Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 90

Neverland’s Library | Century of Kings – Marie Brennan (Excerpt)

Hey! My name is Roger Bellini and I am one of the editors of an anthology called Neverland’s Library. This book consists of 20 stories from published authors focused on the theme of Rediscovery.

This loose theme was chosen so that each author involved could write something that resonated with them on a personal and invoked a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of the stories that they first fell in love with in the fantasy genre.

Marie Brennan’s story is a great example of the wide array of wonderful variety that Neverland’s Library has to offer. Please take a moment and read excerpt from her story and consider helping back us over on Kickstarter!

http://www.bookwormblues.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/neverland.mp4

Without further ado, I give you “Centuries of Kings” by Marie Brennan!

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Centuries of Kings

by

Marie Brennan

 

I have killed kings, lured emperors to their doom; destroyed courts, brought countries to war; for thousands of years I have brought chaos with me wherever I go, death not enough to stop me, and I regret none of it.

And now the hunters pursue me through the wood.

***

Tamamo-no-Mae.  Pao Sze.  Dakki.  These are but a few of the names I have answered to in my life.  Wife, concubine, whore.  I have answered to these as well.  Two thousand years is a long time — more than one name can bear.

They blur together in my mind, the kings I have killed.  Few last for more than a year, and then I move on.  Not all have been kings.  But men of power, yes; the poor or unimportant do not interest me.  I go from land to land — China, India, Japan — where I am does not matter to me so much as who I find there.  Toba is the most recent, but it began with Zhou.

I remember the days in Zhou’s court as if they were yesterday, though they lie centuries distant.  The court of the last Emperor of the Shang Dynasty, the man said to be more dissolute than any other in China.  I could tell such tales of that court — tell of the day he demanded that seventy-two ladies of the highest blood strip to their skin and dance, in public, for his entertainment.  When they refused, he had a ditch dug before his palace, and he filled it with snakes and lizards and biting insects; when it was full his guards threw the women into the ditch, and their screams filled the air.  And he laughed and asked if I did not find it amusing.

I found my amusement elsewhere.

Books I’m Eyeing

Books I’m Eyeing is a weekly feature where I show you the books that have caught my eye, and the blogs that made me want to read them. The goal of this is to show you the websites that routinely have great content and top notch reviews and interviews. It is also my way to show the blogosphere that I might not be a regular commenter, but I do visit your websites, and appreciate what you add to the genre and the online community. Cheesy? Probably, but there it is.

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Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Discovery blamed on: SF Signal

About the Book

He called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever because he dared not believe in the strange alternate world in which he suddenly found himself. Yet he was tempted to believe, to fight for the Land, to be the reincarnation of its greatest hero.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Explorer – James Smythe

Discovery blamed on: The Speculative Scotsman

About the Book

A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony.

When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers.

But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue.

But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it

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Odd Men Out – Mat Betts

Discovery blamed on: SF Signal

About the Book

The Civil war has ended but not because the South surrendered, instead it’s on hold while both sides face a new enemy—the chewers, dead men who’ve come back to life. Cyrus Joseph Spencer didn’t fight in the war and couldn’t care less about the United Nations of America that resulted from it. His main concern is making money and protecting his crew from all manner of danger. But when tragedy strikes he’s forced to take shelter onboard a dirigible piloted by the U.N.’s peace-keeping force. It’s soon apparent that many more dangers are lurking and Cyrus must decide whether to throw in with strangers in a desperate bid to protect the country or cast off on his own.

 

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The Gospel of Loki – Joanne M. Harris

Discovery blamed on: Staffer’s Book Review 

(Note: Not released until February, 2014)

About the Book

Loki, that’s me.

Loki, the Light-Bringer, the misunderstood, the elusive, the handsome and modest hero of this particular tissue of lies. Take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s at least as true as the official version, and, dare I say it, more entertaining.

So far, history, such as it is, has cast me in a rather unflattering role.

Now it’s my turn to take the stage.

With his notorious reputation for trickery and deception, and an ability to cause as many problems as he solves, Loki is a Norse god like no other. Demon-born, he is viewed with deepest suspicion by his fellow gods who will never accept him as one of their own and for this he vows to take his revenge.

