Read An Excerpt HERE
Brian Staveley debuted with The Emperor's Blades, beginning the powerful epic fantasy series Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne.
The Emperor's Blades is jammed full of sheer coolness:
we have inter-dimensional teleportation, victimized sorcerers, an adaptation of
Buddhism that is literally guarding the world, a seriously creepy interpretation
of elves, assassin squads on birds… the combination is explosive. And on top of
that, the author doesn't shy away from dealing with issues of race, gender,
sexuality, and especially class.
Also, let me just say that while I'm
often suspicious of prologues in epic fantasies, this is a book that executes
it perfectly: it is creepy and poignant in the best way. It doesn't become
evident until later just how perfectly the prologue sets the stage for the rest
of the novel.
There are three POV characters,
and my favorite part about each of them is their utter practicality. On one
hand, they're all royal children. On the other, they've each spent their lives
taking orders and dealing with constraints that have nothing and everything to
do with their birth. They're born as princes and princesses and raised to
understand that with those positions comes a lot of hassle, expectations, and
complications. None of them whine or waste time brooding: they work, and they
work hard. This book wasn't so much Adare's
story, so I hope we get more of her in the next installment.
I have to say I would have
preferred a little more competency from Valyn.
For someone who's supposed to have been training for years as a team leader, he
has problems with both executive decisions and understanding teamwork. Adare, too, is supposed to be highly
schooled in the intricacies of politics, but in every scene we see she's never
learned to control her impulses when speaking in public. The
safety of the Empire rests with Kaden,
yet the monks tasked with his education have taken years to notice how little
he's truly understood.
That last, though, got really interesting
very quickly. Kaden fails a lot in
his training, but it's because he's thinking too much and actively trying. I
can get behind a character who is active and thinking, even if that means he's
not accomplishing what he's meant to.
There were, however, some holes
in logic. No one in the book seems to be familiar with the concept of “circumstantial
evidence.” Seriously, no one, in any of the POVs. And more than once, a
character claimed not to have had a single opportunity to have a conversation
about a crucial plot point, which I had difficulty buying.
Stylistically, I know this is a
matter of preference as there are a lot of readers that live for the sort of
detail Brian Staveley provides, but for
me there was a little too much in the way of exposition. He did thoroughly
address unfamiliar concepts, though: for instance, distinguishing vaniante from the familiar concept of
enlightenment was hugely helpful.
And Staveley does do some really fascinating world-building (I will give
a pass on the quantity of stew). Not just in terms of cultures and landscapes,
either (but it must be said I am SO PLEASED with settings in this book that go
beyond the vaguely medieval European derivatives): he's going deeper into the
natural world and how it works. I loved the kettral (giant birds that a force
of assassins then flies into battle on) and assorted terrifying creatures that
I won't spoil for you. He clearly knows a lot of the background of this world,
which helps it feel fleshed-out, like it has a history before this story begins.
So, I had some nit-picks about quantity of
exposition and suspension of disbelief holes, but the story itself? I couldn't
put it down, and I'm confident that The
Providence of Fire will be even more epic.
NOTE: The Emperor’s Blade was
published in North America on January
14, 2014 via Tor Books
with cover art provided by Richard
Anderson. The UK version (see above) was published on January 16, 2014 via Tor UK.
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
"In a quiet corner of the
Imperial City, Investigator Narin discovers the result of his first
potentially lethal mistake. Minutes later he makes a second.
After an unremarkable career Narin finally has the chance of promotion to the hallowed ranks of the Lawbringers - guardians of the Emperor's laws and bastions for justice in a world of brutal expediency. Joining that honoured body would be the culmination of a lifelong dream, but it couldn't possibly have come at a worse time. A chance encounter drags Narin into a plot of gods and monsters, spies and assassins, accompanied by a grief-stricken young woman, an old man haunted by the ghosts of his past and an assassin with no past.
On the cusp of an industrial age that threatens the warrior caste's rule, the Empire of a Hundred Houses awaits civil war between noble factions. Centuries of conquest has made the empire a brittle and bloated monster; constrained by tradition and crying out for change. To save his own life and those of untold thousands Narin must understand the key to it all - Moon's Artifice, the poison that could destroy an empire."
After an unremarkable career Narin finally has the chance of promotion to the hallowed ranks of the Lawbringers - guardians of the Emperor's laws and bastions for justice in a world of brutal expediency. Joining that honoured body would be the culmination of a lifelong dream, but it couldn't possibly have come at a worse time. A chance encounter drags Narin into a plot of gods and monsters, spies and assassins, accompanied by a grief-stricken young woman, an old man haunted by the ghosts of his past and an assassin with no past.
On the cusp of an industrial age that threatens the warrior caste's rule, the Empire of a Hundred Houses awaits civil war between noble factions. Centuries of conquest has made the empire a brittle and bloated monster; constrained by tradition and crying out for change. To save his own life and those of untold thousands Narin must understand the key to it all - Moon's Artifice, the poison that could destroy an empire."
Moon's Artifice offers a banal story and unremarkable world-building alternating with great
moments that kept me reading till the end though in small chunks across a
few months; by the end though I could only shrug and say "who cares about this" and move on.
Situated somewhere at the intersection of sophisticated metropolis, mystery plot, hints of world changing stuff and very interesting back story, all with a combination of some technology - gun powder restricted to aristocracy - , mind bending "viruses", demons, gods - or at least super powerful immortal humans - and magic, with a culture resembling the western authors image of "medieval" imperial Japan led by great houses and with a ceremonial but relatively powerless Emperor, though with a dash of the vastness and imagery of China, again as seen by western authors obviously, Moon's Artifice sounded like a great potential read but the execution is mediocre.
Maybe this last word is misplaced as the book
has a lot of intense great moments that fulfill its promise, but they
are embedded in a ton of conventional junk to raise the page count
at "epic mid list author" 400+ levels and I only shudder how this volume
would have looked were the author to be an A list allowed to do 600+
pages - or maybe this is why the author is not an A list one as he
simply doesn't have the narrative power to carry an ambitious story as
proven here.
A 300 page distilled version of this book keeping the action and mystery as main focus within a tight "mystery genre" like package could have been great - the heroes are in the same kind of danger time after time after time - or maybe better world building that would have brought the universe of the story to true life and justify the page count interspersed with more than hints from the intriguing history of the created universe.
A 300 page distilled version of this book keeping the action and mystery as main focus within a tight "mystery genre" like package could have been great - the heroes are in the same kind of danger time after time after time - or maybe better world building that would have brought the universe of the story to true life and justify the page count interspersed with more than hints from the intriguing history of the created universe.
However ultimately I think that the overall "meh" feeling about the book comes from the characters - the naive Narin who is the traditional picaresque hero stumbling in out of great dangers, but who lacks the "salt and pepper" mixture of arrogance, silliness and good intentions of the best such in literature, being boringly earnest, combined with no-memory ninja - goshe - Irato and "old sensei" Enchei of many secrets and talents, both straight out of the cliche book and finally slum fisher-girl Kesh who somehow raises to the occasion once her family gets caught in the crossfire and becomes a super-heroine carrying the day, like in contemporary Disney fare...
Everything you want to know about the book is summarized in the blurb and the observations above:
A chance encounter drags Narin into a plot of gods and monsters, spies and assassins, accompanied by a grief-stricken young woman, an old man haunted by the ghosts of his past and an assassin with no past.
Overall, a combination of multiple 5 star moments in a marginally 2 star package and it's very hard seeing me reading more in the series though I may try if a copy comes to hand, but that will be far from the buy on publication excitement Moon's Artifice generated.
