Beth Tabler's Blog, page 204
December 23, 2021
Short Story Review – Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer
check it out here BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY by NAOMI KRITZER December 23, 2021 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress “To whomever took all the books,In the future, please take just one or two at a time, or consider leaving a book for others to enjoy. For now, I hope you enjoy reading the books you took! Please share them with others when you are done reading!”A Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer is a beautiful short story that reminds readers that magic can be found in anything. As a reader, I know the magic and power of the written word. Books have power, whether it is to escape, learn, or become enthralled.
And one of the best things a reader can do is share their love for specific books with new readers freely—no strings attached, which is why Little Free Libraries are such a cool concept. You get a kit, a box, a refrigerator… anything that can keep the books out of the rain, and you fill it with your past reads and share it with your community, take a book, leave a book. You have no idea what you will get.
In this story, the narrator and owner of the Little Free Library lovingly builds a box for her front yard and fills it full of her favorites. A little Belgariad, some Lord of the Rings, top it off with some Terry Pratchett.
What does she get back? A little magic, and mystery of course.
This story made me smile so much. We readers are always looking for the bits of magic in the real world because the real world can be so dull. This story shows that it can pop up in the most wondrous of places.
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Review – Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
December 22, 2021
Review – Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
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RAYBEARER JORDAN IFUEKOREVIEW BY FABIENNE FROM LIBRE DRACONIS
December 22, 2021 12:00 pm No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress “Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.”Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is probably one of the most unique fantasies to come out in 2020, and despite its Covid-induced delay it is almost ready to be let loose upon the world! I loved that it in no way conformed to the traditions of Western fantasy and is thoroughly grounded in African storytelling and culture.
Jordan is a fantastic writer, and I cannot wait to see where her career takes her – a few months ago, she did a promo thing on Twitter where she asked readers to send in pictures and described them in the Raybearer style, and this is how she described me, I absolutely love it!
Many thanks to HotKey Books for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
SUMMARY: Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of Eleven.
If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust.
Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn – but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? (from HotKey Books)
OPINIONS: There is so much to say about Raybearer, and at the same time, I’m just blubbering and yelling at you to buy this damn book. It is unique, has positive portrayals of asexuality, subverts the chosen one trope, and features some beautiful writing.
My favourite element about this book was probably the world building – looking for a non-problematic new fandom to stan now that you no longer want to associate yourself with a certain wizarding school? No problem, Jordan Ifueko just gave us twelve realms to identify with. There is magic, there is friendship, there is family and there is love of all sorts. Really, there is everything needed in a great YA novel.
The characters are deliciously complex, and Tarisai’s true loyalties are murky until the very end of the book, adding tension to the story. The Lady, the book’s antagonist, is just as faceted and layered, rather than just being some sort of faceless evil.
Nevertheless, kindness overshadows ambition and competition, which is a lovely change from so many YA novels. Despite everything that happens in the story, the bonds of friendship and loyalty do hold the group together and shape the plot.
If reading this has made you want to read Raybearer – I know writing has made me want to reread -, you’re in luck, it is finally out next week! Add it to your Goodreads here, and pre-order from your retailer of choice. Click here for Forbidden Planet, or I know Fairyloot will be doing an awesome special edition with the UK cover on a hardback soon!
CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Review – The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty
FABIENNE FROM LIBRIS DRACONIS
Hi! I’m Fabienne, the nerd behind Libri Draconis. I have always loved reading more than anything else, and have been reviewing and rating books on Goodreads and Netgalley for a while.
My friends also claim that I am somewhat talented at shoving great books at them, whether they ask for recommendations or not. In that spirit, I decided to branch out into creating a real book blog, and I hope you enjoy reading my opinions. Libri Draconis has been live since August 2018 and keeps growing and enriching my life.
Besides reading, Dungeons and Dragons has taken over our lives in the past couple of years, and I love cooking and swimming in the river – oh, and cats of course. After having been mainly Switzerland-based for two and a half decades, I moved to London in 2019, and I am very excited to be a part of the lively UK bookish community!
In real life, I’m a professional nerd. After a long stint into medieval history, eighteenth-century mathematicians and digital editions I did an MA in Publishing at UCL.
I’m currently freelancing in various areas of publishing and love playing with stories more than anything – my dream is to one day be nominated for a best editor Hugo award. But in the meantime, I’m on the judging panel for the British Fantasy Awards and the Subjective Kinds of Chaos Awards for 2021.