From his recruitment by Odin from the realm of Chaos, through his years as the go-to man of Asgard, to his fall from grace in the build-up to Ragnarok, this is the unofficial history of the world’s ultimate trickster.

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The Merchant of Dreams – Anne Lyle

Discovery blamed on: SF Signal (and the fact that I’m reading The Alchemist of Souls right now)

About the Book

Book Two of the Night’s Masque series, sequel to The Alchemist of Souls

Exiled from the court of Queen Elizabeth for accusing a powerful nobleman of treason, swordsman-turned-spy Mal Catlyn has been living in France with his young valet Coby Hendricks for the past year.

But Mal harbours a darker secret: he and his twin brother share a soul that once belonged to a skrayling, one of the mystical creatures from the New World.

When Mal’s dream about a skrayling shipwreck in the Mediterranean proves reality, it sets him on a path to the beautiful, treacherous city of Venice – and a conflict of loyalties that will place him and his friends in greater danger than ever.

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Hell House – Richard Matheson

Discover blamed on: King of the Nerds

About the Book

Can any soul survive?

Regarded as the Mount Everest of haunted houses, Belasco House has witnessed scenes of almost unimaginable horror and depravity. Two previous expeditions to investigate its secrets met with disaster, the participants destroyed by murder, suicide or insanity. Now a new investigation has been mounted – four strangers, each with his or her own reason for daring the unknown torments and temptations of the mansion.

 

 

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The Path of Anger – Antoine Rouaud

Discovery blamed on: Fantasy Book Critic

About the Book

There will be blood. There will be death. This is the path of anger. . .

Dun-Cadal has been drinking his life away for years. Betrayed by his friends – who turned their back on their ideals in favour of a new republic – and grief stricken at the loss of his apprentice, who saved his life on the battlefield and whom he trained as a knight in exchange, he’s done with politics, with adventure, and with people.

But people aren’t finished with him – not yet. Viola is a young historian looking for the last Emperor’s sword, and her search not only brings her to Dun-Cadal, it’s also going to embroil them both in a series of assassinations. Because Dun-Cadal’s turncoat friends are being murdered, one by one. . . by someone who kills in the unmistakable style of an Imperial assassin.

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A Taste of Blood Wine – Freda Warrington

About the Book

1918. A First World War battlefield becomes the cosmic battleground for two vampires, as Karl von Wultendorf struggles to free himself from his domineering maker, Kristian.

1923. Charlotte Neville watches as her father, a Cambridge professor, fills Parkland Hall with guests for her sister Madeleine’s 18th birthday party. Among them is his handsome new research assistant Karl – the man Madeleine has instantly decided will be her husband. Charlotte, shy and retiring, is happy to devote her life to her father and her dull fiance Henry – until she sees Karl …

For Charlotte, it is the beginning of a deadly obsession that sunders her from her sisters, her father and even her dearest friend.  As their feverish passion grows, Karl faces the dilemma he fears the most.  Only by deserting Charlotte can his passion for her blood be conquered. Only by betraying her can he protect her from the terrifying attentions of Kristian – for Kristian has decided to teach Karl a lesson in power, by devouring Charlotte.

400 pages (Paperback)

Published on October 8, 2013

Published by Titan Books

Author’s webpage

This book was provided for my review by the publisher.

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I’m pretty done with vampire novels. D-O-N-E. Done. It’s over. I never really liked them, but the whole genre is overblown and I’m finished with it. So why, might you be asking, did I read A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington? Because it’s Freda Freaking Warrington! I love her writing, and I couldn’t wait to experience it again, vampires or not.

The interesting thing about A Taste of Blood Wine was that it was first published in 1992, and is just now being re-released to the masses because we’ve finally discovered the absolutely beauty of Warrington’s writing. The interesting bit of this is, Warrington wrote about vampires before it was the cool thing to write about. Anne Rice really broke open the vampire egg, but Warrington tapped into a vein that really hadn’t been tapped into much before then. Before her, vampires weren’t these sexy hunks that make you fall in love and swoon while reading about their sexual exploits. No, Warrington’s vampires are a bit more raw, believable, and true to the core of what they are than the oversexed, overhyped playboy creatures many people read about today.

