Joshua Palmatier's Blog, page 12
June 11, 2015
New Book Discussion!
I've just posted the book discussion for From a High Tower, the latest Elemental Masters novel from Mercedes Lackey, at the unofficial DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! Swing on by and check it out!
June 10, 2015
New Book Discussion!
I've just posted the book discussion for Nova, the debut novel from Margaret Fortune, over at the DAW Books unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! Swing on by and check out this SF novel with an interesting premise.
dawbooks
)! Swing on by and check out this SF novel with an interesting premise.May 28, 2015
New Releases from DAW Books!
I've just posted the new releases for June from DAW Books over at the unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! There are new novels from Mercedes Lackey and Margaret Fortune, along with a re-release of the first book in Tanith Lee's Birthgrave trilogy. Swing on by and check out all of the new books!
dawbooks
)! There are new novels from Mercedes Lackey and Margaret Fortune, along with a re-release of the first book in Tanith Lee's Birthgrave trilogy. Swing on by and check out all of the new books!Last May Book Discussion
I've just posted the last of the May book discussions for DAW Books at the unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at The Dhulyn and Parno Novels, Volume 2, an omnibus edition of the third and fourth novels in the series by Violette Malan, The Storm Witch and Path of the Sun. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at The Dhulyn and Parno Novels, Volume 2, an omnibus edition of the third and fourth novels in the series by Violette Malan, The Storm Witch and Path of the Sun. Swing on by and check it out!May 21, 2015
Book Review: "Pocket Apocalypse" by Seanan McGuire
This is the fourth book in Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series and the second in the series to focus on Alexander Price. It was an interesting book because it took us out of the US and to Australia, although I still think Verity Price is the stronger character in this series.
The premise: Shelby Tanner, Alexander's girlfriend, comes to Alexander to tell him that werewolves have popped up in Australia and her family needs his help, since he's dealt with werewolves before. Alexander overcomes his fear of the creatures from his previous experience and agrees to travel to Australia to help eradicate the disease, which manifests like rabies and is passed on by fluid contact, usually through bites. But once he arrives in Australia, he's uncertain about what might take him out first--the werewolves . . . or Shelby's family.
As usual, the writing is fluid and easy to read and the plot fairly light and straightforward. This series relies more on the characters and the situation to draw the reader in and hold them. Alexander Price is a fine character, although not as unique as Verity in her previous books. But unlike the last book, I felt that Alexander was his own character here, rather than just a male version of Verity (as I felt in the last book). I enjoyed this book more than Alexander's previous one. More focus was on Shelby's family here, and they were unique in their own ways. The sisters were far more entertaining than either Alexander or Shelby.
I did have some issues. One is an issue I have in many of Seanan McGuire's books: characters running off and doing things for no solid reason. In this case, Alexander, Shelby, and one of the sisters goes tearing off after another sister . . . and I'm not convinced that it was so urgent that all of them should have gone at that precise moment. There were more important things going on and at least one of them (Shelby or Alexander) should have stayed behind to deal with that. Having them all go wasn't quite realistic. There were a couple of other decisions in the course of the book similar to this that also didn't quite ring true. This always pushes me out of the enjoyment of the novel.
Another issue here is the Aeslin mice. I love them, they're fun, but they weren't used effectively here. At one point, early-ish in the novel, the mice say that they can sniff out the werewolves lair . . . and no one ever uses this fact. If they're hunting for the werewolves, why wouldn't they send the mice out to find out where they're hiding? It makes no sense not to use them, when they throw themselves into danger without a thought and do desperate unthinking things all the time.
In any case, the book was still fun. I wish that more had been done with the Australian cryptids, once that we wouldn't see here in the US, to make the story more unique. There were a few Australian faces, but did the werewolves really need to be in Australia? It would have been cool to have an Australian menace as the focus of the book. But now that we have the connection to Australia established, maybe this will pop up in a later book. For now, we'll have to wait for the next novel, which I believe is supposed to focus on Verity again.
The premise: Shelby Tanner, Alexander's girlfriend, comes to Alexander to tell him that werewolves have popped up in Australia and her family needs his help, since he's dealt with werewolves before. Alexander overcomes his fear of the creatures from his previous experience and agrees to travel to Australia to help eradicate the disease, which manifests like rabies and is passed on by fluid contact, usually through bites. But once he arrives in Australia, he's uncertain about what might take him out first--the werewolves . . . or Shelby's family.
As usual, the writing is fluid and easy to read and the plot fairly light and straightforward. This series relies more on the characters and the situation to draw the reader in and hold them. Alexander Price is a fine character, although not as unique as Verity in her previous books. But unlike the last book, I felt that Alexander was his own character here, rather than just a male version of Verity (as I felt in the last book). I enjoyed this book more than Alexander's previous one. More focus was on Shelby's family here, and they were unique in their own ways. The sisters were far more entertaining than either Alexander or Shelby.