Review – Legendborn By Tracy Deonn
check it out here BOOK REVIEW
LEGENDBORN TRACY DEONNREVIEW BY FABIENNE FROM LIBRI DRACONIS
December 22, 2021 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress The most important thing you can do in this world, the most necessary thing, is to survive it. You can't do anything for anyone else if you don't take care of yourself first.Fabienne’s summer of Arthuriana continues! I’ve been lucky enough to get to read an eARC of the wonderful Legendborn a few weeks ago and I can assure you that it is worth every ounce of hype that it is getting! A thoroughly modern reimagining of the Arthurian legends meets Black girl magic featuring a set of amazing characters – I loved it and I cannot wait to read more! My finished copy is on its way and I will be rereading it as soon as I can.
Massive thanks to Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
As I’m in the process of writing my MA dissertation on modern reinterpretations of medieval mythology and legends, I have read an awful lot of them over the course of the last few months, so please trust me when I tell you that Legendborn truly is one of the very best.
It is diverse, it is feminist, and it is a fantastic YA fantasy on top of exhibiting a deep understanding of the Arthurian corpus and making it its own. It is not merely a retelling of the classic King Arthur story, but it twists it in a way that is surprising and refreshing, mixing it up and turning it into something unique.
Not only that, but it mixes Arthuriana with Black girl magic, of which this world always needs more – Bree is a wonderful heroine, and the way Tracy Deonn manages to weave colonialism and slavery into the story and the Arthurian tradition is truly masterful.
It makes Legendborn multi-faceted and layered – yes, it is a story that can just be read and enjoyed, but there was so much in the various timelines that a history nerd like me saw and got excited about and at the same time many things that people like me, who grew up white in Europe, often tend to forget and overlook because we are not personally confronted with them.
Another thing I absolutely loved about Legendborn is the fact that Bree is a very smart girl. The story is set on a college campus, and she has just entered early college. As someone who graduated High School early and went off to Uni at 16, I am always very excited when I get to read about characters I can identify with in that way – something that is incredibly rare.
I’m not talking about characters that are constantly studying and great at doing homework, but naturally clever, and have a personality that truly enjoys learning and research. Thank you, Tracy, for giving me a book that makes me feel seen and combines it with my passion for medieval legends!
P.S. Legendborn also features two hot boys. There’s Nick, straight-laced cute boy, and Selwyn, resident slightly gothy bad boy… I recommend you add Legendborn on Goodreads ASAP and pre-order yourself a copy so you can decide whose team you’re on! You can get the UK edition via Waterstones here, and the US edition via Book Depository here.
CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Review – The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty
FABIENNE FROM LIBRI DRACONIS Hi! I’m Fabienne, the nerd behind Libri Draconis. I have always loved reading more than anything else, and have been reviewing and rating books on Goodreads and Netgalley for a while.
My friends also claim that I am somewhat talented at shoving great books at them, whether they ask for recommendations or not. In that spirit, I decided to branch out into creating a real book blog, and I hope you enjoy reading my opinions. Libri Draconis has been live since August 2018 and keeps growing and enriching my life.
Besides reading, Dungeons and Dragons has taken over our lives in the past couple of years, and I love cooking and swimming in the river – oh, and cats of course. After having been mainly Switzerland-based for two and a half decades, I moved to London in 2019, and I am very excited to be a part of the lively UK bookish community!
In real life, I’m a professional nerd. After a long stint into medieval history, eighteenth-century mathematicians and digital editions I did an MA in Publishing at UCL.
I’m currently freelancing in various areas of publishing and love playing with stories more than anything – my dream is to one day be nominated for a best editor Hugo award. But in the meantime, I’m on the judging panel for the British Fantasy Awards and the Subjective Kinds of Chaos Awards for 2021.
December 21, 2021
Review – Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
check it out here BOOK REVIEW
LEGENDBORN TRACY DEONNREVIEW BY MYTH AND MAGIC BOOK REVIEWS
December 21, 2021 1:00 pm No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress Don't make your life about the loss. Make it about the love. ReviewMyth: 5/5
I barely have words to try and explain the amazingness that is Legendborn. Let’s start with the basics, a secret society with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table mythology. Introduce the main character, Bree, a young girl in an early college program, trying to deal with her mother’s death. She finds herself the only black girl in a white, feudal, secret society in which she’s potentially ‘skipping the line’ to participation. I couldn’t get enough of the perspective. Bree has all the drama of the outsider coming into a secret society, she is trying to hide powers that she doesn’t understand, and on top of all that, she has to sort through her blackness in this traditionally, very white space.
