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Featured Review | Mystic – Jason Denzel

About the Book

I called to the Myst, and it sent us you.

For hundreds of years, high-born nobles have competed for the chance to learn of the Myst.

Powerful, revered, and often reclusive, Mystics have the unique ability to summon and manipulate the Myst: the underlying energy that lives at the heart of the universe. Once in a very great while, they take an apprentice, always from the most privileged sects of society.

Such has always been the tradition—until a new High Mystic takes her seat and chooses Pomella AnDone, a restless, low-born teenager, as a candidate.

Commoners have never been welcomed among the select few given the opportunity to rise beyond even the highest nobility. So when Pomella chooses to accept the summons and journey to Kelt Apar, she knows that she will have more to contend with than the competition for the apprenticeship.

Breaking both law and tradition, Pomella undergoes three trials against the other candidates to prove her worthiness. As the trials unfold, Pomella navigates a deadly world of intolerance and betrayal, unaware that ruthless conspirators intend to make her suffer for having the audacity to seek to unravel the secrets of the Myst.

304 pages (hardcover)

Published on November 3, 2015

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

—

Alright folks, to be quite honest with you, I almost didn’t read this book. I got through about three pages, and I was 90% sure I would put it down. However, I pulled through, and in the end I’m glad I did. This book enchanted me, and once I got used to that thing that bothered me at first (which I will expand on a bit), it was really easy to ignore because there was so much else for me to enjoy.

So what bothered me so much at the start? Honestly, it was something that hasn’t really ever bothered me this much before. In fact, the simple fact that this aspect of the book stuck in my craw caught me so off guard because, really, naming conventions usually don’t even phase me. They are a nonissue. I just, usually, don’t care. However, for whatever reason I did care with this one. The words that bugged me are quite simple, but instead of “father” it’s “fathir” and instead of “grandmother” it’s “grandmhathir.” And looking at them now, they are simple words, but man, they crawled under my skin. And I’m mentioning that because I do know that some people are big on naming conventions, and thus, should be prepared to expect this.

Honestly, that’s the biggest gripe I have with this book. There is a lot here that is quite enchanting. Myst is one of those books that can span generations. It’s a heartwarming coming-of-age tale about a young woman who is finding her place in a very large world. It’s a fish out of water tale, and it’s quite well done. Pomella’s story is told in such a way that I can easily picture teenagers enjoying it, as well as adults. It’s not really a challenging story. You’ll probably be able to predict most of it, but that’s not really a bad thing. Sometimes it’s nice to just curl up with a book and enjoy the story. Knowing where it’s going just allows you more time to enjoy where you’re at.

One of the best aspects of this novel was the world building, which was steeped in nature and, due to Pomella’s singing ability, song. Denzel does a fantastic job at weaving together nature and music and creating something that is truly his own. However, there are a lot of little flourishes that I also enjoyed, a lot of mythology that reminded me of stories I’ve heard before, and books I’ve read. While it may be reminiscent, it’s not a copy. This definitely is Denzel’s very own animal, but in some ways it felt kind of like he was paying homage to some of his inspiration, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it quite a bit. Furthermore, so much of the magical force in this world is known, but not understood, so it’s a lot of fun to ride along with Pomella as she learns and really starts to explore the magical elements of her world.

Pomella herself is a character you’ll either love or hate. She is absolutely genuine. If she was a D&D character, she’d be aligned with lawful good. And, like I said, you’re either a person who thinks that’s interesting, or you’re not. Pomella, however, was a lot of fun to read about, mostly because so much of her story was discovering who she really was in the face of all these interesting things that are happening. When you put her in her world that is so very magical, you have quite an enchanting formula.

While this book might seem pretty self explanatory on the surface, there is a lot that happens that is quite impressively thought provoking. Not only is Pomella navigating these interesting trials and learning about the myst that is such a driving force in her world, she’s also exploring deep and very well explored themes regarding social class, responsibility and so much more. It’s aspects like this that make me really look at this book as something more than young adult. It will appeal to quite a wide range of readers, mostly because Denzel has an art with breaking down important topics, and making them digestible to a wide range of readers.

There were quite a few surprising twists and turns, and while I did feel like most of this book was predictable (Again, that’s not a bad thing.) the ending really wowed me. Denzel neatly explored the world he created in this novel, but he left room for more depth and details in future books, and I’d honestly love to read them.

I’ve been having a hell of a year. I’ve had a baby, and now I’m facing cancer tests, and life has been hard. These things cause stress, and the lack of sleep thrown into it all just fuels that fire. I’ve been wanting comfort reads. I’ve been wanting books I can turn to that will help me relax, detach, and just enjoy. It’s rare that I come across a book that feels like the comfort blanket I’ve been looking for, but Mystic certainly is one of those. It’s fun, surprising, and thoughtful. The best word I could use to describe this book is enchanting. Mystic is enchanting. It is the literary equivalent of a warm hug, and I read it right when I needed one.

4/5 stars

Special Needs in Strange Worlds

You guys may or may not have noticed that my column over on SF Signal, Special Needs in Strange Worlds has been quiet since June. This year has been really, really hard. I found out I was pregnant. It was a high risk pregnancy, and by the time I made it to the second half of the last trimester, I was barely functioning. I had to ditch pretty much everything but the bare minimum it took to keep this place from biting it. So I put that column on hiatus, and had to quit a bunch of other things so I could grow a healthy human. Then I had said healthy human and expected to relaunch the column in November. As soon as that idea started formulating, I learned I had to spend the entire month of December doing Cancer Crap. (It’s capitalized because it is an event that deserves such treatment.) It’s a mind game going into this, and an energy sucker being here, but I’m almost done and feeling kind of crappy but my spirits are high enough to be planning what’s next.

