Sally Bend's Blog, page 27
March 11, 2024
Book Review: The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman (fantasy)
Author: Christopher Buehlman
Publication Date: June 25, 2024 by Tor Books
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Before I get into my review of The Daughters’ War, I have to jump up and down, wave my hands, and scream it loudly – this is a very different book from The Blacktongue Thief. That book was a fun read that pushed back against the gloominess of grimdark and was full of gallows humor, leaving me grinning between grimaces. This . . . well, this is straight-up grimdark, violent and hopeless and sad, but it’s not just grimdark. It’s also a deeply thoughtful, philosophical read about what makes a soldier, what makes a hero, and what makes a woman.
I said in my review of the first book that, if I were to have one minor complaint, it would be that I’d liked to have gotten to know Galva better. Well, here she is – younger, greener, more innocent, and very much growing into the Galva we’ll come to know and admire. You’d think that would make for a rather bland prequel, a story without edge, because we know she has to survive, but as we learn, outliving your sisters is not the same as surviving.
For lack of a better word, this was a grimdark tragedy. We know from the beginning it’s not going to end well. Innocenta reminds us again and again that humanity is engaged in a war of attrition against the goblins, with her sister Raven Knights as expendable as they are experimental. It’s a brutal story, with grotesque acts of violence that clearly establish the goblins as a terrifying force to be reckoned with. The story shocked me on more than one occasion, but Christopher Buehlman is to be commended for always giving that shock meaning and context. It’s not so much about the horrors, but the hopelessness they breed.
On that note, goblins are not the only monsters in the book. As we see, especially in the later chapters, humans can be just as bad, especially since they choose to be horrible to one another, whereas goblins are just naturally that way. As seen through Galva’s eyes, the betrayal of men, the acts of rape, theft, and abuse are far worse than the most grotesque examples of goblin feeding.
This is not all doom and gloom, however. The sisterhood and camaraderie of the Raven Knights is a wonderful thing to behold, especially where Innocenta is concerned, and the religion into which she introduces Galva, one that teaches them to love the face of death, is both poignant and beautiful. There’s a strength in the bonds between the found family of women, just as there is between families into which we’re born, and even the worst of her sisters and better than the worst of her brothers. When it comes to humanity, there is even justice to be found, and I dare you to find fault with vengeance when it’s explored here.
The Daughters’ War started off very slowly, feeling dry and detached compared to the first book, but once it gets its hooks in you . . . once you begin to think, feel, and experience the world through Galva’s eyes . . . the whole story shifts. It’s so much deeper and darker than I expected, and unbelievably powerful for it. I won’t say that I enjoyed it better than the first, but I appreciated it more, and for that reason I’m giving it an extra half-star.
Rating: 
1/2
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2024
Book Review: Scorpica by G.R. Macallister (fantasy)
Author: G.R. Macallister
Publication Date: February 22, 2022 by Saga Press
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Scorpica was a very uneven read that left me with very mixed feelings. I liked (and even loved) parts of it but, in hindsight, I think they were outweighed by the aspects with which I struggled or became frustrated.
What drew me into the book was the promise of a matriarchal society made up of queendoms, a drought of girls, and the stories of mothers within that world. The only thing I love more than female-fronted fantasy is female-led fantasy, so this should have been right in my literary sweet spot . . . but G.R. Macallister doesn’t really do much with the idea. There’s no meaning, value, or distinction to the gender-swapping of traditional fantasy. Matriarchy is no better or worse, or really any different from patriarchy. It’s plagued by the same flaws and problems, which would be fine if there were some sort of commentary to that effect, but the story never explores that. There are some wonderful women in this world, strong characters whom I loved and admired, the queens all seem to be as greedy, spiteful, mad with power as any king.
Similarly, in a book that could have done some wonderful work with gender, there’s no exploration of transgender issues here. Men are an unwanted commodity in the queendom of Scorpica, sold off to other queendoms upon birth. There’s no consideration given to raising them as girls, even when the drought of girls leaves them struggling to replenish their ranks of warriors. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, and going decades without girls would almost certainly give rise to some plan for creating girls. There have been recent fantasies that have done a wonderful job of exploring the issue (Alina Boyden, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Maya Deane, Heather K. O’Malley, Zabé Ellor), but I’d have even settled for a problematic exploration, given the tone of the book, something done forcefully, perhaps creating perhaps a lower caste of warriors. It wouldn’t have been ideal, but it would have at least opened the door for some layer of gender commentary.
The world-building here was interesting, but falls into the trap of not only settling for gender-based rule, but role-based societies – one of warriors, one of magic users, one of bureaucrats, etc. You’re born into both a gender and a role, and while that role can be changed (there’s a pivotal theft of girls during the drought), you cannot choose to change it or seemingly even want to change it (there’s not even a hint of girls wanting to explore some other role). Again, this static sort of society, one in which gender and role are entirely fixed, is ripe for some level of commentary, but it’s all just accepted, never questioned.
