Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 86

Robert Jackson Bennett: Refusing to be Tamed

Today my author-love series continues with a post about why I think Robert Jackson Bennett is amazing, and why you should read his books (and love them). This series will take place every Monday (unless I forget or run out of people to talk about).

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Have you ever thought to yourself, “Self, I’d really like to read an author that reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman, but has a different enough feel to make me realize that this is not actually Neil Gaiman, but is actually another author that is just as crazy fantastic with an amazing imagination and unique style all his own?”

Well, if you’ve ever thought something like that, then you’ve probably run across Robert Jackson Bennett, or you are about to, after you read this post. You see, the thing about Bennett is that he reminds me a lot of Gaiman. Despite their very different writing styles and the different tones of the stories they tell, Gaiman and Bennett have some similarities. It is those similarities that make both authors shine so brightly in my mind.

One of the similarities between two authors is the way both men put a spin on our world and our reality. Bennett’s twits on reality have a darker edge. He flirts with horror and (I’d say) magic realism. He spans the gamut of topics, from Mr. Shivers, a unique and dark take on the Great Depression, to The Troupe which was an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful book about vaudeville. Then you have The Company Man, a fantastic spin on big business and American Elsewhere, a horror story set in a unique backwater town in New Mexico. Bennett takes our world and infuses it with the mystical and magical. His books are fascinating because they make me see things so differently.

There are a few authors who I admire for more than just their writing and creativity. There are the few (Okay, false, there are a lot of authors on this list, but only a few near the top of it) who land firmly on my list of writers with brains I admire. Bennett falls on that list. His books are fascinating because they twist our world and reality in the most delicious ways, but his mind allows him to play with deeper themes that hook readers and haunt them. Bennett is a writer who works on numerous levels. Through him, I’ve looked at the Great Depression differently. I’ve thought about big business in ways I never expected to. The Troupe made gave me one hell of a hankering to learn more about vaudeville and that culture. I actually studied small towns in New Mexico for weeks because of American Elsewhere. Bennett makes me want to learn. His writing fills me with a hunger to discover more about our world and our history in a way I never expected to before.Through him, I’ve realized that the world is full of magic and mystery.

It’s a gift to read a book that fills you full of the hunger for discovery.

And, if that wasn’t enough, Bennett has this way with writing that just slays me. There are some authors that scratch my itch every time I read one of their books, and he’s one of them. I don’t know what it is about his prose, but they have some quality that absolutely captivates me, fully absorbs me, and causes his characters to attach themselves to my soul for long after I turn the last page. Yes, Bennett’s writing is lyrical and flowing, but his darker edge shines in some fantastically subtle ways. Bennett turns words into magic that charms his readers. His books pull you under their spell, and they’ll leave you looking at the world with new vision.

If you asked me to honestly tell you who some of my favorite authors are that I’ve recently discovered, Robert Jackson Bennett would be near the top of the list. His unique spin on reality and history entices me. He’s smart, and he doesn’t hide it. His books are complex, deep, and layered. His writing is flowing, captivating, absorbing, with that darker edge I absolutely crave. Bennett defies genre labels. He’s urban, historical, dark, realistic, raw, untamed, scary, and scientific and so much more. He is his own animal, and he refuses to be tamed. Bennett has blazed his own trail, and the speculative fiction genre thanks him for it.

So why should you read Robert Jackson Bennett? For all the reasons above, but mostly because you’ve never read anything like what he puts out and it’s a rare treat to discover something new.

Savor it.

When It’s A Jar – Tom Holt

About the Book

Maurice has just killed a dragon with a bread knife. And had his destiny foretold… and had his true love spirited away. That’s precisely the sort of stuff that’d bring out the latent heroism in anyone. Unfortunately, Maurice is pretty sure he hasn’t got any latent heroism.

Meanwhile, a man wakes up in a jar in a different kind of pickle (figuratively speaking). He can’t get out, of course, but neither can he remember his name, or what gravity is, or what those things on the ends of his legs are called… and every time he starts working it all out, someone makes him forget again. Forget everything.

Only one thing might help him. The answer to the most baffling question of all…

WHEN IS A DOOR NOT A DOOR?

384 pages (paperback)

Published on December 17, 2013

Published by Orbit

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

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Tom Holt is one of those guys who, until recently, I’ve heard of but haven’t ever really experienced. I say, “experienced” instead of “read” because that’s how his book came across to me. It’s more of an experience than anything else. You don’t just read what he wrote; you get a hell of a workout while you read it because you’re laughing so hard and it even manages to exercise some unexpected cranial muscles.

Tom Holt is English, and that’s obvious due to some word choices (like “rubbish” instead of “trash”) and also from his telltale English humor. When It’s A Jar is dry, with those creative observations that make me bust up laughing. In a lot of ways, Tom Holt reminds me a lot of Terry Prachett minus the Discworld aspect of things. You’ve got the unexpected protagonist who has mundane in every sense of the word, thrust into something he won’t ever really understand or fully believe, making some absolutely hilarious observations while he’s doing it.

