For instance, Winston Chu lost his father to a friendly fire accident in Iraq. Now, it’s just Winston, his mom and his twoLife is full of unfairness.
For instance, Winston Chu lost his father to a friendly fire accident in Iraq. Now, it’s just Winston, his mom and his two sisters, muddling through life as best they can in their tiny San Francisco apartment. Winston’s mom is barely holding it together. His big sister Phillipa has turned grumpy and withdrawn. His little sister Coco – well, Coco is awesome, but she’s just a toddler. She doesn’t even remember their dad, which makes Winston incredibly sad.
Also unfair? One day, Winston happens to save a local shopkeeper from getting robbed. Then, as his reward, he gets to choose the first thing he touches in the shop. That doesn’t sound unfair. After all, Mr. Pang’s Whimsies is full of expensive and possibly magical things like ‘eggs of truth,’ ‘far-seeing eyeballs,’ and ‘kick me’ boots. But when Winston unintentionally touches something else instead, he goes home as the proud owner of a grungy old broom and a matching dustpan. Yippee.
It gets worse. The broom and the dustpan seem to hold some kind of curse. Important things start disappearing from Winston’s home. Then people start disappearing. And Mr. Pang’s Shop itself vanishes, along with its owner, who may or may not have been dead for fifty years . . .
Soon, Winston and his friends are plunged into an impossible adventure to figure out the truth about Mr. Pang and his Whimsies, and hopefully undo the bad luck that has made Winston’s life a flying pizza of disaster.
But the thing I find most unfair of all: Why is Stacey Lee such a good writer? She’s got sympathetic, believable characters that instantly feel like your new best friends. Page-turning action and intrigue. Quirky, witty writing that will make you laugh out loud. How does she do all that and make it look so easy? I mean, come on. Stop being such a talented storyteller, Lee. You’re making the rest of us look bad.
I’m kidding (mostly). But I will confess that as I read Winston Chu, I went from thinking: “I wonder if I’ll be able to offer any helpful advice to Stacey!” to “I’m going to start taking notes because Stacey is totally schooling me on great storytelling!”
I love Winston’s big heart, his courage and his loyalty to his friends and family. I love his impulsive awkward stumbling through middle school. I love Mr. Pang’s Whimsies and all the beautiful chaos they create in Winston’s life. Most of all, I love the way Lee weaves together Chinese folklore and modern San Francisco into a magical book so clever and fun it just demands to be read aloud with the whole family or the whole classroom.
Like I said: Totally unfair. Lee is so good that her book feels like Mr. Pang’s shop – chocked full of hidden treasures in every nook and cranny, rife for exploration, endlessly surprising and rewarding. I am so glad Stacey Lee is so unfairly talented, because it will make many happy readers! Just be careful what you bump into as you explore this shop of Whimsies. If you end up going home with a bad-natured broom and dustpan . . . Well, you’ll find out soon enough. ...more
I read this a while back, but I suppose I needed some time to process what I'd experienced. Johnson writes with clarity and power about their experienI read this a while back, but I suppose I needed some time to process what I'd experienced. Johnson writes with clarity and power about their experience growing as a Queer Black child in New Jersey, not knowing where they fit in and wishing, as they say themselves, that they had a book like this one to provide some guidance, or at least reassurance, that life would get better, and that there was a path to better acceptance and happiness. The book is structured in a series of short, sharply rendered personal essays, making this a quick and compelling read. Their autobiographical stories are at turns beautiful, sad, painful and joyful, much like life itself. And while this book will be so meaningful to many LGBTQIA+ youth, looking for understanding and representation in an often cruel world, it is also completely relatable to any young reader who has ever felt like they didn't belong, or weren't understood by family or peers. Highly recommended!...more
When was the last time I read a book this mind-blowingly original? Light from Uncommon Stars takes elements of different familiar story lines -- a deaWhen was the last time I read a book this mind-blowingly original? Light from Uncommon Stars takes elements of different familiar story lines -- a deal with the Devil, aliens from outer space living among us, and the all-too-real struggles of a young trans woman trying to survive abuse and rejection -- and combines them into something completely new, jarring, unexpected and beautiful, much like the Bartók sonata around which the plot revolves.
Shizuka Satomi, once a brilliant violinist, now a feared and legendary violin teacher known as the Queen of Hell, has traded her soul to the Devil, but she has an escape clause: If she can deliver the souls of seven of her best students to her demon-in-charge Tremon Phillipe, Shizuka herself will be able to walk free. She has already delivered six souls. And now she thinks she has found the seventh . . .
Katrina Nguyen can no longer stand it at home. Her father gets drunk and hits her and her mother. Neither parent can accept the fact that Katrina is transgender. She scrapes together money for her hormonal treatments by doing porn chats online, putting up with 'clients' that call her a freak but also find her alluring, but what Katrina really wants is to play her violin to create beautiful music based on video game soundtracks. She's just afraid. If anyone sees her, will they accept her violin playing, or will they only see her appearance and hurl more hateful comments? Finally, Katrina takes her 'go bag' and escapes, riding the bus to L.A. to find someone she met once, who seemed supportive . . . She never dreams that she is about to find a teacher instead.
Lan Tran has brought her family to earth to escape the Endplague which is slowly destroying her home in the Galactic Empire. Disguised as human, the Tran family takes over Starrgate Donut and begins to find a place in their local community. Lan's mission is to build an actual star gate inside the giant donut sign on top of their shop, but when she meets an elegant woman who barges into the donut shop, desperate to use the restroom, the first glimmers of an impossible intergalactic romance begin to shine.
Can Shizuka and Lan find love amidst the twin threats of galactic plague and demonic contracts? Will Katrina really agree to trade her soul to realize her dreams? There are so many memorable characters in this novel. You will care about each and every one, beautifully rendered and fully human. It's a story about escaping your fate, making your place in a hostile world, and learning to find love among those who accept you. It's funny, heartfelt, haunting. It's also a quick read, because Aoki's chapters are real page turners! Highly recommended....more
Grab Your Sword and Your Spaghetti. We’re Going to War.
You can only choose one. Would you rather:
A) Live with your parents as they travel the world,Grab Your Sword and Your Spaghetti. We’re Going to War.
You can only choose one. Would you rather:
A) Live with your parents as they travel the world, hunting vampiric monsters called adze, learning to handle a battle ax and sword and drawing magical adinkra symbols, knowing that you could die any minute. Or:
B) Go to middle school.
If you chose ‘B,’ what are you thinking? B is clearly the more dangerous option.
Serwa Boateng has the good life. She is full-on option ‘A.’ She has spent her life learning to slay vampires, accompanying her parents on dangerous missions wherever the ruling council of Okomfo sends them, and just waiting for the day when she will get her own adinkra tattoo that will mark her as a full member of the Abomofuo – the ancient and powerful Ghanaian order of vampire slayers.
Then everything goes wrong. After an unthinkable attack, Serwa’s parents send her to her cousin’s house in the middle of nowhere to live like a normal kid and – THE HORROR – go to sixth grade. That’s right, vampire slayers. You think you’re tough? Wait until you meet Rocky Gorge Middle School. There will be cliques. There will be detention. There will be spaghetti fights.