Friday, February 7, 2014
GUESTPOST: Cost And Consequence In The Creation Of A Magic System by Karina Sumner-Smith
As a reader, I've always been intrigued by magic. Yet, as a writer, creating a magic system that feels interesting and real is a challenge – and a fun one, at that. Back when I first started writing, I read articles that said that a good magic system requires three things: rules, a limit, and a price. For myself, I tend to think of these three elements as the three C’s: consistency, costs, and consequences. Yet while these elements are great guidelines for what a magic system should include, they say nothing for the actual process of creating that system – and I would hazard a guess that, as with writing processes themselves, no two fantasy writers will approach these tasks the same way.
At its best, a magic system should be an integral part of the overall worldbuilding – and, ideally, the character story. For some writers, this means that the magic system grows out of what they know about a world: the cultures, the land, the politics, even the weather. For others, the workings of the world’s magic – or the life of a character who uses that magic – is the source from which all other aspects of the world are created.
I’m one of the latter, using what I know of the characters and their magic as the seed from which the story grows. My process, such as it is, stems from repeatedly asking two questions:
1) Why does that happen?
2) What are the effects?
It’s one thing to say that magic works within a story; its far more telling to understand why. In some ways, the act of magic itself is the evidence from which a writer such as myself might work – clues that hint at greater workings. The key is digging and questioning until a pattern emerges. To start: What is the source of the magic? Can it be renewed, or is it a finite resource – used once, and then gone? Who can access the power, and when, and how often? Is there a physical component to using power, such as spells or objects, a particular location, or a certain time of day? Is magic learned or innate or something entirely inhuman? If I have no answer for why magic works in the story except, “Because … magic!” I have a long road of thinking and worldbuilding ahead.
As for effects of those choices, well, that’s where things really get interesting. The costs and consequences of magic can be a rich source of tension and conflict for the narrative, the characters, and the world as a whole.
At its best, a magic system should be an integral part of the overall worldbuilding – and, ideally, the character story. For some writers, this means that the magic system grows out of what they know about a world: the cultures, the land, the politics, even the weather. For others, the workings of the world’s magic – or the life of a character who uses that magic – is the source from which all other aspects of the world are created.
I’m one of the latter, using what I know of the characters and their magic as the seed from which the story grows. My process, such as it is, stems from repeatedly asking two questions:
1) Why does that happen?
2) What are the effects?
It’s one thing to say that magic works within a story; its far more telling to understand why. In some ways, the act of magic itself is the evidence from which a writer such as myself might work – clues that hint at greater workings. The key is digging and questioning until a pattern emerges. To start: What is the source of the magic? Can it be renewed, or is it a finite resource – used once, and then gone? Who can access the power, and when, and how often? Is there a physical component to using power, such as spells or objects, a particular location, or a certain time of day? Is magic learned or innate or something entirely inhuman? If I have no answer for why magic works in the story except, “Because … magic!” I have a long road of thinking and worldbuilding ahead.
As for effects of those choices, well, that’s where things really get interesting. The costs and consequences of magic can be a rich source of tension and conflict for the narrative, the characters, and the world as a whole.
To start, magic generally needs some sort of cost for its use. When I started writing, most of my magic-users tended to get terrible magic-induced headaches, nausea, and tiredness, as if the price of calling down a firestorm was little worse than a mid-winter cold. (“Why?” would have been an excellent question to ask here, too; one that my younger self neglected entirely. Why headaches: is it dehydration, brain swelling, the beasts from beyond prying their claws into the character’s mind from the great void? And if that’s true, what might be other effects: fainting, seizures, impaired motor control, a wee baby beast from beyond nesting in the character’s brainpan? Questions beget questions beget rich and interesting answers.)
But beyond the physical costs of the act of working magic, whatever that may be, there are other effects as well: mental and emotional costs for individual characters, as well as wider societal effects. Consider: how does the presence (or absence) of magic shape a society or a culture? How does it affect the lives of the people within that society, from beggars to kings, drug addicts to drug lords, baristas to overpaid CEOs? How has it shaped the world’s history?
Take one example that I debated recently over dinner: magical healing. At times, it seems writers use magical healing (or the high-tech SF equivalent) as a “get out of jail free” card that allows their characters to face deadly situations without long-term consequences. (At this, I make an expression of displeasure.) But if magical healing exists within the novel’s world, evidence of it should be present throughout the story in the culture, the language, the character’s attitudes, and more. If the ability to heal one’s self or another from the brink of death is widespread, think about how it might change people’s thoughts on violence, high-risk jobs, the value of life, even the act of dying itself. Or if the ability to heal is rare, it might be prized, the magic-workers becoming rich and influential; or it might be hoarded, magic-workers controlled by kings or corporations or governments, even enslaved.
Every choice cascades. Over and over, I use the same two questions, asking “Why?” and “What are the effects?” for each element of the magic system until the result is something that feels consistent, complex, and real. When writing my futuristic fantasy novel, Radiant, my story-seed was the idea of a world where magic is used as currency. Why would that happen? Well, magic can only be currency if it’s ubiquitous rather than a rare or precious gift, and useful for a very wide variety of tasks. Magic, then, might be used for everything. As for effects, it seemed that if magic is money and some are born with more than others, there are distinct and serious consequences for what “poverty” means in this world, and for the lives and health of those born with less. So too did the flip side hold intriguing potential – was it possible to have too much magic, too much money? If such a thing existed, how would it look – and what would be the consequences?
From there came all the tantalizing “what if’s” from which stories are born; for with magic, complexity is the ground in which interesting ideas grow...
But beyond the physical costs of the act of working magic, whatever that may be, there are other effects as well: mental and emotional costs for individual characters, as well as wider societal effects. Consider: how does the presence (or absence) of magic shape a society or a culture? How does it affect the lives of the people within that society, from beggars to kings, drug addicts to drug lords, baristas to overpaid CEOs? How has it shaped the world’s history?
Take one example that I debated recently over dinner: magical healing. At times, it seems writers use magical healing (or the high-tech SF equivalent) as a “get out of jail free” card that allows their characters to face deadly situations without long-term consequences. (At this, I make an expression of displeasure.) But if magical healing exists within the novel’s world, evidence of it should be present throughout the story in the culture, the language, the character’s attitudes, and more. If the ability to heal one’s self or another from the brink of death is widespread, think about how it might change people’s thoughts on violence, high-risk jobs, the value of life, even the act of dying itself. Or if the ability to heal is rare, it might be prized, the magic-workers becoming rich and influential; or it might be hoarded, magic-workers controlled by kings or corporations or governments, even enslaved.
Every choice cascades. Over and over, I use the same two questions, asking “Why?” and “What are the effects?” for each element of the magic system until the result is something that feels consistent, complex, and real. When writing my futuristic fantasy novel, Radiant, my story-seed was the idea of a world where magic is used as currency. Why would that happen? Well, magic can only be currency if it’s ubiquitous rather than a rare or precious gift, and useful for a very wide variety of tasks. Magic, then, might be used for everything. As for effects, it seemed that if magic is money and some are born with more than others, there are distinct and serious consequences for what “poverty” means in this world, and for the lives and health of those born with less. So too did the flip side hold intriguing potential – was it possible to have too much magic, too much money? If such a thing existed, how would it look – and what would be the consequences?
From there came all the tantalizing “what if’s” from which stories are born; for with magic, complexity is the ground in which interesting ideas grow...
