Joshua Palmatier's Blog, page 45
November 11, 2012
Book Review: "Late Eclipses" by Seanan McGuire
This is the fourth book in Seanan McGuire's October Daye urban fantasy series, about changeling Toby Daye, a knight of the faerie court, who looks into mysteries involving the fae for her liege Duke Sylvester Torquill. I'm enjoying this series, although not as much as I enjoy Seanan's zombie trilogy Newsflesh written under her pseudonym Mire Grant.
The premise of this book is that one of Toby's good friend, Lily, Lady of the Tea Gardens, falls sick with a mysterious illness. Intent on finding the cure, Toby finds herself caught up in a much deeper, more deadly plot that involves an old enemy, Oleander de Merelands, one of the two people who was responsible for her fourteen year exile as a fish. It seems Oleander, a faerie fond of poison, has targeted Toby's friends in an insane plot of revenge, including the King of Cats, Tybalt, and his Court, along with her liege. And somehow, Oleander has involved not only the Duke's insane daughter, but the Queen of the Faerie and Toby's estranged mother Amandine as well. Toby must unravel Oleander's plans before her poisons before Lily succumbs to the desecration of her pearl and Oleander targets even more of her friends.
I thought the plot of this particular October Daye novel was the best so far. It was convoluted and dark and deadly and it had consequences that forced Toby to change her perception of herself, literally. Toby in forced to confront herself, her mother, and her heritage as the novel unwinds, even though that was not Oleander's intent. Oleander ends up being the catalyst for other changes as well, including a shifting in the Duke's court, progressing the plot threads involving his daughter and his wife, and brings Toby deeper into the mysterious mechinations of faerie politics as well, since the Queen of the Faerie takes an interest. This is the first book where I thought all of these elements--brought up earlier--changed significantly, and all of the shifts stem from Oleander's involvement. None of them felt forced. They were all natural outcomes of Oleander's actions, even if they weren't intended. Basically, I thought this was the most cohesive book in the series in terms of movement, plot, and development of the world and Toby's character.
However, I did have some problems with Toby herself and her actions in the first half of the book. I found it annoying that she acts without really thinking, more or less just bouncing from one place to another without taking the time to stop and think about other options. For example, in one chapter something happens and she is told that she cannot, under any circumstances, go back to the Duke's domain or he will be forced to turn her over to the Queen. The dire results are made abundantly clear. And yet, the moment something happens in the next chapter, Toby is off to the Duke's domain. Not once does she consider not going, even though she was told not to, by her boss, the Duke, hours earlier. She doesn't pause to say, gee, I was told not to go, is there another option here? Could I send someone in with a message? Make a call or two? Send someone else? No, seh charges in herself. I wouldn't have minded if she'd considered other options and then discarded them as impossible for various reasons, thus being forced to go herself all risks aside. But she doesn't even consider other options. She doesn't seem to think in the first half of the book. At one point, she's told she herself has been poisoned and that she's been given boosters over the last few days. When Toby learns this, she doesn't stop and ask herself how or who could possibly have gotten close enough to give her the booster shots, thus narrowing down her suspect list. She doesn't think about it at all, really. We are supposed to believe that the poison she's been given has affected her mind and that is the reason she isn't thinking, but she stops and thinks logically about a few other things, so why not this? It seems a natural question to ask once you've been told you've been boosted. And the serious mind effects of the poison don't show up until after this.
So, overall, this book was a mixed bag for me. I really did enjoy the plot, once I got past the halfway point and Toby started thinking instead of just running hither and yon. That initial frustration (even allowing for the possibility of her mind being affected by the poison) was a significant distration for me at the beginning though. As I said earlier, though, once past that point this was the most cohesive books in the series. The plot and its effects on Toby, her relationship to the Duke and her mother, her perception of her herself, and all of the other consequences of Oleander and her actions were spectacular. I love it when the world and characters change during the course of the novel, especially in urban fantasy, where that doesn't seem to happen often. I'm hoping this continues in the next October Daye book. And I'm hoping that Toby stops and thinks a little more often as well.
