Captain America: The Chosen by David Morrell

Captain America: The Chosen by David Morrell

Before I get to the Captain America gushing, I need to get this out of the way. I don’t like the setting for this. No, I’m okay with the war environment, but I didn’t like that it specifically had to be Afghanistan and Al Qaeda related with the 9/11 references. That felt, in my opinion, felt like a cheap sympathy grab on Marvel’s part, making it feel more like an US versus THEM problem, which can distract from what I felt was the true message of this story.

This story is mostly told from the POV of James Newman, a young soldier serving in the United States military. He wants to help his country and the country he’s fighting in, but he’s no longer sure how to help when he can’t distinguish those who need help from those he needs to fight. He misses his wife and infant son. And he’s also becoming jaded toward fear because he’s living in a constant state of fear. During a fight, Captain America shows up on the battlefield and “helps” Newman to save some of his squad. The only problem? No one else saw Cap. In fact, he’s many miles away dying.

Wendy's book haul

Damn you Amazon and your cursed One-Click Buy button! I wasn't going to make a book haul post this week, but after purchasing three books, on top of the trip to the library, comic book courses and groups and  a galley or two, I think the pile beside my bed more than warrants one!

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
This one is for the LeVar's Rainbow Book Club for April.

Agent to the Stars is a gleeful mash-up of science fiction and Hollywood satire from acclaimed novelist John Scalzi (Old Man's War), a film critic since 1991 and author of The Rough Guide to Science Fiction Film. It's a whole new look at alien encounters -- and a view of Tinseltown you've never seen before.

The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks
Second in the Genesis of Shanarra series, this book was sitting on the library shelves, calling to me...

Across the ruined landscape that is America–hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life–two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as “the gypsy morph,” who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight–a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void.

Another by Yukito Ayatsuji
The cover for this book intrigued me. I became more interested when I discovered that the book apparently comes from a manga of the same name.
In the spring of 1998, Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to Yomiyama North Middle School. In class, he develops a sense of unease as he notices that the people around him act like they're walking on eggshells, and students and teachers alike seem frightened. As a chain of horrific deaths begin to unfold around him, he comes to discover that he has been placed in the cursed Class 3 in which the student body head count is always one more than expected. Class 3 is haunted by a vengeful spirit responsible for gruesome deaths in an effort to satisfy its spite. To stop the vicious cycle gripping his new school, Kouichi decides to get to the bottom of the curse, but is he prepared for the horror that lies ahead...?

Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore
The Gender through Comic Books course starts this week and this series is part the curriculum.

Katchoo is a beautiful young woman living a quiet life with everything going for her. She's smart, independent and very much in love with her best friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo's heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo's former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine. This is the first edition in the series - don't miss it

The Kinshield Saga by K.C. May
On sale for a mere $1.01 at Amazon, how could I resist?

A mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems has sat abandoned in a cave for two hundred years. The kingdom is in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. But then, the gems in the tablet, one by one, disappear.

Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. He's the one deciphering the runes in the tablet. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he'll be Thendylath's next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, champion to King Arek, confessing the truth of how the king perished... a letter he must earn by tracking down a common thief.

But when Gavin saves a woman's life, what should have been a simple task draws him face-to-face with his nightmarish past... and the truth of King Arek's demise.

Well of the Damned by K.C. May
I couldn't very well buy #1 and 2 without buying the third for $2.04 more.

A former member of an elite battlers' guild, Cirang Deathsblade has a dark past. She sits in gaol, awaiting the new king's sentence for her terrible crimes... but she's not who he thinks she is.

In exchange for leniency, Cirang leads King Gavin to a centuries-old, hidden journal that holds the secrets of ancient kings and a magical wellspring with its own dark past... and an even more terrible future.

All the Paths of Shadow by Frank Tuttle

Amazon wouldn't let me leave with only two purchases. Amazon thought I might like this book too.

The king’s orders were clear enough. “Move the tower’s shadow,” he bellowed. “I refuse to deliver my commencement speech from the dark.”

As the newly appointed mage to the Crown of Tirlin, Meralda Ovis has no choice but to undertake King Yvin’s ill-conceived task. Tirlin’s first female mage, and the youngest person to ever don the robes of office, Meralda is determined to prove once and for all that she deserves the title. The Tower, though, holds ancient secrets all its own. Secrets that will soon spell destruction for all of Tirlin—unless Meralda can unravel a monstrous curse laid by a legendary villain seven centuries before she was born.

