Kathryn Troy's Blog, page 8

Another Failed Devil Book: The Devil Aspect

I'll give credit where it's due: The Devil Aspect was good for about 75% of the book. The combination of an asylum for the seriously criminally insane, the search for the devil, and a castle on the hill with a terrible reputation has the potential to be a powerful combination. It worked extremely effectively in the film A Cure for Wellness, so I had high hopes for this book.

But as books about the devil usually do, it all unraveled at the 3/4 mark. The tight tension and atmosphere that had been built, with the nice casual addition of rising political tensions on the eve of WWII, was blown on a very bizarre twist that confused more than shocked, and ended up being tropey and trite rather than mind-blowing. The internal logic of all I'd read just collapsed in on itself as Dr. Victor Romanek desperately searches for the connection between his patients and his theory of the so-called "devil aspect" that afflicts men's minds and makes them do unspeakable things (murder, cannibalism, you know).

The biggest problem with this book, without intentionally spoiling anything, is that this makes the argument that all of the worst characters in history (Gilles de Rais, Jack the Ripper, etc.) are just the devil by another name. Which completely negates any sense of human agency for any of these figures, historical or fictional. Sorry, but that makes things less horrifying. Not more.

Also - can we just stop using Jack the Ripper as a cop-out for evil people? It's an overused shortcut, as are Nazis. Both of which magically made their way into this book.

K. Rating: 2/5

No Sophomoric Slump Here: Beastly Bones

I'm so pleased to finally say that a series that had a good start had a great second showing. I enjoyed Jackaby very much the first time around (see review here), and even though I felt that there were too many paranormal entities being investigated at once, the story and the characters pulled it all off surprisingly well.

In Beastly Bones , the second Jackaby book, the story was much tighter, focusing on a magnificent but also highly unusual discovery of dinosaur bones out in the New England countryside. The characters progressed quite nicely, including Charlie, the human/dog shapeshifter whose cover was blown in New Fiddleham in the last book. The new characters were also well-developed, which is not common in episodic characters and was greatly appreciated. The feud between two scientists over the dinosaur bones and their penchant for sabotaging each other definitely added another layer of possibility to the mysteries.

Once the main threat of the book reveals itself (no spoilers here), the level of danger was keenly conveyed, and the combination of the grim reality of certain creatures and adventures with the more whimsical tone of the writing was refreshing and realistic.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the passages regarding Jenny, Jackaby's ghost in residence. The scenes where she acts in ways that send chills down Abigail's spine were very effective, and the promise of this storyline being made center stage in the third book wants me to dig in all the sooner.

K Rating: 5/5

Not My Thing: The Deed

I like historical fiction, especially of the medieval period. I also like romance novels. So it makes good sense that I would like historical romance taking place in the Middle Ages. Well. Hopefully there are better iterations out there, but The Deed  by Lyndsay Sands did not rock my boat.

I get that when being authentic you must remember that the majority of marriages were arranged and not love matches. But that also doesn't mean that love matches didn't exist at all, or that we should suddenly find male chauvinism enchanting because of the time period. And that's what we got here. Marriage before love for the sake of historical circumstances outside anyone's control. You could start that as the premise to a love story, but there's never a real connection made between the couple, never a meeting of the minds or even a hint of mutual respect. The man's an oaf, to the point where even the other characters think his ideas about relations between the sexes are out of step. None of that is endearing.

If anyone knows of a better historical romance where we don't glamorize sexism, please - let me know.

K. Rating: 1/5

Weird Fiction, Weird Ending: Children of the Night

After so many many months of broadening my horizons in favor of more contemporary fiction, I needed a return to form, and chose John Blackburn's Children of the Night  to kick things off. Weird, inexplicable events in an insulated English town, past massacres, and the hint of a heretical Christian cult? What's not to like?

I did like this story, very much. The investigative aspects, where people are trying to figure out the root of all these strange goings-on was well done, and I actually wanted to see more of that (this is a rather short book).

The fear of going into the subterannean caves and discovering the true cause behind these events was appropriately terrifying, but again, I've become so accustomed to longer works that I felt that the tension could have been teased out for much longer. That, and I thought the resolution was a bit more on the bizarre side than I was expecting. I was expecting something a bit more supernatural, a bit more steeped in the past than what I got. Either way, even that part felt rushed.

No matter - nothing will deter me from soaking up more classics in the months to come!

K. Rating: 3/5

Cute Romance, Could Have Been Cuter: Well Met

I was intrigued by the premise of Jen DeLuca's Well Met, a contemporary romance where enemies become something else as they don new identities for the Renaissance Faire.