When It’s A Jar tells the story of Maurice, who is a perpetual underachiever. He’s the guy who gets through life by looking busy as often as possible so people don’t realize that he never actually does anything. Then interesting things happen. He slays a dragon, his friend Stephanie/Steve is whisked away, someone wants him to find someone he’s never heard of before, magic donuts are involved, and the multiverse theory. What’s surprising is, beneath all the humor and funny descriptions that Holt uses in When It’s A Jar, the book is actually quite complex. I’ll probably have to read it again to make sure I understand all the theories and plot points.

That’s not a bad thing. In fact, the complexity despite the humor is probably what I loved most about When It’s A Jar. It seems that Tom Holt is good at writing on a number of levels. Through Maurice readers experience what it is like to be thrust into a role you aren’t prepared for, and might not want to be thrust into. The plot itself plays a lot with what, exactly, reality is. The multiverse theory is fascinating and the way that Holt uses it in his book is genius. Furthermore, there is some more subtle depth as Holt talks briefly about economics, free will, the impact of actions and choices we make, and so much more.

Hilarious? Yes. Deep? Yes, but not oppressively so. In fact, When It’s A Jar could easily be read on the surface level. You can turn your thinking mind off and just enjoy this book for what it is and probably love it just as much as if you read this book to laugh and think about things a bit differently.

Maurice is a character that, at first, I felt no interest in. He’s purposefully boring, working the typical 9-5 job where he basically waits until the day that he will be fired. But he grows on you pretty quickly. Though there was points throughout the book that Maurice’s rather flat personality made the book feel a little flat, it was easily forgivable. He’s that kind of character, and Holt wrote him well. He lacks a little bit of color, and it took me some time to realize that that’s the point.

“Amazing,” he said. “Because, well, just look at you. You’re a mess. You’re not just feckless, you’re a black hole into which feck falls and is utterly consumed.” – From When It’s A Jar by Tom Holt

When It’s A Jar is a fast moving book, and Holt’s easy writing style made me feel absolutely absorbed in the happenings very, very quickly. This is one of those books that you’ll be saying, “Just one more page” about all night long. You’ll also be laughing quite a bit, so if you share a bed with someone, you might want to make sure you read this in the living room or something. It’s rare that I come across a book that works so flawlessly on so many levels, with such an easy flowing writing style as Tom Holt’s.

When It’s A Jar was exactly what I needed. It’s light, fun, fast paced, unassuming, and rather deep all at once. Holt never overdoes anything. Maurice is one of those characters that you don’t expect to ever find interesting, but he manages to interest readers, regardless. The circumstances he finds himself in, the discussions, his inner monologue are all priceless.

I have no idea why I never read a Tom Holt book before now, but I think that’s pretty criminal and I completely plan on immersing myself in many of Holt’s books as soon as I possibly can. Fans of Terry Pratchett won’t want to miss this author, or this book. When It’s A Jar is one of those rare books that flawlessly hits all the right notes.

 

5/5 stars

Darkwalker – E.L Tettensor

About the Book

He used to be the best detective on the job. Until he became the hunted…

Once a legendary police inspector, Nicolas Lenoir is now a disillusioned and broken man who spends his days going through the motions and his evenings drinking away the nightmares of his past. Ten years ago, Lenoir barely escaped the grasp of the Darkwalker, a vengeful spirit who demands a terrible toll on those who have offended the dead. But the Darkwalker does not give up on his prey so easily, and Lenoir has always known his debt would come due one day.

When Lenoir is assigned to a disturbing new case, he treats the job with his usual apathy—until his best informant, a street savvy orphan, is kidnapped. Desperate to find his young friend before the worst befalls him, Lenoir will do anything catch the monster responsible for the crimes, even if it means walking willingly into the arms of his own doom……

368 pages (paperback)

Published on December 3, 2013

Published by Roc

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

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When I first saw this book I kind of rolled my eyes and thought, “Fantastic. Another fantasy noir with a jaded-by-life quippy lead character.” I almost didn’t want to review it, but something kept pulling me back. In the end, I’m glad I gave Darkwalker a shot. It is a fast, fun (and rather dark) read that surpassed my meager expectations.

Darkwalker is sort of a slow burn novel at the start because the author takes time to set things up perfectly. While not much happens during the start of this novel, the author is painting a vivid picture of the world the book takes place in. The city of Kennian, where most of the book takes place, is pictured to be sort of a backwater area – rural, not much to do. In fact, Nicolas laments the city where he lives for many of the same reasons I lament the state I live in, so I felt a distinct kinship there. That being said, Kennian is an interesting area, for all that it is rural and lamentable, there is a nice mixing bowl of culture that kept things from feeling too Victorian-esque. There are immigrants, the shunned minority from that other place no one likes, the downtrodden masses, the crime and homelessness, balanced by the solons and upper class culture that the protagonist occasionally comes into contact with. Kennian is one of those cities that seems alive because it is so real, and I loved that about it.