The premise of this book is that one of Toby's good friend, Lily, Lady of the Tea Gardens, falls sick with a mysterious illness. Intent on finding the cure, Toby finds herself caught up in a much deeper, more deadly plot that involves an old enemy, Oleander de Merelands, one of the two people who was responsible for her fourteen year exile as a fish. It seems Oleander, a faerie fond of poison, has targeted Toby's friends in an insane plot of revenge, including the King of Cats, Tybalt, and his Court, along with her liege. And somehow, Oleander has involved not only the Duke's insane daughter, but the Queen of the Faerie and Toby's estranged mother Amandine as well. Toby must unravel Oleander's plans before her poisons before Lily succumbs to the desecration of her pearl and Oleander targets even more of her friends.
I thought the plot of this particular October Daye novel was the best so far. It was convoluted and dark and deadly and it had consequences that forced Toby to change her perception of herself, literally. Toby in forced to confront herself, her mother, and her heritage as the novel unwinds, even though that was not Oleander's intent. Oleander ends up being the catalyst for other changes as well, including a shifting in the Duke's court, progressing the plot threads involving his daughter and his wife, and brings Toby deeper into the mysterious mechinations of faerie politics as well, since the Queen of the Faerie takes an interest. This is the first book where I thought all of these elements--brought up earlier--changed significantly, and all of the shifts stem from Oleander's involvement. None of them felt forced. They were all natural outcomes of Oleander's actions, even if they weren't intended. Basically, I thought this was the most cohesive book in the series in terms of movement, plot, and development of the world and Toby's character.
However, I did have some problems with Toby herself and her actions in the first half of the book. I found it annoying that she acts without really thinking, more or less just bouncing from one place to another without taking the time to stop and think about other options. For example, in one chapter something happens and she is told that she cannot, under any circumstances, go back to the Duke's domain or he will be forced to turn her over to the Queen. The dire results are made abundantly clear. And yet, the moment something happens in the next chapter, Toby is off to the Duke's domain. Not once does she consider not going, even though she was told not to, by her boss, the Duke, hours earlier. She doesn't pause to say, gee, I was told not to go, is there another option here? Could I send someone in with a message? Make a call or two? Send someone else? No, seh charges in herself. I wouldn't have minded if she'd considered other options and then discarded them as impossible for various reasons, thus being forced to go herself all risks aside. But she doesn't even consider other options. She doesn't seem to think in the first half of the book. At one point, she's told she herself has been poisoned and that she's been given boosters over the last few days. When Toby learns this, she doesn't stop and ask herself how or who could possibly have gotten close enough to give her the booster shots, thus narrowing down her suspect list. She doesn't think about it at all, really. We are supposed to believe that the poison she's been given has affected her mind and that is the reason she isn't thinking, but she stops and thinks logically about a few other things, so why not this? It seems a natural question to ask once you've been told you've been boosted. And the serious mind effects of the poison don't show up until after this.
So, overall, this book was a mixed bag for me. I really did enjoy the plot, once I got past the halfway point and Toby started thinking instead of just running hither and yon. That initial frustration (even allowing for the possibility of her mind being affected by the poison) was a significant distration for me at the beginning though. As I said earlier, though, once past that point this was the most cohesive books in the series. The plot and its effects on Toby, her relationship to the Duke and her mother, her perception of her herself, and all of the other consequences of Oleander and her actions were spectacular. I love it when the world and characters change during the course of the novel, especially in urban fantasy, where that doesn't seem to happen often. I'm hoping this continues in the next October Daye book. And I'm hoping that Toby stops and thinks a little more often as well.
November 9, 2012
New Book Discussion
I've posted the bookd iscussion for the paperback release of R.M. Meluch's The Ninth Circle, part of the U.S.S. Merrimack series, over at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
). Swing on by and check it out! I absolutely loved the first book in this series and need to catch up.
dawbooks
). Swing on by and check it out! I absolutely loved the first book in this series and need to catch up.November 2, 2012
New Releases from DAW!
I've posted the new releases from DAW Books for November over at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! There's new Tanya Huff, Sherwood Smith, and Laura Resnick for everyone to snatch up, along with the paperback releases of Tad Williams' last Shadowmarch novel and Tanya Huff's The Wild Ways. Stop on by and check them out, then hit the bookstore and buy them all!
dawbooks
)! There's new Tanya Huff, Sherwood Smith, and Laura Resnick for everyone to snatch up, along with the paperback releases of Tad Williams' last Shadowmarch novel and Tanya Huff's The Wild Ways. Stop on by and check them out, then hit the bookstore and buy them all!November 1, 2012
GoodReads Giveaway!