Official Author Website
Read more about RADIANT
Pre-order RADIANT here (US) and here (Canada)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Karina Sumner-Smith is a Nebula-nominated short fiction writer whose debut novel, Radiant, will be released from Skyhorse Publishing’s new SF/F imprint, Talos, in October 2014. A native of Toronto, she now lives near the shores of Lake Huron in rural Ontario, Canada, with her husband and a very loud cat. Visit her online, or say hi on Twitter.
NOTE: Author picture courtesy of author herslef. After The Breaking Of The World art courtesy of Jesse Van Dijk. Magical battle art courtesy of 1Zoom.
Read more about RADIANT
Pre-order RADIANT here (US) and here (Canada)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Karina Sumner-Smith is a Nebula-nominated short fiction writer whose debut novel, Radiant, will be released from Skyhorse Publishing’s new SF/F imprint, Talos, in October 2014. A native of Toronto, she now lives near the shores of Lake Huron in rural Ontario, Canada, with her husband and a very loud cat. Visit her online, or say hi on Twitter.
NOTE: Author picture courtesy of author herslef. After The Breaking Of The World art courtesy of Jesse Van Dijk. Magical battle art courtesy of 1Zoom.
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Stephen King's interview with NPR
Read Stephen King's interview with The Guardian
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There is a boy (now a man) a girl, a band of baddies with a charismatic leader, a coalition of the willing, battles to be fought, supernatural elements and magical powers. Stephen King was at this long before Harry Potter lived under the stairs. He has a preternatural (not to say supernatural) talent for writing kids, and can keep you turning pages, losing sleep, and getting back late to work from your lunch breaks.
We will presume for the purposes of this review that you have read, or at least seen one version of The Shining. If you have not, read no further, as there are details here that would be considered spoilerish were they to appear in a review of that book. And if you have not read The Shining you should probably do so before taking on Doctor Sleep, a sequel. Ok, everyone here has read The Shining, yes? All right, but we are using the honor system here, and do not want to ruin the fun of reading that one for anyone. So, as long as you’re sure…
At the end of The Shining, three people survive the carnage, Danny Torrance, a five year old with a special gift, Wendy Torrance, Danny’s mother and newly widowed wife of the late Jack Torrance, and Dick Halloran, an employee of The Overlook and possessor of a gift like Danny’s, one that allowed him to hear Danny’s psychic 911 call and return from his home in Florida in time to do something about it. But what happened next?
Order the book HERE
Read Stephen King's interview with NPR
Read Stephen King's interview with The Guardian
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There is a boy (now a man) a girl, a band of baddies with a charismatic leader, a coalition of the willing, battles to be fought, supernatural elements and magical powers. Stephen King was at this long before Harry Potter lived under the stairs. He has a preternatural (not to say supernatural) talent for writing kids, and can keep you turning pages, losing sleep, and getting back late to work from your lunch breaks.
We will presume for the purposes of this review that you have read, or at least seen one version of The Shining. If you have not, read no further, as there are details here that would be considered spoilerish were they to appear in a review of that book. And if you have not read The Shining you should probably do so before taking on Doctor Sleep, a sequel. Ok, everyone here has read The Shining, yes? All right, but we are using the honor system here, and do not want to ruin the fun of reading that one for anyone. So, as long as you’re sure…
At the end of The Shining, three people survive the carnage, Danny Torrance, a five year old with a special gift, Wendy Torrance, Danny’s mother and newly widowed wife of the late Jack Torrance, and Dick Halloran, an employee of The Overlook and possessor of a gift like Danny’s, one that allowed him to hear Danny’s psychic 911 call and return from his home in Florida in time to do something about it. But what happened next?
(from CBC News)
King does not typically do sequels, if one does not count books that are part of a planned series, but:
"Every now and then somebody would ask, ‘Whatever happened to Danny?’ I used to joke around and say, ‘He married Charlie McGee from Firestarterand they had these amazing kids!’ But I did sort of wonder about it." – (from EW)
One of the central features of The Shining was Jack Torrance’s battle with alcoholism. As with the real world, King’s fictional realm notes that alcoholism runs in families. And one of the criticisms of The Shining was that the possibility of Jack considering getting some help from AA is never even raised. If King has ever considered that to have been an oversight, I have not seen that interview. But it is clear that he has given the matter some thought.
"Jack Torrance never tries Alcoholics Anonymous. That is never even mentioned in “The Shining.” He has what they call white-knuckle sobriety. He’s doing it all by himself. So, I wondered what it would be like to see Danny first as an alcoholic, and then see him in AA."– (from an NPR Interview)
It gives nothing away to let you know that Danny is a true Torrance. Not only does he self-medicate to quiet the terrors that still haunt him, he is far from the best person he can be.
"I knew if I did this sequel I’d have to try to put together some of the same elements, but at the same time I didn't want to make it too similar. I didn't want to make Danny a grown up with kids of his own, and try to replicate that whole losing-your-temper-because-you’re-drunk thing. But I did think to myself: ‘Not only alcoholism can be a family disease, but rage can be a family disease.’ You find that the guys who abuse their children were abused themselves as kids. That certainly fit Danny as I knew him." – (from EW)
All Stephen King novels require a baddie, or a set of them. No disappointment here. King has again succeeded in taking the ordinary and making it horrifying.
"Driving back and forth from Maine to Florida, which I do twice a year, I’m always seeing all these recreational vehicles — the bounders in the Winnebagos. I always think to myself, ‘Who is in those things?’ You pass them a thousand times at rest stops. They’re always the ones wearing the shirts that say ‘God Does Not Deduct From a Lifespan Time Spent Fishing.’ They’re always lined up at the McDonald’s, slowing the whole line down. And I always thought to myself, ‘There’s something really sinister about those people because they’re so unobtrusive, yet so pervasive.’ I just wanted to use that. It would be the perfect way to travel around America and be unobtrusive if you were really some sort of awful creature." – (from EW)
This wandering band call themselves The True Knot. They feed on the essence of those gifted with the sort of talent people like Danny possess. It provides them with extraordinary longevity, but as with their Transylvanian counterparts, the need is ongoing and the supply is limited. Like right-wing politicians they are more than happy to gorge on the pain of others and are shown here feasting on the spirits set adrift on 9/11. The usual condiments for this substance they call steam will not do. The taste and benefit is enhanced, however, if their victims endure extreme and prolonged torture. Does Ted Cruz drive a Winnebago? King gives the members Damon Runyon-esque names, like Crow Daddy, Steamboat Steve and Tommy the Truck.
"Every now and then somebody would ask, ‘Whatever happened to Danny?’ I used to joke around and say, ‘He married Charlie McGee from Firestarterand they had these amazing kids!’ But I did sort of wonder about it." – (from EW)
One of the central features of The Shining was Jack Torrance’s battle with alcoholism. As with the real world, King’s fictional realm notes that alcoholism runs in families. And one of the criticisms of The Shining was that the possibility of Jack considering getting some help from AA is never even raised. If King has ever considered that to have been an oversight, I have not seen that interview. But it is clear that he has given the matter some thought.
"Jack Torrance never tries Alcoholics Anonymous. That is never even mentioned in “The Shining.” He has what they call white-knuckle sobriety. He’s doing it all by himself. So, I wondered what it would be like to see Danny first as an alcoholic, and then see him in AA."– (from an NPR Interview)
It gives nothing away to let you know that Danny is a true Torrance. Not only does he self-medicate to quiet the terrors that still haunt him, he is far from the best person he can be.