Just when Serwa thinks she might be able to handle all that, her old problems come back to haunt her too. There might actually be adze in Rocky Gorge -- but now Serwa is cut off from her parents and any possibility of magic assistance. She is on her own against blood-sucking fiends of both the monstrous and middle school variety.
Humor. Heart. Mythology. Action. Tragedy. Triumph. Lovable characters. And a conclusion that will leave you screaming, “Where is the sequel?” With this book, you don’t have to choose only one option, because Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting has all of the above!
I have always loved the folklore of Ghana. Adinkra symbols are a beautiful, powerful way of thinking about the world. The monsters are terrifying. The gods are magnificent. (Or sometimes the gods are terrifying and the monsters are magnificent.) The magic makes so much sense yet is absolutely revelatory. And the Abomofuo are top-notch, world-class vampire slayers that put Van Helsing to shame.
This is a book I have been craving for at least thirty years, when I first learned about Ghanaian mythology and wished I had more adventure stories about it to share with my middle school students. Thank goodness Roseanne A. Brown has stepped up to the plate and delivered us this homerun of novel!
She writes about living between worlds – Ghana and America, childhood and adulthood, the magical and the mundane – and about navigating the liminal spaces to find one’s own identity when one feels like they belong partly everywhere but completely nowhere. This is something many young readers (and many older ones) will relate to. Rosie writes her characters with such lyrical power, wit and empathy that you can’t help falling in love with Serwa Boateng, her family, her friends. You will want to be Serwa Boateng. I know I do. I would even agree to chill with the family mmoatia and watch reruns of The Bachelor if it meant I could learn to draw adinkra symbols and borrow Mom’s battle ax once in a while.
So grab your sword. Grab a bowl of spaghetti. Grab whatever weapon you can find and gird yourself for battle, readers. We have some vampires to hunt.
Oh, that beautiful island swallowed by the sea . . . the Atlantis of the Caribbean! The irresistible music of the kameroDo you remember San Madrigal?
Oh, that beautiful island swallowed by the sea . . . the Atlantis of the Caribbean! The irresistible music of the kameros electrified the tropical evenings. The Grand Fetes swirled with color and joyful chaos: dancing, singing, and drumming; gifts and prayers for the spirits. Platters overflowed with luscious seafood.
Nowhere else in the world had that particularly wonderful mix of humanity—the three “founding” groups of Sefaradim, Santeros, and pirates, and also Indigenous peoples, dispossessed European Jews, and freed West Africans. San Madrigal was a haven from persecution, slavery, and colonial rule. It wasn’t perfect, no, but it was fiercely, proudly independent. A tiny jewel of a country!
And then, fifteen years ago, it disappeared beneath the waves, leaving behind only the diaspora community of Little Madrigal in Brooklyn, New York. I still ache with sorrow when I think about such a loss to the world.
Wait, you say.
You check a map. You Google “San Madrigal.”
Uh, Rick? San Madrigal isn’t real. It never existed.
Balderdash! I say. (Because I am the kind of person who says “Balderdash.”)
Just because a place is fictional doesn’t mean it isn’t real. San Madrigal is a real as Wakanda or the Shire or Earthsea. Once you read Ballad & Dagger, you will see what I mean. Only the best authors can make me feel nostalgic for a place that never existed but needs to exist, and Daniel José Older is one of the best.
In Ballad & Dagger he gives us not only amazing characters, not only a compelling story, not only beautiful prose, humor, and heart—all of which come standard with every Older novel. He also gives us an entire culture—the heritage of a lost island we didn’t know we needed until it had sunk beneath the sea. That, my friends, is powerful writing.
Like all San Madrigaleros, our hero Mateo Matisse is many things. He’s a musician, a healer, a young man in search of his place in the world. He’s also going to be your new best friend as he guides you through the wonderful world of Little Madrigal: a community infused with magic, where spirits live side by side with the living, and where the fractious, pirate-inspired democracy of San Madrigal fights to maintain its culture without its island.
But what if San Madrigal could be raised again? What kind of magic would that require? What kind of sacrifices? These are the questions Matteo Matisse will have to wrestle with in Ballad & Dagger, and he’s going to need his healing skills, because the fight for the soul of San Madrigal is going to open up some very old wounds.
For many years, I have aspired to work with Daniel José Older. I have read all his books. I have been in awe of his breathtaking range. I have longed to find the largest soapbox available, stand upon it, and shout into my megaphone: HEY, EVERYBODY, YOU NEED TO READ THIS GUY!
I am delighted that I finally get to do this. And while any Daniel José Older novel is worth shouting about, Ballad & Dagger is something truly special. The first Rick Riordan Presents novel geared toward young adults, it is also, in my opinion, the most daring, ambitious, and memorable story Older has written yet, and that is saying a lot.
If any magic can raise San Madrigal from the sea again, it is the book you now hold in your hands. Just be warned: once you’ve explored the lost island, you may never want to leave!
An orphanage for magical children. An impossible romance between two gentle, caring men who live worlds apart. A shadowy bureaucracy that wants to keeAn orphanage for magical children. An impossible romance between two gentle, caring men who live worlds apart. A shadowy bureaucracy that wants to keep magical children "safe" and away from the eyes of the general public. The power of found family and kindness against prejudice and fear.
Mix these elements, bake until sweet golden brown, take out of the oven and enjoy fresh and hot with your best friends . . . That is the taste of T. J. Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea. Our hero Linus Baker would never consider himself a hero. He is a good man being slowly drained of life by his job as an inspector for DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth). He visits orphanages for magical children and inspects these places to recommend whether or not they should remain open. He truly cares for the well-being of the children, but he can't get attached. He stays at each orphanage only long enough to make his report, then he is off on his next assignment. What happens to the children when he leaves? What will happen to them when they grow up and face a harsh world that sees them as 'freaks'? Linus doesn't know. He has to keep his head down, do his job, and trust that Extremely Upper Management knows what they are doing. He can't let his heart be broken by the various banshees, dryads, fairies, werewolves and other magical children he meets during his inspections, many of whom have gone from foster home to foster home and suffered untold years of abuse just for being who they are.
But then Extremely Upper Management sends Linus on a special mission that is top secret: He is to spend one month evaluating the Marsyas Island Orphanage, run by Arthur Parnassus, and decide whether it should remain open. This is no ordinary magical home. The children there are special, terrifyingly special, and Arthur himself is hiding a deep secret. Can Linus keep his objectivity? Should he, once he discovers the truth?
This book is gentle and kind, full of faith in humanity's better nature despite all the ugliness and cruelty that tears us apart. At its core is a story about what good people do when faced with injustice, and how we find love, joy and family in difficult times. This book shows you a fantasy world you might not want to live in -- parts of it are depressingly familiar with government bureaucracies, dreary cities, uncaring neighbors and casual bigotry -- but you will definitely want to live on Marsyas Island with its wonderful cast of foundlings. Gay romance? Why, yes there is that too, absolutely: a tender, touching love story about how finding a true soulmate can make you the best version of yourself and give you courage to fight for what you care about.