Hey, all! The anthology River, which contains my short story "The River," has been declared a finalist for the EPIC eBook Awards and to celebrate the editor (Alma Alexander) and publisher (Dark Quest Books) are giving away 3 copies of the anthology over at GoodReads. You can find out about the other contributors to the anthology, as well as enter the giveaway, by clicking here. My story is actually set in the Throne of Amenkor universe and features Erick from the Throne books, with a cameo from Varis and Blookmark. Good luck! And if you don't win, check out the anthology anyway. There are some good short stories in there.
October 30, 2012
More Book Reviews from Other People!
After the last post about finding book reviews of my books by other people,
vespican
here on LJ noted that he'd reviewed some of the recent books as well, including Well of Sorrows and Leaves of Flame. Here are the links to his reviews! And thanks for taking the time to review them,
vespican
!
Close Encounters of the Urban Kind
Well of Sorrows
Leaves of Flame
After Hours: Tales from the Ur-bar
vespican
here on LJ noted that he'd reviewed some of the recent books as well, including Well of Sorrows and Leaves of Flame. Here are the links to his reviews! And thanks for taking the time to review them,
vespican
!Close Encounters of the Urban Kind
Well of Sorrows
Leaves of Flame
After Hours: Tales from the Ur-bar
October 29, 2012
Book Review: "Star Trek: A Time to Heal" by David Mack
This is the second part of the duology that began with A Time to Kill. I read the first book rather fast and moved immediately on to this one to see how it would end. That first book was action-packed in true Star Trek tradition, and this book deals with the consequences of what happened there.
The premise is that the Federation armed a non-aligned planet called Tezwa as a last-ditch strategy during the Dominion War, but the Tezwans decided to use those illegal weapons to antagonize the Klingons. Picard and the crew of the Enterprise managed to avert a potentially disastrous war in the first book by destroying the armaments, the political power that had threatened to use them going into hiding. During their efforts, Picard and crew also discovered evidence that the armaments were from the Federation, in violation of the Khitomer Accord. Now, they've been told to help the Tezwans rebuild their devastated planet from the damage done by the Klingons. But the missing Tezwan military has formed guerilla groups and are attacking key elements of the Federation's aid, including hospitals and food stations, as well as soldiers. Picard and crew must find the military leader Kinchawn before he can do serious damage, perhaps even push the Federation off the planet, and find Riker, taken hostage by the rebels as they fled. But as events continue, more and more evidence accumulates that someone in the Federation is using Picard and crew to cover up their crimes.
This second book isn't as action-packed as the first, although there's still plenty of action. In the first, there was a single focus: destroy the armaments. Here, the enemy is much more elusive, since the rebels are in hiding. I still loved teh book, and in particular love how the situation affects the crew. There is emotional turmoil, brought on by Riker's abduction and the desperate search to find him, along with the frustrating task of trying to stop soldiers who blend in with the crowd and use terrorist tactics to inflict as much harm as possible. And harm is inflicted, which is probably one of the reasons I like David Mack's writing so much. There are real-world consequences for what happens, meaning death, violence, etc. While the tenants and underlying hopefulness of Star Trek still remain, we see that the real world isn't always as nice as we'd like to think. In other words, this is a darker Star Trek universe. And anyone who has read my own books knows that I like things a little darker and realistic. Again, the writing is great, the characters come alive, and they are forced to deal with some realistic problems here. Troi dealing with Riker's capture was great, in particular. Crusher, Hughes, and Picard (especially at the end) was great. La Forge's slow discoveries and Vales' attempts to fight the rebels . . . all of it, really. A great book that wasn't just plot, but characterization as well.
Great book, and great addition to the Star Trek universe. I know David Mack has written other books in the Star Trek universe. Can't wait to get to them.
