Joshua Palmatier's Blog, page 13
May 15, 2015
First May Book Discussion
I've just posted the first of the May book discussion at the unofficial DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Nnedi Okorafor's latest book, The Book of Phoenix. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Nnedi Okorafor's latest book, The Book of Phoenix. Swing on by and check it out!
May 14, 2015
Book Review: "Grave Peril" by Jim Butcher
This is the third book in the Harry Dresden urban fantasy series and I still have a hard time seeing why this is so popular. I'm much more of an epic fantasy reader, so maybe that's it. In any case . . .
The premise is that the world of ghosts is in turmoil and Harry Dresden has been forced to investigate it because it's weakened the barrier between our world and theirs, making it easier for them to pass through and harass us all. With he help of his friends, Harry discovers that many of the hauntings seem to be attached to him and a case of demonic summoning he helped resolve months ago. Meanwhile, the vampires in the area seem to be manipulating Harry into a precarious position, with the ultimate intent of taking him out. Not to mention that his fairy godmother is attempting to collect Harry's soul after he broke their previous bargain. Can Harry solve the problems with the ghosts while keeping his soul as well as his head?
I liked the intent behind this story--the ghosts being riled up, crossing over and causing problems, with Harry at first just attempting to deal with them one by one, but then realizing there was a root problem he needed to solve or it was never going to end. I was focused on this main plot and Harry's attempt to figure out exactly what was going on, further intrigued by the fact that someone appeared to be torturing some of Harry's friends and some of the ghosts with an interesting kind of spiritual barbed wire magic. I would have been happy if the entire book had focused on just these aspects of the ghostly turmoil.
But then the other two plots get woven into it--the vampires and Harry's fairy godmother. One of them ended up being part of the overall ghost plot, which is fine, but in this case probably unnecessary. And the other I get as being part of a larger story arc for the series. Also fine. But throwing in so many little story threads makes the reading muddy. And the more threads increases that muddiness. In this case, those three plots weren't enough, there are also at least four other smaller plots dealing with a young girl with Cassandra's Tears syndrome, Harry's relationship, his friend Michael and his sword, and then another vampire and his girlfriend. So there's a lot going on here and all of it together just made everything a little too chaotic. This coming from an epic fantasy lover, mind.
But the real issue I had with the book wasn't all of that. I can deal with tons of plotlines (even if I feel that many of them were unnecessary complications, making the book feel scattered). My main issue was with the structure of the book. As hinted at in the summary of the book, the main plot began with the demonic summoning case months ago. And yet, we as readers don't find out much of anything about this case until at least halfway through the book, and even then what we get is scattered. It isn't all brought together until toward the end. This element was so integral to WHY everything was happening that it should have been given to the reader early on, say in a prologue. The book should have begun with Harry and the special police force formed to deal with paranormal cases storming the demonic summoner's lair. Instead, the reader sits in the dark on these elements for the majority of the book, with only a few hints here and there that somehow this is involved in the current ghost case. I felt, as a reader, that key pieces of information were purposely not given to me. As soon as Harry suspected that this other case was involved, we should have had some kind of reveal of exactly what happened with that case, because much of the plot revolved around it in the end. So it felt like things were withheld from me, as a reader, and that seriously cramps my enjoyment of a book, especially what is ostensibly a mystery.
So, in the end I'd say there was a little too much going on here, confusing the plot unnecessarily with distractions, and some of the key elements that were part of the mystery were kept from the reader when it would have been easy to give us those pertinent details in either a prologue or with some type of conversation between characters once the connection between the ghosts and this previous case were suspected by Harry. Both of these things detracted from my enjoyment of a plot that had some intriguing elements to it. Overall, the plot and writing just felt . . . messy. And it could have been cleaned up easily.
The premise is that the world of ghosts is in turmoil and Harry Dresden has been forced to investigate it because it's weakened the barrier between our world and theirs, making it easier for them to pass through and harass us all. With he help of his friends, Harry discovers that many of the hauntings seem to be attached to him and a case of demonic summoning he helped resolve months ago. Meanwhile, the vampires in the area seem to be manipulating Harry into a precarious position, with the ultimate intent of taking him out. Not to mention that his fairy godmother is attempting to collect Harry's soul after he broke their previous bargain. Can Harry solve the problems with the ghosts while keeping his soul as well as his head?