And what’s next is…. Special Needs in Strange Worlds will relaunch in January. It is OFFICIAL. I have my first few posts, and I have a list of about 12 authors I plan on bugging as soon as I get a minute (which I hoped would be last weekend, but due to a  – surprise – plumbing issue it has to be this weekend). But it will happen. There will be some changes. I will probably have to do this column every other week, rather than every week. If/until, I get my life organized enough to start doing it every week. The real problem is, it takes A TON OF TIME to hunt down guest posts, to bug people and see how it’s going, to remind people, to talk to people. It takes time. And generally right now, if I say that I will email you back tonight, you’ll probably be lucky to get that email within a week. It’s hard having two kids, working, doing Cancer Crap, etc. So it will be every other week instead of every week. If I start getting posts rolling in quite easily, with minimal fuss on my end, then I’ll move it every week (If the Powers That Be on SF Signal don’t mind).

This goes along with my next point. If anyone out there wants to volunteer a guest post for my column, please contact me. Special Needs in Strange Worlds is a column I organize to discuss and highlight the importance of disabilities in the genre. I’m looking for authors and reviewers, specifically. If you have something to say on the topic, please reach out to me. My email address is in the About Me section.

So there you have it folks. Special Needs in Strange Worlds will be back in January, biweekly, but just as awesome. I’m thrilled to bring it back, and I really want to thank everyone who didn’t forget about my column while I’ve been dealing with pure chaos infused life.

Featured Review| Radiance – Catherynne M. Valente

About the Book

Radiance is a decopunk pulp SF alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood—and solar system—very different from our own, from the phenomenal talent behind the New York Times bestselling The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

Severin Unck’s father is a famous director of Gothic romances in an alternate 1986 in which talking movies are still a daring innovation due to the patent-hoarding Edison family. Rebelling against her father’s films of passion, intrigue, and spirits from beyond, Severin starts making documentaries, traveling through space and investigating the levitator cults of Neptune and the lawless saloons of Mars. For this is not our solar system, but one drawn from classic science fiction in which all the planets are inhabited and we travel through space on beautiful rockets. Severin is a realist in a fantastic universe.

But her latest film, which investigates the disappearance of a diving colony on a watery Venus populated by island-sized alien creatures, will be her last. Though her crew limps home to earth and her story is preserved by the colony’s last survivor, Severin will never return.

Aesthetically recalling A Trip to the Moon and House of Leaves, and told using techniques from reality TV, classic film, gossip magazines, and meta-fictional narrative, Radiance is a solar system-spanning story of love, exploration, family, loss, quantum physics, and silent film.

432 pages (hardcover)

Published on October 20, 2015

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

—

This is a really hard book to talk about, because it really doesn’t fit anywhere. It’s completely different than anything else I’ve read, and people will either love or hate this book based on those differences. I don’t really see there being much middle ground with this book.

First things first, I don’t know how Catherynne M. Valente can possibly contain as much talent as she does. I mean, really. Isn’t there a threshold where you get so talented you explode or something? For your own safety, you cannot reach a certain level of awesome or you become radioactive? Apparently not, because if that was the case, Valente would have surpassed that limit a long, long time ago. Long time ago. I honestly think this woman could write a grocery list and I’d probably preorder the damn thing.

The thing is, she writes with subtle humor, but also stark human truths couched in these gorgeous, glorious phrases that I just kind of want to wallow in. This book is full of stuff that is dark, human, funny, and shockingly true. It’s like she manages to shine a light on the human condition and fill her book with it. And I love it. I can’t get enough of it. This woman is amazing.

Real life is all beginnings. Days, weeks, children, journeys, marriages, inventions. Even a murder is the beginning of a criminal. Perhaps even a spree. Everything is prologue. Every story has a stutter. It just keeps starting and starting until you decide to shut the camera off. Half the time you don’t even realise that what you’re choosing for breakfast is the beginning of a story that won’t pan out till you’re sixty and staring at the pastry that made you a widower. No, love, in real life you can get all the way to death and never have finished one single story. Or never even get one so much as half-begun.

As I said above, this book refuses to be defined or pushed into any one category. It’s too broad for a label to stick to, and that’s fine. It’s part noir, part science fiction space opera, and a lot of discopunk (what does that even mean, really?). This is a story that spans the solar system and is told in numerous different ways, through interviews, articles, stories, different perspectives, and all sorts of different artistic mediums. It’s quite well done, and very, very unique. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that tells a story in this way before. Of course it’s a gamble, and like most gambles, it will either pay off or it won’t.

The problems that some people might find are a few fold. First, this story isn’t really cohesive in many respects. The narrative skips around quite a bit, and while it is absolutely riveting, some readers might wish that it went a little deeper into a few more focused individual’s stories. Secondly, the world is sprawling. The solar system has been populated, and it’s so richly realized, but I felt like Valente really only skimmed the surface. While that didn’t really bother me, I can see where some readers might be taken back by it, and wish that Valente had chosen one location to really focus on and bring to life. The world is fascinating, and I do kind of wish there had been more depth to it. The ending is left open, and unfinished, which I think is the point but it will absolutely frustrate some readers. However, I don’t think that was a mistake on Valente’s part.

The real issue, in my mind, is the lack of a cohesive narrative. While I can see the logic in that, and the fact that some points were purposely left unexplained and unfinished, it created a sort of confused jumble at points. Occasionally things just didn’t click together, the pieces didn’t slide in place. The writing was beautiful, but the story felt, honestly, kind of messy. The truth remains, Radiance so unique, so flawless and well realized, the frustration I occasionally felt really surprised me.