Nicolas himself is one of those characters that evolves and changes so much over the course of the book that he’s nearly as entertaining and enthralling as the book itself. Darkwalker opens up with Nicolas investigating a case, which he basically brushes off, despite the pained family members who he is there to help. In fact, Nicolas is probably one of the most unlikeable characters that I’ve run across for a while. His apathy toward everyone and everything basically follows him around like a perfume. This guy hates life, and he hates it so strongly you can almost taste it. However, things evolve over time and it becomes clear why Nicolas acts the way he does. His attitude evolves, as does the readers tolerance for why he can be such a cold jerk sometimes. It’s actually really well done, and the evolution of Nicolas makes me think that this book is as much about him as it is about the mystery in which he finds himself embroiled. Bravo for character development.

The plot of Darkwalker basically focuses on mysteries and relationships. Readers will learn about the mystery of Nicolas’ past, and how that is affecting his present. The street boy that plays such a huge role in the plot as it unfolds is absolutely endearing and a lovely counterpoint to the almost overwhelming bitterness that Nicolas feels at times. However, when everything comes to a head, you really see Nicolas’ humanity and his ability to care. As I said above, his evolution throughout the book is almost more interesting to me than the plot itself. However, the plot is a mystery, and it unfolds almost perfectly. When things start rolling, they really roll. Tettensor holds nothing back, and because of that you’ll probably finish this book a lot faster than you thought you would.

The ending is nicely done, and the answers that are revealed are actually quite surprising for me. Being surprised by an ending is a rare treat for someone who reads as much as I do, so I feel like I should really give Tettensor some props for keeping the surprises rolling throughout the book.

Though I loved this book, nothing is perfect. Some readers will probably find themselves put off by the attitude of our protagonist. The world, while very well done and vivid, lacks a little finesse in some areas. Some of the secondary characters feel a little cookie-cutter. However, when I look at my list of pros and cons, the fact remains that this fairly short book packs a massive punch. It’s dark, fun, unique, and emotionally jarring. It starts slow but really works itself up to a surprising pace fairly quickly. The ending is surprising and perfect.

In all honesty, what I loved the most about Darkwalker is that this book fell into almost none of the pitfalls that so many books fall into. Tettensor has her own unique vision and she carries it out almost flawlessly. She could have done so much that I’m sick of (sorry). She could have made a quippy protagonist who is jaded by life and waiting in a dusty office somewhere for his next job, which will doubtlessly pit him against the empire/kingdom/whatever. She could have done that so easily, but she didn’t. She never let Darkwalker turn into the stereotypical. She kept it clear from all of that and really let her imagination fly free. I can usually smell debut novels a mile away, but I honestly didn’t know that it was a debut until I sat down to write this review. That’s saying something quite impressive right there. If this is any sign, I think Tettensor has great things in store.

I can’t wait for more.

 

4/5 stars

Best Publishers of 2013

It’s that time of year again. It’s the time of year for lists. Everyone is making them – Best This Thing, Best That Thing, Top 10 Doodads, Top Ten Whatevers. Lists, lists, lists and I’m falling behind. I haven’t made too many lists yet, and I’m going to hold off on my Best Books of 2013 until January. However, I did realize that there is something I can talk about at the close of this fine year that I’ve had enough time to think about, write about, and ponder. What is this thing that you would like me to yammer on about for far too long? Well, that’s my favorite publishers of 2013!

In fact, regarding publishers, there are three that have impressed me throughout the year for very different reasons. While these publishers will probably not come as a shock to anyone, I will let you know who they are, and why they are worth watching for all things genre related.

Tor

Tor is the largest SFF publisher out there. They are a regular powerhouse and they pump out more genre books and make more authors big than anyone else. That’s not the reason I have fallen in love with them this year, however. The reason they have impressed me so much in 2013 is due to their proactive approach to engaging the genre fanbase. Tor dot com has blown up, and while I’m shockingly jealous of everyone who has been asked to contribute over there (Where’s my invitation, Tor?! – har har) the website itself is a load of fun and incredibly engaging to everyone who participates and reads it. Tor dot com publishes the latest genre news, they constantly post interesting links to other sites with content I might otherwise miss, they do exciting re-reads of popular series, and have interesting posts going on frequently (like the current one I am really enjoying about under appreciated series).

More than that, however, is what I mentioned when I started talking about this publisher – they are huge. Tor is a cornerstone for the industry and, especially this year, I’ve been beyond impressed with the diversity and sheer magnitude of quality books that they publish. Tor puts out everything from epic fantasy, to space operas, to Jane Austin retellings, and urban fantasy, and so much more. Their authors are top of the class, and the books they put out might not suit all readers all the time, but they certainly appeal to a broader audience than most other publishers.

Mix these two points together – their proactive approach to engaging the genre, and their wide range of very high quality books they routinely publish, and you can probably see why I think that Tor is not only one of the largest publishers in the genre, but also one of the most important for setting trends and bringing new trends to a constantly changing genre. 2013 has been a hell of a year for Tor. They’ve released some incredible books and have even more wonders coming out in 2014. Tor dot com has evolved quite a bit over the year, and it seems like their reach is (if possible) even wider than it was before.