I liked the intent behind this story--the ghosts being riled up, crossing over and causing problems, with Harry at first just attempting to deal with them one by one, but then realizing there was a root problem he needed to solve or it was never going to end. I was focused on this main plot and Harry's attempt to figure out exactly what was going on, further intrigued by the fact that someone appeared to be torturing some of Harry's friends and some of the ghosts with an interesting kind of spiritual barbed wire magic. I would have been happy if the entire book had focused on just these aspects of the ghostly turmoil.
But then the other two plots get woven into it--the vampires and Harry's fairy godmother. One of them ended up being part of the overall ghost plot, which is fine, but in this case probably unnecessary. And the other I get as being part of a larger story arc for the series. Also fine. But throwing in so many little story threads makes the reading muddy. And the more threads increases that muddiness. In this case, those three plots weren't enough, there are also at least four other smaller plots dealing with a young girl with Cassandra's Tears syndrome, Harry's relationship, his friend Michael and his sword, and then another vampire and his girlfriend. So there's a lot going on here and all of it together just made everything a little too chaotic. This coming from an epic fantasy lover, mind.
But the real issue I had with the book wasn't all of that. I can deal with tons of plotlines (even if I feel that many of them were unnecessary complications, making the book feel scattered). My main issue was with the structure of the book. As hinted at in the summary of the book, the main plot began with the demonic summoning case months ago. And yet, we as readers don't find out much of anything about this case until at least halfway through the book, and even then what we get is scattered. It isn't all brought together until toward the end. This element was so integral to WHY everything was happening that it should have been given to the reader early on, say in a prologue. The book should have begun with Harry and the special police force formed to deal with paranormal cases storming the demonic summoner's lair. Instead, the reader sits in the dark on these elements for the majority of the book, with only a few hints here and there that somehow this is involved in the current ghost case. I felt, as a reader, that key pieces of information were purposely not given to me. As soon as Harry suspected that this other case was involved, we should have had some kind of reveal of exactly what happened with that case, because much of the plot revolved around it in the end. So it felt like things were withheld from me, as a reader, and that seriously cramps my enjoyment of a book, especially what is ostensibly a mystery.
So, in the end I'd say there was a little too much going on here, confusing the plot unnecessarily with distractions, and some of the key elements that were part of the mystery were kept from the reader when it would have been easy to give us those pertinent details in either a prologue or with some type of conversation between characters once the connection between the ghosts and this previous case were suspected by Harry. Both of these things detracted from my enjoyment of a plot that had some intriguing elements to it. Overall, the plot and writing just felt . . . messy. And it could have been cleaned up easily.
New Book Discussion!
I've just posted the last of the April book discussions at the DAW Books unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Peacemaker, the fifteenth Foreigner novel from C.J. Cherryh. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Peacemaker, the fifteenth Foreigner novel from C.J. Cherryh. Swing on by and check it out!May 13, 2015
Book Review: "Impulse" by Dave Bara
This is a debut novel and I always try to read new authors. I know how difficult it is to break onto the shelves. Also, it fits right in with my resolution to read authors I've never read before this year. This is a military sci-fi novel, so a little outside of my usual reading preferences. (I'm mostly into fantasy, although I do delve into sci-fi and mystery occasionally.)
The premise: Peter Cochrane has just graduated and expects to take on his role as an officer in the military on the spaceship Starbound, but receives the shocking news that someone has attacked the ship Impulse, killing his friend and one-time girlfriend. He's been reassigned to the Impulse, which after repairs is headed back to the system to find out exactly what happened and if it's a sign of the reemergence of the old Imperial enemy. But Peter will have to deal with the vengeful captain of the Impulse while trying to discover the truth--is it Imperials . . . or is the enemy much closer to home?
I enjoyed the book. The military aspects feel genuine, although pushing a little bit into the "Star Trek" realm with some of the action. Peter steps outside the bounds for a few scenes and the punishment he receives is perhaps a little light considering what would have happened in a real military setting, although at least he did receive some type of punishment for disobeying orders, etc. The science fiction elements--the lightships, the weapons and technology, even the political setting and history--are all believable, with limitations that are reasonable while still allowing for that feeling of future realism. It's not as smoothly thought out (or perhaps not as smoothly explained) as something like Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet setting, but all of the SF elements are there and they aren't stretching your suspension of disbelief. It's easy to settle yourself into this universe and to follow along with the action.
My issues with the book were twofold: one with character and the other with plot. First, the character. This is likely just a personal preference of my own, but I had a hard time connecting to the character. Peter felt a little too arrogant and a little too perfect for my taste. Now, he's supposed to be somewhat arrogant. I'm not saying that he wasn't a fully realized character--he's supposed to be young and cocky and make snap decisions that make no sense at the time--but in the end, for me, he just wasn't all that likeable. It's hard to root for a character you don't particularly like. Others may not have this issue with the character, though. He is fully realized, after all.