On the flip side of that, once I had this novel figured out and saw how the story was being told and what direction things were moving, I realized how purely genius Valente was for writing a book in this way. Yeah, it can be confusing, and I can easily see how it will put some readers off, but she’s telling a deep, captivating, sprawling story in a way that, even at the confusing points, is nothing short of addicting. There’s an art to how Valente told this story, and like most art, it will either hit or miss you depending on how you perceive it.

One thing I can say, however, is that this is, hands down, one of the most unique books I’ve read this year. Bar none. Valente is an incredibly talented author, and Radiance really shows what she is capable of. This author, like the book she wrote, refuses to be defined, and that’s what makes both her and her book(s) so damn glorious.

4/5 stars

The Epic Best Books of 2015 List

This has been an interesting year for all things literary in my life. This has been the year of audiobooks. Before I had no interest in them. This year I couldn’t get enough. It’s also been the year when I’ve discovered how wonderful novellas could be. I’ve had some health stuff crop up, which has impacted my reading in some ways, making me veer toward comfort books rather than blood-and-guts books. And I’ve been involved in the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, which has opened my eyes to a lot of books that I never really would have seen before. I’ve also been a beta reader for several authors, and edited some stuff, and had the honor to sit on two different panels at two different conventions talking about disabilities in genre fiction.

This is also the year where I feel like I’ve read books set in more unique worlds than any year before. While there will always be a place for the European-esque setting in speculative fiction, I feel like a lot of authors are branching out and exploring other setting and I welcome that. I think my list will reflect that.

It’s been a good year.

The end of the year lists are always hard for me. Right now, at this point in the year, I’m at 192 books read. It’s really, really hard to narrow that down to a neat and tidy list of the books that impressed me most, because so many of them are noteworthy for so many different reasons. And then I debated on putting this list off until January, but right now I’m reading books set to release in 2016, and I think some people might want suggestions for Christmas lists or whatever else they have going on, so whatever. I’m biting the bullet and doing it now.

First thing to know, this is in no particular order. I’m literally going through my shelves on Goodreads and noting books as I see them. All books will be published in 2015, unless otherwise noted. Also, going into this right now, I have no idea how many books I’ll have in this list. I’m flying by the seat of my pants a bit. Enjoy!

P.S. I’m too lazy to link to all my reviews of these books, so you’ll have to search for them in the search bar above if you want to read them. Sorry! (Hey, at least I’m honest.)

So here you go. Here are the Best Books of 2015!

—

Wake of Vultures – Lila Bowen

This book is set in a nitty-gritty wild west, full of adventure and mythology that is sculpted by Bowen’s unique vision. This book is raw and exciting, and explores a world that is both reminiscent of our own, but completely its own animal at the same time. The plot doesn’t stop, and the writing is superb, but what impressed me the most was the protagonist, Nettie, who stole the show. I’ve rarely run across a character that is so comfortable in her own skin, and it really made the book something special.

 

Our Lady of the Ice – Cassandra Rose Clarke

This book really surprised me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it when I first got it, but once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Set in Hope City, Antarctica, this is a sort of noir novel, intermixed with social problems, and a unique twist on AI’s and robots that really captivated me. This is a dark, solemn novel, but Clarke really hit it out of the park with a dark, intense atmosphere, plenty of twists and turns, and characters that are delightfully, believably flawed set against a fascinating city on a rather unexplored continent.

 

Dark Ascension – M.L. Brennan

I can’t even begin to tell you guys what a huge fan I am of the Generation V series. Every book is a new delight, and I’m not kidding when I tell you that as soon as I finish one, I am eagerly awaiting the next. This book, however, really outshined all of its predecessors. It’s a little more emotionally intense, and a bit darker. Our characters are forced to examine themselves in somewhat uncomfortable ways. However, Brennan made me cry with this one, and I almost never cry when I read books, so that really should tell you all you need to know.

 

A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab

Seriously. What in the hell am I supposed to say about this one? It’s surely one of my top-five books read this year. The magic system is unique, the characters are captivating, the writing slayed me. Everything about this book was perfection. If you haven’t already read it, you really need to get a move on it. This book was intense and amazing and mind-blowing all at once and I really, really want to read the next one. Like yesterday.

 

Silver on the Road – Laura Anne Gilman

This is another book that, like the one before it, would absolutely be ranked somewhere in my top five read this year. Amazing in every sense. I’m a sucker for the weird west books, probably because I live out here in the weird west, but Gliman did everything right in this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. Everything about this book is polished to a bright shine. The world is fabulous, the magic is unique and deep, the characters are just as shiny and unique as the book itself and the plot is absolutely relentless. Mixed into this is mythology and lore, and a feel that Gilman really is only scratching the surface of something incredible. I liked it so much I started re-reading it two days ago. Crazy, right? Sometimes a girl just needs something incredible in her life.

 

The Traitor Baru Cormorant – Seth Dickenson

If you are ever in the mood to be emotionally flayed with some of the most gorgeous writing you’ll ever come across, you really need to stop what you’re doing and read this book. This book will sear your soul, and the most amazing thing is, you’ll be begging for it to happen. It’s one of those tragedies that you can’t help but love. It takes you right into the dark depths of your emotions, and sort of wallows there, but it also challenges you and forces you to examine… well, everything. This book was intense. It was tragic. It was full of beautifully broken characters in a world that is just as tragic as they are and you won’t want any of it to stop. Ever.