I did have some issues. One is an issue I have in many of Seanan McGuire's books: characters running off and doing things for no solid reason. In this case, Alexander, Shelby, and one of the sisters goes tearing off after another sister . . . and I'm not convinced that it was so urgent that all of them should have gone at that precise moment. There were more important things going on and at least one of them (Shelby or Alexander) should have stayed behind to deal with that. Having them all go wasn't quite realistic. There were a couple of other decisions in the course of the book similar to this that also didn't quite ring true. This always pushes me out of the enjoyment of the novel.
Another issue here is the Aeslin mice. I love them, they're fun, but they weren't used effectively here. At one point, early-ish in the novel, the mice say that they can sniff out the werewolves lair . . . and no one ever uses this fact. If they're hunting for the werewolves, why wouldn't they send the mice out to find out where they're hiding? It makes no sense not to use them, when they throw themselves into danger without a thought and do desperate unthinking things all the time.
In any case, the book was still fun. I wish that more had been done with the Australian cryptids, once that we wouldn't see here in the US, to make the story more unique. There were a few Australian faces, but did the werewolves really need to be in Australia? It would have been cool to have an Australian menace as the focus of the book. But now that we have the connection to Australia established, maybe this will pop up in a later book. For now, we'll have to wait for the next novel, which I believe is supposed to focus on Verity again.
Latest Book Discussion!
I've just posted the latest book discussion at the DAW Books unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at the paperback release of Shadows by E.C. Blake, the second book in The Masks of Aygrima series. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at the paperback release of Shadows by E.C. Blake, the second book in The Masks of Aygrima series. Swing on by and check it out!May 20, 2015
New Book Discussion!
I've just posted the latest book discussion at the DAW Books unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Alien Separation, the eleventh book in the Alien series from Gini Koch. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Alien Separation, the eleventh book in the Alien series from Gini Koch. Swing on by and check it out!Book Review: "Covenant's End" by Ari Marmell
Covenant's End is the fourth and final book in the Widdershins Adventures by Ari Marmell. These are young adult books, although I didn't know this when I bought the first book. I can see why they're classified as YA, although I don't think that's a label they should necessarily be stuck with. I enjoyed them all (even if I felt that one of them wasn't quite in line with the other three).
The premise of this final book is that Widdershins is returning to Davillon, after fleeing (and yes, she finally admits that she fled) and spending some time away from "home." She thinks it's going to be grand coming home, meeting up with old friends, and picking up her life where she left off. But while she's been gone, some of her old enemies have banded together and made a few unnatural allies, and they've been waiting for her return. Even before she reaches the city, Widdernshins realizes that she isn't going to receive the homecoming she thought . . . and that her friends are in as much danger as she is.
This was a great final chapter in Widdershins' adventures. She needed to return home again, not just because of the threads hinting of it in earlier books, but because she needed to face herself and what had happened to her in the city. As Ari Marmell states himself, she needed to grow up. She thought she'd left the city after a previous adventure because it would be safer for her friends, but she really simply fled. Because of fear, because of the deaths of some of her friends, brought about by her own actions, and because she wasn't ready to face those emotions and that responsibility. But after her time away (which is the book that I don't feel fits the general thread of the series; sort of an odd man out), she's had enough time to realize that she's been lying to herself about why she left and she's now ready to face the truth.
And this is why I feel these books are so good. The main character is what carries you through them. You genuinely like Widdershins and are more than willing to go along with her adventures because of who she is, who she wants to be, and her overall spunk and fighting spirit. The books would not have worked so well without her. I don't think they would have worked at all. It's her--and her relationship with her omnipresent god as a sidekick--that keeps the books moving and keeps you reading. The world itself is more or less a basic fantasy world--medieval in nature. The supernatural elements that make it fantasy are classic as well; fae creatures with vicious natures and hideous powers. It's Widdershins that firmly roots the reader into the books. It's her uniqueness that keeps you reading.
This book brings the series to an obvious conclusion and rounds out the series well. All of the elements of the first two books return, along with all of the Widdershins friends, the elements set up in the previous books coming together in a nice plot. Would I have liked to have seen more Widdershins' books in the future? Yes. Would it have been wise to continues the series beyond these books? No. This is where the series should end. Taking it any further would have been dragging a dead body behind the horse.
So, a nice, pleasant little series that I encourage everyone to read. You'll enjoy the world, you'll enjoy the plots, you'll enjoy the rather dark supernatural creatures Widdershins is forced to face (for most of the books), and more importantly you'll enjoy Widdershins herself.
The premise of this final book is that Widdershins is returning to Davillon, after fleeing (and yes, she finally admits that she fled) and spending some time away from "home." She thinks it's going to be grand coming home, meeting up with old friends, and picking up her life where she left off. But while she's been gone, some of her old enemies have banded together and made a few unnatural allies, and they've been waiting for her return. Even before she reaches the city, Widdernshins realizes that she isn't going to receive the homecoming she thought . . . and that her friends are in as much danger as she is.
