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| 0063308266
| 9780063308268
| 0063308266
| 4.17
| 340
| Aug 13, 2024
| Aug 13, 2024
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it was amazing
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An engaging new voice with excellent worldbuilding. I enjoyed The Dollmakers, and can't wait to see what is next!
An engaging new voice with excellent worldbuilding. I enjoyed The Dollmakers, and can't wait to see what is next!
...more
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| 076539894X
| 9780765398949
| 076539894X
| 4.27
| 14,200
| Aug 21, 2018
| Aug 21, 2018
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it was amazing
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I thoroughly enjoyed The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, and so was excited for the release of the sequel, The Fated Sky. As I suspected it
I thoroughly enjoyed The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, and so was excited for the release of the sequel, The Fated Sky. As I suspected it might be, it was that kind of book. You know, that kind of book where you start reading at midnight, knowing full well that this is a very bad idea, and finish at 5:00 AM, knowing you will be sorry for having gotten no sleep, but not at all sorry for having read the whole book at once? The Fated Sky was that kind of book for me. You know that kind of book where you read the last word and can’t quite believe it is a work of fiction because you really want it to be real? The Fated Sky was that kind of book for me. Well, I don’t really want a meteorite to fall to earth and cause a cataclysmic climate change, which is what happens in an alternate-history 1961 during The Calculating Stars. However, if this were to happen, establishing a colony on the moon and sending an exploratory mission to Mars is exactly what you’d want to happen, right? Kowal describes these events in a convincing and realistic way, but I found that the “hard sci-fi-ish” details were fascinating, rather than boring to me as such things sometimes are. I think this was because of the balance between setting and character. You know that kind of book where several days after finishing it, you find yourself thinking about the characters, wondering how they are doing and wishing you could stop by and say hello? The Fated Sky was that kind of book for me. Dr. Elma York is a pilot, wife, mathmetician, and astronaut, and she juggles all these roles in such a familiar and engaging way, she feels like a friend. Plus, she gets to go to SPACE! After reading about that, I want to be a Lady Astronaut too! Seeing how Elma and her husband, Dr. Nathaniel York, deal with a long, long, long-distance relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Another character, whom I profoundly disliked in the first, book, became someone I really sympathized with, as Elma got to know and understand him better. It seems that that even when people are dealing with the likely end of life as we know it, they still have to deal with their biases, quirks, and blindspots. Mary Robinette Kowal has created a story that makes Apollo-era space travel and the true-to-life characters that undertake it equally fascinating. ...more |
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Aug 31, 2018
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| 1524760374
| 9781524760373
| B077RG422Z
| 4.18
| 44,833
| Aug 21, 2018
| Aug 21, 2018
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it was amazing
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Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett We’ve been looking for a chance to blurb Robert Jackson Bennett’s fantasy novels since my assistants Peter and Is Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett We’ve been looking for a chance to blurb Robert Jackson Bennett’s fantasy novels since my assistants Peter and Isaac loved City of Stairs when it came out in 2014. Now we have our chance. Bennett’s new novel, Foundryside, releases on August 21st of this year, and it is quite a bit of fun. RJB filled The Divine Cities trilogy with unique world building, and I’ll be honest, the first chapter or two of Foundryside had me wondering if he’d abandoned that for a more-standard fantasy setting. Almost as quickly as I wondered that, intriguing things started happening, and I realized that this wasn’t going to be just another fantasy novel with all the trappings of every other fantasy novel. RJB wasn’t going to let me down. Foundryside follows the thief Sancia Grado, a very likable character with a mysterious past, magical abilities particularly useful for a thief, and a drive to get a job done and do it well. At the first of the book, she’s sent to steal something from a safe in what she thinks is a pretty straightforward job, albeit a difficult one. Once she finds out what she’s been asked to steal, then things really get cooking. RJB’s work reminds me a bit of China Mieville’s Bas-Lag novels, but RJB’s writing, while beautiful like Mieville's, is a lot more accessible. The story and writing is even more accessible in Foundryside without losing the things that made the Divine Cities series so fascinating, things like: intriguing characters wrestling with important questions. What are the consequences of tinkering with reality? What are the moral implications of doing so? Of course, along with important questions and moral implications, RJB manages to to do some really awesome and fun things with the magic system. For Writers Pay attention to RJB’s use of what I call the Grand Skill, which has come a long way since City of Stairs, whose dense first chapter hadn’t quite struck the right balance. In short, the Grand Skill is worldbuilding without readers knowing that you’re worldbuilding. In a limited third-person viewpoint, everything you see from a character’s eyes must evoke worldbuilding, plot, and character. How do you show character, setting, plot, and a magic system without telling the reader directly about all of these things? How do you let readers know things without explicitly stating them on the page? RJB can teach you a thing or two, certainly. Aside from a few infodumps about the magic system near the beginning of the book, Robert Jackson Bennett does an excellent job at building the Machiavellian city of Tevanne and the larger world through the viewpoints of a few main characters. Watch how he also meticulously expands the worldbuilding, rarely giving too much at one time, doling out information only as the reader needs it. And little by little the reader gets a more complete vision of the world and the characters in it. The Short Version Foundryside is the exciting beginning of a promising new epic fantasy series. Prepare for ancient mysteries, innovative magic, and heart-pounding heists. Rating Notes I would give this book a strong PG-13 rating. There are a few somewhat bloody descriptions of horrible deaths. They’re not dwelt on for particularly long, but sensitive readers might be turned off. There are also some euphemistic references to body parts and sex along with one sex scene seen from afar. It only lasts a few sentences, but it is a disturbing image even if it’s meant to villainize a certain character. As for language, there’s a lot of use of the so-called “s-word,” but otherwise the language is dialed down from much of RJB’s other work. For example, the F-word is not used, but is replaced with the word “scrum,” the meaning of which is explained so there’s no doubt as to its euphemistic meaning. Bias Notes Not only did we receive a copy of this book for free, but my assistants Isaac and Peter are already predisposed to like Robert’s books. ...more |
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Jul 19, 2018
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| 3.89
| 423
| Jun 20, 2017
| Jun 20, 2017