This is a publisher to watch.

Angry Robot Books

I am ashamed to say that, before this year, I don’t think I’ve read one single book that Angry Robot Books has published. Not because I haven’t wanted to, I think I just haven’t really done it until now. Sometimes that happens. Books, publishers, and authors can (undeservingly) fall between the cracks. I’m remedying that now with Angry Robot Books by slowly working my way through their entire collection.

This publisher quickly put themselves on my list of publishers to watch because their books are so damn unique. They are a much lower volume publisher than Tor, but their lower volume makes the books they do choose to publish incredible. The thing about Angry Robot that I’ve noticed is that they publish incredibly unique books, the kind of cross-genre-refuse-to-be-categorized books that I absolutely love so much. In fact, the same reasons I loved Night Shade Books so much (before they crashed) is the same reasons I love Angry Robot. The difference is that, for whatever reason, Angry Robot seems to be succeeding where Night Shade failed.

Angry Robot Books is edgy and their books all seem to have a darker tone that just does it for me. Hell, any publisher that signs Chuck Wendig gets mad props in my book, and truthfully all you need to do is read some of his books to realize all the reasons why Angry Robot Books is so amazing. They refuse to be categorized, boxed, or labeled, and they embrace the edge rather than shy away from it.

Yes, they might put out a lower number of books than many other publishers, but don’t let that fool you. Their list of published books is surprisingly long. Their new YA wing is making serious waves in the genre (though I have yet to read anything put out by it). Their books are all well received and though they seem to get less discussion and attention than the big-box publishers, the attention they do get is well deserved, and won honorably.

Angry Robot Books is that one publishing house that refuses to be boxed and labeled. They are what they are and they aren’t afraid of challenging anyone or anything and that’s why I love them.

Orbit

Ah, here is it, my true favorite publisher of 2013. Orbit Books has been one of my favorite publishers for years and years, but this year they’ve really iced my genre-nerd cake. Orbit is one of those larger publishers that most people in the genre have heard of. However, where Orbit seems to be different than many other big-box publishers is with how choosy they are with the books they publish. They are a huge publisher, and they publish quite a list of books each year, but they aren’t overzealous with it. They pick and choose what they put out very carefully, and you can tell with the sheer amount of amazing titles that seem to be constantly rolling out their doors.

In fact, I think I’ve loved nearly every Orbit book I’ve read this year. That’s quite an accomplishment because I don’t typically love every book anyone puts out.

Orbit picks and chooses the books they put out with care, and probably due to that, so many of the books they publish turn into huge deals in the genre. Daniel Abraham, K.J. Parker, N.K. Jemisin and so many more huge authors are published through Orbit and those authors have become common names everyone in the genre recognizes at a glance. Orbit seems to have a sense for great books and authors with massive amounts of potential. Whoever is in charge of securing authors for them is doing their job very well and deserves a raise right now. They have some magic ability for this stuff.

Orbit publishes science fiction and fantasy including the various subgenres that fall under those umbrellas. However, their books are all a little different than typical. The books Orbit publishes are all daring, the worlds are all unique and fresh, the stories are atypical and absorbing. Orbit is one of those big-box publishers that dares to push the norm and I love them for it. By operating this way, they have made huge waves in the genre, and I predict plenty more in the future.

Furthermore, the head of their PR department, Ellen Wright, is one hell of a woman who is masterful at engaging the genre fan community as well as bloggers, reviewers, and whoever else. She has a skill for keeping the discussion going and the excitement ramped up. Recently her online event Night at the Space Opera, held through the Google Hangouts, was not only loads of fun, but seems to show that Orbit is ushering in a new phase of engaging their fans by allowing them to interact with each other, the publisher itself, and authors no matter where they are at. Honestly, out of all the publishers out there, Orbit has impressed me the most this year with their incredibly high standard of excellence and their evolving publicity. I’m beyond excited to see what this powerhouse publisher has in store for 2014.

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There you have it, folks. Those are my favorite publishers for 2013 and the reasons why I love them all so much. Pay attention to each of them, because they all have great things in store.

Dangerous Women – Edited by George R. R. Martin

About the Book

The Dangerous Women anthology contains following stories:

- Introduction by Gardner Dozois

- “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie – A Red Country story

- “My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott

- “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland

- “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass

- “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher – A Harry Dresden story

- “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn

- “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale

- “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm

- “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block

- “Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson

- “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman

- “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman – A Magicians story

- “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress

- “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland

- “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon – An Outlander story

- “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon

- “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling – An Emberverse story

- “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes

- “Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan

- “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector – A Wild Cards story

- “The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin – A Song of Ice and Fire story

This book was provided for me to review by the publisher. 