"I knew if I did this sequel I’d have to try to put together some of the same elements, but at the same time I didn't want to make it too similar. I didn't want to make Danny a grown up with kids of his own, and try to replicate that whole losing-your-temper-because-you’re-drunk thing. But I did think to myself: ‘Not only alcoholism can be a family disease, but rage can be a family disease.’ You find that the guys who abuse their children were abused themselves as kids. That certainly fit Danny as I knew him." – (from EW)
All Stephen King novels require a baddie, or a set of them. No disappointment here. King has again succeeded in taking the ordinary and making it horrifying.
"Driving back and forth from Maine to Florida, which I do twice a year, I’m always seeing all these recreational vehicles — the bounders in the Winnebagos. I always think to myself, ‘Who is in those things?’ You pass them a thousand times at rest stops. They’re always the ones wearing the shirts that say ‘God Does Not Deduct From a Lifespan Time Spent Fishing.’ They’re always lined up at the McDonald’s, slowing the whole line down. And I always thought to myself, ‘There’s something really sinister about those people because they’re so unobtrusive, yet so pervasive.’ I just wanted to use that. It would be the perfect way to travel around America and be unobtrusive if you were really some sort of awful creature." – (from EW)
This wandering band call themselves The True Knot. They feed on the essence of those gifted with the sort of talent people like Danny possess. It provides them with extraordinary longevity, but as with their Transylvanian counterparts, the need is ongoing and the supply is limited. Like right-wing politicians they are more than happy to gorge on the pain of others and are shown here feasting on the spirits set adrift on 9/11. The usual condiments for this substance they call steam will not do. The taste and benefit is enhanced, however, if their victims endure extreme and prolonged torture. Does Ted Cruz drive a Winnebago? King gives the members Damon Runyon-esque names, like Crow Daddy, Steamboat Steve and Tommy the Truck.
By the time you finish reading Doctor Sleep you might have a new image of the top hat to consider next time you are planning a formal night out. We all have one, probably this one (see the guy on the left): But the baddie in Stephen King’s latest is likely to do for the top hat what this guy (the dude on the right) did for the derby. Rose O’Hara, the leader of a group called The True Knot, won’t leave home without it. It adds a nice visual element, calling to mind a certain Caribbean Baron, and making Rosie even more riveting.
And what of our young heroine? Abra is born with a shining of prodigious proportions. (btw, the name Abra was inspired by Abra Bacon, a character in East of Eden) She manages to send out a signal even when she is newly arrived. She’s a good kid, despite scaring her parents on occasion with tricks like making all the silverware in the kitchen take to the air, or causing the odd earthquake when she does a mental Bruce (or if you prefer, David) Banner. Don’t make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she’s angry. Bad-ass teen girl power fuh shoo-uh. But, just as Danny needed Dick Hallorann and Tony, Abra needs help as well. That she and Danny will team up is a foregone conclusion.
As for Danny, the shining never left him, despite his attempts to wipe it out with spirits of a different sort. But he finds the help he needs and manages to put his talent to good use. He works in a hospice, the Helen Rivington House, in Frazier, NH, easing the transition for those near death, with the assistance of a resident feline, and earning himself the name Doctor Sleep, which also serves to remind us of what his parents called him.
"… It is this moment of transition that Doctor Sleep deals with and the idea, like so many of King’s, came from an incidental story in a newspaper. This one was about “a cat in a hospice that knows when people are going to die. He would go into that patient’s room and curl up next to them. And I thought, that’s a good advertisement for death, for the emissary of death. I thought, ‘I can make Dan the human equivalent of that cat, and call him Doctor Sleep.’ There was the book.” – (from an interview in The Guardian)
King has a bit of fun, naming the cat Azzie, short for Azrael, the archangel of death. Cute. What else do you need, really? Dark vs light, colorful baddies vs our everyman and everygirl. And that is indeed enough. But it is not all that King uses. He gives us a look at how people can really help people overcome, or at least handle their problems. AA figures very large in this story, is central really. And the wisdom one can find in AA permeates the novel, from the importance of recognizing that we need help from others, to accepting our past and dealing with it, a very strong, serious element. When asked, in the NPR interview, whether his AA depictions were from personal experience, King says that the second part of AA stands for Anonymous, so he declined to offer a yes or no, however:
"You could say, having read these two books and knowing that I was a very heavy drinker at the time that I wrote “The Shining,” and I haven’t had a drink in about 25 years now – you could draw certain conclusions from that… I've done a lot of personal research in these subjects." – (from NPR interview)
King sets the time of the events by referring to external realities, like who the president is, calls on contemporary cultural references, such as a mention of the Sons of Anarchy and a Hank Wiliams Jr song. He also mentions a variety of other writers in his travels, some approvingly, (John Sandford, George Seferis, Bernard Malamud, Bill Wilson) some not so much (the authors of the Twilight and Hunger Games series, and Dean Koontz and Lisa Gardner, although he may merely be playing with the latter two). He also drops in an Easter egg reference to Salem’s Lot and make two references (that I caught anyway) to his son, Joe’s, imagined world from Joe’s book, NOS4A2.
It has been my experience with reading Stephen King that his conclusions sometimes offer a poor partner to the journey one takes in reaching them. That is much less the case here. The ending is not an alien spider disguised as Tim Curry with bad fashion sense or alien young playing with humans in a hamfisted manner. And the journey is indeed fun. But I had some gripes. King gives Dick Hallorann a cameo here, which was fine, and the strongest of those. Tony returns for a look-see but goes alarmingly quiet at crucial moments. We could have used a lot more about Tony other than the weak explanation that is offered near the end. If the True Knot are so bad-ass, how come there are so few of them? There is an explanation offered of prey-predator stability of numbers, but I found that unpersuasive. And why the hell introduce Jack if he is not going to be a part of the action? This is one that actively irked.
Sequels present a danger. One of the things that is stimulating about any book, any story is newness. That is why most sequels are not as popular as their predecessors. It is hard to avoid a been-there-done-that problem when working atop existing material. The next story in line is unlikely to retain the sparkle, the shine of what went before. Given the constraints, Doctor Sleep fares better than most as a follow-on. There is enough distance in the story from the events of the past, and little enough overlap with those characters that the story seems fresh. When events from The Shining are mentioned, they do inform the current action and do not distract much. In fact there could have been more of that. So, in that way, this is a very nice addition.
There is another element involved. Any event, any activity, is a product of the thing itself and of the perspective from which we view or participate in it. I read The Shining many years ago. I was an adult then, in my late twenties, and remember it as a VERY SCARY story. I have not come across much in horror lit that is still scary in that way, in the several decades since. I will not have any nights (on in my case days) of lost sleep because of the images King has proferred. But then, I am getting on, and am looking at those scary things with aging eyes. Someone younger (which would be almost all of you reading this) might find them far more frightening than I did. So while Doctor Sleep might not cause much by way of lost rest, it is good, mainstream Stephen King and thus, hardly a snooze. The Doctor of Horror is in. Wake up!
NOTE: This review was originally posted on Will's blog. Fred Astaire pic thanks to Duluth Trading. Alex DeLarge pic thanks to Film Grab.
And what of our young heroine? Abra is born with a shining of prodigious proportions. (btw, the name Abra was inspired by Abra Bacon, a character in East of Eden) She manages to send out a signal even when she is newly arrived. She’s a good kid, despite scaring her parents on occasion with tricks like making all the silverware in the kitchen take to the air, or causing the odd earthquake when she does a mental Bruce (or if you prefer, David) Banner. Don’t make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she’s angry. Bad-ass teen girl power fuh shoo-uh. But, just as Danny needed Dick Hallorann and Tony, Abra needs help as well. That she and Danny will team up is a foregone conclusion.