Heartwarming and reaffirming . . . the kind of story we always need, these days perhaps more than ever....more
I was surprised and delighted to find myself back in the village of Three Pines for the second Gamache mystery. I had assumed the quaint and tiny commI was surprised and delighted to find myself back in the village of Three Pines for the second Gamache mystery. I had assumed the quaint and tiny community in the Quebec Eastern Townships would be a one-off setting for Gamache's inaugural adventure, since he is charged with solving crimes all over the province. After all, how many murders can one village have? Apparently, a few! I don't know about the villagers, but I was delighted to return for another homicide.
In Penny's second mystery, we are introduced to the odious C.C. de Poitiers, a woman so vile and insufferable no one is sorry when she is electrocuted in a freakish "accident" during a Christmas curling match at Three Pines. Of course, the accident turns out to be no accident at all, and there are so many people who detested C.C., Gamache will have his hands full sorting through all the potential suspects.
Returning to Three Pines a year after his first case there, Gamache (and the readers) become reacquainted with the town's wonderful cast of characters, who now feel like old friends. We find out more about Gamache's own troubled past, especially the mysterious "Arnot case" which made him a pariah among the brass at the Police Sûreté, and we are pulled deeper into the overarching series plot of how Gamache will (or may not) survive the inter-departmental politics and the plotting of his enemies who want to bring him down. Even among his colleagues, Gamache is surrounded by potential suspects. The characters are lovingly crafted and oh so human. The atmosphere is appealing and tinted with the colors of nostalgia. The plot pulled me along and kept me up reading way too late. Needless to say, I bought the next books in the series right away....more
I loved Colson Whitehead's take on the zombie apocalypse, Zone One, so I wanted to see what he did with this novel, a sort of alternate history of preI loved Colson Whitehead's take on the zombie apocalypse, Zone One, so I wanted to see what he did with this novel, a sort of alternate history of pre-Civil War America in which the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system which tried to help enslaved Blacks reach free states, was a *literal* railroad underground.
The power of the book is that the realities of slavery are interwoven so well with believable fictions, that even a reader like me, who knows a fair amount of history, finds it difficult to distinguish where history stops and fantasy begins. Every child in school, upon first hearing the term 'Underground Railroad,' probably pictures exactly what Whitehead has written: an actual system of trains running through secret tunnels from the South to the North. I know I did when I was in second grade. To see that idea brought to life is fascinating and surprisingly credible. When our protagonist Cora first sees one of the tunnels and asked who built it, her station master replies, "Who builds anything in America?" Black laborers, of course. The answer seems so obvious that I found it easy to believe in this impossible railway, with trains traveling thousands of miles underground, delivering their fugitive passengers to new stations that may (or may not) be safer. By the end of the book, it becomes clear that the blending of fantasy and history is one central message of the book: Which is more difficult to believe -- that the institution of slavery was built on so much horror and moral rot (true and well-documented) or that North Carolina banned the presence of all Blacks of its own accord before the Civil War in order to prevent uprisings? (totally untrue, but entirely plausible.) Fantasy is no stranger or more sinister than what actually happened in this country, an idea summed up nicely toward the end of the book, when the orator Landers talks about America as a shared delusion. It should not exist. And yet here we are.
As for the plot: our protagonist Cora was born on a Georgia plantation and abandoned as a child by her mother, who was the only person ever to successfully escape the Randall family. When a new arrival named Caesar confides in Cora that he is planning to escape, and wants to take Cora as a 'good luck charm,' Cora initially refuses. Then conditions on the plantation turn even more horrible, and she takes the chance of riding on the Underground Railroad.
We follow Cora's journeys from station to station, state to state, as she searches for freedom and also the fate of her vanished mother, all while being pursued by the vile but wonderfully three-dimensional slave catcher Ridgeway, Cora's personal nemesis. Each state offers new promises and new terrors -- some overt, some hidden -- which challenge Cora to determine when 'safe' is safe enough for a fugitive enslaved Black. Strangely, the book reminded me of Watership Down, in that it is a perilous journey to find a home, with many dangerous false sanctuaries along the way. It was not an easy book to read, but beautifully written, thought-provoking and compelling. ...more
It's never fair to describe a book in elevator pitch terms, comparing it to other well-known stories: "It's like X meets Y, with a touch of Z!" That sIt's never fair to describe a book in elevator pitch terms, comparing it to other well-known stories: "It's like X meets Y, with a touch of Z!" That said, a helpful shorthand aesthetic for "A Marvelous Light" might be Downtown Abbey with magic and gay romance. In Edwardian England, circa 1908, part of the English upper classes are secretly magicians, their powers tied to the land and to their family lineage. There is even a liaison office in the government to handle and contain flare ups of magic and keep news of magical doings from the eyes of the general public. In the midst of this, our two protagonists -- Robin and Edwin, one un-magical, the other barely magical -- find themselves thrust into a life-or-death hunt for an ancient magical document that could change the world. And while running for their lives, the two young men also go from antagonists to unwillingly allies to . . . could it possibly be romance? I enjoyed the pacing and the world-building. The frenemies-to-lovers theme is always one I enjoy. Be advised, once things heat up about halfway through, they get quite steamy, like R-rated steamy at least, but I'm sure that will not be a disincentive to many adult readers! ...more
After reading A Gentleman in Moscow, I searched out this earlier work by Amor Towles, Rules of Civility, and found it every bit as entrancing and beauAfter reading A Gentleman in Moscow, I searched out this earlier work by Amor Towles, Rules of Civility, and found it every bit as entrancing and beautifully written. The story follows a young woman Katy Kontent over the course of one year -- 1938 -- going season by season as she makes friends, faces tragedies, finds and loses love, and makes her way through the breathless, ruthless, exhilarating world of Manhattan between the wars. This isn't a book that can be easily described by its plot. What happens? Well, a life happens. At the end, you will feel as if you were there, experiencing all the ups and downs with Katy, hanging out at jazz bars and Long Island parties, working in the secretarial pool, grabbing pie at the automat cafeteria, swinging between the extreme poverty of the downtown immigrant communities and the rarified Fifth Avenue apartments of the city's elite. The characters are all memorable and deeply human. The dialogue is sharp as a razor but much more fun. The scenes are elegant, surprising, perfectly crafted. If you are looking for a good book to experience another time and place, and marvel at some excellent writing along the way, Towles is a great choice!...more