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it was amazing
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Christopher Husburg’s Dark Immolation (Chaos Queen Series) (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) Christopher is a student Christopher Husburg’s Dark Immolation (Chaos Queen Series) (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) Christopher is a student from my class at BYU who sold an epic fantasy series a few years back, using Sam Morgan as an agent (who, at the time, worked for my agent). So I was quite predisposed to like the book—though upon first reading, it didn’t hook me. It took a while for me to give the book another try—something I felt it deserved, as I hadn’t gotten too far before getting distracted by something else. That time, I got through the book and enjoyed it, though I wasn’t certain if it deserved a review on this page. Somewhat undecided, I asked Christopher to send me the second novel when it was finished, and I’m pleased to say that he’s grown quite a bit as a writer between novels. (As most of us often do, particularly early in our careers.) Having quite enjoyed the second book, I’m happy to recommend it to all of you. This is a series full of strong ideas, intriguing questions about morality, and solid writing—books I think will appeal to anyone who enjoys my epic fantasy. There isn’t a ton of action so some might find the books slow. But if you enjoy religion and political machinations as themes in fantasy—particularly in how these themes change characters—I think you’ll enjoy these novels. For Writers One of the things that originally dissatisfied me with the books was the fact that a lot of the worldbuilding was making use of well-worn tropes. This is a world with vampires, for example, and some standard fantasy worldbuilding when it comes to races and the look of the geography. As I read further, however, I noticed that Christopher was instead using that time to do what I always tell writers—focus your worldbuilding in the areas relevant to the characters. Christopher has spent a lot of his energy (and the words on the page) on the religions and politics of the world, along with the pasts of several of the characters. (Including one of the aforementioned vampires.) This leads to a story that avoids some of the biggest follies of fantasy worldbuilding, that of throwing everything and the kitchen sink onto the page and leaving the reader overwhelmed with infodumps. I think an aspiring writer can study these books as an excellent example of blending the familiar and the strange in a way that’s different from my personal approach. Though magic plays into the books, it often takes a back seat to interpersonal relationships. (I particularly like the journey of the sisters who are two of our primary main characters—though as I listened to the audiobooks, I’m not going to even try to spell their names.) The Short Version This is a thoughtful epic fantasy series that explores religion in an interesting way, and which has an impressive depth of characterization. Rating Notes Though the tone can be a little dark at times, I remember nothing that would be particularly offensive to readers. Bias Notes It’s hard to find a group I’m more biased toward than my students, so take that for what it’s worth. I was also given copies of these books in multiple formats for free. ...more |
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Jun 05, 2018
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| 1616962739
| 9781616962739
| 1616962739
| 3.55
| 1,134
| Nov 14, 2017
| Nov 14, 2017
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it was amazing
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The Emerald Circus (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) I’ve loved Jane Yolen’s writing since I was a youth. There’s some The Emerald Circus (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) I’ve loved Jane Yolen’s writing since I was a youth. There’s something delicious about the way she takes old tropes, myths, or fairy tales and does a compelling–yet often twisted–take on them. (Her book Dragon’s Blood, for example, is the classic “kid raises a dragon egg” story, except here he raises the dragon to compete in brutal cock-fighting-style contests.) In an era where “fairy tell retellings” have become hip and popular, Jane continues to show she’s a master of reimagining old stories with a new context. This collection (named after a story where Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz ended up in a circus instead of a fantasy world) is an excellent sampling of these stories. Often, they are about context. The story of the people who were there at Merlin’s birth, for example, or a fanciful story of how Hans Christian Anderson might have encountered one of the creatures from his tales. Lyrical, at times hilarious, and always poignant, this is the best short story collection I’ve read in years. It contains not one, but two nebula-award winning stories, and is being released on the year when Jane herself has been named a SFWA Grand Master. (The highest honor the science fiction community can bestow.) I can’t recommend this collection enough. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. It contains some of the best stories by one of the best writers of our time. For Writers Jane has an excellent sense for where to start and end a short story, as well as a way of looking beyond the average “retelling” of a folk tale. While I have nothing against many modern fairy tale retellings (and have enjoyed a number of them) it’s much harder (and, I feel, rewarding) to take a few extra steps when telling one of these stories. For example, a lot of modern day fairy tale retellings will do the story straight, but transpose the setting. (Robin Hood in space, or Beauty and the Beast as a Greek tragedy.) As you read this collection, pay close attention to the character Jane decides as the viewpoint character–it’s often not the one you would expect from a “quick and dirty” retelling. Yet, it creates an innate tension which Jane exploits, as in many cases, we know these stories–so the tale itself is not surprising. It’s the eyes we see it through, and how these perhaps side characters influence the tale, or are influenced by it themselves. What she leaves out is in many ways the most interesting part of this collection. I suggest trying to understand why she began, or ended, each story where she did–and why she often avoided the most obvious pieces. The Short Version This excellent collection reimagines folktales, fairy tales, and sometimes historical people in new and surprising light. It is a brilliant example of short-form storytelling by one of the treasures of the science fiction community. Rating Notes There are a few scenes that step up to the PG-13 line and look across, but none that get explicit. Bias Notes I was given a copy of this book free for review by a publisher who has also done some of my stories. (They know I’m a big fan of Jane’s work.) I’ve occasionally stood in line to get books signed by Jane Yolen, so I didn’t exactly start reading this book with no bias. ...more |
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Nov 08, 2017
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| 1484729234
| 9781484729236
| 1484729234
| 3.94
| 394
| Dec 06, 2016
| Dec 06, 2016
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it was amazing