As for Danny, the shining never left him, despite his attempts to wipe it out with spirits of a different sort. But he finds the help he needs and manages to put his talent to good use. He works in a hospice, the Helen Rivington House, in Frazier, NH, easing the transition for those near death, with the assistance of a resident feline, and earning himself the name Doctor Sleep, which also serves to remind us of what his parents called him.
"… It is this moment of transition that Doctor Sleep deals with and the idea, like so many of King’s, came from an incidental story in a newspaper. This one was about “a cat in a hospice that knows when people are going to die. He would go into that patient’s room and curl up next to them. And I thought, that’s a good advertisement for death, for the emissary of death. I thought, ‘I can make Dan the human equivalent of that cat, and call him Doctor Sleep.’ There was the book.” – (from an interview in The Guardian)
King has a bit of fun, naming the cat Azzie, short for Azrael, the archangel of death. Cute. What else do you need, really? Dark vs light, colorful baddies vs our everyman and everygirl. And that is indeed enough. But it is not all that King uses. He gives us a look at how people can really help people overcome, or at least handle their problems. AA figures very large in this story, is central really. And the wisdom one can find in AA permeates the novel, from the importance of recognizing that we need help from others, to accepting our past and dealing with it, a very strong, serious element. When asked, in the NPR interview, whether his AA depictions were from personal experience, King says that the second part of AA stands for Anonymous, so he declined to offer a yes or no, however:
"You could say, having read these two books and knowing that I was a very heavy drinker at the time that I wrote “The Shining,” and I haven’t had a drink in about 25 years now – you could draw certain conclusions from that… I've done a lot of personal research in these subjects." – (from NPR interview)
King sets the time of the events by referring to external realities, like who the president is, calls on contemporary cultural references, such as a mention of the Sons of Anarchy and a Hank Wiliams Jr song. He also mentions a variety of other writers in his travels, some approvingly, (John Sandford, George Seferis, Bernard Malamud, Bill Wilson) some not so much (the authors of the Twilight and Hunger Games series, and Dean Koontz and Lisa Gardner, although he may merely be playing with the latter two). He also drops in an Easter egg reference to Salem’s Lot and make two references (that I caught anyway) to his son, Joe’s, imagined world from Joe’s book, NOS4A2.
It has been my experience with reading Stephen King that his conclusions sometimes offer a poor partner to the journey one takes in reaching them. That is much less the case here. The ending is not an alien spider disguised as Tim Curry with bad fashion sense or alien young playing with humans in a hamfisted manner. And the journey is indeed fun. But I had some gripes. King gives Dick Hallorann a cameo here, which was fine, and the strongest of those. Tony returns for a look-see but goes alarmingly quiet at crucial moments. We could have used a lot more about Tony other than the weak explanation that is offered near the end. If the True Knot are so bad-ass, how come there are so few of them? There is an explanation offered of prey-predator stability of numbers, but I found that unpersuasive. And why the hell introduce Jack if he is not going to be a part of the action? This is one that actively irked.
Sequels present a danger. One of the things that is stimulating about any book, any story is newness. That is why most sequels are not as popular as their predecessors. It is hard to avoid a been-there-done-that problem when working atop existing material. The next story in line is unlikely to retain the sparkle, the shine of what went before. Given the constraints, Doctor Sleep fares better than most as a follow-on. There is enough distance in the story from the events of the past, and little enough overlap with those characters that the story seems fresh. When events from The Shining are mentioned, they do inform the current action and do not distract much. In fact there could have been more of that. So, in that way, this is a very nice addition.
There is another element involved. Any event, any activity, is a product of the thing itself and of the perspective from which we view or participate in it. I read The Shining many years ago. I was an adult then, in my late twenties, and remember it as a VERY SCARY story. I have not come across much in horror lit that is still scary in that way, in the several decades since. I will not have any nights (on in my case days) of lost sleep because of the images King has proferred. But then, I am getting on, and am looking at those scary things with aging eyes. Someone younger (which would be almost all of you reading this) might find them far more frightening than I did. So while Doctor Sleep might not cause much by way of lost rest, it is good, mainstream Stephen King and thus, hardly a snooze. The Doctor of Horror is in. Wake up!
NOTE: This review was originally posted on Will's blog. Fred Astaire pic thanks to Duluth Trading. Alex DeLarge pic thanks to Film Grab.
Visit Holly Black's Official Website Here
OVERVIEW: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever.
They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of
adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s
father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is
furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to
stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night
the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious
occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who
claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must
return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three
children will be cursed for eternity
FORMAT: Doll Bones
is a children's novel that mixes paranormal stories with adventure and 'coming
of age' tales. It stands at 250 pages and was published May 7, 2013 by Margaret
K. McElderry Books.
ANALYSIS: Holly Black is an amazing, best-selling author of
children's, YA, and adult fantasy/fiction. Her latest novel Doll Bones is a paranormal
horror/adventure novel for children that will even have adults looking over
their shoulders – and second guessing the dolls/toys in their home.
Doll Bones tells
the story of Zach, Poppy, and Alice who have been friends for what seems like
forever. They enjoy playing with toys/action figures and creating detailed
stories and adventures. Unfortunately, Zach is at the age where he is 'too old'
for this type of play and vows to stop playing with Alice and Poppy. Alice and
Poppy struggle with this sudden severing of their friendship.
That is until one evening when Poppy starts experiencing
strange/mysterious occurrences with a china doll that was used during their
adventures. Poppy convinces Alice the doll is haunting her and is 'speaking to
her' from beyond. Alice and Poppy rush to tell Zach and beg him to help them
discover why the doll is talking to them and solve a murder mystery.
The only questions is – is this real or is Poppy making it
up as a last ditch attempt to keep the friendship between the three of them
alive?
Doll Bones was
amazing in a creepy paranormal kind of way. It contains all the elements that a
children's paranormal/horror novel should – a creepy story, relatable elements,
and characters that instantly bond with readers. The elements in the story are
a little heavy for some of the younger readers – a terrible death, betrayal, etc.
– but I think it is perfect for children ages 8/9 on up.
One of the amazing things about this novel is that it works
for adults too. Adults can relate to the feeling of being 'too old' to play
with toys and the sense that friendships are moving on – even though no one
really wants them to end.
Adults will also find some of the creepy/paranormal aspects
of the novel captivating. Holly Black uses her storytelling skills and really
pulls you into the story. Her storytelling skills allowed me to feel connected
to the characters, feel as if I was a part of the story, and really bring a
chilling, haunting quality to the novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed the novel. There were parts that
were certainly creepy and had me thinking twice about any toys/stuffed animals
in my house. And there were parts and characters that I really could relate to,
which made the story seem to just fly by.
I think it is one of those books that will work for anyone –regardless
of age. It works perfect for children looking to get into scary horror stories,
but who might not be ready for a bunch of blood, guts and gore. It works great
for those that love adventure stores and it works great for adults who are
looking for a fun, solid read that is definitely a page turner.
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Control Ops
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier
AUTHOR INFORMATION: As a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counter-terrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He’s also a graduate of the Viable Paradise writer’s workshop and is a close friend of Peter V. Brett. He also won the 2003 Writers of the future award for his story “Blood and Horses”. His passions include comics, fantasy novels and late night D&D games, which eventually set him on a path of being a wordsmith.
OFFICIAL BLURB: The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent," developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…
In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin," becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he's ever known.
In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.