The premise is that the Federation armed a non-aligned planet called Tezwa as a last-ditch strategy during the Dominion War, but the Tezwans decided to use those illegal weapons to antagonize the Klingons. Picard and the crew of the Enterprise managed to avert a potentially disastrous war in the first book by destroying the armaments, the political power that had threatened to use them going into hiding. During their efforts, Picard and crew also discovered evidence that the armaments were from the Federation, in violation of the Khitomer Accord. Now, they've been told to help the Tezwans rebuild their devastated planet from the damage done by the Klingons. But the missing Tezwan military has formed guerilla groups and are attacking key elements of the Federation's aid, including hospitals and food stations, as well as soldiers. Picard and crew must find the military leader Kinchawn before he can do serious damage, perhaps even push the Federation off the planet, and find Riker, taken hostage by the rebels as they fled. But as events continue, more and more evidence accumulates that someone in the Federation is using Picard and crew to cover up their crimes.
This second book isn't as action-packed as the first, although there's still plenty of action. In the first, there was a single focus: destroy the armaments. Here, the enemy is much more elusive, since the rebels are in hiding. I still loved teh book, and in particular love how the situation affects the crew. There is emotional turmoil, brought on by Riker's abduction and the desperate search to find him, along with the frustrating task of trying to stop soldiers who blend in with the crowd and use terrorist tactics to inflict as much harm as possible. And harm is inflicted, which is probably one of the reasons I like David Mack's writing so much. There are real-world consequences for what happens, meaning death, violence, etc. While the tenants and underlying hopefulness of Star Trek still remain, we see that the real world isn't always as nice as we'd like to think. In other words, this is a darker Star Trek universe. And anyone who has read my own books knows that I like things a little darker and realistic. Again, the writing is great, the characters come alive, and they are forced to deal with some realistic problems here. Troi dealing with Riker's capture was great, in particular. Crusher, Hughes, and Picard (especially at the end) was great. La Forge's slow discoveries and Vales' attempts to fight the rebels . . . all of it, really. A great book that wasn't just plot, but characterization as well.
Great book, and great addition to the Star Trek universe. I know David Mack has written other books in the Star Trek universe. Can't wait to get to them.
Book Review: "Star Trek: A Time to Kill" by David Mack
I have to say that this is the best Star Trek book I've ever read. I haven't read all of them, but I've read quite a few.
The premise is that during the Dominion War, the Federation armed the non-aligned planet Tezwa, on the Klingon border, with new weapons as a possible last-resort trap for the Founders and their army. Unfortunately, this arming violated the treaty with the Klingons, so it must be kept secret at all costs. But one of the political parties on Tezwa decides to use the weapons to challenge the Klingons for an adjacent world, what could be the start of a conflict that will expose the armaments and spark a war between the Federation and the Klingons, one that neither side can afford in the aftermath of the Dominion War. The Enterprise is sent initially to help negotiations in the hopes that it will prevent any conflict at all. But when the Tezwans destroy the Klingon ships in orbit, killing 6000, diplomacy is no longer an option. The Klingons amass a much larger army with the intent to conquer the planet, leaving Picard and the Enterprise crew mere hours to find a way to disarm the Tezwans using Federation weapons and stop the Klingons from attacking.
This is simply book one of two for this story (and book 7 of 9 [HA!]) of the story arc before the movie Nemesis. And I loved it. The set-up was excellent. The genesis of the situation made total sense, and it created a situation that seemed impossible to solve and yet what Picard and crew do to solve it make total sense. And their plan doesn't go as expected, racheting up the tension as they fight to stop the oncoming slaughter. I have to say that I didn't quite believe that everything that happened could have occurred in the time given, but that's a minor detail. The entire crew was needed for this, and the action kept me riveted. But it wasn't all just action either. There were emotional and relationship conflicts, the ones that this 9 book series are supposed to address (such as how Dr. Crusher, Riker, and Troi end up stationed somewhere besides the Enterprise). David Mack handles all of the various aspects--high-stakes plot, high-stakes emotional turmoil, and real-life motivations and actions--excellently. And the writing is excellent as well. Easy to read and flowing easily off the page. I think I've found a new favorite Star Trek writer.
In any case, a great story, a great writer, and a great book. I'm certain the follow-up novel will be as spectacular.