 

First Light – Linda Nagata

I can’t get enough of this series. I’m not a huge fan of military SciFi, but Nagata nailed this one. She took complex issues and complex topics and merged them together in a way that is easy to digest, but forces you to think about uncomfortable things in a new way. Told through the viewpoint of James Shelley, a man who is immediately likeable but loyal almost to a fault, this is a book that came out of left field and shocked the hell out of me with its captivating plot, hell-for-leather pace, and how much it made me think.

 

Planetfall – Emma Newman

Yes, I did have some issues with this book, but at the same time I can’t stop thinking about it. Tragic and beautiful, full of hope and fear all wrapped together in this intricately woven package, Planetfall really impacted me. It moved me in shockingly intense ways. The true test of a good book is how much I think about it when I’m done reading it, and I’m still mulling over Planetfall, weeks after I finished it. It’s… different, with a quiet emotional intensity that built and built until I felt almost overwhelmed by it, but that was balanced out by a really intricate plot that surprised me. This book was special, and challenging, and beautiful and tragic all at once.

 

Uprooted – Naomi Novik

Wow. Just wow. I didn’t really like Novik’s other series, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but it absolutely blew me away. This has a fairytale feel to it, and some absolutely stunning prose. The characters are easy to love and easy to hate at the same time. The magic is interesting, but it was the atmosphere that really did it for me, the haunting forest, the lonely characters, the confusing moments, the love and hope and fear was all so intense and absolutely resonated throughout the book. The plot was fascinating, and the prose was… wow. I love fairytale retellings, and I tend to always enjoy them, but Novik’s wasn’t just a retelling, it was a work of art.

 

The Grace of Kings – Ken Liu

I listened to the audiobook of this, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Fantastic narrating to compliment beautiful writing. The setting is reminiscent of the far East. The culture is complex, as are the characters and the plot. This is epic in every sense. There are tons of twists and turns, plenty of surprising moments, a lot of developments that I didn’t expect as cultures clash and people are pushed past their breaking points. The ending was the perfect compliment to what led up to it, and it left me aching for more. I’ve been kind of put off by epic fantasy recently, but man, Liu brought me back to it. This isn’t just an epic story, it’s an epic saga, and an experience you won’t ever forget. Because, damn, this book was good.

 

The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin

If I may be so forward, I will say that I think this might be Jemisin’s best book yet. It’s dark and sort of brooding, but so amazingly unique with characters that match. This is the start to a new series, and I expect the series to blow me away like this book did. The magic system itself is something I’d love to learn more about, but the world is truly its own animal, and Jemisin’s crafting of it made it feel like it was just as real as the characters that inhabited the book. It’s a tale of love and hope and challenge, all woven together in an unforgettable package. Jemisin is an author who always leaves an impact, and this book isn’t any different. It’s intense, and will leave you yearning for more.

 

Cold Iron – Stina Leicht

Leicht is one of my favorite authors. Her writing does things to me that I love. She has a way with emotions and characters that just works for me. I truly loved this book. It’s an opening to an epic fantasy series set in a secondary world, and it deals with some pretty weighty topics like the love between families, and two people who have to discover their own paths and individuality in a world that is falling apart around them. It’s interesting to watch these characters bend and stretch and become who they are meant to become while the world around them is so uncertain, and Leicht really brought all those emotions to life while I read this book.

 

Twelve Kings in Sharakai – Bradley P. Beaulieu

Yes, I beta read this novel, but yeah, I just genuinely love it so much. I love the city of Sharakai so much. It’s so real, and vibrant and just beautifully realized. Ceda is a character that I couldn’t get enough of, a strong woman who can handle herself. In fact, every character in this book is three dimensional, and the city itself shines. The plot is complex and multi-layered. It moves fast, but like a few books I’ve mentioned in this list, despite how complex this novel is, I really feel like Beaulieu is only scratching the surface and I cannot wait to read what happens next, to learn more about these characters and this place that felt more real than my own house while I was reading about it. Epic fantasy, but epic fantasy done oh-so-right.

 

The Liar’s Key – Mark Lawrence

This is another one I beta read, and another one I just loved so much. This is the second book in Lawrence’s current series, and damn, is it good. It spans quite a bit of distance both geographically and personally as his characters change quite a bit, and the dark plot has a sort of brooding feel while people are pushed and pulled by the seen and unseen. Lawrence has some superb writing skills, and some of the dialogue in this novel is unforgettable. This is one of those second books in a series that isn’t just a bridge between books one and three, but is a book that easily stands on its own and makes a huge impact in its own right. Intense and humorous and quite surprising, The Liar’s Key was an unforgettable adventure.

 

My favorite book of this year was…. (drum roll please)

Six-Gun Snow White – Catherynne M. Valente

Yes, this is a reprint of a book put out a few years ago, but it’s reprinted this year so I’m counting it. I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS BOOK. Really. I’m not even exaggerating. I CAN’T STOP. Everything about it was breathtaking. I don’t even know what to say here besides HOLY CRAP. I just… wow. Because… wow. The strong protagonist, some of the most stunning writing I have ever run across, hands down. It’s a fantastic twist on an old fairytale and I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS BOOK.

I think I might need to go re-read it now.

Honorable Mention 

Ash and Silver – Carol Berg

The ONLY reason this is getting an Honorable Mention rather than being on the actual list is because I haven’t finished it yet, but this book is incredible. All of Berg’s books are. I haven’t run across an author yet who can challenge her authors so profoundly as gracefully as she can. And her writing. Oh, her writing. There is a reason why Berg is one of my top 5 favorite authors, and she pulls out her considerable arsenal of skills for this book.