Another aspect of A Taste of Blood Wine that makes it rather unique to an exhausted genre trope is the time period and location where it takes place. The early 1900’s is a unique period of history because things are changing so dramatically. Technology and war have shaped, and are shaping, so much of the world. It’s a fertile time period to drop in a bunch of fantastic elements that will change things even more. Add to that a rather empowered woman who is willing to step out of her set and defined roles and find out who she is on her own terms, and you have one memorable setting that Warrington really uses to her advantage. Everything she has created is the perfect accompaniment to the story she is telling, from the changing technology, to the social structure, to formalities and everything else. The world is changing, and her characters are a perfect addition to all of the social changes going on around them.

One thing that Warrington creates really well is her characters. She creates some of the most believable, emotionally captivating, absolutely memorable characters I’ve ever read. As a reader, I can tell with each of her books that she truly cares about the people she is portraying, and she wants them to be as realistic in the settings she puts them in as possible. It really pays off, because whatever else you might think of A Taste of Blood Wine, Karl and Charlotte really help bring the time period to life, and will make readers actually care about what they are reading. They aren’t just a placeholder in a love story, they are actual people, and Warrington makes them matter. Perhaps the only character that I didn’t find to be fantastic was the antagonist. While his motives were fairly obvious as they were revealed, he was a bit too cookie-cutter for me to really believe in him. It all seemed a bit mindless where he was concerned, but I also think that was probably the point.

Warrington’s writing is everything you’d expect it to be. Yes, this is one of her earlier books, but it’s clear that she’s always had an incredible talent for weaving together some majestic prose. Her writing style pushes A Taste of Blood Wine over the top. This might be a vampire story, and a love story, and a story of self-discovery and change, but if that doesn’t please you, you can read this just to experience the joy of some incredibly artistic writing. She never really falls into the hole of using too many words, or saying too much that doesn’t need to be said. Instead, Warrington is one of those rare authors that makes every word count, and still manages to push her plot ahead at a good pace.

So what exactly is it about A Taste of Blood Wine that readers might not like? Well, it’s a vampire story, and the world has been overrun with vampire stories. Warrington’s book is well worth the read, but the story elements aren’t new anymore. Other than the characters and the time period, it’s not incredibly unique. That’s unfortunate, because if the marketplace weren’t so saturated with the shiny vampires with cut abs that ooze sex, A Taste of Blood Wine would get all of the credit it fully deserves. As it is, I think a lot of people will pass over this fantastic book because they will see “vampire” and run. Please don’t. Warrington is a fantastic author, and this book is a call back to the roots of a saturated, watered down market. She shows what the vampire books can be, and it’s Freda-Freaking-Warrington. Her writing is nothing short of incredible.

 

4/5 stars

NaNoWriMo 2013

I’m sort of adjusting to the post-cancer life still, and one of the things I’ve learned about myself is that cancer has made me want to take a lot of chances. It’s made me want to do the things I love, even if I will never succeed in them. That’s why I’ve entered photography contests, submitted photos to magazines, wrote a few short stories that I’m still trying to get published (har har har – don’t hold your breath for that to happen).

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve been winning writing contests as far back as I can remember. Hell, I remember in kindergarten, we wrote stories, and my teacher was so impressed with mine she read it to the whole stupid school in an assembly. I was mortified the whole time. I remember feeling the most embarrassed I’ve ever felt in the history of ever. That’s where it started, and while I’ve had some stuff published (not under my own name. If these short stories ever see the light of day they’ll be the first thing I publish under my own name) I’ve never really pursued it. There are a lot of reasons why. There are a ton of fantastic authors out there that I can’t compete with. Writing is a dog-eat-dog world, and I logically realize that the percentage of anything actually happening with my creative efforts is about -75%.

Whatever. I can’t live my life as a passenger pondering the “what ifs” and dreaming without acting. Cancer taught me that. You have to take the wheel and drive, even if you don’t really end up anywhere amazing. So I’m pursuing my writing dreams, with the realization that nothing will happen of it.