Did I mention a perfectly done YA romantic subplot that keeps you on your toes through the end of the book (and begging for more)?
Magic: 5/5
I can’t get over the whole setup. The secret society is built around descendants from the lines of the original knights of the round table. It’s hierarchical with King Arthur’s descendant at the head. Though the descendants aren’t all necessarily ‘called’ to serve unless the need is present (ie imminent danger). On top of this setup, there is the sort of feudal supporting system around the knights, which includes squires and vessels.
I just think it was pure awesomeness to pull this well-known legend into the present and turn it on its head.
Overall: 5/5
The Legendborn mythology was amazing. Pulling from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table with modern-day descendants. Set on a modern-day college campus, giving off that urban fantasy vibe. Bree was a brilliant heroine, surrounded by a strong cast.
Check out the original article Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Review – The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty
MYTH AND MAGIC BOOK REVIEWS
Myth and Magic Book Club was started by two friends on opposite coasts with a shared love of fantasy books. We love reading and reviewing fantasy romance, urban fantasy, YA fantasy, and more.
TWITTER @MythandMagicBC
REVIEW – Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
check it out here BOOK REVIEW
CEMETERY BOYS by AIDEN THOMASREVIEW BY MYTH AND MAGIC BOOK REVIEWS
December 21, 2021 10:00 am One Comment Facebook Twitter WordPress “Queer folks are like wolves," Julian told him. "We travel in packs."Myth: 4/5
I really like reading that this book started off as “what if I accidentally summoned a ghost and couldn’t get rid of them?” and grew into this charming and powerful story. Julian and Yadriel make a perfect pair as they try to take care embrace very different futures. Their chemistry is a delight, Julian tending to splash his emotions all over the place and Yadriel more reserved but determined. Together, with the help of Yadriel’s cousin, we go on a quick adventure, trying to tie up loose ends and solve a murder in the brujx community.
Magic: 4.5/5
The rich world of the brujx jumped right off the first page. A family heritage, steeped in history and gender based magic roles. It was such a perfect setting, adding it’s own set of magical challenges for Yadriel, a trans boy, to deal with. Will his magic reflect his identity? Will his family traditions even give it a chance?
Overall: 4/5
Perfect spooky season vibes with witches that shepherd the dead and Dia de Muertos celebrations. Amazing exploration of a trans boy coming of age in a magical community with gender specific magical powers.
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
MYTH AND MAGIC BOOK REVIEWS Myth and Magic Book Club was started by two friends on opposite coasts with a shared love of fantasy books. We love reading and reviewing fantasy romance, urban fantasy, YA fantasy, and more.
TWITTER @MythandMagicBC
December 20, 2021
Review – Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
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BLACK SUN by REBECCA ROANHOUSE December 20, 2021 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress And Grandfather Crow said to First Woman, tell me your stories so that I might know who you are and what you value. If your stories are of the glory of war, I will know you value power. If your stories are of kinship, I know you value relationship. If your stories are of many children, I know you value legacy. But if your stories are of adaptation and survival, of long memory and revenge, then I will know you are a Crow like meWhoa. I did NOT expect this story to end the way it did, but I want to read Book 2 NOW!!!
Great characters, amazing world-building and excellent plot points. The magic and the sorcery balances this fantasy between fantasy and magic realism (I’ll explain more in my review).
All 4 protagonists are complex people who find themselves being responsible for a group of people, and their choices affect those around them and everything they care about. As ‘The Day of Convergence’ approaches, each of the protagonists develop into the individuals their roles demand of them to the point where not even the secondary characters can divert them from their path. Without getting into too many spoilers, two of the protagonists were predestined to be part of ‘The Day of Convergence,’ but an argument can be made that they could have chosen to resist that fate at any given time before that day. In fact, the choices of the other two protagonists should be noted as well because they all have no choice but to live with the decisions they make leading up to the winter solstice. History and folklore aside, the use of foreshadowing and of characterization enhances the story to the point where readers known what is going to happen and why, and that there was no way to prevent the events from happening. By the time everything is revealed, the protagonists have made their decisions, and what is going to happen, happens. This leaves the reader(s) stunned, yet anticipating what will happen next during the aftermath of those events. It’s a shocking and an impressive move by the author.