This was a great final chapter in Widdershins' adventures. She needed to return home again, not just because of the threads hinting of it in earlier books, but because she needed to face herself and what had happened to her in the city. As Ari Marmell states himself, she needed to grow up. She thought she'd left the city after a previous adventure because it would be safer for her friends, but she really simply fled. Because of fear, because of the deaths of some of her friends, brought about by her own actions, and because she wasn't ready to face those emotions and that responsibility. But after her time away (which is the book that I don't feel fits the general thread of the series; sort of an odd man out), she's had enough time to realize that she's been lying to herself about why she left and she's now ready to face the truth.
And this is why I feel these books are so good. The main character is what carries you through them. You genuinely like Widdershins and are more than willing to go along with her adventures because of who she is, who she wants to be, and her overall spunk and fighting spirit. The books would not have worked so well without her. I don't think they would have worked at all. It's her--and her relationship with her omnipresent god as a sidekick--that keeps the books moving and keeps you reading. The world itself is more or less a basic fantasy world--medieval in nature. The supernatural elements that make it fantasy are classic as well; fae creatures with vicious natures and hideous powers. It's Widdershins that firmly roots the reader into the books. It's her uniqueness that keeps you reading.
This book brings the series to an obvious conclusion and rounds out the series well. All of the elements of the first two books return, along with all of the Widdershins friends, the elements set up in the previous books coming together in a nice plot. Would I have liked to have seen more Widdershins' books in the future? Yes. Would it have been wise to continues the series beyond these books? No. This is where the series should end. Taking it any further would have been dragging a dead body behind the horse.
So, a nice, pleasant little series that I encourage everyone to read. You'll enjoy the world, you'll enjoy the plots, you'll enjoy the rather dark supernatural creatures Widdershins is forced to face (for most of the books), and more importantly you'll enjoy Widdershins herself.
May 19, 2015
Balticon Schedule!
OK, this weekend is BALTICON! in Hunt Valley, MD. My small press Zombies Need Brains will have a vendor's table at the convention, which I will most likely be at most of the time, when I'm not on panels and such. So, here's my schedule and the dealer's room schedule so that you can all come find me, chat, buy my books, and buy some of the ZNB merchandise. *grin* These panels are what's currently scheduled, although things may change in the next few days, so check the postings at the con in case things get moved around.
First off, the dealer's room schedule, so you can stalk me at the ZNB table (which will be co-run with my mom):
Friday, 4pm-8pm
Saturday, 10am-6pm
Sunday, 10:30am-5pm
Monday, 10:30am-3pm (My booth will open shortly after 11am, since I have a panel until then.)
And here are my panels. Note that if you catch me at my vendor's booth, I'm also willing to sign books there:
Writing Diverse Characters: Archetypes vs Stereotypes, Saturday, 11am-11:50am in Derby
Putting a Pretty Face on Small Press, Sunday, 12noon-12:50pm in Parlor 1041
Jabberwocky Book Launch Party with Jack Campbell/John G. Hemry, Sunday, 3pm-3:50pm, location TBA
Autographing, Sunday, 6pm-6:50pm at the Autographing Table
Handling the Unavoidable Infodump, Monday, 10am-10:50am in Salon C
That's what I have scheduled so far. If you're going to Balticon, drop a note here and then come say hi at my vendor's table! You can meet my mom and get all of the embarrassing stories of my youth. Or you can try. I was a perfect child. Here's a pretty picture of my latest book cover:
First off, the dealer's room schedule, so you can stalk me at the ZNB table (which will be co-run with my mom):
Friday, 4pm-8pm
Saturday, 10am-6pm
Sunday, 10:30am-5pm
Monday, 10:30am-3pm (My booth will open shortly after 11am, since I have a panel until then.)
And here are my panels. Note that if you catch me at my vendor's booth, I'm also willing to sign books there:
Writing Diverse Characters: Archetypes vs Stereotypes, Saturday, 11am-11:50am in Derby
Putting a Pretty Face on Small Press, Sunday, 12noon-12:50pm in Parlor 1041
Jabberwocky Book Launch Party with Jack Campbell/John G. Hemry, Sunday, 3pm-3:50pm, location TBA
Autographing, Sunday, 6pm-6:50pm at the Autographing Table
Handling the Unavoidable Infodump, Monday, 10am-10:50am in Salon C
That's what I have scheduled so far. If you're going to Balticon, drop a note here and then come say hi at my vendor's table! You can meet my mom and get all of the embarrassing stories of my youth. Or you can try. I was a perfect child. Here's a pretty picture of my latest book cover:
Latest Book Discussion
I've just posted the latest DAW Books book discussion at the unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Oracle, the sixth book in Michelle West's House War series. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Oracle, the sixth book in Michelle West's House War series. Swing on by and check it out!
