the author wanted to write a story about modern characters forced into medieval story, and did so so transparently that I kept getting pulled out of the story.
Secondly, there isn't enough threat in the story for me. Despite the seriously dangerous circumstances and the popping up of renegades, war chiefs, and petty bandit kings, none of the main characters ever feel like they're really in danger. I mean, the world basically ends and within a couple months everyone has blacksmiths, bowers, and horse drawn farming implements. The "Change" happens conveniently in early spring so everyone can plant and harvest without getting all that hungry. For post-apocalypse, this is an awfully tame and pleasant world.
So, those two flaws expounded upon, its odd that I really would recommend this book. I intend to get the next in the series and read it. For all that it isn't great story telling, I like the characters, I like to tribes they form, and I want to know what happens to them next (though I'm sure it won't be that unpleasant).(less)
A pseudo-Victorian tale of genteel horror, in which the main character is really the bad guy, though maybe not? I liked it but didn't love it, as it w...moreA pseudo-Victorian tale of genteel horror, in which the main character is really the bad guy, though maybe not? I liked it but didn't love it, as it was mostly atmospherics and wacky characters strewn about and not a whole lot of plot. What there was, was good, so if you like horror and/or victorian throwbacks, recommended. Otherwise, on to the next book!(less)
OK, I think I've got it figured out. The last book I read (The Sunrise Lands) is the first book in the second trilogy in the second series of "The Cha...moreOK, I think I've got it figured out. The last book I read (The Sunrise Lands) is the first book in the second trilogy in the second series of "The Change" novels. This book is the first of the first of the first. It's confusing, and a more detailed list of books by series inside the front cover would have been appreciated, publisher!
Anyways, I liked this one, but didn't love it. The premise is very interesting, the characters good, the actions/battle scenes particularly well written. For me, what keeps it from being a great book is the pacing, which is slowish; the perspective, which is broad and national rather than narrow and personal; and the sense of urgency, of which there wasn't much. Don't get me wrong, it was a good read, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in alternate history novels. The historical details felt authentic to me. In fact, just a few years ago I would have loved this novel, but I think my tastes are changing towards smaller scale stories.(less)
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