Published on December 3, 2013

Published by Tor

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George R. R. Martin’s name is a powerful one. I think we’d all be fools not to realize that his name is the reason why many people will read this anthology, but those people will soon realize that he’s not the only reason this anthology should be read. All Martin really has to do is look in the general direction of authors and they will flock to his side. With Dangerous Women he’s used the power of his name to gather together some incredibly hard-hitting, very well known (for good reason), powerhouse authors.

Anthologies tend to be hit or miss by nature. More than that, anthologies seem to have a hard time selling. A lot of readers don’t want short stories, they want novels full of details and plenty of space for characters and worlds to grow and develop. Short stories just don’t have that room, and so a lot of readers pass on them. They just don’t scratch our itches. In this respect, Dangerous Women is no different. Perhaps the only real difference is that many of these stories take place in already established worlds, or involve already established characters (Like Shy in Joe Abercrombie’s story, “Some Desperado”). That being said, they are still stories, and that will either please or displease readers. That’s just the nature of the beast.

Dangerous Women spans the gamut of the genre. Some stories are fantasy, some are SciFi, some are urban and some are historical. It’s a real hodgepodge collection that, in my humble opinion, was smart of Martin. It shows strong women in a range of genres, and handled by authors of various stripes, with diverse talents. Strong women are in all genres, not just fantasy, and I applaud Martin for including all genres in his anthology. Furthermore, I also applaud Martin and the authors in the anthology for showing strong women in numerous roles. Not all women show their strength by holding a knife. For example, in “The Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman, a well known historical fiction author, the protagonist Constance has a quieter, more subtle form of strength, but the story is shockingly powerful despite that.

Dangerous Women opens with a story by Joe Abercrombie, a noted and well-known grimdark fantasy author, called “Some Desperado” and, in the anthology, this is the story that probably sticks out to me the most. Sam Sykes story “Name the Beast” shows all the things I love about him as an author – he’s bold, and dark, but his writing is haunting and his characters are incredibly real and memorable. Lev Grossman is an author who is always a delight to read, and his story “The Girl in the Mirror” will remind his tried and true fans why he’s such an incredible author. “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher was good enough to make me want to give his books another try.

Then you get the stories from authors whose books I’ve never read, like “Raisa Septanova” by Carrie Vaughn, “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm, and “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector. These are stories that make me hungry to read the books these authors have written. The thing is, that’s what short stories should do. They should reach out and grab the reader and make them hungry for more, and that’s exactly what almost every story in this anthology does. They make me want to expand my genre horizons and see what else is out there.

That might also be where the anthology’s greatest downfall is. It spans a wide range of styles and caters to a ton of different tastes. I enjoy sampling all of the different styles the genre has to offer, but not everyone does. Some readers might find Dangerous Women to be too disjointed. They might think that the theme, “dangerous women” doesn’t unify the stories enough. Truthfully, there’s not only a wide range of writing styles here, but there’s just as many different strong, capable, and dangerous women in this anthology. Not every “dangerous women” is physically dangerous, either. Some of the characters are quieter, and their strength is subtler. While I ate this anthology up, the diversity will probably be off-putting to some who might prefer more unified content.

That being said, with a list of authors as well known, and as well loved as those in this anthology, there will be something here for anyone.

 

4/5 stars

P.S. You might be thinking, “Hey, Sarah, you haven’t mentioned anything George R. R. Martin wrote yet.” You’re right. The reason is because I haven’t read anything he has in this anthology yet. Not because I don’t want to, but because I won’t let myself read anything he wrote until I finish reading A Dance With Dragons and I can’t review what I haven’t read.

Elizabeth Bear: A Shining Light in the Genre

Today my author-love series continues with a post about why I think Elizabeth Bear is amazing, and why you should read her books (and love them). This series will take place every Monday (unless I forget or run out of people to talk about).

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I read my first Elizabeth Bear book a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. In fact, I kind of think it should be a criminal offense that I didn’t read her sooner. She’s an incredible author. Her first book put her firmly on my top-ten favorite authors list.

The thing about Elizabeth Bear is that you can’t really define her, or box and label her. She defies definition and she overpowers any boxes you might want to place her in. Her writing is just different, and because of that, I find her fascinating on so many levels. Her writing is interesting, but it is also intellectual. Whatever you expect her to do, she’ll end up doing something else. She keeps readers guessing. What’s not to love about that?

All the Windwracked Stars was my first Elizabeth Bear book. I didn’t expect to like it, but I ended up loving it. This book showed me that Bear isn’t afraid to take blend genres, or set her stories in atypical worlds. I have to admit that her ability to take a turn from the typical is one of the reasons I enjoy her so much. Speculative Fiction doesn’t just need to be about European-esque politics or interstellar travel. Bear proves in each of her books that SFF can be something more than that, and her works are more powerful for it.

Elizabeth Bear has a way of infusing her writing with emotion and all the things that make us human. Her books are emotional and visceral, and perhaps because of that and the absolutely human characters she writes about, readers can’t help but feel drawn into her stories, and kin to her characters. She isn’t writing about strange people in foreign lands, she’s writing about each of us. It’s hard not to become personally invested in literature powered by deep emotions and human experiences. Her characters shine, and the emotional impact draws readers in and appeals to them in a very intimate fashion.