In that respect, I’ve signed up for my first ever NaNoWriMo. I’m terrified, but the seed of the idea I’m going to write was born during my cancer struggle, and I think writing it will put a lot of my emotional upheaval to rest. I’ve filled two notebooks full of junk – notes, cultures, characters… everything else. I think I’m ready, but one never knows until they attempt it. My problem will be figuring out how to balance running the blog with writing a ton each day. As you can see in the picture of my latest filled notebook, the novel is called The Broken and I refuse to say anything about it other than that.

And of course, you’ll get updates here. I’m sure I will learn a lot while I torture myself. The thing is, it’s kind of like going to the gym. If you go with other people, you’ll exercise more often and better. If you try to go alone, it’ll never work (at least for me). That’s how I’m looking at NaNoWriMo. I want to do this. I think having a group push will help a lot.

So there you have it. My official NaNoWriMo declaration. If you are doing NaNoWriMo and want to join me, I’d love you to. My name on that site is “BookwormBlues” (If you had to guess…). Feel free to add me.

What would YOU ask these three authors?

Alright, people. I got some really fun questions from readers when I asked what you’d want to ask Wesley Chu (interview going live on the 25th), so I’m going to do it again. I have three author interviews that I’m working on right now, and I’d love to know what you’d want to ask these authors. I might choose one of your questions for their interviews (and yes, you get credit for your question).

Here’s the rundown:

Bradley P. Beaulieu

Bradley P. Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, but in the way of these things, it was set aside as life intervened. As time went on, though, Brad realized that his love of writing and telling tales wasn’t going to just slink quietly into the night. The drive to write came back full force in the early 2000s, at which point Brad dedicated himself to the craft, writing several novels and learning under the guidance of writers like Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Tim Powers, Holly Black, Michael Swanwick, Kij Johnson, and many more.

Website

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Peter Orullian

As a writer, Peter tends to write the stories that occur to him and prove compelling, which means he writes in any number of genres. His published fiction is mostly fantasy and science fiction at this point, but he’s written a couple of thrillers he hopes to find homes for soon. At least one bestselling fiction writer has seen the outline of one of Peter’s unpublished novels—a more mainstream story—and thinks it’s bound to be his bestselling work. That book is on hold for now, though, as Peter ramps up a new fantasy series, THE VAULT OF HEAVEN.

Then as a musician, Peter’s tastes likewise run the gamut. There are few musical genres he doesn’t enjoy. So, while many might find easy stereotypes when they see Peter, those stereotypes are too narrow to accommodate the variety of his musical tastes. Which isn’t to say he doesn’t love rock music—he absolutely does!

Beyond these consuming interests, he currently works at Microsoft in the Interactive Entertainment Business (Xbox), loves the outdoors (with a fondness for the Rocky Mountains that he’ll never lose) and taking his Jeep deep into the back-country, but more than anything enjoys spending time with his family.

Webpage

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Teresa Frohock

Raised in a small town, Teresa Frohock learned to escape to other worlds through the fiction collection of her local library. Although Teresa has been reading fantasy and science fiction since she was twelve, her fascination with the grotesque extends back into childhood. Whenever she went to a carnival, she was the first one at the tent that housed the freak-show. She wanted to see the two-headed (chicken, snake, fetus, fill-in-the-blank) and was always disappointed when it wasn’t alive–it seemed like such a rip-off.

Her author photo is very formal. What you can’t see in that picture is that she is wearing jeans and boots. Teresa always wears boots except when it’s 90+ degrees outside, then she wears sandals and wishes she was wearing boots. Next time she has her picture taken, it will be in front of the old pick-up truck so you can get a better read on her personality.

Over her life, Teresa has been employed as a waitress, a DJ, a newspaper carrier, a factory worker, a legal assistant, a community workforce instructor, and finally as a cataloger in a community college library. She loves her job and gets to work with some really super people. If you have something bad to say about community colleges, don’t say it to her.