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Jed and the Junkyard War (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) People tend to be interested in the books my students write Jed and the Junkyard War (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) People tend to be interested in the books my students write, as many of them share some of my storytelling philosophy with me. That’s certainly the case here, with Steven Bohls’ Jed and the Junkyard War, a middle grade fantasy with some excellent worldbuilding and some of the same whimsical narrative feel as the Alcatraz Books. Jed is a kid with a mysterious past and parents who push him to be a survivor. He ends up falling through the proverbial rabbit hole, and is sucked into a land coated in a deep layer of junk. Airships soar about, searching the junk for usable refuse, including the cans of food (apparently from our world) that can be found there. The whimsical worldbuilding is imaginative and flavorful, and is mixed with a steampunk setting with most everything being built from the junk in one way or another. (Including mechanical monsters that prowl the junkyard.) This place is somehow connected to Jed’s parents and their past, though Jed is going to wade deep through the broken world to find it. For Writers Two things stand out to me in the book. The first is the worldbuilding, which I mentioned above. I find that many books just aren’t audacious enough in their worldbuilding, and a middle grade fantasy is the perfect place for a story like this--which has some pretty evocative worldbuilding imagery. I tend to like fantasy the best when it’s exploiting some insane premise that could never fly in another genre. The other thing to look at here is the balance of danger and whimsy. This is something you don’t ordinarily find anywhere other than middle grade. Series like Harry Potter and the Series of Unfortunate Events are perfect examples--they contain these wonderful, even silly, worlds and somehow mix them with a real and present sense of danger and action. Jed and the Junkyard war is an extreme example on both counts. The junkyard is an outrageous premise, and is full of flying airship pirates. The prose itself is at times very still, poking at the borders of mocking just how ridiculous the story can get. At the same time, the dangers to Jed are real, even chilling at times. In an adult book, you rarely see this kind of a combination outside of something intended to be humorous. The Short Version A fun middle grade fantasy with an evocative setting and genuinely thrilling moments. Rating Notes Well below the PG-13 threshold. Bias Notes Steven was a student in my BYU university class a few years back, and as such, I’d say I’m quite biased toward his writing. He tends to beat me at Magic: the Gathering, though, so some day he deserves his comeuppance. (Note, for other former Sanderson students, check out Janci Lynn Patterson, Brian McClellan, Peggy Eddleman, Charlie N. Holmberg, and others I’m sure I’m forgetting and will have to edit in later.) ...more |
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Sep 27, 2017
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| B01ARJSYDI
| 4.11
| 17,768
| Oct 11, 2016
| Oct 11, 2016
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it was amazing
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Goldenhand (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) Anyone who hasn’t read Sabriel , the beginning of the Old Kingdom book Goldenhand (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) Anyone who hasn’t read Sabriel , the beginning of the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, is missing out. I consider reading it, during the years I was trying to break in, to be one of the fundamental experiences that helped me shape my philosophy on magic systems and worldbuilding. Needless to say, I love the magic and worldbuilding of these books—though perhaps someday I’ll do a review of Sabriel itself, and delve into what I love about the worldbuilding in these books. This review is about Goldenhand, a later installment (book five, I believe, though one of those is a prequel) in the series. I found it to be an excellent continuation. I’m impressed that Mr. Nix has kept my attention and excitement for the series over all these years, doling out new volumes carefully and expanding the magic system at a controlled rate. (And introducing new characters to become the new viewpoints as others close their arcs.) I feel he’s added good flourishes here and there to give the magic depth, but never let it spiral away from him, as was the potential at any given point. For Writers One highlight for me in this book involved Mr. Nix’s continued ability to introduce compelling characters with a variety of backgrounds. Pay attention to how he gives strong, but different, motives to the primary players—and how he quickly establishes those motives and keeps them central to each character’s through line. I also admire his ability to write a young adult series that is firmly secondary world fantasy, with challenging worldbuilding and politics, while still keeping the narrative focused on younger characters, maintaining the feel that this is correctly shelved in teen. I think the character motivations, the sense that these are people still searching for their exact place in the world, is part of what makes this work. Finally, I would suggest a study of Mr. Nix’s pacing methods. Sabriel was the first fantasy novel I can remember that used a more intense, “thriller style” method of pacing. (I see this in the works of Jim Butcher and Brent Weeks as well.) Notice how Mr. Nix writes this book to encompass a relatively short period of time, with constant motion and action. He uses frequent cuts between viewpoints to deemphasize downtime, increase tension, and propel the story. He also consistently employs small chapter-end hooks that are frequently resolved in the early pages of the next chapter, using them to bridge chapter (and character) breaks. I’m not always a fan of this style of cliffhanger, as it can wear thin by the end of a book, but they work very well with the format and structure of this book. The Short Version Here’s what I sent the publisher as a blurb for the book. “Garth Nix is one of the best worldbuilders in fantasy, and this book is merely further proof. I love the Old Kingdom series, and Goldenhand is an excellent continuation, packed with the excitement and passion of a storytelling virtuoso at the height of his abilities.” Highly recommended for anyone. Sabriel, the first in the series, is one of my go-to suggestions, as I feel it does a large number of things very well, and has a broad appeal for a wide variety of readers. Rating Notes I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning. Bias Notes I have met Mr. Nix several times at conventions, and we are on friendly terms. I received this book for free from his publisher, who was pursuing a cover blurb. ...more |
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Oct 05, 2016
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Oct 05, 2016
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| 1620142112
| 9781620142110
| 1620142112
| 3.69
| 1,643
| May 13, 2015
| May 13, 2015
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it was amazing
