Sunyi Dean's Blog, page 7
January 18, 2019
The Outcast Hours by Mahvesh Murad
The Outcast Hours by Mahvesh Murad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nota bene: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley. All my opinions are my own 
December 30, 2018
Examples of Successful Query Letters
via Examples of Successful Query Letters
Original article by Ellen Brock, featuring an (older) version of my ANCHOR query, and the successful version of Essa Hansen’s NOPHEK query.
How to Write a Query (with examples of real successful query letters)
via How to Write a Query (with examples of real successful query letters)
Original article and video by Ellen Brock, professional independent editor, but her video also features the query for Anchor (my second MS), and for Nophek (a ms by my critique partner, Essa Hansen.)
December 29, 2018
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so fucking angry over how good this book is. I might have to go void-scream into an abyss because of its incredible scope and ambition, of the depth and the beauty of its writing, of the sheer ridiculous scope of this story.
I am RAGING with incredulous angry admiration and not even going to attempt a “proper” review–because I can’t. I don’t understand how it was written. I don’t understand how it was put together. I can’t conceive of such a concept being executed in such a way and, basically, the story utterly surpasses my ability to deconstruct.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this in about three hours (what can I say, I’m fast and already know the plot, having seen the show.)
It certainly fascinating and enjoyable, and the dialogue fantastic, but I’m spoiled a bit from the show, which I think had tighter plotting and a better arc.
Yes, I’m going to commit that cardinal sin–and admit I preferred the show to the original novel. Hang me for my crimes! I’d say 3.6 stars if Goodreads could do that sort of decimalisation… but it can’t, so oh well.
December 26, 2018
String City, by Graham Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.
Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a little bit excited to see someone nailing that aspect of writing. If you are a world-building junkie, there is a lot to like, and the sheer scope of ambition is impressive. The science that underpins the setting is a good blend of fantastical, fresh, and believable, blending new and familiar elements alike (eg, dimension hopping and a lot of Greek myth). I also enjoyed the voice of the MC, having a fondness for noir (and it is VERY noir in atmosphere, despite the unusual setting.)
The MC is an intriguing character, and because I don’t want to get into spoilers I’ll avoid giving too many specifics here, but suffice to say he’s had a rather colourful life and is in possession of a varied skill set.
However–and this is where my review strays into the realm of the subjective–he verges into being coy, at times. Zephyr, one of two sidekicks throughout the novel, has this to say about the MC:
“Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I’m getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer.”
…And that’s often how I felt as well. The MC’s past and history start out as a mystery, and usually unveiled in moments of crisis. For example (no spoilers), MC finds himself in a jam–so we dip into a flashback about the time he did X Y Z, which gave him X item or Y skill, which he then promptly utilises.
The reveals were funny/engaging, and well done. But too many of them began to feel like, the MC would always escape every impossible situation even if we as the reader could not see the way out, because he simply had an endless well of past experiences and items to draw on. Every time I thought I knew the limit of the MC’s options, he would pull out something fresh, so I began to assume he would *always* do this, for every encounter.
I hope this makes sense, I feel I am not explaining very well! Either way, it’s not a huge issue, and is very subjective as I said, but *for me* this meant some the tension didn’t run as high as it might have done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, though, and would certainly recommend it when it’s out on shelves. Intrigued to see any sequels and what else the author does with the setting.
December 4, 2018
What I’m Currently Reading
Here is a list of books I am currently reading, or which are in my ‘short’ queue. I also keep track of them on my Goodreads page.
Netgalley TBR:
DAYS BY MOONLIGHT – Andre AlexisTHE OUTCAST HOURS – story anthologySTRING CITY – Graham Edwards
Personal TBR:
QUIETUS by Tristan Palmgren (REREAD)TERMINUS by Tristan PalmgrenSOME DISTANT SUNRISE by Elliott Downing
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Two days after finishing Borne, the latest read in my Vandermeer streak, and I am still not okay because I have all the feels for an inhuman murderous squid tentacle monster.