Teresa lives in a very rural area, which is sometimes good, sometimes boring. During her youth, her life was very, VERY exciting. she did a lot of exciting things, met a lot of electrifying people, engaged in a lot of stimulating activities, and saw things that would send most sane people howling into the woods.

She has had enough exhilaration for one lifetime and the brain damage to prove it. Given that self-preservation has never been one of her strong points, Teresa is lucky to be alive. It’s someone else’s turn. Have fun and tell them Teresa sent you, just don’t call her if you get into trouble. She is not running a bail-bond service.

People who know Teresa claim that she is warm and has a sense of humor. She thinks her personality can better be described as sharp and being around her is a little like biting on tinfoil. You’ll have to make your own determination.

Neither her religion nor her politics are any of your damn business.

Her hair is starting to turn silver and she likes that.

Her eyes are hazel. She likes that too.

Teresa was raised in North Carolina, lived in Virginia and South Carolina before returning to the Piedmont, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter. Teresa has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.

Website

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Either email me your questions (which most of you seemed to prefer last time I did this) or leave me a comment on Twitter, Facebook, or here.

Mass Review | Prodigal Son, Elysian Fields, Chimes at Midnight

In my endless quest to catch up on my to-be-reviewed pile, I’m going to review three urban fantasy/paranormal romance books I’ve received and read recently. Please keep in mind that this sort of thing isn’t my usual reading diet. I will try, very hard, to write these reviews as if I loved these two genres, but I don’t, and that will probably be reflected in my reviews. Instead of attaching book information like I usually do, I’m linking each picture to the book’s page on Goodreads. Just click on the image to see more about the books.

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Prodigal Son – Deborah Mullins

This book was sent for my review by the publisher.

Prodigal Son is an unabashed paranormal romance, complete with the gorgeous hunk protagonist, and the prominent female character who somehow finds herself in the middle of a fate-of-the-world situation unknowingly. Prodigal Son ticks off all the paranormal romance boxes. There’s almost instant love and plenty of sexual tension while the characters try to talk themselves out of it. There’s action, explosions, a jaunt through the desert, family drama, and sex.

One area where Prodigal Son sticks out is the lack of vampires. Instead, Rafe is a psychic with a family line from Atlantis, and the book is peppered with others who are likewise, or similarly gifted. On the other hand, Cara is shockingly normal, until it becomes obvious that she can do some “abnormal” things later in the book. It’s a nice switch to see two protagonists that are different from the normal paranormal romance tropes.

That being said, Prodigal Son is a fast read, and it is fairly cookie cutter. If you’ve read any paranormal romance books, you’ll be able to predict everything that happens here after you’ve read the first chapter. That’s not always a bad thing, though. Sometimes people need a fluff read. Prodigal Son is good for a mental vacation. Mullins’ writing is full of emotion that will really grab the reader. The landscape and setting takes a backseat, but the story itself is fun, if predictable. It’s more of a story about two people falling in love than anything else.

Fans of paranormal romance will love this one.

 

3/5 stars

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Elysian Fields – Suzanne Johnson

This book was sent for my review by the publisher.

This series has grown on me, despite how hard I’ve tried to not let it. Elysian Fields is the second installment in an urban fantasy series that tries hard not to take itself too seriously. One thing Johnson pulls off well is the atmosphere. Set in post Katrina New Orleans, Johnson has used the havoc the storm put the city through as an “in” for much of her magic system. Shockingly enough, it works.

Yes, this is an urban fantasy series. There’s a quippy protagonist who is tough as nails, and the book is peppered with gorgeous men, many of whom take some physical interest in our dear heroine. Outside of those paint-by-numbers elements, though, Johnson really ramps her series up with each new installment. Elysian Fields is a more mature, more somber version of the previous two books. The love interest issue is largely solved, which is a relief because it really allows the plot to move forward in other aspects.

In Elysian Fields, DJ is hunting down a serial killer, she has some drama involving her werewolf friends, and things are revealed about her own heritage and the staff she possesses. This is all pretty serious stuff, but Johnson keeps the humor flowing while she ramps up the emotional tension. Johnson struck a fantastic balance between fun and serious and it really works. Elysian Fields is one of those urban fantasy books that you’ll read quickly, and have a lot of fun while you do it.