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Ink and Ashes (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) This excellent YA book sits carefully nestled between several genres. Ink and Ashes (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) This excellent YA book sits carefully nestled between several genres. The packaging lists it as a thriller, and that’s not a bad way to present it. The opening chapters focus more on mystery, by my definition, than thriller. (They are more about the characters discovering secrets than they are about people being in danger.) However, as the story escalates, it does move into thriller territory. However—and few books manage to pull this off as well as Ink and Ashes—it’s also a slice of life drama, mixing family dynamics, friendships, and romance. While many books use these themes as seasoning, I believe that Valynne successfully creates a straight-up hybrid. I was impressed by how well she balanced the growing tension with a girl struggling through day-to-day challenges. Often when someone tries this, one of the two (either the daily life or the mystery) ends up feeling perfunctory. Not so here, and I thoroughly enjoyed the blend. I can sincerely say this was one of the best books I’ve read this year, and might even be in the top spot. An artful blend of Japanese culture, solid mystery, interesting characters, and an excellent use of viewpoint. I particularly enjoyed how the writer turned a major trope—the single girl in a cast of mostly guys—on its head by making it a feature of the story. I highly recommend the book to anyone who likes Young Adult fiction. For Writers The first thing I’d highlight for you to examine is how Valynne juggles the genres, and expectations for them, as mentioned above. Pay attention to the solid mystery hook, followed by balancing family life, then the escalation of discovery into true danger. Valynne is very good with promises; watch how she eases the reader through the transitions between family/school life and the action scenes. I’d say the book’s second strong feature is its use of viewpoint. Many first-person narratives rely on snark from the protagonist to give them personality and make their narrative more engaging, but Valynne goes a different direction, making the character powerfully inquisitive, and reinforcing this with the careful use of questions, curiosity, and impulsiveness from the main character. Valynne is excellent in her use of emotion, and the scenes of tension in particular popped for me—I truly felt that I was in the head of someone who was on the brink of panic, trying to keep herself together. This was done through deft manipulation of the first-person (first-person immediate, as I often call it) narrative. Also pay attention to the pacing, which is very interesting in this novel. It occasionally uses thriller style (short chapters, end on a moment of tension or cliffhanger that you resolve quickly in the next chapter) but often mixes more of a mystery style (end with a tease about a cool secret or clue to pull the reader along) and more of a traditional style (full arc within a chapter, ending on a short bit of falling action to give closure to issues raised early in the chapter). These help with the transition between action and drama, and vary the storytelling style to allow payoffs and different types of subplots to play out. The Short Version An excellent, fast-paced YA mystery/thriller with an engaging character narrative and a nice mix of action, romance, and family drama. Rating Notes I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning. Bias Notes I’m very good friends with the author’s editor, Stacy Whitman at Tu Books. ...more |
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Sep 26, 2016
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| 0765378256
| 9780765378255
| 0765378256
| 3.86
| 4,572
| Aug 16, 2016
| Aug 16, 2016
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it was amazing
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(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads Policy, please see here.) This engaging, standalone novel is part historical fiction, part supernatural thril (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads Policy, please see here.) This engaging, standalone novel is part historical fiction, part supernatural thriller. It’s mostly a spy story told through the eyes of a spiritualist in an alternate-history World War I setting where ghosts are real. Ginger is part of the “Spirit Corps,” a group of women who takes reports from the ghosts of dead soldiers, who check in once they have died on the front lines. It’s exactly the sort of premise that I love. A “real world” application of a magical concept. If ghosts were real, it seems obvious that the military would find a way to make use of them—and this book walks that line very well. The ghosts aren’t superspies; instead, common men are given a special training that will compel their ghosts to travel to a special place, to give what information they can on their situation when they die. As I said, it’s mostly a spy story, told though the unlikely eyes of a woman with no training in espionage—but who uncovers a plot involving British officers. She has to use her wits, her connection to the spirit world, and the temporary ghosts of the dead as her tools to uncover the plot. Anything more, I’m afraid, is a spoiler. The book is powerful, laden with emotion, and smartly written. At places, it’s a punch to the gut. But in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and think that most readers would find it a quick—if heart-wrenching—read. If for some reason you haven’t discovered Mary’s writing yet, this is an excellent place to start and is a showpiece for her considerable talent. For Writers Mary is excellent with prose, better than almost any writer I review. She is marvelous with the little turns of phrase and subtle use of language that create evocative writing. She doesn’t lay it on thick, though. I’d suggest that a writer could learn a lot watching how she uses description or emotion in just the right place to be poignant, without being purple. (Her descriptions of ghosts are a great place to watch for this, as are her uses of viewpoint description to introduce a scene.) What I like about it is that it’s still very functional prose—this isn’t a book that will scream LITERARY FICTION at you. But it is beautiful in its subtle details. Another thing to watch is Mary’s small reversals of scene, which create tension in the reader by upending their expectations. She does this on the microcosm. In one scene you’ll dislike a character, and in another you’ll realize you were being unfair. In one scene you’ll think you know what is coming, and get lulled into complacency—and then by the end of the scene you’ll realize you’ve had those expectations subverted. Again, what is interesting about Mary’s use of these little reversals is that they’re not ostentatious. These aren’t enormous plot twists at every turn; instead, these are the little engagements that keep you interested in reading, page by page. I suggest watching how she subtly plays with these expectations, then practicing these techniques in your own writing. The Short Version A powerful, fast historical war fantasy about women who can comfort, interrogate, and even (at times) command the ghosts of dead soldiers. Rating Notes I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning, though it does deal a lot with death. (As one might expect from the subject matter.) Bias Notes I’m incredibly biased toward Mary’s work. She’s a good friend, and has been a cohost with me on Writing Excuses for many years. ...more |
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Aug 30, 2016
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| 0765335492
| 9780765335494
| 0765335492
| 3.51
| 2,548
| Oct 14, 2014
| Oct 14, 2014