“Black Sun” is proof that Rebecca Roanhorse can weave her talent and her heritage into powerful stories over and over again. If you need a reason to read one of her books, or if you want to read a fantasy series that will take your expectations to another level, then you really should read this book. It has everything from magic and prophecies to political power struggle based on a moment in human history, in which it all could have happened, but its setting is a fantasy world.
Go read this book!!!
For my complete review, go here: https://mistyaquavenatus.com/2020/09/…
Review – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
LOIS YOUNG
I am the daughter of fans of the speculative fiction genre! My late mother was a HUGE Vincent Price fan and my father is OBSESSED with James Bond! While they were dating, they watched the original Star Wars in theaters!
My brothers and I grew up watching: Star Wars, Star Trek, DC, Marvel, anime, and other television shows and movies that satisfied our innate love of speculative fiction!
Now, I’m an ambitious writer with many WIPs. I’m an avid reader of science fiction, folklore, fantasy, classics, contemporary, graphic novels and manga, etc. I blog about books and other media that believe others would enjoy. I’m a contributor to Fantasy-Faction, too!
In addition, I enjoy running, playing video games, gardening, and watching sports! I cheer for Jamaica, Manchester United, the NY Giants, the NY Mets, and the NY Islanders!
I hope you enjoy my content!
“Episode 31: L.A. Young- ‘Race and Oppression in Sci-Fi’”–an episode recorded for the “Sisters of SciFi” podcast
“Storytelling in Speculative Fiction Reveals a Buried History”–an essay I wrote for the SFWA Blog.
Follow me at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AquaVenatus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquavenatus
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2905400-lois-young
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOH5jwux5Wk3r5K2_z-ezQ?view_as=subscriber
December 19, 2021
Short Story Review – Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher
check it out here SHORT STORY REVIEW
Metal Like Blood in the Dark BY T. KINGFISHER December 19, 2021 1:00 pm No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress “What did a lie do once you let it loose?”Metal Like Blood in the Dark” by T. Kingfisher mashes Hansel and Gretel with artificial intelligence into a story centered on the fall of Eve, but this time she learns the fallen one’s tricks and tries to use those tricks against them.
There are many dangers in innocence. Brother and Sister, two imperfect creations brought to life by a dying, imperfect father on a planet that has everything they would ever need, get their first taste of danger almost as soon as they are on their own. Father claims they are safest in space, because they would be beyond the reach of humans, but there are dangers unknown to Father as he is not a machine, and danger can be as unique as each individual. After leaving their first home, the world that they were created to exist within, Brother and Sister quickly find they need to keep changing to survive, as space is a vast, dangerous place.
Innocence leads Brother into thinking the best of a dark creature that holds them captive and it is up to sister to learn how to get them out of a dangerous situation. “Metal Like Blood in the Dark” works almost as a thought experiment. Kingfisher plays with themes that toe a delicate line around cannibalism, corruption, revenge, goodness and cleverness. Whether Sister can change enough to survive, she will be forever changed by what she must contemplate for the sake of saving Brother and herself. Her innocence will be forever lost.
Check Out some of our other reviewsDecember 18, 2021
Review – The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
check it out here BOOK REVIEW
THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE by Nghi Vo December 18, 2021 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress "Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves.” In most ways, The Empress of Salt and Fortune is the sort of epic tale we fantasy fans are used to. A woman, In-yo, goes to a foreign land to consummate a treaty marriage; she suffers, learns, grows, overcomes. The few ways it differs are quite important. One is that it’s not told by In-yo, but by one of her servants, many years after. Another is that it’s all crammed into a novella. In doing so, Nghi Vo has managed a remarkable feat. The scope of the world shown, the years and the cultures, would be considerable in a full novel. How Vo portrays this is ingenious. In-yo’s handmaiden, Rabbit, is talking to Chih, a historian and cleric, telling her and the empress’ story. Each chapter, each tale, is preceded by a description of items from the empress’ inventory. Most of the stories end with the line: “do you understand?” See, this book isn’t just clever and detailed, it’s poetic and insightful too. It is an exploration of what it means to be a stranger in a strange land, of what it means to love and trust in a place where that affection can be signing a death sentence, and what it means to be a woman when a woman’s life is restrained in many ways. When Rabbit says “do you understand” she isn’t just asking Chih, seeing whether her subtleties and truths are understood, she is asking us too if we wish to hear. The fourth wall is permeable at our discretion here, although it is never removed. Like Chih, I do not think I understood everything. Like Chih, I was completely