When Scylla's inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…
CLASSIFICATION: The Shadow Ops series is a multi-volume urban fantasy series, which combines the super-powered human aspect showcased in X-men comics along with the military themes espoused in stories by Glen Cook. Stirring the pot with his own style, the author has created a unique series for the readers.
FORMAT/INFO: Shadow Ops: Breach Zone is 384 pages long divided over twenty-one numbered and titled chapters, with ten interludes and an epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Jan “Harlequin” Thorsson, Swift, Sarah Downer, Alan Bookbinder and Oscar Britton. There is also a glossary about the terms, acronyms and slang utilized in the story. Breach Zone is the concluding volume of the first trilogy in the Shadow Ops series and brings a solid conclusion to the story began in Control Point.
January 28, 2014 marks the North American Paperback and e-book publication of Shadow Ops: Breach Zone via ACE books while it was also released in the UK on the same date by Headline books. Michael Komarck provides the US book cover art again and Larry Rostant continues his turn with the UK cover art.
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Control Ops
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier
AUTHOR INFORMATION: As a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counter-terrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He’s also a graduate of the Viable Paradise writer’s workshop and is a close friend of Peter V. Brett. He also won the 2003 Writers of the future award for his story “Blood and Horses”. His passions include comics, fantasy novels and late night D&D games, which eventually set him on a path of being a wordsmith.
OFFICIAL BLURB: The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent," developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…
In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin," becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he's ever known.
In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.
When Scylla's inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…
CLASSIFICATION: The Shadow Ops series is a multi-volume urban fantasy series, which combines the super-powered human aspect showcased in X-men comics along with the military themes espoused in stories by Glen Cook. Stirring the pot with his own style, the author has created a unique series for the readers.
FORMAT/INFO: Shadow Ops: Breach Zone is 384 pages long divided over twenty-one numbered and titled chapters, with ten interludes and an epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Jan “Harlequin” Thorsson, Swift, Sarah Downer, Alan Bookbinder and Oscar Britton. There is also a glossary about the terms, acronyms and slang utilized in the story. Breach Zone is the concluding volume of the first trilogy in the Shadow Ops series and brings a solid conclusion to the story began in Control Point.
January 28, 2014 marks the North American Paperback and e-book publication of Shadow Ops: Breach Zone via ACE books while it was also released in the UK on the same date by Headline books. Michael Komarck provides the US book cover art again and Larry Rostant continues his turn with the UK cover art.
ANALYSIS: Breach Zone is the concluding volume in the first trilogy by Myke Cole, it is a book that most readers (including me) have been itching to read since we reached the end page of Fortress Frontier. Myke Cole had previously mentioned that this book was inspired by “The Heroes” by Joe Abercrombie and it would be all about a single drawn out battle. Unlike “The Heroes” wherein the battle was in a nondescript place, the battle in this book would be possibly in one of the most famous cities of the world. With this book, Myke brings it all down to the various conflicts that have been brewing in the past two books on a personal and professional level. There’s also the big draw of this book revealing the origins of Scylla and how she came to be the person that she is.
The book has a dual storyline that takes place in the present and six years ago when the limbic dispenser system is being formulated. Scylla is a normal non-latent person who goes by the name of Grace M. She meets Jan Thorsson who is a newbie back then and very much believes in a black/white world. In the current timeline, we find that Thorsson is a different person; Scylla is thought of to be non-human in the kindest terms. We find that Bookbinder is finding life (both family and military) to be quite difficult after his heroics in the Source and the FOB. He finds that he’s considered a pariah within the military because of his non-classifiable skills and finds himself with a permanent shadow. We are also shown different sides to Swift and Sarah Downer than what we have seen previously. Lastly we also get to see Oscar, Theresa and a couple of others.
I've enjoyed Myke’s knack of having different protagonists for each book, this always made each read that much more fresh. While I didn't overtly enjoy Oscar’s waffling style of leadership, Alan Bookbinder with his quiet, measured approach was a revelation. In this book however the protagonist torch is passed on to Jan “Harlequin” Thorsson who has acted and seemed like a complete douche until now (atleast from Oscar’s and Swift’s view). I was never a fan of his but it was exciting to see how his and Scylla’s past were linked together. To be honest though, while the author excels at showing a man who’s tortured by his past decisions and actions and now does his best to convert the feelings of those who have been wronged by him. I still couldn't quite sympathize with him entirely infact I found myself intrigued much more by Scylla and her past. In the end, it didn't matter much as the plot twists as well as all the action sequences kept the story moving forward strongly and kept me riveted as well.
The story while being a dual one, feels very tight and while one does have an idea of what happens in the past, finding out exactly what is still fun. The characterization as with the past books is a positive feature and herein with a battle situation, it allows the readers to get an immersive experience of sorts. Of course the author limits the number of POVs but we still get an extensive look at the happenings from various sides. One thing I would have enjoyed is to see things from Scylla’s side as well as more about the events happening in Mescalero but that’s a small thing. Also the action sequences are more than amped up for this titular battle, what I liked in Fortress Frontier was how the author showcased the hero's journey (literally & figuratively). With this book, the author showcases his deft skills in extraordinary action sequences in the air, water, and Terra firma. I think that this book, if it were to be converted to celluloid, would make an excellent film or TV series.
Lastly in regards to the negatives, the conclusion of the story isn't a complete one as even though we get a thorough resolution to the battle of NYC. There are further events set into motion which as a reader I would like to know more about. Also I believe the author will be writing a sort of sequel book wherein he will explore the story through the eyes of another character, set in the same time frame. I’ll be interested to see how that story unfolds and what it adds to this storyline.
CONCLUSION: Breach Zone brings to a close a story that has been in Myke’s imagination for many years, as a fan, it’s heartening to see a trilogy resolution done in a reasonable amount of time. As with his previous books, Breach Zone is filled to the flanks with action, intrigue and simply all-out mayhem. For all the fans of the previous books, this third volume is a book that you simply shouldn't miss.
The book has a dual storyline that takes place in the present and six years ago when the limbic dispenser system is being formulated. Scylla is a normal non-latent person who goes by the name of Grace M. She meets Jan Thorsson who is a newbie back then and very much believes in a black/white world. In the current timeline, we find that Thorsson is a different person; Scylla is thought of to be non-human in the kindest terms. We find that Bookbinder is finding life (both family and military) to be quite difficult after his heroics in the Source and the FOB. He finds that he’s considered a pariah within the military because of his non-classifiable skills and finds himself with a permanent shadow. We are also shown different sides to Swift and Sarah Downer than what we have seen previously. Lastly we also get to see Oscar, Theresa and a couple of others.
I've enjoyed Myke’s knack of having different protagonists for each book, this always made each read that much more fresh. While I didn't overtly enjoy Oscar’s waffling style of leadership, Alan Bookbinder with his quiet, measured approach was a revelation. In this book however the protagonist torch is passed on to Jan “Harlequin” Thorsson who has acted and seemed like a complete douche until now (atleast from Oscar’s and Swift’s view). I was never a fan of his but it was exciting to see how his and Scylla’s past were linked together. To be honest though, while the author excels at showing a man who’s tortured by his past decisions and actions and now does his best to convert the feelings of those who have been wronged by him. I still couldn't quite sympathize with him entirely infact I found myself intrigued much more by Scylla and her past. In the end, it didn't matter much as the plot twists as well as all the action sequences kept the story moving forward strongly and kept me riveted as well.