 

4/5 stars

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Chimes at Midnight – Seanan McGuire

This book was sent for my review by the publisher.

Full disclosure: I’ve read the first book in this series, and now the seventh. I recommend you read the series in order and not skip the six books between two ends of the series like I did.

Chimes at Midnight really shows what urban fantasy can be. McGuire’s series is fun, fast paced, and captivating. No, I haven’t read books two through six, but Chimes at Midnight is one hell of a romp. The characters are three dimensional and so relatable that you can’t help but love them. The fantasy elements in McGuire’s world have an ironed out, well planned feel that so many urban fantasy books don’t have. I couldn’t help but feel like every fantastic element in her world could actually exist in my own. That’s really an accomplishment.

Character development can make all the difference in a book. Yes, McGuire has had a few books to flesh out her characters, but it has paid off immensely. It’s obvious that Toby is comfortable in her own skin, as are all the other characters. Not having to deal with the “what ifs” and the “OMG THERE’S PARANORMAL STUFF OUT THERE” moments in a book can make anything more enjoyable. McGuire takes advantage of that with her smooth, plot focused, character driven writing.

The plot in Chimes at Midnight is self-contained, but there are obvious threads that tie this book to previous in the series, and developments that hint at impressive things to come. This is one of those rare urban fantasy books that I loved every minute of reading. McGuire’s unassuming writing adds a level of depth and emotional tension to the book, giving it a darker edge than I expected, while keeping the fun and brevity that fans have come to love. It was a tad predictable, and some of the plot elements were a little too convenient, but that’s forgivable in the grander scheme.

Chimes at Midnight was great. Actually, it was good enough to make me want to read the whole series. Imagine that.

 

4/5 stars

Special Needs in Strange Worlds – Why Tyrion Lannister Matters

My newest installment of Special Needs in Strange Worlds has dropped. I had a pretty hard time writing this one, but I’m pleased with how it turned out. “Why Tyrion Lannister Matters” is an attempted deeper exploration of what makes this character so incredibly powerful and memorable, despite the various things that work against him.

Take a look.

Why Tyrion Lannister Matters

Only Begotten Daughter – James Morrow

About the Book

Call it a miracle or an accident at the sperm bank. But Julie Katz, the half-sister of Jesus, has been born to a celibate father. Soon poor Julie is tempted by the Devil and challenged by neo-Christian zealots-and that’s just the beginning of her fantastic odyssey through Hell, a seceded New Jersey, and her own confused soul. Winner of a 1991 World Fantasy Award.

312 pages (Paperback)

Published (first) in 1990

Re-released on August 20, 2013 by Open Road Media

Author’s webpage

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

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There needs to be some sort of criminal charges against the genre each time an incredible book is published and flies below everyone’s radar. How many amazing books are out there that not nearly enough people have read just because they didn’t tap into the popular market vein when they were published? It’s wrong, people; so very wrong.

In terms of sacrilegious books that might offend readers goes, Only Begotten Daughter is probably near the top of the list, both due to content and quality. While this sacrilegious stuff doesn’t matter in the least to me, I can see how it would offend the sensibilities of individuals who are far more religious than little atheist me. Thus, a warning: If an exploration of religious themes and beliefs in a very non-religious way offends you, you’ll probably want to step clear of this one. Only Begotten Daughter boldly plays with many religious beliefs and practices in an unexpected way. While I loved it, it could easily rub people wrong.

Only Begotten Daughter is part urban fantasy, and part satire. Nothing is sacred, and Morrow explores that idea thoroughly, often shining a light on aspects of religion and belief that are often overlooked. Yes, it is uncomfortable (to some people) but that’s part of the beauty of it. Morrow isn’t afraid to make people uncomfortable, and in the process of doing that, he tells one hell of a fun, wild, adventurous story.