absorbed by Rabbit’s tales. Each vignette is a delectable morsel, an excellent short story in its own right that becomes part of a bigger whole. Particular standouts for me include learning of the In-yo’s fondness for fortune tellers, and her conflicts with the Minister for the Left. Speaking of unmentioned standouts, each character told of springs to life, full of memorable lines and with an obvious place in the drama. There’s a hint of archetype to them, but Vo mostly forgets the archetypal characters to concentrate on the oddballs; the former innkeeper’s daughter turned Imperial wife, the loyal fortune teller Sukai, the neixin (a type of intelligent bird) Almost Brilliant. At some point in a review I like to talk about a book’s weak points. That’s quite difficult here. Yes, some will see the lack of bloody conflict, the unusual structure, as bugs rather than features for such is life. This is a very idiosyncratic story. However, every element needed to make Nghi Vo’s vision is here in abundance. As an example of what it wants to be, it is very difficult to find fault with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. To sum up this is a beautifully written work with enthralling world building and scenes, intriguing characters and storytelling, and an epic storyline. The ending seems wonderfully appropriate and satisfying too. I don’t know how it’s all captured in one novella, but you owe it to yourself to take a chance on discovering the same magic. — Check Out some of our other reviewsShort Story Review – Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson
Short Story Review -; A Guide to Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
PEAT LONG
Peat is a blogger and aspiring author from the wilds of London. He was introduced young to The Hobbit and has insisted on living in his and others’ heads where possible ever since. When not there he can usually be found talking about cats, weird crisp flavours, how to compare anything to writing, and of course, fantasy books. When he grows up, he’d like to be someone who actually know what he likes, and will try anything twice except for Morris Dancing. To find out more about his writing, visit peatlong.wordpress.com or follow him on twitter at @peatlong He’s found writing about himself in the third person surprisingly enjoyable.
December 17, 2021
Short Story Review – Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson
The container will hold 5/5 
Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse by Rae Carson Purchase Here Rae Carson, badass moms in the zombie apocalypse My Thoughts
“Her bony, paper-skin hand grasps mine in a show of strength she hasn’t displayed in weeks. “Honey, it’s okay to let me go,” she says. “Because I win. I win at everything.”
At my puzzled look she adds, “I get to die an old woman. Who does that these days? A badass motherfucker, that’s who.”―
I read many stories, sad stories, happy stories, fluffy ones, and occasionally violent stories. But in all of my reading, I rarely get a chance to read a mom story. Moms are usually portrayed as one of three different ways: soccer mom, women who are nothing but a mom, and an older mom or grandma-like figure.
Fantasy is full of cliches, and being a mom myself, I don’t see myself in any of these characters. It is as if literature is afraid to portray a mom as a badass or a warrior. Women can’t be warriors and moms. They cancel each other out, right? Just because we had kids, we don’t lose the badassery while passing the afterbirth. And frankly, life is a lot more exciting and complex than a trope.
But then I read Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse, and finally. FINALLY, we have some great badass moms having babies and kicking some ass. Thank you, Rae Carson, for giving the world this story and me, mainly because I needed to be reminded that I am also a badass mom on occasion.
First, let me set a bit of a scene. Giving birth is a dirty business. It is primal; it is the most primal feeling many women feel only seconded to protecting their child from danger. Moma bear is not just a cute saying; most moms would rip the throat out of anyone who would come at their kid and lick their lips.
Now imagine trying to do all this, being pregnant, your body is split in two with excruciating pains that feel like they are tearing at the very fabric of who you are, and zombies are outside scratching at the door. I know zombies get a bad rep; they are everywhere in horror. But they are representative in this story. The mom Brit is being pulled apart by two massive forces, childbirth and the flight reaction of getting the hell out of there. Zombies are scary, and we want none of that.
“I know how tough my baby is. Remember when you came out to your Baptist preacher dad while holding the hand of the most beautiful Black woman in the world?”
“Yes.”
“This is not harder than that.”
“No.”
“Remember when you fucked that trader silly, faking the big O night after night until you were good and sure he’d given us a baby?”
“Yeah.”
“This is not harder than that.”
“Not even close.”
“You got this.”
“I think my water broke.”
Now imagine that you have to run for it. Fluid leaking down your leg, contractions are squeezing your body until you can hardly breathe. You mostly waddle now that you are nine months pregnant, carrying a watermelon in your pelvis. But you have to be quiet; sound travels. If you make a sound, they will come. And most of all, you need to get to the safe birth room so that you can lock yourself in. In Brit and Marisol’s case, it is a metal freight car.