 

My favorite publisher this year is… (drum roll again, please)

Saga Press

While I’ve been aware of Saga Press, this year they kind of came out of left field and blew me away with the high quality of their work. I don’t know who is doing what over there, but they are doing it right. Every single book I get from them instantly moves to the top of my to-be-read mountain range. So, whoever is doing whatever at Saga Press, please keep doing it, because this bookworm over here is enjoying the hell out of your high quality, unique, and absolutely captivating published books.

 

Best book not published in 2015: 

Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes

I just finished the audiobook, and it completely emotionally eviscerated me, and while it challenged me, and brought tears to my eyes, This book made me think very, very deep thoughts and reexamine some profound things. I know like everyone alive has read this book before, but it was a first for me, and I really regret waiting this long to enjoy it. It’s not just a good book to read, but it’s an important book to read. There are some works of literature that defy explanation, and transcend vocabulary, and this is one of them.

Featured Review | The Death of Dulgath – Michael J. Sullivan

About the Book

When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they’re asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane.

From the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. Although part of a series, it’s designed to thrill both new readers looking for fun, fast-paced fantasy and Riyria veterans wishing to reunite with old friends.

448 pages

Published on December 1, 2015

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent by the author in exchange for an honest review.

—

I’m a huge fan of Michael J. Sullivan. I love all of his books. His writing is easy to absorb, a lot of fun, and manages to keep me engaged constantly. His books are the sort where I’d pass hours reading them and having a blast doing it. Books like that are important. They keep me remembering why I enjoy reading so much.

I’ve really been enjoying these side jaunts of Royce and Hadrian that Sullivan has been writing. It adds a lot of punch to a world that he’s already so vividly crafted, while keeping me focused on two characters that I have loved for years. Honestly, after not reading about them for a while, reading a new story set in their world is like coming home again.

This book is interesting for a few reasons. As a prequel to Sullivan’s popular Riyria Revelations series (the third of which) it is a great place for readers to learn a bit more about the world, the characters, and the events that have made them who they are. Sullivan has a knack for inserting a good dose of history and education in his novels without hitting readers with it. He keeps it fun and light, and surprising, but never overwhelming. It’s easy to sit back and enjoy seeing who Royce and Hadrian were before they hit the Riyria Revelations books.

In that regard, while I do think new readers could start here if they wanted to, but I’d recommend you start at the beginning of the Riyria Chronicles, or Riyria Revelations first. While I think you could easily have fun with this novel on its own, the gut-punch and entertainment value will probably be upped a bit if you have previous experience with the characters and the world.

Anyway, back to my diatribe.

The mystery of Death of Dulgath was rather straightforward, and didn’t overwhelm me overly much. What I truly enjoyed about this novel was the growth, the developing relationship between Royce and Hadrian, and the history of various cultures and peoples that Sullivan liberally splashed throughout the novel. Royce and Hadrian are obviously at their early years as a partnership, and Sullivan has a lot of fun showing just how trying and rewarding that early relationship truly was. He had me laughing quite a bit at certain moments, and feeling deep, powerful emotions at others. These two characters are so real they practically leap off the page.

The world itself grows quite a bit as Royce and Hadrian end up traveling elsewhere on a job. Elsewhere ends up being a rather interesting place, with a medieval feeling culture that has quite a few surprises thrown in to keep things interesting. With a powerful religious influence, and an elevated lady who is absolutely her own woman. Thrown in with this are some fantastic dollops of magic and very ancient history. It’s quite ambitious when you consider just how much Sullivan packed into this novel, but it never lost its fun vibe or intense emotions.

It’s hard not to love this novel. It really is a lot of fun, but it’s also quite educational and informative, and gives me a new perspective regarding some aspects of the rest of Sullivan’s novels set in this world. However, what always impresses me with Sullivan’s work is just how real it all is. He not only manages to pack this book with some intense world building and some dynamic history, but he also never kept this book from being fun, and always managed me to feel incredibly strongly for the characters that were involved in whatever situation I was reading about at the time. That takes skill, because usually when I read a novel that I define as “fun,” I tend to not be incredibly emotionally invested in it. Not with Sullivan. He managed to make this book fun, and quite compelling at the same time.

There are plenty of twists and turns, a good number of surprises, and a lot of pleasant intensity, but Death of Dulgath shines because I can tell that the author really loved what he was doing, and I felt that in the book. All of the edges and details shined bright, and added a lot of layers and texture to a world and characters that I have intensely loved for years. I loved the mystery, the history, and the surprises, but I loved how much Sullivan obviously enjoyed writing this novel even more. That made all the difference.

 

5/5 stars

In my immediate future

A little while ago, this book showed up in the mail. While I was expecting an ARC, I did not at any point interpret an ARC to mean what I got. This is a hardcover book that is autographed by several authors, and absolutely superb quality (though I’ve been told it’s missing some artwork and other details, it doesn’t really matter. It looks amazing in its current condition). I’ve started reading the stories, and I love every one of them. This is a book I look forward to reviewing.

But the reason Shawn Speakman sent it to me is valid for this post.

This month is going to be a little hairy for me. I’m undergoing some cancer procedures, and ultimately, the cancer scan that could, after five years, put me in remission or send me back into more treatment, depending. I’ve started the horrible, and very limiting, cancer diet today, and I look forward to (/sarcasm font) plugging away with my diet, shots, pills, quarantine, and eventual scan. All of this should end on December 19. Then the following week, I should learn the verdict. Am I in remission? Finally? After five years of this hanging over me like a bad storm? I can only hope.