The story while being a dual one, feels very tight and while one does have an idea of what happens in the past, finding out exactly what is still fun. The characterization as with the past books is a positive feature and herein with a battle situation, it allows the readers to get an immersive experience of sorts. Of course the author limits the number of POVs but we still get an extensive look at the happenings from various sides. One thing I would have enjoyed is to see things from Scylla’s side as well as more about the events happening in Mescalero but that’s a small thing. Also the action sequences are more than amped up for this titular battle, what I liked in Fortress Frontier was how the author showcased the hero's journey (literally & figuratively). With this book, the author showcases his deft skills in extraordinary action sequences in the air, water, and Terra firma. I think that this book, if it were to be converted to celluloid, would make an excellent film or TV series.
Lastly in regards to the negatives, the conclusion of the story isn't a complete one as even though we get a thorough resolution to the battle of NYC. There are further events set into motion which as a reader I would like to know more about. Also I believe the author will be writing a sort of sequel book wherein he will explore the story through the eyes of another character, set in the same time frame. I’ll be interested to see how that story unfolds and what it adds to this storyline.
CONCLUSION: Breach Zone brings to a close a story that has been in Myke’s imagination for many years, as a fan, it’s heartening to see a trilogy resolution done in a reasonable amount of time. As with his previous books, Breach Zone is filled to the flanks with action, intrigue and simply all-out mayhem. For all the fans of the previous books, this third volume is a book that you simply shouldn't miss.
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Control Ops
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier
At Fantasy Book Critic, we are huge fans of Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series. So it's our great pleasure to announce that Ace/Roc books and Fantasy Book Critic are giving away a set of “Control Point”, “Fortress Frontier”, & “Breach Zone” to One Lucky Winner!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Shadow Ops. Giveaway will end on 02/19/2014 11:59 AM EST and will be open to participants in USA & CANADA ONLY.
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Control Ops
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier
At Fantasy Book Critic, we are huge fans of Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series. So it's our great pleasure to announce that Ace/Roc books and Fantasy Book Critic are giving away a set of “Control Point”, “Fortress Frontier”, & “Breach Zone” to One Lucky Winner!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Shadow Ops. Giveaway will end on 02/19/2014 11:59 AM EST and will be open to participants in USA & CANADA ONLY.
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To Anyone in USA & CANADA ONLY
2) Only One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway will end on 02/19/2014 11:59 AM EST
6) Winner Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Four Series Books from 2014: David Weber/Eric Flint, L.E. Modesitt, Christian Cameron and David Weber (with comments by Liviu Suciu)
Since my interest in reading has been moving away from English language sff, my contribution here at FBC has become sparse and I expect that to continue for the indefinite future.
I thought about reopening my personal blog to discuss the books currently of interest to me, books of which many are untranslated in English - mostly written in the Romanian language, but also in the French, Spanish and even Italian language - while most others are either translations or literary stuff from the 90's and the 00's rather than 2014 books and I may do so, while in the meantime I plan to keep using Goodreads for thoughts about all the books I have read, tried, am reading etc and I welcome any comments or messages there.
I still plan to cover here any English language sff I actually finish or read enough from to offer an informed opinion as well as other recent English language novels that I find of interest, but so far I have opened quite a few such including for example the upcoming Words of Radiance - wordy indeed at 1087 pages in the review copy and something I sorely lack the patience to read as of now - the hyped Anne Leonard's Moth and Spark which is a fantasy with dragons and all but marketed as a romantic-literary novel for the Night Circus crowd but lacking imho the narrative power and lush descriptions that made that one such a hit, or The Fell Sword which as of now did not grab me and made me turn the pages, the way the author's The Great King below did, and while some moved to the "tried but nor for me" pile, others remained on the "currently reading" list but at lower positions and you can see all such on Goodreads as noted. On the other hand Le Suaire ecarlate by Serge Brussolo, 2nd in a fantasy series after La Fille de l'Archer is a huge asap I plan to read on publication...
I still plan to cover here any English language sff I actually finish or read enough from to offer an informed opinion as well as other recent English language novels that I find of interest, but so far I have opened quite a few such including for example the upcoming Words of Radiance - wordy indeed at 1087 pages in the review copy and something I sorely lack the patience to read as of now - the hyped Anne Leonard's Moth and Spark which is a fantasy with dragons and all but marketed as a romantic-literary novel for the Night Circus crowd but lacking imho the narrative power and lush descriptions that made that one such a hit, or The Fell Sword which as of now did not grab me and made me turn the pages, the way the author's The Great King below did, and while some moved to the "tried but nor for me" pile, others remained on the "currently reading" list but at lower positions and you can see all such on Goodreads as noted. On the other hand Le Suaire ecarlate by Serge Brussolo, 2nd in a fantasy series after La Fille de l'Archer is a huge asap I plan to read on publication...
Here are the four sff/associational novels of 2014 I have read so far and which - partly by default as outside them I have read only one more - non-sff - 2014 release which was quite mediocre, but mostly because I really liked them - occupy my top 25 of the year to date.
They are all far-from-standalone series books, one being #20+, another #5 or #8 depending on how you look at things, another #4 and another #7, so the short-ish reviews below should be enough to cover them.
*************************************************************
Cauldron of Ghosts (e-arc available to buy at Baen books, where also the first 15 chapters are available to sample, to be published in April) is the
best - and most likely last as by the end the story is wrapped in the
mainline - of the three Wages of Sin novels and the most complete Honorverse
novel since At All Costs as it closes the Mesa storyline and we finally
can move to the breakup of the Solarian League, The Renaissance Factor and all
the promised goodies. The ending coincides more or less with the ending
of Shadow of Freedom as the timeline goes plus travel time of course,
but nothing else moves ahead.
Houdini, new characters, most notably the replacement of Isabel Bardassano and the brother of Jack McBride on the alignment side, Torch commandos, Mesans and freed slaves on the good guys side and much more; lots of happenings, lots of twists and as mentioned a great ending that obviously leaves one wanting the next series installment asap.
As characters, Victor Cachat and Thandi Palane are clearly the lead ones here, though there are quite a few more with speaking parts and we meet a ton of familiar characters in cameos.
The first 1/2 is lighter in tone and the last half is frantic and brutal on occasion -as we get to see first hand Houdini of course - but there are a lot of quotable lines and laugh out moments:
Houdini, new characters, most notably the replacement of Isabel Bardassano and the brother of Jack McBride on the alignment side, Torch commandos, Mesans and freed slaves on the good guys side and much more; lots of happenings, lots of twists and as mentioned a great ending that obviously leaves one wanting the next series installment asap.
As characters, Victor Cachat and Thandi Palane are clearly the lead ones here, though there are quite a few more with speaking parts and we meet a ton of familiar characters in cameos.
The first 1/2 is lighter in tone and the last half is frantic and brutal on occasion -as we get to see first hand Houdini of course - but there are a lot of quotable lines and laugh out moments:
"He smiled.
“But now I do mayhem in a uniform. Makes all the difference in the
world. When I killed people retail, I was a terrorist. Now that I kill
‘em wholesale, I’m a stalwart soldier. Get medals for it and
everything.”
.........................
“The point is, now that I’m an of-fi-cial soldier, I can get a medal. As a Ballroom guy, the only thing I qualified for was a wanted poster.”
“They haven’t made wanted posters in over a millennia.”
“Fine. Wanted e-poster. I did get one of those."
Not to miss making some points about today's hot topics and coming I guess from the Eric Flint's side of the collaboration there is this too:
"Still, compared to her home planet of Ndebele and most worlds of the Verge, the seccies lived in relative luxury. Leaving aside buildings which were completely abandoned, everyone had power and climate control. The quarters might be over-crowded by Mesan standards but they were nothing like the teeming hovels she’d seen on many worlds—or the slum in which she’d grown up herself, for that matter.