What's not to like about men in leather pants? Nothing, that's what. The small town and the characters where well-fleshed out, and I enjoyed watching Emily take on the role of a tavern wench only to be surprised when the uptight pain-in-the-ass organizer of the faire becomes a charming pirate. Also, the writing was very witty and I did chuckle out loud more than once. The idea of romance blossoming during a time of masquerade was unique and enticing. I just felt like it could have been taken so much further. The periods of flirtiness, while solid, felt sporadically when taken as a whole, and I would have like to see more continuity with those scenes, and to feel a stronger sense of immersion in the faire. I get that we were trying to get the point across that Emily is confused as to what's real and what's not, but that would have only been enhanced I think by allowing her (and the reader) to become more absorbed by the faire, and by the relationship that blossoms there.


My other quibble (not a minor one) is that this is yet another romance book where its plot structure is very transparently lifted from Pride and Prejudice. Books like that abound to the point where they're basically their own subgenre. Normally, that comes along with being mentioned somehow on the back cover. Not the case here, which I can't say I appreciated. Though I enjoyed this book I don't generally enjoy P&P pastiches and like to be warned in advance.

My reason for not liking such tales is because their adherence to another book can often become contrived as original characters are shoved into specific directions to hit certain beats. That certainly felt like the case here a few times. It might have been better to take some more general cues from historical romances, especially in how Simon/Captain Ian is portrayed. There's a lot of things about his character that make him sympathetic, but rather than sympathy he mostly gets called an asshole, because, well, Darcy is supposed to be an asshole, and then does a 180 in the book, to the point where the character is described entirely differently so that readers can cheer when Elizabeth falls in love with him, rather than wanting to smack her on the head. Here, I wanted to smack Emily on the head for thinking he was an asshole when he was dealing with some major issues and could have used a little extra consideration and compassion. But of course that wouldn't fit the "Elizabeth" mindset of having prejudged him.

You see the problem - perfectly good characters, and a perfectly good romance story, is constrained by this arbitrary need to emulate a romance that wasn't that great to begin with. The potential for this one was limitless if only it had been given its wings.

K Rating: 4/5

Not Quite What I Was Hoping For: Doctor Sleep

When you sit down to a Stephen King novel, pretty much the only thing that makes the insane length worth it is the horrifying payoff. I learned that lesson a long time ago with titles like Pet Sematary, Dreamcatcher, and of course, The Shining. I'd put off reading Doctor Sleep for a while in favor of reading new authors, but once I saw that Ewan McGregor, one of my favorite actors, was going to be playing grown-up Danny, I knew I had to get up to speed.

I will still be going to see the movie, but it's not going to be because I loved the sequel. I didn't. There were some things that were interesting, if not necessarily compelling. For example, delving into the life of a recovering alcoholic and exploring the cultural invisibility of "RV people." However, the concept of psychic vampires has always felt kind of lame to me. And that held true for this story. I'm not saying they didn't do terrible things, but that wasn't really enough to make the very large chunk of the book taken up by them compelling.

Danny Torrance as a character was compelling. He was why I came to the book after all, which is probably true for most readers. But there were so many other, less interesting things going on, that dealing with his haunted past is not something that takes center stage here. Which was a crying shame. Because that stuff was just as good as I expected it to be.

Likewise, I didn't like the main plot where Danny becomes acquainted with and must help save a young girl who has an incredibly strong shining. It was interesting, but only in an "ok" sense. It's not as if she had the same terrible dreams as Danny did at her age because, well, there's no Overlook Hotel.

When the specter of the first novel does rear its head, it's all bark and no bite. Again, the stuff that you came to this book for is buried in other concepts, that honestly could have been in a book that didn't have Dan Torrance in it. So it begs the question.

I might be in the minority with this review here, and that's fine. King is allowed to do whatever he damn well pleases. He's earned that honor. And if he wants to do psychic vampires, fine. It just didn't hit that nostalgic sweet spot for me.

K. Rating: 2.5/5

Solid Start to a Mystery Series: A Beautiful Blue Death

According to Barnes and Noble, which is currently stocking the twentieth installment of this series or some such, I'm a little behind the times. But aren't we all? Regardless, it's nice to know that when I take my head out of the sand (ie, some other book or one of my own), that there are still great mysteries to discover.

A Beautiful Blue Death, the first book in the Charles Lenox series is one such success. The amateur investigator Lenox was quite competent for someone who does this in his spare time. As he interacted with suspect after suspect following a suspicious suicide in a well-to-do-household, I had my suspicions about the culprit, but the resolution was not easily transparent. That, of course, is the mark of a good mystery.

The investigation did emphasize interviewing subjects rather than forensic investigations, so I would have liked some more robust variety on that front. Those thing were there, especially at the beginning, and that's what really hooked me, but then the crime scene was closed off to Lenox, and by proxy, the reader, and we were left with talking to people who may or may not be telling the truth. Hopefully, that will be an obstacle easily overcome in the series by a new set of circumstances.

I liked Lenox himself, and the other characters, but the characterization did feel a bit rushed for the suspects, and I didn't get a whole lot of personal insight on Lenox. Not as much as I would like, as you always want to root for the detective, and feel some stronger connection to him over someone else. Something that makes him distinctive and not generic. That was not entirely forthcoming. But I hold out hope that he will be further fleshed out in future adventures. They do abound.