Having said all that, there were some exciting aspects of the plot that kept me reading, particularly that of the Rovers. They’re our only exploration of outlaw characters who exist outside a queendom’s role, and the camaraderie of the group offers a genuine sense of found-family that’s largely absent from the rest of the book. The story of the queen of Arca intrigued me, being the only thread in the book where there’s any exploration of sharing magic and power with a man. There was so much potential there, especially in her swing towards pure villainy, but it’s all squandered, ending too easily without any consequence. And then there’s the tension within Scorpica between usurper queen and a girl still loyal to her predecessor, which seems destined for something important, especially with a carefully worded agreement between them, but nothing significant comes of it. Finally, there are the intertwined stories of the near-immortal sorcerer demigod and daughter with explosive power mentioned in the blurb, which is the only thing that drives any real promise of change within the story, but it all leads up to an all-too-easy anticlimactic resolution that leaves us with more questions with answers.
As I said, very mixed feelings here. I liked enough of Scorpica to keep me reading, and I had high hopes for some of the characters and plot threads, but the ways in which that potential felt squandered have me unsure as to whether or not I want to explore Arca, the sequel. Part of me would like to see what Macallister does with the story, but aside from the mention of a possible future king, I’ve yet to see any reviews that mention it achieving the philosophical depth for which I was hoping.
Rating:
March 8, 2024
Sci-Fi/Erotica Experts Weigh In on Sex in 2040
I had the pleasure of being invited to share my thoughts on what erotic pleasures 2040 may hold in the latest Future of Sex article.
Am I being optimistic? Soft hearted? Too romantic? Let me know. 
Sci-Fi/Erotica Experts Weigh In on Sex in 2040
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
March 6, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman (fantasy)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is a prequel to one of my favorite maturesmirk fantasies – stories that are edgy, violent, profane, and amusing!
The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman
Fiction / Fantasy / Epic Fantasy
416 pages, Hardcover
June 25, 2024 by Tor Books
Enter the fray in this luminous new adventure from Christopher Buehlman, set during the war-torn, goblin-infested years just before The Blacktongue Thief .
The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men.
They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.
Now, our daughters take up arms.
Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.
The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.
Curious about what you’ve been missing? Read my previous reviews of Christopher’s work HERE.
March 3, 2024
Book Review: Pliable Truths by Dayton Ward (sci-fi)
Author: Dayton Ward
Publication Date: May 21, 2024 by Pocket Books/Star Trek
Genres: Science Fiction
Protagonist Gender: Various
Back in the heyday of Star Trek’s first revival, when we had The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager soaring across our screens, I was a devoted reader of the wider tie-in literary universe. There was nothing like going to the bookstore and seeing a new ‘episode’ on the shelves, just waiting to be devoured.
As Trek disappeared from our screens, it largely disappeared from my shelves as well. I came back to it on occasion, as cover blurbs drew me in, but it felt as if the tie-in universe had been stretched too far, with too many authors struggling to capture the personalities of the characters. Strange New Worlds rekindled my love of all things Trek, however, so when I saw a TNG/DS9 crossover with Picard and Garak on the cover, I decided to beam aboard.
I am delighted to say Dayton Ward demonstrates precisely the grasp of the universe and its personalities that I missed. Pliable Truths felt like a missing episode that more directly connects the TNG and DS9 universes. It explores the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajoran, the skepticism with which the Federation’s assistance is seen, and the consequences of war on all sides. Given all that’s happening in the Ukraine and Palestine, it’s a very timely story, and one that reminds us of how well Trek has always shone a spotlight on current affairs.
One of the things I felt Ward did really well was explore Captain Picard’s discomfort in facing the Cardassians again, so soon after his torture at their hands. He’s still the strong, capable, commanding officer we know, but we see him get agitated and distracted in a way that was never really explored in the series. I also felt Ward did an exemplary job of making this about more than just Picard and the Enterprise crew. While they are there to render assistance and help negotiate peace, it’s as allies, not saviors. Indeed, significant portions of the book explore how the Bajorans themselves band together to resist, infiltrate, and quietly combat their oppressors.
Being something of a gap book that takes place before DS9, we don’t encounter a lot of that cast, but I enjoyed seeing how characters like Kira and Miles came to join the crew, and how Odo, Quark, and Garak were already establishing their odd camaraderie. There was enough here to feel familiar, but the story itself felt necessary, a tale that needed to be told as opposed to just an excuse to revisit old friends.
Rating:
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2024
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
February 28, 2024
Book Review: A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (fantasy)
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
It was just shy of 4 years ago that I immersed myself in The Priory of the Orange Tree while on vacation in Cuba. It didn’t matter that it was a nearly 900-page hardcover that weighed more than everything else in my bag combined. I toted it back and forth to the beach every day, and then literally raced through the last pages as we sat on the tarmac back home, desperately hoping it would take just a little longer to disembark from the plane so I could finish it.