I didn't intentionally read this because it was "Thanksgiving" season, but I did find it a fascinating account of the Pilgrims and the early history oI didn't intentionally read this because it was "Thanksgiving" season, but I did find it a fascinating account of the Pilgrims and the early history of the Plymouth colony. I enjoyed Philbrick's other book on Bunker Hill, largely because it conveyed the humanity of its protagonists, quirks, warts and all, and made for a compelling narrative. This book does the same. In my opinion, Philbrick does a reasonably good job balancing between the perspectives of the Indigenous peoples and the English colonists, letting us see the complicated, messy clash between cultures, the horrifying effects of the European arrival on the native cultures, but also the very human interactions between individuals trying to understand each other, learn from each other, use each other, manipulate each other, and eventually eliminate each other. The arrival of the Pilgrims put a new piece of the political chessboard of the region, which had already been ravaged by diseases brought by earlier European contact, and the Native peoples were quick to realize the danger, but also the destabilizing opportunities the Pilgrims presented. My take away was that, for better but usually for worse, humans are gonna human. They are driven by fear, greed, and prejudice to seek short-term gain. They are tribal by nature, hard-wired to divide the world into "us" and "them." They have very short memories when it comes to honoring their debts and obligations. The section on King Philip's War was especially sad reading. I knew the broad strokes of the conflict, but Philbrick brought it to life through vignettes of the many characters involved. A poignant account of a critical phase in history, drawing heavily from the firsthand accounts of those involved, the book offers a readable, multi-faceted glimpse into the formation of what would come to be called "New England."...more
Another wonderful book I found thanks to the reviews of Rebecca Roanhorse, who has never yet steered me wrong! She Who Became the Sun tells the story Another wonderful book I found thanks to the reviews of Rebecca Roanhorse, who has never yet steered me wrong! She Who Became the Sun tells the story of Zhu Chongba (early SPOILER: or rather, the story of his younger sister, who assumes his identity after his death). The new Zhu, passing herself as a boy, rises from the lowest of peasant beginnings to become a monk, and then . . . well, her fortune urges her to rise ever higher at ever greater risk in the war-torn world of Yuan during the reign of the Mongol emperors. A historical adventure with light touches of fantasy, a heroic tale of the most unlikely hero, a history of clashing armies and personalities in which all sides are equally brave and equally villainous, this novel was so good my only complaint is that now that I'm done, I feel at a loss. Both main characters, Zhu and Ouyang the eunuch general, are outsiders, outcasts with huge secrets to hide. Both face impossibly tragic lives and loves. They circle each other less as enemies than as counterweights to each others' inexorable fates. The writing is beautiful and evocative. The ruminations on the nature of gender and societal roles are elegant and poignant. The story keeps the pages turning, and the lovely queer romance makes the story all the more real, heartfelt and believable. Highly recommended and I can't wait for the sequel!...more
It took me three tries to read this excellent fantasy. I had to be in the right frame of mind, because I found it by no means a page-turner until I waIt took me three tries to read this excellent fantasy. I had to be in the right frame of mind, because I found it by no means a page-turner until I was about halfway through. Hobb has crafted a believable, intricate fantasy world in all its gritty, mundane, medieval detail, so you can smell the stables and taste the gruel along with experiencing the wonders of magic and courtly skulduggery. It is an enormously comprehensive autobiography of one Fitz, the bastard son of Prince Chivalry of the Six Duchies, from Fitz's earliest memories to his youth as an apprentice to the king's assassin.
If Charles Dickens wrote a fantasy novel, it might read something like this: Great Expectations with swords and sorcery. This is a compliment, in that the characters are all lovingly crafted, the lives feel real and important, and the writing is first-rate. It is also a 'heads up' to readers, in that the story is a slow burn, the prose dense and descriptive with paragraphs that often run longer than a page, the narrator in no hurry to get to his later, more active years as a working assassin. If you are looking for a fast read with nonstop action, this is probably not your book. If, however, you are looking to immerse yourself in a new world and are willing to live there at the same pace as the characters who are going about their lives, then this is a fascinating literary escape, and you will certainly make new friends (and new enemies) in Hobb's story!...more
It's been so long since I've read a mystery of the "cozy" variety I'm not sure the sub-genre is even called that anymore? At any rate, I usually thinkIt's been so long since I've read a mystery of the "cozy" variety I'm not sure the sub-genre is even called that anymore? At any rate, I usually think of cozies as gentler in spirit than the rock 'em, sock 'em hardboiled noir mysteries, often set a small town or rural setting, with little to no violence on stage, and most of the plot centering on the puzzle of whodunnit. Think Miss Marple or Murder She Wrote. Still Life certainty falls within that framework, but what makes it stand out is its strong sense of place (Quebec), third person omniscient narration (we know what most of the characters are thinking most of the time) and its lovingly crafted portraits of life in a small town.
All of Penny's characters are sympathetic, or at least understandable, even the most unlikable. Most of them *are* likable, however. As Chief Inspector Gamache puts it at one point in the book (paraphrasing): "It was a town full of lovely people. Too bad one of them was a murderer."
The setting is Three Pines, a small Quebecois village near the U.S. border. When a local artist is found dead on a deer trail, pierced through the chest by a hunting arrow, Gamache and his homicide team are dispatched from Montreal to solve the case. You get the usual good twists, turns and red herrings of a proper mystery, and along the way you get to know the inhabitants of the town so well you will be tempted to find the place, check into the B&B, and spend a few days enjoying the apple cider, licorice pipes, and fall colors. Despite being about murder, the book is infused with a sense of kindness and a faith in humanity that is quite refreshing and even healing. Just the sort of book I needed during these turbulent times! I will definitely be checking out other volumes in this series....more
I had to be in the right frame of mind to read this book. Basically, it is The Canterbury Tales in space. Seven pilgrims set out on a potentially fataI had to be in the right frame of mind to read this book. Basically, it is The Canterbury Tales in space. Seven pilgrims set out on a potentially fatal one-way trip to visit the Time Tombs on the planet of Hyperion, where a godlike killing machine called the Shrike will possibly grant one of them a wish -- and probably slaughter the rest.
You have to have some patience, and be willing to change your focus from character to character, as each takes their turn telling the story of what has brought them to this pilgrimage. The novel is thus a collection of interconnected novellas with a common frame narrative. Each character's story is gripping, fascinating, chill-inducing. Each is worth the price of admission and offers clues to the puzzle of the Time Tombs and the Shrike. But for me, anyway, it can sometimes be tough to become attached to one narrator and then have to change to another. This is no knock on Simmons. His narrative is beautifully written, and once I was about halfway into the book, I couldn't stop reading. The payoff is totally worth it, as each story unfolds another facet of this incredible universe Simmons has created. It is a pilgrimage that is worth the journey -- and the book leaves us at a perfect cliffhanger, with the stories all told, the stakes raised, the mystery about to be confronted once and for all . . . but still no answers. And that's why I am buying the sequel right now!...more
I am late in reviewing this, as I finished it over a year ago, but it's a sign of the book's strength that I am still thinking about it! Muir has creaI am late in reviewing this, as I finished it over a year ago, but it's a sign of the book's strength that I am still thinking about it! Muir has created a galactic empire upheld by necromancy: Nine houses, each of which governs it own world and specializes in its own form of death magic, all bound together by the Emperor, the immortal Necrolord Prime and his band of super-powerful, undying "necrosaints" -- the Lyctors.
The emperor has held power for ten thousand years, but despite his godlike abilities, all is not well in his galactic death cult. Wars are being waged against faraway enemies. Battles are being lost. Attrition is high. Then a strange call goes out from the First House, the emperor's own: We need more Lyctors. Each house is invited to send their heir apparent and cavalier (elite bodyguard) to the First House for a set of mysterious trials. Those who survive and prove themselves worthy will ascend to Lyctorhood, gaining immortality and powers almost equal to the emperor himself. A hard invitation to refuse, right?