Zombies love the smell of birth, it drives them crazy, and they will swarm outside and get in given a chance. Also, Brit has no medicine and the most rudimentary help. She is lying on the floor of a metal shipping container stuffing rags between her legs to stifle the smell of birth. If that is not badass, I don’t know what is.
“We barely got here in time,” I say.
“We knew they’d find us.”
We are silent a long moment. Another bang, then a slick whisper of a sound as something slides along the wall. I hardly dare to breathe.
“The container will hold,” Mari says.
“I know.”
“They’ll mass while you push that baby out, and for a day or two after. But we’ll keep quiet, and the birthing scent will fade, and they’ll eventually give up.”
“I know.”
“We’ll go back to the enclave with a brand new baby for everyone to love on.”
“I know.”
“They’ll be so glad we did this.”
“The container will hold. The container will hold,” Brit and Marisol chant to themselves. It will hold. It has to hold. An innocent is being born into this world, and he needs to live long enough so that they can name him.
Please hold.
Oh shit.
Oh shit.
It isn’t going to hold.
Rae Carson has created a hell of a short story here. I almost gave up trying to summarize and talk about my feelings about it with, “God, this is good. Please read.” Instead, I’ll start with God; this is good. Please read.
But read Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse because Rae Carson took tropes of womanhood and mothers, twisted them, and smacked them with a hammer. There are no weak women in this world of zombies and blood. It is loving; Brit and Marisol are truly loving partners. It is full of community strength. It is primal. It is exciting, and most important of all, it is badass because you will need badass moms to lead the world out of a zombie apocalypse one child at a time.
Check Out My Other ReviewsReview Master Artificer by Justin Travis Call
If You Liked This - Please Share the Love Beth Tabler
Elizabeth Tabler runs Beforewegoblog and is constantly immersed in fantasy stories. She was at one time an architect but divides her time now between her family in Portland, Oregon, and as many book worlds as she can get her hands on. She is also a huge fan of Self Published fantasy and is on Team Qwillery as a judge for SPFBO5. You will find her with a coffee in one hand and her iPad in the other. Find her on: Goodreads / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter
Review – Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber
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Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber December 17, 2021 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPressMatt Fraction’s run on Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen has received considerable critical acclaim, so I wanted to like it more than I actually did.
The 12-issue run is compiled into a hefty graphic novel with 320 pages of crisp, clean, personality-filled Steve Lieber art, which is really a joy to look at. And it compliments the wacky tale of Jimmy Olsen exploring the quirkier, silver ageier side of the DC Universe while simultaneously trying to solve a peculiar murder – his own.
I’ve seen some complaints about the series’ wacky, over-the-topness and some of its jokes not landing. This wasn’t really a problem for me. Did some of the jokes feel kind of weird and tryhard-ish? Sure. Sometimes. But humor is subjective and overall I think there were more hits than misses, especially when you account for the fact that this is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the silver age Jimmy Olsen comics that got real weird real fast.
Rather than the humor, what really kept me at a distance from this book was the disjointed structure of the narrative – constantly jumping around in time and place and plot to address several different things. It ping-pongs back and forth with no steady rhythm that plot points are dropped often in the middle of a scene, only to be picked up pages later.
I’m not averse to non-linear narratives, but I had a really hard time wrapping my head around this one. I had a similar issue with Fraction’s famous Hawkeye run – a book I love – but to a much lesser extent. Olsen felt largely inscrutable to me, possibly because the stranger, larger than life aspects of it were harder to keep track of than Hawkeye’s more grounded fare.
My biggest question is why? Why scramble the narrative so much? By the resolution of the ‘Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?’ mystery – the story was ultimately much simpler than the structure made it seem. That isn’t a knock against the plot, it was perfectly fine, but it didn’t feel like it justified the need to shuffle the order of events around to such an arbitrary degree. I certainly feel like I would’ve enjoyed the whole book a hell of a lot better if it were a bit more straightforward with some occasional asides to things like the ‘Lil Olsens’ segment.
Ultimately, the structure caused me to struggle through this book, though Steve Lieber’s art was fun and impeccable and the individual segments of Fraction’s writing had a sort of ‘Arrested Development’ quality to them. I just wish it was easier and clearer to follow. But it appears I might be in the minority on this, and I think I can accept that.
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