Despite her unique settings and her characters that are more real than real, the thing I love most about Elizabeth Bear is her depth. Nothing she writes is surface level. Her landscapes take some time to think about and conceptualize. Her characters take some getting used to and her plots are layered and often take most of the book to unfold before readers understand exactly what they are about. Maybe this turns some people off, but for those of us who enjoy puzzles and mysteries, it’s perfect. Her depth is beyond plot, though. Her stories are about human struggles. Her unique worlds bring the similarities between her character’s plights and our own into sharp focus. She writes about more than foreign people and foreign worlds, she writes about all of us. Her books make me think and see things differently.

There’s something to be said for an author that doesn’t reveal all of her secrets right away. Elizabeth Bear makes you work for it, and I love that about her. Nothing is on the surface, and readers need to strive to understand just what exactly she’s working around, what the center of her plot whirlwind is all about. That effort on the reader’s part just make it all so much sweeter. By the time I understand what is going on, and how all the pieces in her game are moving, I’m so invested that I feel like I’ve figured out some huge life secret on my own. In all honesty, I’m completely in awe of the mind that Elizabeth Bear is working with. It isn’t often that I run into an author that both entertains me, and makes me think so deeply at the same time.

And the icing on all of that delicious cake? Her writing is vivid, flowing, evocative, and immersive. Under her master wordsmith hand everything always seems to come together almost effortlessly, and the wait readers endure for everything to make sense, that ‘Ah ha’ moment that always appears somewhere in her books, is so worth waiting for. You can’t help but love the wait for that delicious moment because Elizabeth Bear makes that wait so much fun. She works her way into your psyche and leaves you permanently changed. No matter who you started out as when you crack open an Elizabeth Bear book, you don’t end as that same person. Your world will look a little different. You’ll think about your life in a new way. You’ll miss her characters like you’d miss a dear friend that moved away. Her books just work and they work on a level that so many books I read don’t.

Elizabeth Bear. She redefines the genre. She’s powerful and deep. SFF is a better genre for having her in it.

The Prince of Lies – Anne Lyle

About the Book

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted—his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it—but his work isn’t over yet. The guisers’ leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor, giving Mal a chance to eliminate his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the renegade skraylings, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin.

536 pages (Paperback)

Published on October 29, 2013

Published by Angry Robot Books

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review by the author.

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I started writing this review the other day, then this bomb was dropped on me and in my epic freak out, I deleted the whole thing. I haven’t really had my head screwed on straight enough to write another review yet. I think I might be up to the task today. It’s time to get back on the horse, and all that.

The Prince of Lies is the last book in The Night’s Masque trilogy, written by Anne Lyle. The interesting thing, however, is that it ends on such a note that Lyle could easily return to the world she’s crafted. I hope she does. It is rare that I come across a trilogy where the world seems to become ever more nuanced and deliciously expanded with each installment of the series. The characters became my dearest friends, and I truly am anxious to see what is in store for them in the next phases of their lives.

That isn’t to say that the series doesn’t tie up loose ends perfectly, because it does. Lyle nicely weaves together all the plot threads in a very satisfying way. She answers all the questions readers might have, but as I mentioned above, she leaves enough open for her to easily revisit the world she’s created sometime in the future.

The main players in The Prince of Lies are the same as the other books, with the added addition of Mal’s son, Kit, who was introduced late in the last book. The Prince of Lies has a more political feel to it than the other books. Many of the main focus characters are members of court and there’s a plot to take the throne. Involved is some magic and many adventures. Like the previous two books, Lyle wastes no time at getting things moving. The book takes off at a run and doesn’t stop until it’s perfect conclusion.

The Prince of Lies takes place over a number of years, which might be a little frustrating to some readers as the time lapse can feel a little awkward in places. This, however, allows Lyle to show readers how each character grows and develops as events transpire. The relationships aren’t all peaches and cream. Her characters have to work for their happiness, and when that is juxtaposed with the events unfolding around them, the characters are reasonably strained and stressed in reaction to it.

Perhaps due to the long period of time covered, or each character living their own lives, or any number of things, the rapport between characters was lacking a little, and some new perspectives might feel a little bland to readers. That being said, each character remains true to how Lyle developed them, and if things might feel a little off at times, the events transpiring around the characters will help readers easily forget their woes.

Too often I feel that characters are easily forgiven for the mistakes they’ve made in previous books in a series. For example, character makes mistake, character and readers see no repercussions from that. I really think Lyle needs some accolades for not making this mistake. Mal makes some pretty hefty mistakes in The Merchant of Dreams, and much of the plot in The Prince of Lies stems from those mistakes. Furthermore, much of the character  personal and interpersonal relationships, stems from the issues and mistakes made in the previous book. This really adds an interesting dynamic to everything that transpires, and serves to cause readers to feel even more invested in the book as a whole.