The premise is that during the Dominion War, the Federation armed the non-aligned planet Tezwa, on the Klingon border, with new weapons as a possible last-resort trap for the Founders and their army. Unfortunately, this arming violated the treaty with the Klingons, so it must be kept secret at all costs. But one of the political parties on Tezwa decides to use the weapons to challenge the Klingons for an adjacent world, what could be the start of a conflict that will expose the armaments and spark a war between the Federation and the Klingons, one that neither side can afford in the aftermath of the Dominion War. The Enterprise is sent initially to help negotiations in the hopes that it will prevent any conflict at all. But when the Tezwans destroy the Klingon ships in orbit, killing 6000, diplomacy is no longer an option. The Klingons amass a much larger army with the intent to conquer the planet, leaving Picard and the Enterprise crew mere hours to find a way to disarm the Tezwans using Federation weapons and stop the Klingons from attacking.
This is simply book one of two for this story (and book 7 of 9 [HA!]) of the story arc before the movie Nemesis. And I loved it. The set-up was excellent. The genesis of the situation made total sense, and it created a situation that seemed impossible to solve and yet what Picard and crew do to solve it make total sense. And their plan doesn't go as expected, racheting up the tension as they fight to stop the oncoming slaughter. I have to say that I didn't quite believe that everything that happened could have occurred in the time given, but that's a minor detail. The entire crew was needed for this, and the action kept me riveted. But it wasn't all just action either. There were emotional and relationship conflicts, the ones that this 9 book series are supposed to address (such as how Dr. Crusher, Riker, and Troi end up stationed somewhere besides the Enterprise). David Mack handles all of the various aspects--high-stakes plot, high-stakes emotional turmoil, and real-life motivations and actions--excellently. And the writing is excellent as well. Easy to read and flowing easily off the page. I think I've found a new favorite Star Trek writer.
In any case, a great story, a great writer, and a great book. I'm certain the follow-up novel will be as spectacular.
October 27, 2012
New Book Reviews . . . By Other People!
I've run across two book reviews by Sharon Stogner over at I Smell Sheep, one for The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity and the second for After Hours: Tales from the Ur-bar that I don't remember seeing earlier when it was posted. Both good reviews. Check them out here: the Modern Fae one and the After Hours one. Both good reviews. Check them out!
October 26, 2012
Book Review: "Alien Proliferation" by Gini Koch
This is the fourth book in Gini Koch's Alien series. I've enjoyed all of them, mostly because they are so action-packed and because the characters are fun to follow. The plots are convoluted and over-the-edge in the believability factor, but the whole point is just to have fun. The books aren't intended to be taken too seriously.
The premise of this book is to introduce everyone to Kitty Katt and Martini's child. The birth pretty much happens right off the bat in the book, although the plot starts moving forward before that, because of course the evil doers are interested in Kitty and her child. In particular, in what kinds of powers the hybrid child might possess. And if there was any doubt that the child would have powers, that's answered pretty much right away as well, with things happening before their baby is even born. Once it becomes obvious that someone is after Kitty, the newborn, and pretty much any of the hybrids and ACs of any influence, along with Richard and Kitty's mother, the entire AC community goes into lockdown, with most of the action following from that decision and the race to get any and all of Kitty's friends--and potential victims of the evil doers--into safety. But of course, harming Kitty's friends and loved ones to get to her is only the beginning, as the plot begins twisting and turning into all new directions, which I'd spoil by mentioning.
So, as already mentioned, this book follows the usual fun and high-octane action of all of the previous books. There's plenty of action, and plenty of twists in the rollercoaster ride of the plot as it unravels. Readers have come to expect this from Gini Koch and the Alien books. One of the best features of the series (missing from most of the urban fantasy series I've read) is that as events unfold, Kitty's life also morphs and changes. This is only the fourth book in the series and Kitty's gone from being an advertising drone to leader of Team Alpha for the ACs, through a few relationships, although settling on Martini, getting married, and now having a kid. Things change, at a rapid pace, in this series. Most series seem content to just let the main character and friends move from case to case, with most of the relationships and such remaining static. In this book, Kitty has the child, and through the course of the book learns some good lessons about raising kids, how her relationship with Martini will have to adjust, and her role as part of the AC organization shifts as well. I like the sense that what happens to Kitty and her friends and loved ones changes the world around them and they have to adjust for it.