Meanwhile, in the gloomy Ninth House, Gideon Nav wants to run away from her horrible life. She has no one in the dreary world of the Ninth, where undead skeletons are much more common than living folk and the average age of the nuns and priests who guard the Locked Tomb is about 85. The only other person Gideon's age is the heir apparent, the Reverend Daughter Harrowhark, who treats Gideon like a personal whipping post. When the Emperor's call goes out, however, the two are forced to work together. Harrow is the heir and the best necromancer on the planet, adept at crafting with the bones of the dead. Gideon is the best sword-fighter, especially since the house's actual cavalier fled to planet. The two young women strike a bargain: If Gideon pretends to be Harrow's cavalier and goes to the First House trials, Harrow will grant her her freedom, assuming Harrow is able to become a Lyctor and save the honor of her dying home world.
What follows is part Dune (dueling royal houses in space), part Nico di Angelo (snarky queer death demigods) and part Agatha Christie locked-room mystery (Locked Tomb mystery?). Gideon and Harrow have to learn to work together, or at least not kill each other, while all around them in the creepy halls and secret laboratories of the First House, people start disappearing . . . The secret to becoming a Lyctor might be worse than any of them ever imagined.
Muir's writing is a sheer delight, sparkling with zinger dialogue and bone-dry humor. Gideon is just my kind of narrator: irreverent, irrepressible, and lovably grumpy. Her relationship with Harrow is wonderfully depicted: with frenemies like this, who needs . . . uh, frenemies? There are a lot of characters to keep up with once we reach the First House, and the story unfolds in multiple layers that can be a challenge to track, but wow, the pay-off! Once you hit those last hundred pages, I defy you to set this story down. Fortunately, this is the first book in a trilogy, and I can't wait to see what happens in the follow-up Harrow the Ninth! ...more
I never say this about books, but in the case of Pahua and the Soul Stealer, you should start at the end. TheBe Careful. Some Gongs You Can’t Un-Ring.
I never say this about books, but in the case of Pahua and the Soul Stealer, you should start at the end. The author’s note from Lori M. Lee offers powerful insights into how this book was created, how challenging it can be to draw on tales from an oral-storytelling tradition when writing a novel, and how much Pahua will mean to young readers who have never seen themselves represented in a fantasy adventure before.
I will admit I knew next to nothing about Hmong cul- ture and their traditional stories before reading Pahua. Now I understand how much I’ve been missing. Check out the glossary, also at the end. You’ll get a preview of the rich and fascinating world that awaits you, full of secretive gods, brave shaman warriors, ubiquitous spirits, restless ghosts, formidable dragons, magical guardian elephants, multiple realms of reality, and a talking invisible cat named Miv (which, spoiler alert, means cat). But you don’t have to know anything about Hmong sto- ries to appreciate this book. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit in, like you’re too different to belong, you will relate per- fectly to the predicament of our young hero, Pahua.
Like most eleven-year-olds, Pahua just wants to have a normal life. Alas, she worries she’ll never make friends in her tiny adopted hometown of Merdel, Wisconsin. Not only is she Hmong in an overwhelmingly white town . . . Not only is her family struggling to get by since her dad left them . . . Pahua also has a secret she can’t even share with her mom or her little brother: She has always been able to see spirits all around her.
Pahua can’t even get dressed without having her fashion choices criticized by her cat spirit buddy, Miv, or by the fire spirit who lives in their stove. She can’t walk down the street without encountering dozens of dancing mushroom spirits, tree spirits, and air spirits. At least those are friendly. She can’t say the same for human ghosts and demons from other realms. . . .
Usually, Pahua is able to steer clear of dangerous apparitions, but one day, when she reluctantly follows some classmates to the local haunted bridge, she makes the mistake of trying to be nice to a little girl ghost. This simple act of kindness starts a domino effect of spiritual mishaps that threatens to tear Pahua’s world apart and take her brother, Matt, away forever. Of course, being tough, smart, and brave, Pahua tries to set things right. She grabs her aunt’s old shaman tools—a gong for summoning spirits and a dull-edged sword that can only hurt otherworldly entities—and returns to the bridge . . . where she immediately manages to make things even worse.
Bummer. It’s going to take Pahua a while to learn to be a true shaman warrior. Unfortunately, she’s only got three days to save Matt. Along the way, she’ll have to handle a whole lot of dragons, ghosts, demons, and monsters, includ- ing a poj ntxoog (tiger spirit) with questionable fashion sense, and a malevolent god who looks suspiciously like Kylo Ren.
I love the adventures Pahua has in this book. I also love the sense of humor, the clever plotting, and the fantastic cast of characters. But most of all I love Pahua: her courage, her kindness, and her love for her family. You’ll be cheering for her to succeed, even if she does occasionally make mistakes and, you know, summon entities into the human world that could destroy everything she cares about. You always have to be careful with mythological forces, after all. Some gongs you can’t un-ring. Once thing I can promise you, though: You’ll be glad you made friends with Pahua!...more
After reading Station Eleven, I was glad to find another novel by St. John Mandel. The Glass Hotel is a very different sort of book, but with the sameAfter reading Station Eleven, I was glad to find another novel by St. John Mandel. The Glass Hotel is a very different sort of book, but with the same beautiful character work and lovely writing. The story is not so much a linear plot as a montage of life experiences by a cast of characters, studied backward and forward over the course of decades. St. John Mandel has a Dickensian ability to invest each of her characters with such a fully developed personality that it is difficult to even choose "main characters," but the story revolves mostly around Vincent, a young woman whose mother disappears in the waters off the small British Columbian town of Caiette -- an accident? Foul play? an intentional vanishing? -- and leaves Vincent to find her own way in the world, constantly reinventing herself as the opportunity presents.
It's not much of a spoiler to say that the book's plot is heavily inspired by the Bernie Madoff scandal, but it is much more than that. The Glass Hotel is a study in reality versus fantasy, identity versus role, and permanence versus fantasy. Messages are written on glass in more ways than one, and no one stays in one place for long, especially not Vincent. St. John Mandel takes her time exploring her characters in vividly rendered vignettes, puzzle pieces which eventually all connect -- or sometimes don't -- as these characters encounter one another and pass through each others' lives like . . . well, ships in the night (another motif that is mined to good effect in the novel).
This is a quiet, beautifully written, intricately constructed mosaic of narratives. If you are looking for a master class on how to write memorable characters with deft strokes and sharp imagery, you could do worse than reading St. John Mandel. ...more
I'm late to the party here, but what a wonderful book! Blackfish City takes us into the near future, when climate change has caused the flooding and dI'm late to the party here, but what a wonderful book! Blackfish City takes us into the near future, when climate change has caused the flooding and destruction of large swaths of the inhabited continents. The rich have fled, constructing massive floating cities in the Arctic, to which refugees flock from all over the fallen world. The novel follows a large cast of characters who live in Qaanaaq, one such city constructed with eight arms like a giant asterisk. Each character has a compelling story, and all are bound together by the arrival in Qaanaaq of a mysterious orcamancer, fierce warrior woman who is nano-bonded to a killer whale and travels with a polar bear. Why has she come to Qaanaaq, and how will she affect the lives of the people there? And also, how many people will she kill while she is there with her hardcore combat skills and large animals? That central mystery will keep the pages turning as Miller plunges us into a world so rich and multi-textured that at times I wondered if he had actually visited the place and was writing a travelogue. Quaanaaq is not a place where I would ever want to live, but it is fascinating and wonderful to read about. Miller's world seems all too believable as a chapter in human history not too many generations in the future. I would compare his work favorably to Paolo Bacigalupi, another favorite writer of mine, who writes of climate disaster and its effects. Great for sci fi fans like me!...more
Why didn’t somebody tell me about this stuff sooner?