Morrow won the World Fantasy Award in 1991 for Only Begotten Daughter, but it seems like the book has largely been forgotten since then. The only reason I heard about it was because I saw it on Netgalley, thought the cover was weird/cool and requested it.  The thing is, even if the ideas that Morrow plays with offends you, if you can suspend that offense a bit and read the book, you’ll probably find yourself incredibly entertained. There is a lot of dry humor, and some laugh-out-loud moments here. The life and times of Julie, half-sister to Jesus Christ, is equal parts touching as she tries to find her place in the world, and humorous with some of the things she says and does.

At its heart, Only Begotten Daughter is an exploration of many of the outdated ideas of religion. Julie is the vehicle that Morrow uses to explore this. Morrow really strives to highlight Julie’s humanity, despite her divine heritage. Along with Julie is a full cast of secondary characters; some are more fleshed out than others. Julie’s father is a man I wish I had known more about. His solid, steady presence was juxtaposed nicely with Phoebe, who was erratic and unpredictable. Perhaps the one problem I saw with both of these characters was that while their presence is felt in the book, they never were three-dimensional enough for me to really care about them. Julie’s relationships with them are understood, but vague, which was unfortunate and Phoebe annoyed me.

Julie takes a voluntary trip to hell, where she meets her half-brother Jesus. This ended up being my favorite part of the book, as Julie learns a lot more about her divine heritage, and there are some truly somber, beautiful moments in her discussion with her half-brother that will exercise your thinkmeat. This section of the novel really highlighted how Morrow can write some laugh-out-loud prose, and can perfectly balance it with some somber, more humble and very thought-provoking text. Only Begotten Daughter really shows how versatile and unafraid Morrow is as an author, and I can’t help but appreciate him for that.

Some readers might take issue with pacing, and some scenes and experiences in Julie’s life can feel like they are dragging more than you’d probably like. However, in counterpoint to some of the pacing, the ending feels “right” for Only Begotten Daughter. Morrow takes the reader full circle, and will leave your head spinning with thoughts, whether you like those thoughts or not. This is one of those books that probes at those uncomfortable spots that people like to avoid. You’ll either love it or hate it because of that.

I loved this book. LOVED. IT. Then again, I’m one of those people who enjoys this sort of dark humor and a good poke at all things sacred. I can see how a vast swath of the population would find this book absolutely offensive, so be warned about that. Julie’s coming-of-age as the daughter of God is touching, frustrating, and funny. Her journey to hell is enlightening, and deliciously thought-provoking. The ending felt perfect for the book as a whole. Perhaps, however, the best thing I can say about it is that Morrow will leave you thinking, thinking, thinking. I finished this book weeks ago, and I will find it popping into my head daily at the oddest moments. That’s a true testament to the author’s skill. This isn’t a book you read. This is a book you absorb.

 

5/5 stars

SF Signal Podcast

A few things are dropping this week, so I will keep the announcements flowing when things of note pop up elsewhere.

One of those things dropped this morning.

As many of you know, I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be on a podcast. Not because I like to hear myself talk, but because I want SO desperately, to talk to other people as into the genre as I am. NOT type with them… TALK to them. Interact. Have a discussion. Get excited with people who understand how EXCITING the genre can be.

Well, the opportunity fell on me. SF Signal had me on one of their episodes. We talked about the books we want to read before the end of the year, and the books we were currently reading at that time.

So, here’s the link for more info and to see who else was on the panel. It was a lot of fun. I hope it won’t be the last podcast I will ever be on.

In other news, the next article on Special Needs in Strange Worlds should be up tomorrow. It’s called, “Why Tyrion Lannister Matters.” I’ll put up an announcement when it goes live. Right now I’m just trying to make you all excited…. or curious… or something.

Squee!

I don’t lose my shit over book stuff often (“Wow, Sarah. Way to look professional.”) but when I do, it’s usually pretty extreme. For example, when Orbit contacted me about doing a mini-interview with K.J. Parker, I think I needed medication just to cope with how amazing my life was for about a week.

Today it happened again. I got a review copy of Dreamwalker by C.S. Friedman. I opened it up, and SHE SIGNED IT!

Friedman is one of my FAVORITE authors, so having her signature is…. it’s just epic for me.

I’m sharing my squee-moment. Why? Because I can and I want to brag.