I’ll try and break down what this book is about, with only minimal spoilers.
BORNE is a personal story of found families, lost children, broken homes, and couples trying to “make it work” against the odds.
BORNE is an epic story about monsters, humanity, and the incredible struggle of people who wish to be good but cannot stop being evil.
BORNE is a science fantasy story about a post-apocalyptic world overrun by biotech/wetware, all of it as beautiful and ingenious as it is insane and deadly.
BORNE is everything I look for in a speculative fiction novel, and if you are a fan of this genre, you cannot afford to miss this modern classic.
December 1, 2018
Wolfwater by Alia Hess
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclaimer: I read an Advance copy of this novel, although I think it is now for sale.
I’ve been following Alia’s work for awhile, quietly amazed to watch as an already-strong writer has continued to grow from strength to strength.
I enjoyed Travelers (book 1) and gave it a 4 star rating. Wolfwater takes the same half-wild post apocalyptic world, the same enduring and sweet characters, and wrings misery, reflection, and unrelenting tension out of them. I was sort of afraid that the “island prison” bits would be dull, but far from it. They have a powerful sense of claustrophobia and desperation, and the clash of opposed characters keeps the tension strung high.
I’m glad to see Owl continuing to find herself, and assert herself (it feels like she’s growing into her skin a little more with each novel), and also it’s refreshing to have an SFF book in which almost all the characters are in established adult relationships.
November 26, 2018
City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff VanderMeer
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This type of narrative is usually a difficult sell for me.
CSM contains a number of shorter stories (novellas and novelettes) which are loosely connected, and weaves a single narrative thread through them. The reason I find this sort of thing difficult is because no sooner have I become attached to one character, they are gone and time has skipped on, sometimes by centuries. I prefer a lengthier investment.
Not all the stories are equal. The first is the weakest, imo, though it picks up towards the end. Martin Lake’s tale stood out to me, though it had no surprises, because the enjoyment (much of it, anyway) comes between the comparisons of what we know to be true of his experience, and what historians believe to be true of his influences.
Some of the passages were a little too dry, too “rpg splat book” for my preference. I skimmed any and all endnotes, glossaries, and the pages of fake academic references. A nice touch, but not really readable in story terms. If, however, you are the kind of reader who likes to extract every iota of detail, every hidden nugget or sly joke, every tiny puzzle piece of the vast mystery that is Ambergris, then all of that is certainly there for the harvesting.
I mentioned the RPG splat book feel; the sense that this is more a fantasy setting with some stories attached. It’s another reason why this sort of book is generally a hard sell for me (although, I feel compelled to add, it is exactly the sort of thing my partner loves reading.) How you feel about this aspect will be completely specific to you and your tastes. If you are the sort of person who reads RPG books for fun, this is probably something of a motherload.
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Still, I’ve given it 5 stars, after spending a night thinking about it… so reasons why this made the 5 star list:
– I didn’t enjoy every story equally, but I did enjoy every story, and each one build on previous stories to add layers, richness, metatextuality, and depth
– the metatextual elements were of course a big draw, and the novel’s engagement with metafiction, surreality, horror was satisfying to me. A lot of analysis went into this book and there is a lot to get out of it, if you wish to do so.
– the writing is lovely. Maybe this goes without saying in a Vandermeer book but on the other hand, good writing is always worth singing praises for.
– the humor really appealed to me. I’ve highlighted one particular chapter where the insulting tone of the narrator had me laughing out loud.
– it’s just so *complete* as a book. The worldbuilding is breathtaking, the scale and depth and layers to it. As someone who is a weak, half-assed worldbuilder, I was duly impressed, and (I hope) I learned a lot from this read. Ambergris feels very real, both present and distant, both fantastical and believable. That in itself is a lovely achievement
– It kept me very interested and engaged despite, as I said before, this not being quiiite the type of book I usually enjoy. Nice to push the boundaries, of course.