Second, the plot. While the plot is fine overall, I felt that it was a little loose, with sequences sort of happening at random. The main plot is to find out what happened to the Impulse the first time it entered this system in order to strike up negotiations with the native planet's population. Pretty straightforward. But then it sidetracks into a bunch of other subplots or tangents, like setting aside the search for a significant amount of time while Peter plays royal to get the planet's leaders to agree to an alliance or the diversion to search for the Relic in the asteroid. Both of these side plots (among others) really gave me the feeling of a "Star Trek" episode and diluted the much more interesting plot of what the hell is going on with the Impulse and the original attack. Now, this is blatantly billed as book one of a series, so there's no promise of a resolution to the main plot in this book (and there isn't a hardcore resolution provided here), but that doesn't help with the feeling that these other plots are distractions from the main point of interest. While reading them, I wanted to get back to the main point.
So, if not for the distracting plot elements, I would have rated this at 4 stars. And if I'd connected to the character a little bit more, it might have gotten 5. As I said, SF isn't my normal reading preference, so perhaps the military SF readers out there will find the character perfect (although I still think they'll have issues with the distractions in the plot). I'm still interested enough to read the second book when it comes out, with some hopes that the plot settles down and becomes less distracting, and that the main character matures a little bit as well.
The premise: Peter Cochrane has just graduated and expects to take on his role as an officer in the military on the spaceship Starbound, but receives the shocking news that someone has attacked the ship Impulse, killing his friend and one-time girlfriend. He's been reassigned to the Impulse, which after repairs is headed back to the system to find out exactly what happened and if it's a sign of the reemergence of the old Imperial enemy. But Peter will have to deal with the vengeful captain of the Impulse while trying to discover the truth--is it Imperials . . . or is the enemy much closer to home?
I enjoyed the book. The military aspects feel genuine, although pushing a little bit into the "Star Trek" realm with some of the action. Peter steps outside the bounds for a few scenes and the punishment he receives is perhaps a little light considering what would have happened in a real military setting, although at least he did receive some type of punishment for disobeying orders, etc. The science fiction elements--the lightships, the weapons and technology, even the political setting and history--are all believable, with limitations that are reasonable while still allowing for that feeling of future realism. It's not as smoothly thought out (or perhaps not as smoothly explained) as something like Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet setting, but all of the SF elements are there and they aren't stretching your suspension of disbelief. It's easy to settle yourself into this universe and to follow along with the action.
My issues with the book were twofold: one with character and the other with plot. First, the character. This is likely just a personal preference of my own, but I had a hard time connecting to the character. Peter felt a little too arrogant and a little too perfect for my taste. Now, he's supposed to be somewhat arrogant. I'm not saying that he wasn't a fully realized character--he's supposed to be young and cocky and make snap decisions that make no sense at the time--but in the end, for me, he just wasn't all that likeable. It's hard to root for a character you don't particularly like. Others may not have this issue with the character, though. He is fully realized, after all.
Second, the plot. While the plot is fine overall, I felt that it was a little loose, with sequences sort of happening at random. The main plot is to find out what happened to the Impulse the first time it entered this system in order to strike up negotiations with the native planet's population. Pretty straightforward. But then it sidetracks into a bunch of other subplots or tangents, like setting aside the search for a significant amount of time while Peter plays royal to get the planet's leaders to agree to an alliance or the diversion to search for the Relic in the asteroid. Both of these side plots (among others) really gave me the feeling of a "Star Trek" episode and diluted the much more interesting plot of what the hell is going on with the Impulse and the original attack. Now, this is blatantly billed as book one of a series, so there's no promise of a resolution to the main plot in this book (and there isn't a hardcore resolution provided here), but that doesn't help with the feeling that these other plots are distractions from the main point of interest. While reading them, I wanted to get back to the main point.
So, if not for the distracting plot elements, I would have rated this at 4 stars. And if I'd connected to the character a little bit more, it might have gotten 5. As I said, SF isn't my normal reading preference, so perhaps the military SF readers out there will find the character perfect (although I still think they'll have issues with the distractions in the plot). I'm still interested enough to read the second book when it comes out, with some hopes that the plot settles down and becomes less distracting, and that the main character matures a little bit as well.