Also, although most readers will lament this, there wasn't the same level of romance elements in this book as in the previous ones. I was fine with not having the continual sex scenes. But that's just me. (I commented on not being interested in the romance elements in the previous books, if you haven't read those reviews.)
My biggest complaint about this book in particular is that the first half of the book isn't as active as the last half or the previous books. This is partly because Kitty has had the kid, and so needs to remain in one place to care for her. So for the first half of this book, she's trapped at the AC complex as it goes into lockdown. Since she's the POV character, that means the reader is stuck with her, and so all of the real action is happening off screen and we (with Kitty) are learning of it all second-hand. This removes us from the plot in a way that lasted too long for me. I wanted Kitty to be more involved earlier on. Once she is directly involved, the pace and fun of the book picks up tenfold.
This book shifts Kitty's role into the next phase and sets up the fifth book rather well. Even with that slower portion in the first half, I'll certainly be reading Alien Diplomacy as soon as I get the chance. I need to catch up before Alien vs Alien hits the shelves later this year. For those who love high-paced, sci-fi action, with some pretty heavy romance elements thrown in, I'd definitely recommend this series.
The premise of this book is to introduce everyone to Kitty Katt and Martini's child. The birth pretty much happens right off the bat in the book, although the plot starts moving forward before that, because of course the evil doers are interested in Kitty and her child. In particular, in what kinds of powers the hybrid child might possess. And if there was any doubt that the child would have powers, that's answered pretty much right away as well, with things happening before their baby is even born. Once it becomes obvious that someone is after Kitty, the newborn, and pretty much any of the hybrids and ACs of any influence, along with Richard and Kitty's mother, the entire AC community goes into lockdown, with most of the action following from that decision and the race to get any and all of Kitty's friends--and potential victims of the evil doers--into safety. But of course, harming Kitty's friends and loved ones to get to her is only the beginning, as the plot begins twisting and turning into all new directions, which I'd spoil by mentioning.
So, as already mentioned, this book follows the usual fun and high-octane action of all of the previous books. There's plenty of action, and plenty of twists in the rollercoaster ride of the plot as it unravels. Readers have come to expect this from Gini Koch and the Alien books. One of the best features of the series (missing from most of the urban fantasy series I've read) is that as events unfold, Kitty's life also morphs and changes. This is only the fourth book in the series and Kitty's gone from being an advertising drone to leader of Team Alpha for the ACs, through a few relationships, although settling on Martini, getting married, and now having a kid. Things change, at a rapid pace, in this series. Most series seem content to just let the main character and friends move from case to case, with most of the relationships and such remaining static. In this book, Kitty has the child, and through the course of the book learns some good lessons about raising kids, how her relationship with Martini will have to adjust, and her role as part of the AC organization shifts as well. I like the sense that what happens to Kitty and her friends and loved ones changes the world around them and they have to adjust for it.
Also, although most readers will lament this, there wasn't the same level of romance elements in this book as in the previous ones. I was fine with not having the continual sex scenes. But that's just me. (I commented on not being interested in the romance elements in the previous books, if you haven't read those reviews.)
My biggest complaint about this book in particular is that the first half of the book isn't as active as the last half or the previous books. This is partly because Kitty has had the kid, and so needs to remain in one place to care for her. So for the first half of this book, she's trapped at the AC complex as it goes into lockdown. Since she's the POV character, that means the reader is stuck with her, and so all of the real action is happening off screen and we (with Kitty) are learning of it all second-hand. This removes us from the plot in a way that lasted too long for me. I wanted Kitty to be more involved earlier on. Once she is directly involved, the pace and fun of the book picks up tenfold.
This book shifts Kitty's role into the next phase and sets up the fifth book rather well. Even with that slower portion in the first half, I'll certainly be reading Alien Diplomacy as soon as I get the chance. I need to catch up before Alien vs Alien hits the shelves later this year. For those who love high-paced, sci-fi action, with some pretty heavy romance elements thrown in, I'd definitely recommend this series.
October 25, 2012
The Second Book Discussion
The next book discussion for the DAW October releases is up at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! Stop on by and check out Celia Jerome's latest novel, Sand Witches in the Hamptons, the third book in her Willow Tate series.
dawbooks
)! Stop on by and check out Celia Jerome's latest novel, Sand Witches in the Hamptons, the third book in her Willow Tate series.