The diet makes me very, very sick. The shots make me feel like I’m dead. Not sick. Dead. They turn me off completely, and it’s one of the most horrible feelings ever, to be alive but not really feel alive. I can’t explain it. It’s like I’m swimming under water. The whole world is passing me by. It’s an uncanny experience and, as you can tell, it’s awful enough that I tend to fixate on how awful it is. The whole process is just about as emotionally draining as it possibly gets. It takes a minimum of a week to reboot myself to some sort of normal function after. About two weeks or longer to actually feel normal.

I feel like I’m back in a battle against myself right now, balanced on the edge of a knife. I have my game face on. I think cancer is just as mental as it is physical, and while I refuse to let this month beat me emotionally, I realize that it will make me very, very sick and my emotions will be… well, all over the place. And if you’re looking for some raw honesty, I’m tired. I’m so incredibly tired right now. This is my fourth time doing all of this and I’m drained. I’m ready to move on, or at least try to figure out how to move on after something like this happens to someone. I also feel horrible for feeling like that, because in the grand scheme of things, a lot of people have had it a lot worse than I have.

Anyway, my reviewing will absolutely be impacted this month. I won’t write a review when I’m feeling a little… whatever. That’s really not fair to me or the author.

It’s an interesting place, being here. I’ve never really had a scan that didn’t give doctors something to watch and wonder about. I worry. I dread. I am thrust into this weird place where I ponder what could be, but I’m too afraid to hope for what I want. I’ve been burned too many times. Five years. Three recurrences. That leaves its mark on someone. I’m looking back at what I’ve been through and feeling incredibly emotional. I don’t even know how to process good news in this sphere of my life. It’s been such a foreign concept for so long, I’ve refused to even think about it. Does one shrug off five years of cancer and move on? Do you walk out your front door and just resume from the point where everything went so wrong? What happens next? Is it like dirty clothes? Do I take them off, sigh a bit, and move on? Maybe it will be that easy. I guess I’ll let you know when it happens, which will hopefully be at the end of this month.

Best. Christmas present. Ever.

(I hope.)

I feel like my whole life is holding its breath right now. And as you can see, I’m a little focused on this one thing.

Which is why Shawn Speakman sent me this gorgeous book. He’s a cancer survivor, and he understands. At times like this, commiseration and distraction is the best medicine. It’s the worry and waiting that slowly poisons a person. This book is exactly what I need. And I am thankful beyond words for his kindness.

So the moral of this personal diatribe is as follows:

1. Due to Cancer Crap, reviews this month will be wonky.

2. Check out Unbound, because this book is the shit.

Discussion | Books that make you hot

(Excuse me for a minute while I giggle because I’m pretty sure that you clicked on this link thinking it would be discussing something very different than I’m actually discussing. And I have a juvenile sense of humor, apparently.)

It’s no secret that I have thyroid cancer, and have had it for the past five years. It’s been so much fun (/sarcasm font). A lot of things change when you have cancer, but one thing that I never really expected was how cold I am now. That’s one thing that my cancer doctor warned me about after I had my thyroid and it’s numerous tumors removed a few years ago – having your thyroid removed will make you more sensitive to cold.

My nickname (and I’m not kidding here) used to be Ice Queen. I was the ice queen because I LOVED being cold SO MUCH. I was the person who would walk through the snow with flip flops on because I thought that adding frostbite to my routine would make an already amazing day that much better. Or something. Now I feel like my hands and feet are ice cubes when it’s 70 degrees outside, and I hate that. Right now its a blustery 40, and I feel like hibernating under about 42 electric blankets. Once upon a time, this weather would have invigorated me.

Books can do a lot of things, so I’m looking for the perfect warm weather book to curl up with, along with my mug of tea. I need to thaw out a bit. I’d like to feel my fingers again.

I read a lot, but I haven’t read everything. Here’s a list of warm climate books off the top of my head (Note: some are there because they just remind me of hotter places, like Arizona is mostly hot, despite the fact that it does have cooler areas, for example). Please add to it this list! I’d like to get something long going so I have plenty of titles to visit all winter long.

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Twelve Kings in Sharakhai – Bradley P. Beaulieu

Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings—cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite company of Blade Maidens, and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.

Or so it seems, until Çeda, a brave young woman from the west end slums, defies the Kings’ laws by going outside on the holy night of Beht Zha’ir. What she learns that night sets her on a path that winds through both the terrible truths of the Kings’ mysterious history and the hidden riddles of her own heritage. Together, these secrets could finally break the iron grip of the Kings’ power…if the nigh-omnipotent Kings don’t find her first.

 

The Gunslinger – Stephen King

This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations—The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend.

The Gunslinger’s quest involves the pursuit of The Man in Black, a liaison with the sexually ravenous Alice, and a friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, here is stunning proof of Stephen King’s storytelling sorcery.

 

Who Fears Death – Nnedi Okorafor

An award-winning literary author presents her first foray into supernatural fantasy with a novel of post-apocalyptic Africa.

In a far future, post-nuclear-holocaust Africa, genocide plagues one region. The aggressors, the Nuru, have decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke. But when the only surviving member of a slain Okeke village is brutally raped, she manages to escape, wandering farther into the desert. She gives birth to a baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand and instinctively knows that her daughter is different. She names her daughter Onyesonwu, which means “Who Fears Death?” in an ancient African tongue.

Reared under the tutelage of a mysterious and traditional shaman, Onyesonwu discovers her magical destiny–to end the genocide of her people. The journey to fulfill her destiny will force her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, the spiritual mysteries of her culture-and eventually death itself.