That was my first thought when reading The Last Fallen Star. Graci Kim does such an amazing job blWhy didn’t somebody tell me about this stuff sooner?
That was my first thought when reading The Last Fallen Star. Graci Kim does such an amazing job blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information. Turns out, right under our noses in Los Angeles, there is an entire society of Korean witches with deep connections to the Godrealm. I am so glad LA finally has something to brag about besides being the entrance to Hades’ Underworld.
Which of the six gifted witch clans would you be in? Each one is amazing, with their own patron god and special powers. I’d love to be Miru – the protectors -- because their patron is the Water Dragon Goddess, but there’s no way I could be that fast and strong. I’m big into reading and history, so the Hórangi clan is appealing, but as you’ll soon see, this clan of scholars doesn’t have the best reputation right now. In fact, they’ve been exiled from the other five clans. Bummer.
I guess my next choice would be the Gumiho. I’ve always liked the Nine-Tailed Fox Goddess. Being able to cast illusions could be really helpful. On those mornings when you’re in a rush and don’t have time to get dressed, just cast an illusion on yourself and look however you want! Their motto is “Beauty and influence.” I think they’d get along really well with Aphrodite’s kids!
The hero of our story, Riley Oh, isn’t sure where she belongs. Her family is in the Khom clan – the great magical healers – and Riley would love to get confirmed as a healing witch when she turns thirteen, like her sister Hattie is about to do. Unfortunately, Riley is a saram-- a person born with no magic at all. She was adopted, and her biological parents weren't witches. Riley's adopted parents are awesome, however. She gets along great with her sister. Still, it’s super hard being the only one in the family without magic.
Then Hattie has a brilliant idea. They will cast a spell during Hattie’s initiation that will let Riley share half of Hattie’s power! Sure, the spell is forbidden. They’ll have to steal it from their parents’ safe. They’ll also have to perform the spell in front of the Council of Elders and the entire congregation of the five clans on temple day, but what could possibly go wrong?
Um . . . you can probably guess how that turns out.
Riley discovers that her past is a whole lot more complicated than she realized. By trying to share Hattie’s power, she unleashes an avalanche of unintended consequences, and brings secrets to light that were meant to stay buried forever. If she is going to save her family, the witch community, and the entire mortal realm, she had better discover her true powers quickly, and figure out who she can trust among the mortals, witches and gods. I’ve got to admit: I fell down on the job while I was reviewing Graci’s manuscript. I started reading and immediately got hooked. I was halfway through the book before I remembered, “Oh, right, I’m supposed to be editing this.” Then I went back and looked for stuff to edit, and I just got hooked into the story again. That’s how good it is.
You’re going to fall in love with this world right away. Riley’s best friend Emmett is the kind of guy you want on your team. He loves baking and bringing you treats. He likes to dress up pets in strange costumes. He claims he is allergic to emotions, which just made me want to give him a big hug! He totally needs to meet Nico di Angelo and share a batch of cookies. Hattie is the best big sister, and she and Riley have the sweetest sibling relationship even though they’re so different. The families in the witch clans are all so messy and loving and complicated – just like real families! And did I mention the food? Oh. My. Gods. Tornado fries. Bulgogi tacos. Kimchi salsa. Miniature donuts. Sign me up. Speaking of eating, I ate this book way too fast. That’s one of the bad things about getting an early look, because I devour the book and am ready for a sequel before the first volume is even published. Burp!
Well, at least I get to share The Last Fallen Star with you guys! I know you’ll love it. When you’re finished, let’s get together and compare notes on what clans we like best, and where we’re going to eat a magical lunch next time we’re in LA!...more
It doesn’t get any more ‘Old School’ than Mesopotamia.
Without a doubt, the stories of Sumer, Babylon and theYou Want Mythology? Let’s Get Old School!
It doesn’t get any more ‘Old School’ than Mesopotamia.
Without a doubt, the stories of Sumer, Babylon and the rest of the Fertile Crescent are my favorite myths that I’ve never written about. Fortunately, I don’t have to. Sarwat Chadda knows the stories better than I do, and he is about to take you on a thrill ride you will never forget!
There is so much to love about Mesopotamian mythology. Just the word ziggurat. Is there any cooler word? When I was a kid, I loved learning about those step pyramids. I marveled at the mysteries of cuneiform writing. I stared at pictures of winged lions, freaky dragons, and dudes with righteous curly beards and massive hats, and I wondered why I couldn’t be cool like the Mesopotamians.
Fast forward a few decades, when I became a teacher myself: Every year, my students and I would embark on a unit about Mesopotamia. It was always one of their favorite subjects. We would roll out the clay and practice writing in cuneiform. We’d make our own signature seals so we could sign clay tablets like pros. We would hold trials based on the Code of Hammurabi, meting out harsh punishments like cutting off hands (with red markers. Ah, I’m bleeding!), drowning in the Euphrates (with water guns) or stoning (with wadded up paper balls). The kids would also re-enact the Epic of Gilgamesh, complete with Nerf weapons and fake beards. The Mesopotamians would have been proud, or possibly horrified. Anyway, we had fun.
As for the gods of Mesopotamia – Wow! Those were some crazy deities. Ishtar, goddess of love and war. Nergal, the god of plague and war. Ninurta, the god of hunting and war. You’ll notice pretty much all the gods are the gods of something + war. They had a lot of wars back then. Their stories offer a glimpse at one of the oldest known civilizations, which had a huge influence on Egypt, Greece, Rome and the whole world.
How excited was I when Sarwat Chadda offered to write a book bringing all this wild, wonderful mythology into the modern world for the Rick Riordan Presents imprint? Yeah, I was pretty excited. I’ve been a fan of Sarwat’s books for years – Ash Mistry, Shadow Magic – and I knew he was the perfect guy for the job.
CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD does not disappoint. Our hero Sikandar Aziz is an American Muslim kid born and raised in New York City. His parents are refugees from Iraq. His older friend Daoud is a talented actor who can only seem to get TV roles like “terrorist henchman.” His brother Mo was a U.S. marine who died in action. Sikandar (Sik) is still grieving that loss, trying to help keep his family’s deli business afloat, and dealing with the usual bullies and Islamophobic slurs at school, when he is attacked one night by two rat-faced fellows who claim to be ancient demons. Things just get weirder from there.