It was an ancient pattern, she knew. The degree to which people were dissatisfied by their lot in life was determined by their relative position in a given society, not by some sort of absolute and external measure. From time immemorial, reactionaries had pointed out (quite correctly) that the less privileged in their own societies were veritable Midases compared to paleolithic hunters and gatherers. Never understanding—mostly because they didn’t want to understand—that such comparisons were pointless.
What mattered to a seccie mother tending her sick child was not that children in ancient times or on some far-off Verge worlds often died in infancy—and she should damn well be grateful that there was little chance her own child would actually perish. No, what mattered was that if she were a full citizen she’d be able to give her child the best possible medical care instead of the very sub-standard care she could actually afford."
One more quote that I liked a lot:
"Leonard Detweiler’s great-great-great-grand-daughter Cecilia had once depicted the problem thusly: We will bring down the great bison with a pack of wolves. The tricky part is that we don’t control the wolves."
In addition there is a lot of universe back-story - the final war, the Detweiler secession, plus in-story moments like the video showing what happened on Earth many years ago when Victor Cachat first appeared and saved Helen, Berry and Lars, uncle Jacques etc...
.........................
“The point is, now that I’m an of-fi-cial soldier, I can get a medal. As a Ballroom guy, the only thing I qualified for was a wanted poster.”
“They haven’t made wanted posters in over a millennia.”
“Fine. Wanted e-poster. I did get one of those."
Not to miss making some points about today's hot topics and coming I guess from the Eric Flint's side of the collaboration there is this too:
"Still, compared to her home planet of Ndebele and most worlds of the Verge, the seccies lived in relative luxury. Leaving aside buildings which were completely abandoned, everyone had power and climate control. The quarters might be over-crowded by Mesan standards but they were nothing like the teeming hovels she’d seen on many worlds—or the slum in which she’d grown up herself, for that matter.
It was an ancient pattern, she knew. The degree to which people were dissatisfied by their lot in life was determined by their relative position in a given society, not by some sort of absolute and external measure. From time immemorial, reactionaries had pointed out (quite correctly) that the less privileged in their own societies were veritable Midases compared to paleolithic hunters and gatherers. Never understanding—mostly because they didn’t want to understand—that such comparisons were pointless.
What mattered to a seccie mother tending her sick child was not that children in ancient times or on some far-off Verge worlds often died in infancy—and she should damn well be grateful that there was little chance her own child would actually perish. No, what mattered was that if she were a full citizen she’d be able to give her child the best possible medical care instead of the very sub-standard care she could actually afford."
One more quote that I liked a lot:
"Leonard Detweiler’s great-great-great-grand-daughter Cecilia had once depicted the problem thusly: We will bring down the great bison with a pack of wolves. The tricky part is that we don’t control the wolves."
In addition there is a lot of universe back-story - the final war, the Detweiler secession, plus in-story moments like the video showing what happened on Earth many years ago when Victor Cachat first appeared and saved Helen, Berry and Lars, uncle Jacques etc...
Rex Regis is a very appropriate ending to Quaeryt's story though of course one wants
more in the Imager universe. More in the vein of Scholar, with intrigue
rather than battles, and almost all the little things from the first
books - eg the fate of the last Khanara of Tilbor or of Eluisa's family
or the question about who wrote the book about Rholan that is quoted throughout - are
settled here.
In a very nice salute to the Rhenn books, new
student Imagers with names like Poincaryt and Chartain appear, as well
as the path to ascendance for the Ryel high holder family is established
despite the very unpromising beginning here of the current Ryel
nobleman being Rex Kharst's confidant so his lands being prime target
for dispossession.
If you like the
series to date, you won't be disappointed in its ending for sure - while
here the bar was somewhat lower as from the Rhenn books we know the
general outline of the ending, I would still mention that its execution
is great as series endings are really hard to do well.
*************************************************************
The Long War #4, The Great King follows Arimnestos
from his return from the West till the battles of Artemisium and
Thermopyle (485- early 480); the first three quarters of the book are
awesome, both among the best of the author and of historical fiction in
general - some of the highlights being the political maneuverings to unify
Greece in the face of the Persian juggernaut, the Olympic Games of 484,
Sparta and the Spartans as seen by Arimnestos, a trip to Susa and a
memorable audience with Xerses...
The last quarter is more rushed and will be appreciated better once the next book - presumably dealing with the sack of Athens, Salamis, the departure of Xerses from Greece, Plataea, Mycale etc - is out as it covers the actual war in Greece and as we get only to Artemisium and Thermopylae, the story is very incomplete and that shows in the book - the earlier volumes all had great stopping points, this one though really needs volume 5 for completion
The novel is full of larger than life characters, both men and women, from Aristides, Themistocles, Leonidas to Xerses, and from Briseis - still beguiling and full of surprises -, Queen Gorgo of Sparta - Leonidas' younger wife -, to a Babylonian princess and Queen Mother Atosa - wife of Darius and mother of Xerses.
Arimnestos finds out about his various children, gets to meet and help raise some of them, finds new and old enemies as well as new and old friends while being at the center of the action as usual.
Great stuff begging volume 5 asap.
The last quarter is more rushed and will be appreciated better once the next book - presumably dealing with the sack of Athens, Salamis, the departure of Xerses from Greece, Plataea, Mycale etc - is out as it covers the actual war in Greece and as we get only to Artemisium and Thermopylae, the story is very incomplete and that shows in the book - the earlier volumes all had great stopping points, this one though really needs volume 5 for completion
The novel is full of larger than life characters, both men and women, from Aristides, Themistocles, Leonidas to Xerses, and from Briseis - still beguiling and full of surprises -, Queen Gorgo of Sparta - Leonidas' younger wife -, to a Babylonian princess and Queen Mother Atosa - wife of Darius and mother of Xerses.
Arimnestos finds out about his various children, gets to meet and help raise some of them, finds new and old enemies as well as new and old friends while being at the center of the action as usual.
Great stuff begging volume 5 asap.
Like a Mighty Army (Safehold #7) is a direct
continuation of Midst Toil and Tribulation and I would say it is part 2 of 3 or 4 in a huge single novel within the larger series, all depending on how things
will go in the next book as tempo and/or how David Weber's contract with Tor for the series works out.
The book is a sweeping epic of land war in Siddamark
with lots of other things on the side - the real deal from the infamous snippet about Irys is excellent and shows once again David Weber's deviousness,
while the instructor part from same only adds to the fun...
I loved the ending too which is a little twist at the end, not that I did find it that surprising since after all... - read the novel to find out what, but as a small spoiler, it's a request and the last word of the novel proper justifies said request - and I think that like in MTAT. the balance between war and the rest is struck very well.
I loved the ending too which is a little twist at the end, not that I did find it that surprising since after all... - read the novel to find out what, but as a small spoiler, it's a request and the last word of the novel proper justifies said request - and I think that like in MTAT. the balance between war and the rest is struck very well.
There are emotional moments on
occasion and a few surprises including one major new - ok more or less -
character whom I expect to start becoming more and important as time
passes by, while for fans of military history and technology, lots of new goodies are introduced.
LAMA covers a few more months of action and ends at a point where I expect about 2 more books to wrap up the current war, though as mentioned above it could happen at the end of the next book under some scenarios. Maps to follow the action are a must and the 90 pages of characters, glossary and varia are quite useful too.
Overall excellent stuff if you enjoyed the series so far and very similar to MTAT in structure, action etc while as usual a page turner that kept me awake very late at night and compelled an immediate reread to get the finer points.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