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(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) I blurbed a book! I know, I know. That doesn’t happen very often these days, but Su (Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.) I blurbed a book! I know, I know. That doesn’t happen very often these days, but Susan, my YA editor at Tor, approached me with a project she is very excited and passionate about: The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp. And after reading it, I have to highly recommend it—Susan has discovered a gem. From the back of the book: In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales. We’ve seen the story of the servant taking up the master’s mantle before. But the twist caught my attention. Kind of like becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts, only you didn’t mean to, and now all England is looking to put you in prison for the crimes your master committed. Something in between The Princess Bride and The Fugitive with the charm of Stardust and the snark of Terry Pratchett—if he wrote Robert Louis Stevenson fan fiction. The Accidental Highwayman should be judged on its own merits, of course, but comparing it to those books and authors is the best way to give you the feel of this novel in a way that will catch the attention of those readers who will enjoy it the most. At the beginning of the book, author Ben Tripp purports only to be the editor of notes he found in a chest belonging to one of his ancestors. The story begins in an affected voice meant to sound like something from the eighteenth century, but laced with enough humor and snark that you feel the author is subtly looking at you from behind the words and shooting you an anachronistic wink. Tripp has mastered the balancing act of making the prose sound archaic while at the same time being palatable to modern readers. Take a gander at Tripp’s website—you can tell he’s something of a character. So, yes, I recommend this book. Like I said to my editor, The Accidental Highwayman is “Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” Take a look at what other reviewers have said: “Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their ‘opposites attract’ romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot.... Fantasy readers, especially fans of Catherynne Valente’s work, will enjoy the author’s elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review Want to check out an excerpt? The first two chapters are on Amazon's "Look Inside" feature, and you can read chapters three through eight on Tor.com ...more |
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| 0756404738
| 9780756404734
| 0756404738
| 4.55
| 571,775
| Mar 01, 2011
| Mar 01, 2011
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(This review is from 2011.) In case you haven’t heard, today is the release day of the long-awaited sequel to The Name of the Wind , a delightful de (This review is from 2011.) In case you haven’t heard, today is the release day of the long-awaited sequel to The Name of the Wind , a delightful debut fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss. I’ve had the privilege of reading the book, so I thought I’d post a heads-up here for those of you who read my blog, along with a review. (Of sorts.) Also, a reminder, I did an interview with Pat (and he kind of interviewed me back) for Amazon. You can read it at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html... PART ONE: A REVIEW OF THE WISE MAN’S FEAR All right, so the review of Wise Man’s Fear will focus on one question: Is it as good as the first? The answer is . . . yes, and I feel that it’s quite a bit better. (That is saying a lot.) There’s the review. I figure that those of you reading this blog will either: 1. Have read Name of the Wind and liked it, so that review should be more than enough for you. 2. Have read Name of the Wind and didn’t like it. If so, I respect your opinion, even though you’re obviously a crazy person. 3. Haven’t yet read Name of the Wind, so giving you an extensive review of the second book would really just be a big confusing spoiler. PART TWO: GO BUY IT This is a very, very good book. If you liked the first, might I suggest that you go out and purchase yourself a copy this week? Pat may not mention it himself, but first-week sales are very helpful in giving a book good momentum. It will determine how long the book stays on shelves, how good its placement is in weeks to come, and how aggressively the sequel will be ordered by bookstores. As I always state for my own books, if you’re not a hardcover buyer, don’t feel guilty not going out to get it—as authors, we like you to consume books as you prefer to consume them. Library, hardcover, ebook, paperback . . . your call. However, if you are intending to read Wise Man’s Fear in hardcover, buying it early rather than late is always a nice sign for the author. Also, I’ve got a selfish reason for wanting Pat to sell well. I’d very much like to have a nice, friendly rivalry going with the chap. The Way of Kings hit #7 on the New York Times list. If Pat can hit in the top five with this book, it will give me something to shoot for. (Honestly, I’m hoping he hits #1. It’s well within the realm of possibility for this book, and he deserves it. It will help the entire genre if this book sells well, as it will prove that big epic fantasy books by newer authors are still viable, and will also prove that excellence will be rewarded by the readership.) PART THREE: A LONGER REVIEW (KIND OF) Okay, so, I’m off on a tangent again. Let’s bring this back into focus. I’m going to assume that some of you haven’t read Name of the Wind yet. I often suggest it to people; it’s become—alongside Tigana, The Eye of the World, and Dragonsbane—one of my top recommendations for fantasy readers. Often, however, people ask why they should read the book. Why do I recommend it? Because it’s awesome. Why is it awesome? This often stops me. Why is Pat’s writing awesome? Well, the books have an absolutely wonderful magic system. One part science, one part historical pseudoscience, one part magical wonder. It’s the type of magic system that I’m always delighted to read, and ranks among my favorites in fantasy literature. But that alone doesn’t describe why the books are awesome. In many ways, Name of the Wind is like an old, familiar coat. A young man orphaned at a young age. Time spent on the streets living as a thief and a street rat. A wizards’ school. Those who have not liked the book have often complained about the familiar tropes. What I love about how Pat uses these tropes, however, is the realism he strives to impart. I view this story like a Batman Begins-type realism reboot of many classic fantasy tropes. We get to hear the legends of Kvothe, then read the truth, and make the connections of how things spiraled from realistic to fantastic. The way Pat does this is genius. In some places, you can barely pick out the tropes he is using—after one sequence in Wise Man’s Fear, I found myself laughing uproariously as I realized the mythological foundation for the sequence. There are familiar tropes, but they’re taken and made so new and fresh that you have to peer through several layers of silk to see them for what they are. In other cases, there is delightful originality. Those things, however, also fail to describe why the books are awesome. Kvothe is a very compelling hero, very classical in that he’s widely accomplished yet marred by a single dominating flaw. (In this case, his temper.) He is witty, charming, and so wonderfully capable that he’s a delight to read about. (Particularly following much of the current fiction I’ve read, which seems to take the utmost pains to make certain I don’t like anyone I’m reading about.) He’s noble, yet brash, and is clever, but inexperienced. (Which makes him dense on occasion.) He lives. But even that is not what truly makes these books awesome. In the end, I think that if I distill why I’ve loved these books so much more than others, it’s because of this: They’re beautiful. Wise Man’s Fear is a beautiful book to read. Masterful prose, a sense of cohesion to the storytelling, a wonderful sense of pacing . . . None of that is the reason for the awesomeness any more than a single dab of paint is the reason why a Monet is a thing of wonder. But if you step back to look and digest the piece as a whole—not thinking too much about the parts—you are left with a sense of awe. There is a beauty to Pat’s writing that defies description. Perhaps if Kvothe were here, he could write an appropriate song that would capture it. Brandon p.s. As this is of note to many of those in my audience, I feel that I should mention that this book contains a fair bit more sex than the previous volume did. Pat avoids graphic details, but there are events in the latter half of the book that some readers may find discomforting. ...more |
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| 3.73