New Book Discussion
I've just posted the latest book discussion at the DAW Books unofficial blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Diana Rowland's latest Kara Gillian/Demon book, Vengeance of the Demon. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Diana Rowland's latest Kara Gillian/Demon book, Vengeance of the Demon. Swing on by and check it out!May 4, 2015
TEMPORALLY OUT OR ORDER: Table of Contents
And I finally have all of the contracts with the authors negotiated and signed for Zombies Need Brains' next anthology project, Temporally Out of Order. Which means that I can announce the Table of Contents! Here are the SEVENTEEN stories that will be included in the anthology, along with the cover art. If you missed the Kickstarter last fall, you can still get in on the action. Click through this link to the ZNB online store and you can preorder the anthology in ebook, kickstarter paperback, or both. You'll receive the kickstarter version of the paperback AND get the ebook or paperback earlier than the general public. We're currently designing the ebooks and interiors of the paperbacks and are expecting a release sometime this summer (maybe June, more likely July or August). Preorder now!
Table of Contents:
“Reading Lists” by Seanan McGuire
“Salamandar Bites” by Elektra Hammond
“Black and White” by David B. Coe
“Dinosaur Stew” by Chuck Rothman
“Not All Is As It Seems” by Faith Hunter
“Batting Out of Order” by Edmund R. Schubert
“Grand Tour” by Steve Ruskin
“A is for Alacrity, Astronauts, and Grief” by Sofie Bird
“The Spiel of the Glocken” by Laura Resnick
“The Passing Bell” by Amy Griswold
“Destination Ahead” by Laura Anne Gilman
“Where There’s Smoke” by Susan Jett
“Alien Time Warp” by Gini Koch
“Cell Service” by Christopher Barili
“Temporally Full” by Stephen Leigh
“Notes and Queries” by Juliet E. McKenna
“Temporally Out of Odor: A Fragrant Fable” by Jeremy Sim
Table of Contents:
“Reading Lists” by Seanan McGuire
“Salamandar Bites” by Elektra Hammond
“Black and White” by David B. Coe
“Dinosaur Stew” by Chuck Rothman
“Not All Is As It Seems” by Faith Hunter
“Batting Out of Order” by Edmund R. Schubert
“Grand Tour” by Steve Ruskin
“A is for Alacrity, Astronauts, and Grief” by Sofie Bird
“The Spiel of the Glocken” by Laura Resnick
“The Passing Bell” by Amy Griswold
“Destination Ahead” by Laura Anne Gilman
“Where There’s Smoke” by Susan Jett
“Alien Time Warp” by Gini Koch
“Cell Service” by Christopher Barili
“Temporally Full” by Stephen Leigh
“Notes and Queries” by Juliet E. McKenna
“Temporally Out of Odor: A Fragrant Fable” by Jeremy Sim
April 24, 2015
Latest Book Discussion!
I've just posted the latest book discussion at the unofficial DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Dragon Thief, the sequel to Dragon Princess, by S. Andrew Swann. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
)! We're looking at Dragon Thief, the sequel to Dragon Princess, by S. Andrew Swann. Swing on by and check it out!April 17, 2015
Latest Book Discussion
I've posted the latest book discussion at the unofficial DAW Books (
dawbooks
) blog! We're looking at Tracker, the sixteenth book in C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series. Swing on by and check it out!
dawbooks
) blog! We're looking at Tracker, the sixteenth book in C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series. Swing on by and check it out!April 3, 2015
New Releases from DAW Books!
I've just posted the new releases for April from DAW Books at the unofficial blog
dawbooks
! Check out new books from C.J. Cherryh, S. Andrew Swann, and Diana Rowland!
dawbooks
! Check out new books from C.J. Cherryh, S. Andrew Swann, and Diana Rowland!March 27, 2015
Cover Reveal: "Temporally Out of Order" anthology edited by Joshua Palmatier & Patricia Bray
And lo! we can have front cover art! Here's the front cover of the TEMPORALLY OUT OF ORDER anthology, featuring stories by Seanan McGuire, Gini Koch, David B. Coe, Laura Anne Gilman, Faith Hunter, Stephen Leigh, Laura Resnick, and 10 other authors (soon to be announced). It's been edited by Joshua Palmatier (me) and Patricia Bray, with cover art by Justin Adams/Varia Studios.
If you missed the Kickstarter campaign for this, you can still get in on the action by preordering the kickstarter version of the paperback, the ebook, or both at the Zombies Need Brains online store here: Online Store.
If you missed the Kickstarter campaign for this, you can still get in on the action by preordering the kickstarter version of the paperback, the ebook, or both at the Zombies Need Brains online store here: Online Store.