K. Rating: 4/5

A Twist that Blew My Mind: The Silent Patient

I'm always up for a thriller that revolves around the discipline of psychology. The Silent Patient was absolutely excellent - it was packed with mystery and suspense, and a dark criminality that a horror-lover like me craves, even when I'm not reading horror.

Alicia is a patient who hasn't spoken a word in years after violently murdering her husband. The question on everyone's lips is why. And Theo, her new therapist, is determined to find out.

Theo was a compelling character to follow around - you see his own personal failings outside of the workplace, which humanizes him and gives you the impression that his intentions, along with his uncoventional methods, may not all be for the best. He does, however, seem to be getting results. But whether or not anyone wants to hear what Alicia has to say is another story.

I can't really say more than that - the value of this book is discovering it as you read. But I will say that all of the characters were great, as were all the twists. The one right at the end was like a Big Bang. It was super clever, and never once expected. Kudos kudos kudos to the author.

One of the themes that I appreciated was the parallel to Greek myth. With a last name like that, the author's ethnicity was obvious to me (a fellow Greek) immediately. And of course I always love to see classical tales retold or retooled in very thoughtful ways. At times, though, it was laid on a bit thing. All the random references would be Greek-centric as well. (ie, it's hotter in London than in Athens today), and I could have done with a bit less surface reference.

Doesn't take away from this practically perfect book. Can't wait to see what else this author has up his sleeve.

K. Rating: 5/5

Increased Momentum: The Rogue

I was not as compelled by Ambassador's Mission  as I have been by the titles in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician series, which kicked off these characters. The second book in the trilogy, The Rogue , had a better sense of pace as people continue along their individual journeys.

Dannyl, ambassador to Sachaka, is navigating his personal relationships with his ex-lover and a potential new one, all while balancing the political stakes of his position and the tenuous relationship between Sachaka and the Allied Lands following the devastating Ichani invasion that occurs in The High Lord.

The same stakes are prevalent as Sonia's son Lorkin tries to learn a powerful new form of magic from the Traitors, while trying not to be killed or have his mind forcefully read by people who consider his late father and him as the enemy.

Even Sonia and Cery have more to deal with in this book, as they continue to track down the criminals distributing roet throughout Imardin as well as the new threat of rogue black magicians in the city.

There were still some passages that felt slow, and some characters that felt stale, but that new plot angle was some of the most compelling writing in this volume, and I hope we see more along those lines in what promises to be a dramatic conclusion to the Traitor Spy Trilogy.

K Rating: 3/5

More Old than New: It Chapter Two

Despite my feelings of loyalty toward Tim Curry, I really enjoyed IT: Chapter One and went very quickly to see the sequel, dealing more with the kids of Derry who have grown up and returned to deal with Pennywise after twenty-seven years.

Chapter Two was wishy-washy. The parts that were good were really good. And that constituted everything that was new in the film. All of the hauntings that the grownups experience, and the few times that Pennywise is on screen in this sequel, are excellently written and beautifully shot. That's why we all went to this film in the first place.

But the film felt imbalanced because a large majority of what happens felt like a retread of Chapter One. The kid versions of the characters are on screen for a decent chunk of the time, but that doesn'tnecessarily add to what we knew about them, or their relationship to Derry/Pennywise. There's also a higher ratio of melodrama in this film. I'm not saying to cut everything and leave only jump scares, but the sense of menace felt watered down as a result, rather than thrilling/compelling storytelling. I also felt there was a disconnect between the happenings of the past and the happenings of the present. There's not a strong enough connection b/w the adults and the new spate of kids who are being devoured by Pennywise. There's an attempt to connect them, but the community itself is not connected, dysfunctional or otherwise.

Also, and this is no minor thing: I didn't at all like the treatment of native spirituality in this film. I know this is something King has dealt with in his fiction before, but I would argue there were things that he got away with in the 80's (I'm thinking of Pet Sematary), which were dealt with better to begin with, that he shouldn't be able to get away with now. Because boiled down, what happened is that a native culture that we learn very little about holds the key to defeating the spiritual/paranormal force that Derry residents know as Pennywise, and that the only other person who can teach his friends of this ritual is a the only other person of color on screen. That shouldn't fly. You can read all about my feelings on racial/spiritual representation here. It's fine to talk about the power of friendship and coming of age as a solution to these problems - you don't have to being this kind of exotic spirituality into the picture. It's too problematic, and it's unsustainable.

Piled onto that is the framing of Pennywise's defeat as bullying. Maybe that was intentional (it could have been, given the framing of the shot), but even if it was, it was a mistake. Coming of age means becoming an asshole? Becoming the thing that traumatized you, the thing you hate? What kind of message is that? It undermines one of the primary premises of this narrative - the power of friendship and the bond of the "losers." A misstep, to say the least.

Ah well. Not every iteration of every beloved property can hit the nail on the head. I just keep hoping that they will.

K. Rating: 3/5