The Prince of Lies was a satisfying ending to a trilogy that blew me away. This series had me hooked from the very first page, and it breaks my heart to say goodbye to these characters that have become so amazingly real to me. Lyle has established herself as a strong and powerful historical fantasy writer. The Night’s Masque was one of the most enjoyable series I’ve read so far this year, and it ended on the perfect note. I sincerely hope that Lyle returns to this world.

 

4/5 stars

A Huge THANK YOU

I don’t even know what to say. So if you’ve emailed me and I haven’t replied, it’s not because I’m being rude, it’s because I’m just shocked.

It’s amazing how your life can turn upside-down on a dime and it just leaves you sinking… adrift…. wondering how you’ll survive.

Part of me just wants to scream. I just finished a cancer battle. A two and a half year struggle for my life. I came out on the up side, and I’m cancer free now, but that leaves scars. The interesting thing about losing all of your potential income is that it feels very much like cancer felt. I’m hopeless. My life was just ransacked by someone I’ll never met. I’ve never meet. Everything is upside-down and inside-out. Nothing is certain anymore. I’m reminded again how little control we actually have over our own lives. It’s a horrible reminder that someone else controls the purse strings. Someone else controls your ability to survive.

People say not to panic, but what else is there? Panic. Fight or flight. It’s not always a bad thing. I might be down, but I’m not out.

I put my post up yesterday because I’ve built myself a huge network through this website. I figured I’d be an absolute fool not to tap into it for leads on employment. Then, I was contacted by numerous parties asking for me to put up a donation button. I felt weird about it, but I did it. Honestly, when you’re staring down the barrel of…whatever hopelessness this is… you have to swallow your pride and tap into whatever help people are willing to offer.

So my husband and I have been staring at those of you who have been offering advice, pouring over your comments and letters, and looking at your donations to our anti-homeless cause with tears in our eyes… and absolute stunned silence.

I don’t even know what to say except thank you. None of you will ever realize how much you’ve helped us in a horrible time. Because of you, we’ll be able to buy ourselves food for a little while longer.

Never let it be said that people don’t care, or that this community, this beautiful, sprawling, nerdy community has no heart, because it does. It has been pumping for us since our lives fell apart yesterday. Your caring, tenderness, kindness has given us hope in this amazingly dark, very terrifying time. You are people that I’ve only interacted with online, or maybe never interacted with at all, but you care enough to help this nerdy chick in Utah and I can’t even…

What can I possibly say to that?

I wish you could see the tears of gratitude in my eyes as I type this, because they are there.

This community, this amazing community stood by me during my cancer battle, and now you guys are standing buy me – no, lifting us up – during this horrible upheaval.

I have written every one of your names on my heart.

Thank you. You’ll never know how much you’ve helped us.

Christmas Spirit Just Got Killed – I need help

My husband was just laid off.

There was no warning. In fact, as far as we knew, the company was doing great.. until today when they called about half of his company into a “special project meeting” where they read from a special letter from corporate and fired them all. I guess the company’s “go big” idea this year didn’t work and they didn’t let anyone know how much revenue they lost until today.

Lets put this in perspective for all of you. We just bought a house. We have a car payment. We have cancer bills we are still paying off. We have a two-year-old little girl. Christmas is coming up. My income brings us about $250 every two weeks.

We are screwed.

We also now have NO TIES to Utah. (IE: We plan on moving. We don’t really care where.)

For the love of god, please help us find jobs, or income, or something.

Please contact me for more information if you want any about my degree, experience, whatever.

I know this is a desperate post…. but I don’t know what else to do.

Erik has about 12 years experience in data backup and recover and IT and I have a degree in health promotion and nutrition education – but no experience besides an internship in the outreach department of a cancer research center – I got cancer a month after I graduated and am just starting to work again now. I have only been able to find jobs in customer service and office type stuff…. so that’s fine, too.

As per request, I’ve added a donation button to the top right corner of my webpage.

Something More Than Night – Ian Tregillis

About the Book

Something More Than Night is a Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler-inspired murder mystery set in Thomas Aquinas’s vision of Heaven. It’s a noir detective story starring fallen angels, the heavenly choir, nightclub stigmatics, a priest with a dirty secret, a femme fatale, and the Voice of God.

Somebody has murdered the angel Gabriel. Worse, the Jericho Trumpet has gone missing, putting Heaven on the brink of a truly cosmic crisis. But the twisty plot that unfolds from the murder investigation leads to something much bigger: a con job one billion years in the making.

Because this is no mere murder. A small band of angels has decided to break out of heaven, but they need a human patsy to make their plan work.