Pretty soon, a strange plague grips New York City. (Spoiler alert: Plague gods gonna plague.) Sikandar’s parents fall ill along with many others. In order to stop the sickness and save New York, Sikandar has to plunge into a world of ancient gods, demigods and monsters, and find out the truth about his own secret powers. When we first decided to publish CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, none of us, including the author, had any idea COVID-19 would take over the year 2020. Once the pandemic happened, we thought long and hard about whether this book was still a good idea, but we decided that really, it is more relevant than ever. It has a lot to tell us about how humans have dealt with such outbreaks over the millennia, because as long as there have been humans, there have been pandemics, even back in Ancient Mesopotamia.
There will be tears and snarky jokes. There will be a badass ninja girl. There will be a chariot pulled by cats, a hero who’s a gardener, and a demon with really bad breath. I can also guarantee there will be frustration when you reach the end of this book, because you will be clamoring to read the sequel immediately. I know I am!
Welcome to the world of Mesopotamian myth as interpreted by the brilliantly creative, wonderfully offbeat mind of Sarwat Chadda. You may never want to leave!
This trilogy about the Ness sisters, Adrana and Fura, is perfect for fans of The Expanse (of which I am one) and fans of space pirate stories (and reaThis trilogy about the Ness sisters, Adrana and Fura, is perfect for fans of The Expanse (of which I am one) and fans of space pirate stories (and really, who isn't a fan of space pirates?). It took me a while to get my footing in the story, since the world is so different and there is much new lingo to learn, but what a fascinating premise! The old solar system has been exploded to create a vast field of rubble, with thousands of planetoids upon which the remains of humanity live (and a few alien species). The humans of this time know of many past empires that rose and fell in the solar system, each leaving behind its own relics and secrets. The most lucrative work you can get is excavating these "baubles" for high-tech loot that humans no longer understand how to make. This scavenging is dangerous, competitive work, especially when the ships can be easy targets for pirates like Bos Sennan, the most feared and ruthless predator in the system.
Adrana and Fura escape their abusive and claustrophobic home life by signing on with Captain Rackamore as Bone Readers. They discover they can hear the whispered messages that are occasionally transmitted through the tech left behind in alien skulls, which can give them a way of quick communication across the solar system and also can provide clues about unknown baubles ripe for cracking. Creepy, right? Also, you never know what you'll find inside a bauble, or what ancient tech may be guarding these crypts of dead civilizations.
I won't give away too much, but the sisters have lots of adventures ahead of them -- aliens, pirates, traitors, lies, priceless artifacts, horrible loss and tragedy. The story is part Robert Louis Stevenson, part Stephen King, but in a sci fi mix that makes it unique. Reynolds does not spare the horses. The action moves quickly. The characters are put through all sorts of misery. At several points, I had to put down the book because the scenes creeped me out or made me claustrophobic. (And I say this as a compliment!) If you like dark swashbuckling space adventure, this is for you!
A compelling mystery set in the Australian outback, The Dry starts with the horrific apparent murder-suicide of a local farming family. When Aaron FalA compelling mystery set in the Australian outback, The Dry starts with the horrific apparent murder-suicide of a local farming family. When Aaron Falk, an old friend of the supposed murderer, returns to the town from his job with the financial police in the big city, he reluctantly agrees to look into the gruesome killings for his old friend's parents, who can't believe their son would really kill his wife and young son, then shoot himself. In looking into the crime, Aaron has to open up his own Pandora's box of bad memories from a town he swore he would never visit again. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has secrets to hide, including Aaron himself. Harper's pacing and structure are both excellent. The super short chapters kept me turning the pages. The sense of place was beautifully done. I wasn't entirely sold by the solution to the mystery. For me, the emotional equation didn't quite equal out, but it was certainly believable and shocking! I would definitely read more mysteries from Harper!...more
It's been a while since I've read a graphic novel, or a collection of humorous essays. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever read a collecIt's been a while since I've read a graphic novel, or a collection of humorous essays. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever read a collection of humorous essays that is also a graphic novel! Brosh is so good at mixing the absurd, funny, poignant and heartbreaking moments of life into a page-turning joy-ride. The illustrations are perfect. The stories are relatable and ridiculously true-to-life. The friend duct-taped to a chair in the family driveway? No, I can't explain it. You'll just have to read it. The undercurrent of Brosh's personal struggles with grief and depression are beautifully rendered. In this difficult year, Solutions and Other Problems was exactly the read I needed. It got me out of my own space. It made me laugh aloud. It was absolutely delightful. Needless to say, I immediately bought Brosh's previous book as soon as I finished this one! ...more
L’ho letto in parte da solo, e l’ho ascoltato in parte utilizzando l’audiolibro, letto da Valentina Mari. Questo libro ha vinto il premio campiello neL’ho letto in parte da solo, e l’ho ascoltato in parte utilizzando l’audiolibro, letto da Valentina Mari. Questo libro ha vinto il premio campiello nel 2018, e ne vedo i motivi. Fa luogo in Germania durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Il narratore Rosa Sauer scappa da Berlino per restare con i suoi suoceri a un villagio molto vincino alla Tana del Lupo, il nascondiglio di Hitler. Rosa è obbligato diventare un assagiatrice per Hilter, controllando il suo cibo per veleno. Nel 1944, mentre l’esercito Russo viene piu e piu vicino, Rosa dovrebbe fare delle scelte dure per soppravivere. Il libro era affascianante, difficile da leggere e deprimente a volte, eppure esplora un’importante storia non mai raccontata....more
Un altro classico difficile, spesso studiato al liceo italiano. Come molti libri “obbligatori,” la storia è complicata, è il linguaggio molto antiquatUn altro classico difficile, spesso studiato al liceo italiano. Come molti libri “obbligatori,” la storia è complicata, è il linguaggio molto antiquato. Mi dispiace se la storia fosse stata rovinata perché studiata troppo presto. Quando ero giovane, almeno, non mi sarebbe piaciuto questo romanzo. Ma addesso, me lo trovo ben scritto e persino divertente. I temi sono ancora attuali oggi. Esistono leggi diverse per i ricchi e per i poveri. Non sempre ci si può fidare del governo, della chiesa e pure dei tuoi amici nei momenti difficili. Ahimè!...more
Un classico, certo, e molto difficile da leggere per me, ma ne vale la pena. Mi è piaciuto l’audiolibro letto da Toni Servillo. Ha una voce molto sonoUn classico, certo, e molto difficile da leggere per me, ma ne vale la pena. Mi è piaciuto l’audiolibro letto da Toni Servillo. Ha una voce molto sonora e piacevole. Non sapevo molto né della storia della Sicilia né del Risorgimento. Tuttavia, i personaggi erano molto interessanti e tragici. Il finale è stato così triste. Anche la morale è universale: non cambia niente. Un testo fondamentale nello sviluppo del romanzo italiano moderno....more
I really enjoyed this fantasy from Matt Wallace! We are plunged into the world of Crache, a nation once ruled by nobility, but which centuries ago undI really enjoyed this fantasy from Matt Wallace! We are plunged into the world of Crache, a nation once ruled by nobility, but which centuries ago underwent a revolution that put committees and cooperatives ("Gens") in charge of society. Officially, life in Crache is a paradise. Everyone contributes, everyone shares resources. The Aegins keep the peace in the cities. The Planning Cadre comes up with new technologies to make life better. The Gens provide all necessary services. The Skrain warriors wage war against Crache's enemies and expand the nation's borders. There always seems to be some enemy to fight . . .