| 743
| May 01, 2006
| May 01, 2006
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(This review is from 2007.) A friend of mine likes to complain about manga (no, this book isn’t manga, but stay with me.) He says that all of the plots (This review is from 2007.) A friend of mine likes to complain about manga (no, this book isn’t manga, but stay with me.) He says that all of the plots are the same because they all seem to take place in some high school setting, plus some wacky concept. It’s ninjas in high school, or aliens in high school, or robots in high school, etc. At first, when he’d say this, I’d nod my head—it does seem like a lot of those mangas take place in the same setting. Why don’t they get original already? Then I started reading young adult literature a little bit more. Eventually, I ended up writing a young adult book (only to later find that I’d written middle grade, but that’s another story). I’m still interested in the genre, as it didn’t ‘exist’ when I was a young adult. (Or, it did, but it wasn’t considered it’s own genre—there was only the adult section and the children’s section, no specific teen section.) The more I read, the more I understood why so many books and graphic novels in this genre take place in schools. It’s because that is where the conflict is for their readership. It’s not unoriginal to set a book for high school students in a high school—any more than it would be unoriginal to have epic fantasy characters have jobs. Why do I say this? Well, you may have noticed on the blog that I’ve been reading a book called Doppelganger recently. It’s a dark urban (i.e. horror) fantasy book about a shapshifter. Who goes to high school. That’s the plot, in a nutshell—but, that doesn’t really describe how good this book is. It’s about a creature who has to kill humans and take their shapes. It’s built into him; it’s what his race does. Yet, this one is brand new at it, having just reached his maturity. At sixteen, he makes his first few kills, and unwittingly ends up in the life of a troubled teen with a terrible home life and a whole ton of conflict. He has to take over being the star player of the local football team, and step into the shoes of what everyone thinks is the guy who had the perfect life. Only, that doesn’t take into account the abusive father (who is surprisingly well drawn and sympathetic), the girlfriend who secretly hates him (and whom the doppelganger finds himself coming to love), and the doppelganger’s own guilt at having killed a man he feels didn’t deserve it. The book is awesome. It explores what it is to be human, and what it is to not be human. It’s told with a very strong first-person viewpoint, the narrative of the monster himself, as he deals with what he’s driven to do—and struggles to understand the lives of the humans around him even as he imitates one of them. It’s beautiful at times, poignant at times, and very well paced. The middle is stronger than the end, but the whole thing is extremely well written and compelling. So, I recommend it. If you’ve read my reviews here before, you’ll know that I don’t tend to write reviews about the books I don't like. I figure that as a professional courtesy, I don’t need to give bad publicity to the books I didn’t enjoy, and instead prefer to focus on giving good publicity to those that I do. This book, from what I’ve heard, hasn’t gotten the buzz and attention it deserves. And, even if it has, it deserves more. Give it a read, if you get the chance. ...more |
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| 188896314X
| 4.45
| 37,320
| Jan 01, 1991
| 2004
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(This review is from 2006.) I haven’t done a review for a while, so I thought I’d do something a little bit different. A week or so back, a friend loan (This review is from 2006.) I haven’t done a review for a while, so I thought I’d do something a little bit different. A week or so back, a friend loaned me the complete BONE graphic novel. This is one I’ve been wanting to read for a while. Not only have I done very little reading in the graphic novel genre, but I’ve heard a lot of very good things about this one. I remember a friend reading issues from the then-serialized comic back during my freshman year of college. It was something of an underground hit that went mainstream, and all of the issues—some ten years worth, or 1300 pages—were released in a single volume a couple of years back. It’s a very interesting read. It’s something of a cross between an old Loony Tunes cartoon and a serious, epic fantasy novel. It’s about a group of three ‘Bones’ from ‘Boneville’ who get lost and end up in a kingdom far from home, then get caught up in an epic struggle between good and evil. It owes a lot to The Lord of the Rings. However, much of the writing is excellent, and there’s some fairly decent original worldbuilding. This is fascinating for me, because these are things that I don’t immediately associate with comic books. I know that I’m not doing them justice—and I’m sure there are lots of very excellent ones out there. However, I was surprised to read one that felt so much like a traditional epic fantasy, all be it one with three cartoony characters mixed in with the rest of the medieval-style fantasy cast. I felt that the story broke down a tad near the ending. There were a couple of points where the plotting seemed forced, and I have quibbles with the resolution of a few climaxes. However, I find I must give a great amount of credit to the author—an independent artist named Jeff Smith. He not only did this virtually on his own, but managed to release something serialized that he could never change, had to plot and pace over ten years time, and had to bring together into one massive story at the end. The restraints of the medium considered, he did an excellent job. There’s a good mixture of humor, pacing, and action—even if the character arcs of most of the characters are a tad weak. All and all, I can see why this has been named as one of the top ten graphic novels of our time. ...more |
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| 0061092193
| 4.41
| 103,962
| 1993
| May 27, 2003
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(This review is from 2006.) All right, the short of it is I really liked the book. The long of it is, I’m very annoyed at Terry. Those of you who have b (This review is from 2006.) All right, the short of it is I really liked the book. The long of it is, I’m very annoyed at Terry. Those of you who have been following things here know that I just sold the Alcatraz books to Scholastic. They’re essentially humorous fantasy—evil librarians running the world and all that. I wrote them because I was a little frustrated at the market. I could find funny books (Snicket) and I could find books with good worldbuilding (Pullman) and I could find books with clever pacing and plotting (Rowling). What I couldn’t find was a series that had both amusing text AND engaging characters. They all seemed to sacrifice one for the other—which is fine. After all, Douglas Adams didn’t give much of a hoot for compelling characters, and look where he went. Still, I wanted something with both. And, as it turns out, I happen to write books for a living. Hence, the ALCATRAZ books were born. Turns out that Terry has been doing this for years. At least, he has been if Men at Arms is a good example. (Note—I realized all of my examples above were YA, and this is adult, but if you can’t make a forced metaphor once in a while, then what’s the good of having a literary license in the first place?) Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the book—perhaps as much as everyone told me that I would. Now, my Pratchett experience is limited. I tried The Color of Magic when I was younger (I’ve since learned that it is a poor representation of the series) and have read Good Omens (which was brilliant, and which ultimately led me to give Discworld another go.) I guess the reason I liked Men at Arms was that balance. It was funny—and not in a cheap way either. It was funny in a clever, scholarly, satire sort of way, with an occasional bad pun or lowbrow shot to keep you on your toes. But, somehow, Pratchett still managed to make me care a great deal about his characters. (Thereby stealing my great, wonderfully original idea for the ALCATRAZ books—that of giving people character arcs.) How well Terry did this is still a little dumbfounding to me. All of his characters seemed pretty single-sided at the beginning. And, they didn’t really get that much deeper as the story progressed. Yet, they became irresistible. Good tension in books is based, in my opinion, on making the reader care about the characters. Any book will feel fast paced if the characters are in danger. And, Terry is obviously a very good craftsman, with excellent pacing beyond his character drama. So, anyway, it’s a fine book. If you, like me, have been living in a hole and ignoring Pratchett, then this is a good one with which to start. ...more |