At the same time, I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more of Sabran, Ead, and Tané. I wanted to explore beyond those final chapters and experience just as much of what comes next as what came before.
A Day of Fallen Night is all about the before, taking us back to the story before the story, exploring the history and mythology of the world we’ve come to love through the eyes of a new group of women. Given the timing, I held off on reading this as soon as it was released because I knew it would be this year’s beach read, another massive hardcover to relax with on our long-awaited return to Cuba.
Generally, I’m not a fan of prequels. They’re so often devoid of any tension or any drama because we know already how the story ends. Go back far enough, however, and prequel becomes history . . . becomes mythology . . . and how it ends is no longer an issue. Samantha Shannon does just that here, offering us a complete story in the cycle of myth, establishing a saga a story that spans generations. By taking us 5 centuries into the past, with a whole new cast of characters, she has free reign to establish the same kind of dramatic intrigue and family dynamics that made the first book so amazing.
Once again, this is female-fronted epic fantasy, and one that’s as much about feminine power, love, friendship, and family as politics, religion, or magic. Make no mistake, those other aspects are here, and they are important, but it’s women who make (and save) the world. There’s an underpinning to the tale that explores the misogyny of mythology, the ways in which women’s contributions are discarded or disguised, and the manner in which it is ultimately subverted, with revelations that set up the conflicts of Priory, is wonderful to behold.
Tunuva’s thread was the least interesting to me, perhaps because it overlaps so much with what we’ve read and seen in the first book. There was a bit too much angst there, too much emotional back-and-forth, and many of her choices were questionable, often bordering on selfish. That said, my edition was an Indigo exclusive, with a bonus chapter at the end that provides a little backstory, and it softened my opinion of her somewhat.
Glorian’s thread that started a bit weak, but it grew on me as the story evolved and her personality developed. She is, in many ways, the epitome of the story, and the choices she’s forced to make because of bloodlines, history, and ruling expectations are what shift the story from just another epic fantasy to one that’s deeply meaningful. Dumai’s thread is something of a parallel, but it’s how and where the expectations of her differ that give her story power. I loved both of these women deeply, and I would argue their sacrifices are more noble than any warrior, king, or sorcerer in the genre.
With my appreciation for the first book growing over time, making me consider new aspects or elements each time I think back on it, my expectations for A Day of Fallen Night were high – and Shannon delivered on all of them. It starts out a little slower, and it takes time to warm up to the 3 POV characters, but overall I felt the pacing was better, the themes better established, and the emotional aspects more layered and intertwined. Another wonderful read that has me excited for more.
Rating:
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba (fantasy)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week promises morally ambiguous characters, lush fantasy, struggles against colonization – and a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift!
Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba
Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
480 pages, Paperback
June 25, 2024 by Titan Books
In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people’s struggle against colonization.
Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.
Maria Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister Maria, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila’s Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and her younger sister Inez.
Lunurin is determined to keep her head down – until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila’s most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with Lunurin for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu’s rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon’s magic and Catalina’s jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu’s fury at bay.
For the goddess of storms demands vengeance. And she will sweep aside anyone who stands in her way.
February 21, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake by Django Wexler (fantasy)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week marks an exciting return to the classic Spelljammer universe of Dungeons and Dragons, with a new book by none other than Django Wexler!
Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake by Django Wexler
Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure
272 pages, Hardcover
June 4, 2024 by Random House Worlds
Set sail for the stars in this official Dungeons & Dragons novel set in the worlds of Spelljammer: Adventures in Space!
In the colossal void of Shatterspace, besieged by bloodthirsty marauders and brimming with monstrous aberrations, the only constant is power: The deft will escape the slow. The clever will outwit the naïve. The strong will take from the weak.
Axia wishes she could be grateful to have spent her life—or what little she remembers of it—on an asteroid so far from anything of interest that even the greediest spacers see fit to pass it by. Her days may not be as exciting as the swashbuckling stories of her favorite books or as dramatic as the pasts she’s imagined for herself, but they’re as safe as Shatterspace can manage. So why does something inside her long for the stars every time she sees a spacefaring spelljammer vessel?
When Axia survives a sudden assassination attempt, she is cornered by Kori and Nia, a pair of pirates who offer her two options: flee with them to Wildspace, where they can keep her hidden among their crew, or die. It’s an easy choice with death at her doorstep. But even in the vastness of the Astral Sea, Axia quickly realizes that her new friends haven’t been entirely honest about their motivations.
It turns out, Axia is the spitting image of Blacktongue, the long-disappeared captain of one of the deadliest pirate crews in Shatterspace. And Kori and Nia have a plan to claim the mysterious treasure that the pirate queen vanished while pursuing. To survive, Axia will have to fill Blacktongue’s bloodstained boots and embark on a more perilous and thrilling adventure than any she’s dared to dream.
Curious about what you’ve been missing? Read my previous reviews of Django’s work HERE.