 

Hounded – Kevin Hearne

The first novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles—introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

 

Deadhouse Gates – Steven Erikson

Note: This is the second book in a series.

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends.

 

Throne of the Crescent Moon – Saladin Ahmed

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, home to djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, are at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings.

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter’s path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla’s young assistant, is a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety. But even as Raseed’s sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the lion-shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man’s title. She lives only to avenge her father’s death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father’s killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince’s brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time—and struggle against their own misgivings—to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

 

Alif the Unseen – G. Willow Wilson

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients—dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups—from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif—the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the State’s electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover’s new fiancé is the head of State security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen. With shades of Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and The Thousand and One Nights, Alif the Unseen is a tour de force debut—a sophisticated melting pot of ideas, philosophy, religion, technology and spirituality smuggled inside an irresistible page-turner.

 

Midnight Crossroad – Charlaine Harris

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

 

Signal to Noise – Silvia Moreno-Garcia 

A literary fantasy about love, music and sorcery, set against the background of Mexico City.

Mexico City, 1988: Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said “I love you” with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, has two equally unhip friends — Sebastian and Daniela — and a whole lot of vinyl records to keep her company. When she discovers how to cast spells using music, the future looks brighter for the trio. With help from this newfound magic, the three friends will piece together their broken families, change their status as non-entities, and maybe even find love…

Mexico City, 2009: Two decades after abandoning the metropolis, Meche returns for her estranged father’s funeral. It’s hard enough to cope with her family, but then she runs into Sebastian, and it revives memories from her childhood she thought she buried a long time ago. What really happened back then? What precipitated the bitter falling out with her father? And, is there any magic left?

 

The Killing Moon – N.K Jemisin 

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers – the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe – and kill those judged corrupt.

 

—

 

So there you have it, my list off the top of my head. Please fill in the numerous gaps. Leave suggestions in the comments!

News | Coming Soon From Serial Box: The Witch Who Came in From The Cold

It’s no real secret that recently I’ve become really interested in short fiction – stories and novellas, specifically. We can all thank Tor.com Publishing for that.

Well, this news dropped into my inbox, and it interests me. I’ve read a bit of the first episode so far, and I am really enjoying it (as expected with the authors listed). I will absolutely be paying attention to this project. I figured I’d pass the news along. Perhaps some of you would like to cast your eye that direction, also.

I will just copy and paste the email I got from Leah Withers of Serial Box.

—

Through a haze of cigarettes and vodka there lies a version of Prague in the heart of the Cold War, where spies practice sorcery in their games of intrigue. While the political lines may be as clear as the Iron Curtain, the battles of magic seldom stay clean and the combating forces of Ice and Flame dance across boarders and loyalties. 

Tanya Morozova is a KGB officer and the latest in a long line of Ice witches and sorcerers; Gabe Pritchard is a CIA officer and reluctant Ice recruit. Enemies at one turn, but forced into alliances at the next, their relationship is as explosive as the Cold War itself.

Written by Lindsay Smith, Max Gladstone, Ian Tregillis, and Cassandra Rose Clarke, with guest Michael Swanwick, this serial will be told in 13 weekly episodes from January 13 to April 13, 2016. It’s John le Carre with magic, it’s TV’s The American’s meets Neil Gaiman, it’s THE WITCH WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

Like television, our episodes are meant to be enjoyed individually and only take about 40 minutes to read.

The Witch Who Came in From the Cold on SerialBox.com

Featured Review | The Liar’s Key – Mark Lawrence

Read my disclaimer here.

P.S. I meant for this to be a book bite, but it ended up being the length of a normal review.

About the Book

The Red Queen has set her players on the board…

Winter is keeping Prince Jalan Kendeth far from the longed-for luxuries of his southern palace. And although the North may be home to his companion, the warrior Snorri ver Snagason, he is just as eager to leave. For the Viking is ready to challenge all of Hell to bring his wife and children back into the living world. He has Loki’s key – now all he needs is to find the door.

As all wait for the ice to unlock its jaws, the Dead King plots to claim what was so nearly his – the key to the underworld — so that his dead subjects can rise and rule.

480 pages (hardcover)

Published on June 2, 2015

Published by Ace

Author’s webpage

Buy the book 

This book was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

—

Mark Lawrence asked me to beta read this book, and I think I just about passed out from the excitement. This was when I was going through some cancer crap, so my mind was frazzled and I doubt I was a very good beta reader, but it was really, really exciting to attempt to take on that role for one of my favorite authors.

The Liar’s Key is one of Lawrence’s best books, if not his best. I was absolutely floored by it when I first read it, and felt that all over again after publication. Lawrence managed to pull all the things that make his writing so damn good together in one work, and it just shines due to it.

One of Lawrence’s skills is writing some absolutely compelling dialogue. And, honestly, there is something compelling about a character that owns who he is. Alll that is cowardly and cheaterly (Is that a word? Well, it is now.) about him are things that most characters would shy from. However, they are traits that Jalan really treasures. While that makes him a unique individual, it also, in unexpected ways, makes him strong. He doesn’t have to hide from who he is, and he is proud of what makes him him. There are very few moments of personal and/or existential concern on his part, which makes his story, overall, more interesting and more streamlined in many ways.

That’s not to say that Jalan is a good person, because he isn’t. He’s self-serving and rather gross at times, and he doesn’t give a damn. He is very, very different from Jorg, but similar in the fact that they are both rather focused on themselves in a lot of ways, and they aren’t afraid to be that way. In some ways, that aspect of Jalan really shines through in this book. There are quite a few times where he needs to be like that in order to get from Point A to Point B . And it works. I’m not sure many author’s besides Mark Lawrence could make characters like this and keep readers interested in their story.