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| 1416928170
| 9781416928171
| 1416928170
| 3.89
| 69,117
| Mar 01, 1979
| May 05, 2010
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(This review is from 2004.) Since it’s Halloween, I thought I’d talk about something frightening: Bunnies. Vampire bunnies. Ninja vampire bunnies. Okay (This review is from 2004.) Since it’s Halloween, I thought I’d talk about something frightening: Bunnies. Vampire bunnies. Ninja vampire bunnies. Okay, so, maybe not that ninja part. But definitely vampire bunnies—one in particular. So, my roommate (Mr. “I’m not in there!” from the other week) was recently given a collection of young adult books as a birthday present. Most of the stack didn’t interest me, but I did notice one specific volume in the pile. I remember reading Bunnicula as a child, and it very well could have been my first genre fiction book ever. So, intrigued about how I would regard the experience as an adult, I sat down one evening to give the novel another read. I came out of it with two impressions. First, that is one amazingly fun book. Second, that is one amazingly short book. On the second point, it turns out that I’m older now—and I’m used to stories that take a little bit longer to tell. It’s pretty amazing how few words they managed to pack into so many pages. (It’s around a hundred, give or take, depending on your edition.) It’s short. It has chapters, true, but they’re. . .well, more like extended paragraphs. I was through the book before I knew what had happened. Part of that, however, was due to sheer enjoyment. Often times, when I look back at things I enjoyed as a child, I find that I displayed an embarrassing lack of discerning taste. (G.I. Joe—or pretty much any cartoon I watched—makes a fine example.) Bunnicula, however, was a delightful read—both because of how fun it was, and because it proves that I at least had good taste in books when I was young. (Even if my TV habits were deplorable.) Anyway, about the book itself. Aspiring writers, take note—there are a wealth of lessons to be learned from this humble story. First off, it has an interesting premise. A normal family discovers a mysterious pet bunny abandoned in a movie theater—a bunny that turns out to have belonged to Dracula, and how goes out during the night to hunt vegetables and drain their ‘blood.’ Amusing, perhaps a bit farcical—however, the authors manage to mix this potentially-ridiculous idea with some solid storytelling. The book is told from the viewpoint of the family’s pet dog, a creature with a healthy dose of personality and an interesting narrative style. That means we have both a clever premise, a strong character, and a unique viewpoint. Mix with that a solid mystery plot—why are these white vegetables appearing around the house, and why does that bunny look so downright evil?—and you have a book that will hold its own against pretty much anything you throw at it. I know a lot of modern fantasy novels that could learn a few things from Bunnicula. So, I recommend that you give the book a read, if you haven’t already. It’s fun, quick, and could probably teach you a few things. And, if you did read the book as a child, it might be an interesting experience to pick it up—like I did—and see how your childhood memories compare to your adult observations. ...more |
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| 0553586246
| 9780553586244
| 0553586246
| 3.79
| 2,501
| Oct 2003
| Nov 23, 2004
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(This review is from 2004.) One Sentence Synopsis: A female soldier assigned as the new security captain for a problematic world has to investigate the (This review is from 2004.) One Sentence Synopsis: A female soldier assigned as the new security captain for a problematic world has to investigate the death of a famous scientist and recover her lost notes before they fall into the wrong hands. Genre: Post-cyberpunk murder-mystery with an edge of hard science and a lot of political intrigue. Continuity: Completely standalone, though there is sequel potential. Content: This one isn’t for the kiddies. It has references to sexuality—though it never gets graphic—and same-sex relationships are not considered abnormal. It is also sprinkled with swearing, depending on the character speaking. Review: This is a great book. It actually sat on my shelf for the better part of a year—I’m not as big into SF as I am fantasy. Not because of any real dislike for SF; it’s just that if I’m going to read genre, I might as well read the genre that I publish in so that I can keep up on what my peers are doing. Two things made me finally pick up the novel. First, I noticed that ChrisChris was up for the Campbell this year. (That’s the ‘best new SF writer’ award given away with the Hugos.) Secondly, I noticed that Chris had been put on the panel I was going to moderate at Worldcon. (The ‘morality and the writer’ panel. Ironically, I finished the book, but Chris had some other conflict and had to drop out of that panel.) Either way, I’m glad I picked the book up. It really does deserve the praise it’s been getting. While in some ways it feels like a first novel (I’ll get to those later) it has some very strong points (which I’ll also get to later). The story is that of Catherine Li, a UN Peacekeeper and commander of a small-unit assault team. Near the beginning of the book, one of her missions goes wrong, and this puts her in political hot water. One of the generals pulls her out—or perhaps fans the flames—and promises Li that if she does one favor, her mistakes will be forgiven. That favor—travel to the world called Compson’s World and investigate the death of the woman who discovered FTL travel. This plot, on its own, isn’t actually all that original. It goes through the motions of a murder mystery—a good one, admittedly, but not one with any real fantastic discoveries or plot revelations. The real genius in this book is not in plot, or even in character, but in worldbuilding. Moriarty (you’ve gotta love that name for a writer) crafts an amazingly original and interesting post-cyberpunk world. I can’t possibly go into all of the interesting elements of the setting, but I’ll try and give a few. Li is completely hardwired. She always has access to the net, and to GPS. She always knows where she is, and whenever she looks at someone, she can download everything the databases know about them. There’s a cyberpunk virtual world set overlaying the real world as well, so she can pretty much travel anywhere anytime she wants—she just can’t go there physically. On top of this setting, there’s the mechanics of FTL. Doing FTL jumps causes your memory to degrade. So, soldiers like Li keep their memory