Unofficially, things are not so rosy. In the Bottoms of the Capital, unwanted masses live in poverty. Many are rounded up for small crimes, or no crimes at all, and are never seen again. When an advocate for the Bottoms, an idealistic lawyer named Brio, starts looking into what happens to these disappeared people, he, too, disappears. This sets in motion multiple vibrations in a web of intrigue that may expose the truth about Crache, or get everyone who knew Brio killed.
We follow alternating narratives: Evie is a mysterious and gifted warrior who intentionally gets herself captured and recruited into the Savage Legion -- where many of the Disappeared end up, to be used as cannon-fodder in the empire's never-ending wars. She is hoping to find out the truth about her old friend and one-time lover Brio. Meanwhile Brio's wife Lexi tries to hold their tiny Gen together and navigate the politics of the Capital to get at the truth, making some deadly enemies in the process. My favorite character is probably Dyeawan, a street urchin who lost the use of her legs as a child. She, too, is scooped up as an undesirable, but her fate is quite different than Evie's. Dyeawan ends up as a servant in the Planning Cadre, where she is quickly recognized as a brilliant prodigy. As Dyeawan rises because of her talents, she begins to learn more secrets of the powers behind Crache, some of which are beyond terrifying.
Wallace does a great job with his world-building. It's sometimes difficult for me to switch between different narrators, because I'll get invested in one story line and don't want to leave it, but each main character was fascinating in her own way, and by the end, I felt close to all of them. Highly recommended -- a fresh, original fantasy with a chilling touch of mystery. I'm only sorry I have to wait for the sequel to find out what happens!...more
When I was a kid growing up in Texas, I was terrified of going in deep water. That wasn’t just because the movie Jaws freaked m Don’t Go Near the Water
When I was a kid growing up in Texas, I was terrified of going in deep water. That wasn’t just because the movie Jaws freaked me out. (Although, yes, that giant robotic shark scared the Twizzlers out of me).
Worse: I had grown up listening to campfire stories about La Llorona, the weeping ghost who had drowned her own children in a river, was now condemned to wander the riverbanks for eternity, looking for their bodies. If she happened to come across some other mortal children at the river, well . . . She might claim you as her own and drag you into the depths.
Whenever my family camped near the river, I would hear strange wailing sounds at night. I’d huddle deeper inside my sleeping bag. The next morning, I sometimes found heavy tracks in the mud, as if made by dragging, shuffling zombie feet. I was sure La Llorona had been on the prowl, looking for some poor child like me to drag into the cold murky depths. Yeah, I had a fun childhood. Thanks for asking.
That’s one reason I’m so excited to share Tehlor Kay Mejia’s Paola Santiago and the River of Tears with you. She gives us a brand-new take on the ancient folktale of La Llorona, and I want you to be as terrified as I was!
To be fair, our hero Paola Santiago is a lot braver than I was in seventh grade. She’s got a scientific mind, and she doesn’t believe in old folk legends like La Llorona . . . even if she has had horrible nightmares about the nearby Gila River her whole life, and even though her mom is always warning her about bad spirits and lighting protective candles to keep her safe. Ghosts aren’t real. Are they? Her mom is just spouting silly superstitions. Right?
Then, when something terrible happens at the river -- something that could shatter Pao’s entire life and the lives of her best friends -- Paola starts to wonder if science will be enough to figure out the mystery.
This story is chocked full of suspense and fantastical elements, but it’s more than just a page-turner. I love Paola Santiago because the characters are so relatable. Have you ever struggled with loving your parents but also being mortally embarrassed by them? Have you ever been secretly jealous of a best friend? Have you ever secretly crushed on a friend? Paola’s got all those problems and more. She’s smart and courageous, but she’s also a bubbling stewpot of conflicting emotions about herself, her friends, her family. Does she have what it takes to handle all that and confront the truth about La Llorona and the strange disappearances that have been happening around town? You’re about to find out!
I’m really enviousness of you, reading this book for the first time. You’re going to make some life-long friends in Paola, Emma, Dante and the rest of the marvelous characters. So put another log on the campfire, guys. Roast some s’mores. Get ready to laugh and enjoy and maybe even shiver in fear at the story you’re about to hear. But whatever you do . . . don’t go near the water. ...more
It may be cliche to say a book was impossible to put down, but well, dang it, this book was impossible to put down!
I was intrigued by the lovely coveIt may be cliche to say a book was impossible to put down, but well, dang it, this book was impossible to put down!
I was intrigued by the lovely cover art, which seemed to promise a Zulu-inspired fantasy world with dragons. That's exactly what I got, but there is so much much to the story. We meet our hero Tau Solarin as a young man, just training for his warrior trials, which in the society of the Omehi is a requirement for all commoner men. If he passes, Tau can join the ranks of the Ihashe, the more elite division of the rank-and-file army. If he fails, he has two choices: serve as cannon fodder in the Omehi's endless war against the indigenous Hedeni who populate the continent, or become a Drudge, a servant with no rights and no honor.
Tau's people the Omehi have been in a constant state of war with the Hedeni for almost two hundred years, even since they landed on their peninsula, escaping from the fall of their old empire at the hands of a wicked force called the Cull. To gain a foothold, the Omehi had to use their 'nuclear option' on the hedeni: invoking the aid of dragons, which has terrible consequences both for the caller and the enemy. The Omehi's dragons, and their militant society, are the only things that allow them to hold on to their peninsula in the face of the Hedeni, fierce fighters who outnumber them a hundred to one.
That's just the set up! Tau's life journey would be intriguing enough if it followed its predicted course. But fate has many twists, turns and tragedies in store for him. We watch Tau evolve from a commoner boy who just wants to skip his military service and marry his hometown sweetheart, to a fierce fighter driven by revenge and haunted (literally) by demons. He must achieve his personal goal -- vengeance upon certain nobles who destroyed his happiness and his family -- while dealing with the challenges of his whole nation. After centuries of warfare, things are changing for the worse. The Hedeni attacks are intensifying. The Omehi are struggling, losing more warriors and Gifted (their all-female mages) than they can replace. And there is a horrible secret behind the Omehi's use of dragons . . . Is it possible the mighty Omehi are losing their eternal war? And if so, can one young man, Tau, make a difference? Does he even *want* to save the caste-driven society that has kept him down so long?
The novel is rich and complex. I would recommend giving it fifty pages or so before passing judgment because there is a lot of new terminology to take in: all the different names for the castes, the peoples, the vocabulary of magic, not to mention the characters who often carry multiple names and titles. But once you get the hang of the world-building, you will be hooked. The chapters are short and breathless, and will carry you through a rip-roaring good story. This is one of those books where you find yourself thinking, "Okay, just one more chapter." Then you look up and realize you read half the book. I'm delighted to see that there will be a sequel. Pre-ordering now!
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