Much of the story is told from the point of view of Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has modeled himself on Philip Marlowe. The yarn he spins follows the progression of a Marlowe novel — the mysterious dame who needs his help, getting grilled by the bulls, finding a stiff, getting slipped a mickey

Angels and gunsels, dames with eyes like fire, and a grand maguffin, Something More Than Night is a murder mystery for the cosmos

304 pages (Hardcover)

To be released on December 3, 2013

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

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Have you ever thought to yourself, “Self, you know what would really kick off this holiday season in fine style? A book about a murdered angel. Yep, that would make this December the best December in the history of ever.” Well, have no fear, my friends who desire to read such a book, Something More Then Night is about to be released, and it has your name (whatever your name is) all over it.

Tregillis made a hell of a name for himself with his Milkweed Triptych, which is, might I add, one of my favorite trilogies ever written. Ever. It’s dark, deep, thought provoking, uncomfortable, with some prose that shake you to your core. That is a series that has stuck with me and put Tregillis firmly on my radar of authors to watch.  Then Something More Than Night lands in my mailbox and my mind says, “Tregillis?! Must. Read. Now.” So I read it, and I read it with the expectation for something amazing because Tregillis is an amazing author. And, I (don’t) hate to say it, but I wasn’t disappointed.

Much like the Dreamwalker by C.S. Friedman that I reviewed last week, this book is something completely and absolutely different, written by an author who may or may not have been pigeonholed into dark fantasy. This is dark, but it’s a lighter, easier sort of dark and it’s a lot of fun with very little discomfort. Readers shouldn’t start Something More Than Night expecting something like the Milkweed books, because it’s worlds away from those books in every possible way. Keep that in mind. This is Tregillis, but it’s a different breed of Tregillis.

One thing all of Tregillis’ books have in common is the stunning prose that flood his books with atmosphere and bring the scene and situation to glorious life.

            “They murdered one of the Seraphim tonight.

Gabriel streaked across the heavens like a tumbling meteor, his corpse a ball of sublimated perfection. He had been a creature of peerless majesty, but now the throes of his death etched the firmament.” (Pg. 1)

Something More Than Night has a distinct noir feel, which makes the prose a little more raw, a little less polished. That raw and less polished feel actually pays off, as it infuses this book with a sense of time and place. The situation is gritty, and Tregilis’ writing makes that an unmistakable detail of the vibrant world he has created.

The world is really interesting, and it is incredibly complex considering the short amount of time Tregillis gives himself to establish it. Slowly it will unfold for the reader. The mortal realm is obviously a future version of our world. Then there’s the Pleroma which is sort of a heavenly place that is an interesting mix of earthly and extraordinary at the same time. The Magisteria is where the angels and the more-than-human creatures live. This place is made up of memories, where angels create their own reality based on the lives they’ve lived and their various happy places. METATRON, or the voice of God, is a nice, humorous, if impersonal and ambiguous touch to it all.

The world is, as you can tell, very layered, and there are rules for interactions between the different realms, or interactions between angels and humans, with steep repercussions if those rules aren’t adhered to. It takes some time to wrap your head around, because it is revealed in a trickle rather than a waterfall, but for all that, it is a brilliant multi-layered reality that is so well realized, and even brutal when you least expect it.

Then you get into the characters. Bayliss is a fallen angel who has lived among humans for a few hundred years. He’s one of those characters that you can’t help but love. He’s flawed, obviously fallen, and is rather self-interested. He also has one of the most unique voices I’ve come across recently. Bayliss is a character that would seem perfectly at home in a crime novel written in the twenties or thirties. For example, this conversation between Molly and Bayliss:

            (Bayliss) “Why are you beefing me, lady? You’re the one had me down for a pigeon.”

(Molly) “I wish, just once, you would talk like a normal person.”

(Bayliss) “Oh, come on. Drop the veil, doll. You know what I’m getting at.”

(Molly) “I haven’t yet known what you were getting at. Not ever.”

(Bayliss) “Hey, I know I got a front-row seat to the highlight reel…”

(Page 101 – names are my addition)

On the flip side, you get Molly, a rather mentally mixed up adult who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets tagged by Bayliss and thus, ends up dead and learning how to be an angel with very little help from Bayliss himself. They butt heads a lot, and Molly has plenty of anger and emotion simmering under the surface to keep things interesting. However, she is more of a modern voice, and her story, as well as the emotion that she seems to barely contain (and sometimes not contain) throughout the novel, adds a nice sensitive touch and approach to the story as a whole. Molly is a necessary balance for Bayliss and just as memorable in her own ways. These are two very distinct, very individual characters that Tregillis has crafted with an expert hand. they are the sort of characters that I love, because they are so absolutely real.

Something More Than Night might seem, on the surface, to be yet another who-done-it type of noir novel, but rest assured that this is something totally different. Tregillis combines his incredible prose, and stunningly complex world filled with unforgettable characters to create something new, nuanced, and different. This book is impossible to put down, and is an incredibly fast mover. It’s totally different than anything I’ve read from the author before, but that’s not a bad thing. Something More Than Night shows Tregillis at his finest. If it might take a little patience to be able to visualize everything that is taking place, and the world it is taking place in, but the patience will pay off ten fold. This is one of those books you shouldn’t miss.

 

5/5 stars