backed-up on hard disks set into their heads. After jumping, they download their memories and restore who they used to be. Like any great setting, the true brilliance of the novel comes not in simply thinking up original concepts, but in integrating them. The themes of memory loss, of ghostly memories resurfacing, and of net-hookup dependence play a vital role in the progression of the characters, and in the workings of the plot. This seamless integration of plot and world is what makes the book such a great read, and is what kept me fascinated all the way to the end. Moriarty considered the ramifications of the various different elements she’d introduced—for instance, Li wonders how much she can really trust her hard memory, since her UN supervisors have access to it. They could have rewritten anything into her past that they want, and she’d never know that the events weren’t true. Now, there are a few weaknesses to Moriarty’s execution. First off, her descriptions are a bit weak. This grows especially problematic with the cyberspace aspect of the novel, since sometimes it’s very difficult to understand which characters are actually present, and which are only digitally present. I would have liked to have ‘seen’ a bit more throughout the entire novel. In addition, I did have some trouble latching onto Li as a character. Part of this was the memory dump problems, and part of it was because she didn’t come off as very sympathetic near the beginning of the book. I think this problem, however, may be more inherent to my preference for fantasy—that genre tends to spend a lot more time establishing character, and focusing on sympathetic characterization, than contemporary SF does. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. If you can deal with some profanity and mild sexuality, then I recommend it. Specific criticisms: Setting: Great setting elements, as discussed above. Compson’s World is also interesting, in that it’s a futuristic version of a coal-mining town. (In order to use FTL, you need crystals that are found in coal strains on Compson’s World. That is the only place they are found, and they can’t be produced synthetically—and they can’t be mined with heavy equipment, or they’ll break. So, you have a big group of oppressed miners who spend their lives in the mines.) Originality: Great originality in some of the world elements. I do think that the Compson’s World idea is simply a re-imagining of Dune and its Spice, and the plot itself didn’t feel extremely original. However, this book definitely falls in the ‘new’ category, rather than the ‘rehashed’ category. Characterization: Two fairly strong characters. (One an AI, who is probably the most interesting in the novel.) Some trouble with Li as a sympathetic character at the beginning, but nothing major. The book does get into some strong explorations of Li as a character, her motivations, and her past—and these are the things that carry the second half of the novel. Plotting: Good without being great. Enough plot twists to keep things interesting, and some very good storytelling. The end climax wasn’t spectacular—a little ambiguous in places, a little too obvious in places—but it certainly was entertaining. Fantastic Elements: Explained above. A very well done post-cyberpunk world. Those of you who like military SF and hard SF will probably also enjoy the book’s hard edge. I think there is a strong measure of military-grittiness to the book, as well as a good focus on the science. (It includes an extensive bibliography.) ...more |
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| 9780765348081
| 076534808X
| 4.09
| 4,631
| Apr 2004
| Apr 01, 2005
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(This review was written in 2004.) I read my first L.E. Modesitt Jr. book back in the early nineties, right around the same time Robert Jordan was gett (This review was written in 2004.) I read my first L.E. Modesitt Jr. book back in the early nineties, right around the same time Robert Jordan was getting popular. My first thought, upon seeing The Magic of Recluce, was that Modesitt looked like a Jordan clone. He had the same cover artist, same publisher, and same general “feel.” I read the book, and found it interesting, but wasn’t overwhelmed. During the next ten years, however, I grew increasingly impressed with Modesitt as a writer. He took a different route from Jordan—instead of letting his series become increasingly bloated, he followed a more Anne McCaffrey series paradigm. While there are some fifteen Recluce books out now, many of them are stand-alones, and those that have continuing characters are formed into sub-series set within the world. Modesitt has written consistently and professionally, proving to his readers that he deserves their trust. Wellspring is the latest in the Recluce series. It takes place some number of years after the last sub-series, and stands completely on its own, not requiring any previous—or further—reading in the world to enjoy. The book represents one of the directions I think that fantasy should go in the future. It isn’t about the end of the world or a traditional quest—it is the story of a person, a single viewpoint character, struggling to make his way in a fully-realized fantasy world. This character—Kharl—shares some characteristics with a traditional fantasy hero. He begins the story relatively low in the social hierarchy. (He’s a cooper.) He has latent magical abilities that he doesn’t realize, and the progression of the story will require him to leave his comfortable home in search of who he truly is. At the same time, however, he is a very original character for a fantasy story. Not a young man by any means, Kharl is presented as a simple family man. His search to “find himself” feels far less like a quest than it does a realistic presentation of a man cast out of house and home, trying to make his way as best he can and deal with events that threaten to completely overwhelm him. One of Modesitt’s strengths is the detail he includes in his writing. He knows this world, and he gives us the sense that he also knows what it is like to be a cooper. This is the kind of book that could really only have been written following several large series set in the same setting, for while it doesn’t seem to really advance any major world-based issues (except, perhaps, for some sections at the very end) it does draw upon a world that has been developed and expanded over a decade’s time. The book isn’t groundbreaking, and it does have a few problems. This book presents somewhat simplified view of good and evil—order mages are good, chaos mages are bad. Other Recluse books are far more interesting in the way that they deal with good/evil. In this book, however, anything that is destructive—from a person with an angry temperament, to weapon that has a flaw in its forging—emanates chaos to those who can see it. This sense is exacerbated by Kharl’s simple, ‘honest craftsman’ temperament. Though he struggles with his purpose and his situation, Kharl is a remarkably good man who just doesn’t have to bother with moral struggles. Everything is very black and white (though, of course, in Recluce black means Order and white means Chaos.) The book does tend to meander a bit, without a clear sense of purpose, though in this particular case I’m willing to forgive this as a quirk rather than a detraction. The wandering plot adds to the feel of Kharl’s struggle. Modesitt’s writing is very good on the paragraph-by-paragraph level, and that makes the short chapters move very quickly and interestingly. I do think the book could have been served by a 10–15% cut, as some of the sections felt even more unconnected than the rest. However, it was a good read overall, and it was nice to enjoy something that was simply a product of a master writer telling a fine story. ...more |
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