The Liar’s Key starts in the small village of Trond with Jalan’s two Viking companions. Snorri is still set and determined to get his wife and children back into the land of the living, and in this regard he has Loki’s key, which is said to be able to open any door. A key that powerful gains some powerful attention, and as they travel around on their way back to Jalan’s home, they run into quite a few problems. This isn’t an easy book, and it certainly isn’t an easy journey. Jalan is forced to bend and grow in ways that I really didn’t expect. He’s put into uncomfortable situations and he has to navigate his way through them. At times, he’s forced to put his youthful qualities behind and start attempting to grow into someone still self-serving, but a bit more adult. It’s interesting how Lawrence managed to straddle that line of pushing forward the plot and straining his characters, but keeping them true to how he first envisioned them.

The plot never stops. I mean, never. There is always about three things going on, and all of them are important. Things move in rather unexpected ways, and there were quite a few surprises along the way. The connection of Snorri and Jalan is nothing short of fascinating, their relationships is complex, and the way each character evolves, and their relationship changes, is just about as interesting as anything else Lawrence has put in this book. There is quite a bit of emotional and personal depth here that you wouldn’t really expect from a character like Jalan. Snorri also changes quite a bit. He loses some of that hopeful gleam that he had in the previous book, and starts to get quite dark, while jalan moves the other direction. It’s interesting to see these two characters switch roles in some ways, and Lawrence really did it well. It is inevitable that a quest like this would change the people involved, and Lawrence shows a lot of those changes in his characters.

The Liar’s Key is a really complex and shocking work. It is unexpected and powerful. This book showcases everything that Lawrence does so damn well.It is a fast moving book, with complex characters, unexpected evolutions, and a fascinating world. The ending was powerful and hinted at interesting things to come. In truth, this is one of those books that I loved as much to experience how well Lawrence does just about everything, as much as to enjoy the fascinating plot. This Liar’s Key challenges its readers, and its characters, and that challenge (combined with incredible writing) is what makes it so damn good.

I usually struggle with the second book in a series, but I didn’t with this one. Mark Lawrence showed that the second book doesn’t need to be a struggle, or a bridge from one amazing point to another. It can be amazing all on its own. He nailed it.

 

5/5 stars

Book Bite | Twelve Kings in Sharakhai – Bradley P. Beaulieu

See my full disclosure here.

About the Book

Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings—cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite company of Blade Maidens, and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.

Or so it seems, until Çeda, a brave young woman from the west end slums, defies the Kings’ laws by going outside on the holy night of Beht Zha’ir. What she learns that night sets her on a path that winds through both the terrible truths of the Kings’ mysterious history and the hidden riddles of her own heritage. Together, these secrets could finally break the iron grip of the Kings’ power…if the nigh-omnipotent Kings don’t find her first.

592 pages (hardcover)

Published on September 1, 2015

Published by Daw

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

—

You can always tell how much I like a book by the food I eat while reading said book. For example, when I’m really digging a novel, I’ll cook food that the novel makes me think of. I cooked a whole lot of Middle Eastern cuisine when I read Twelve Kings in Sharakhai – kebabs and various dipping sauces up the wazoo. My house smelled amazing.

I love to read, and I love to cook, so the books with really realistic worlds and absolutely unparalleled world building tend to make me want to mash my two passions together. If the world is built well enough, I will want to not only read about it, but I’ll want to live in it, so I’ll try to bring some of their food into my house.

I never claimed I wasn’t weird.

Anyway, Twelve Kings of Sharakhai is a sprawling epic that is instantly addictive. Larger than life characters are set against a vibrant, realistic world rife with unique cultures and a fascinating political scene that profoundly affects just about everything it touches (which is everything). The magic system is just as epic and well thought out as everything else in the novel adding a layer of spice and texture to an already impossibly detailed, captivating world.

Ceda is a character I instantly wanted to learn more about. She’s strong and capable, with a rather mysterious past, a whole bunch of opinions, and some off-kilter viewpoints that could get her into trouble. She sort of lives in the underbelly of Sharakhai, and has some really interesting perspectives due to her lifestyle, her various secrets, and the city she lives in. Her voice is absolutely unique. She’s the perfect accompaniment for the world that Beaulieu has meticulously crafted.

Beaulieu has a knack for challenging his characters, and forcing them into unparalleled and unpredictable situations that will cause them to grow and develop in unexpected ways. It was really interesting to see just what kind of hell he could put his cast through, and just how all this hell would pay off for his characters, and the plot. This led to quite a few surprises along the way, which delighted me and had me on the edge of my seat in equal measure.

The plot is just as intricate as everything else. A lot of the novel is spent building up the world and setting the stage for what comes next, but Beaulieu does this in such a way that you’ll rarely, if ever, feel bogged down by information. Things unfold at a natural pace, and the information is sort of absorbed by the reader rather than smashed over their head. It’s a long book, but it felt short purely because I was so in love with it.

The ending sets the stage for the next book in the series, which I personally cannot wait for, but it really isn’t all about the ending. This is one of those books where the journey is really what it’s all about.

Twelve Kings of Sharakhai is like Game of Thrones in the desert, but less royalty and more strong women kicking ass. This is supposed to be a book bite, but when I really sit down and think about this novel, I doubt I could discuss all the things that I loved about it in a full-length review, either. Beaulieu really flexes his writer muscles here, and I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next.

More! More!

 

5/5 stars