Daytripper by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá

Daytripper by Fábio Moon

"This is a story about life."

That is one of the taglines for this book and it became my initial review because I could find no other words to express how I felt after closing the final chapter. I could not stop the tears and even as I'm writing this months later, I find myself welling up again.

Brás de Oliva Domingos is the son of a famous Brazilian author, who wishes to become a famous author himself, even as he tries to avoid his father's shadow. Brás works for the local newspaper, writing obituaries, highlighting the important moments in the lives of people who never knew. But what about his own life? What are the most important moments in his life? Was it his miraculous birth? A first kiss? Has his life truly begun yet?

What if?

Each chapter is a page out of Brás' life, a time where one decision was made instead of another and the consequences that follow. Each chapter ends in someone writing his obituary after the events play out. The first time it happens, it was shocking, but as the chapters progressed, knowing what was to come, my heart would fill with trepidation and I would find myself hoping...just hoping.... Until the final chapter's bittersweet release.

I really don't want to say anymore without spoiling the story because I feel this book is an emotional experience a reader has to go through for themselves. And when you are done, ask yourself:

"What are the most important days of your life?"

5 of 5 stars

New Dragon Age novel in the works for 2014

Tor books just announced the fourth book in the series based on Bioware's RPG, Dragon Age. My excitement over this announcement surprises me because, since Dragon Age 2, I've been skeptical about Bioware's focus in the series. However, the movie Dawn of the Seeker, wasn't as bad as I feared, solidifying the series' move away from Darkspawn and Blights, and firmly settling down with its mage/templar conflict.

I truly fell in love with gaming after playing Bioware's RPGs, Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age. From there, I've branched into reading their tie-in books and comics. Why? Because Bioware does such a fantastic job on their characters that I hunger to learn more about them. This book promises more of that fantastic characterization, focusing on Empress Celene as she struggles to maintain her throne - a common theme in the series. The mage/templar war continues with the added drama of an elf uprising, all taking place within Orlais, the land we've heard much about, but have only had glimpses of. The book will be released in April 2014 after the 2013 fall release of Dragon Age III: Inquisition.

FanArt: Game of Thrones

Season 3 of HBO's Game of Thrones starts this Sunday and I am super excited! To celebrate, here's a post of a sketch I once did of our favorite Master of Coin from the smallest of the Fingers, portrayed by the talented Aidan Gillen. Enjoy!

 Littlefinger by Mogsy

From A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot in the US) by Ben Aaronovitch

I didn't even get past a quarter of the way through this book before I thought to myself, "Okay, this one is totally going on my 'favorites' shelf." In a word, it was fun. So, so fun. I really can't think of any other book in recent memory that has made me laugh out loud so much.

It definitely helps if you're a fan of the kind of paranormal action-adventures by Jim Butcher or similar authors, but somehow, I think even non-readers of the urban fantasy genre would enjoy this book. First of all, I don't even know if "urban fantasy" would most accurately describe it, as there is also so much of the book that sets it apart and makes it an original and refreshing read.

I suppose it's best to describe Rivers of London as a police procedural mixed with a heavy dose of the supernatural, topped with a dash of dark comedy, mystery and action. The book features Peter Grant, a London Metropolitan Police constable fresh out of probationary hoping to be assigned a decent permanent post, until one day while working on a case he finds himself encountering a ghost. His impromptu interview with the dead witness brings him to the attention of detective Thomas Nightingale, who is also a wizard and the only member of the Met's little-known paranormal investigative unit. Peter becomes Nightingale's apprentice, and soon the two are running all over the city trying to solve a series of murders involving exploding faces.

The book is also almost like a love letter to London. Rich descriptions of the city's history, landmarks and architecture fill its pages, instilling everything with feeling and practically making the setting itself a character all its own. And I haven't even gotten around to talking about all of the rivers in and around London being personified as semi-divine spirits, which I feel is probably one of the most unique and defining concepts in the novel.

As the main protagonist and narrator, Peter Grant pretty much single-handedly made this book amazing for me. I love his dry British wit. I love the unruffled way he approaches weird X-Files moments like ghosts and exploding faces with nothing more than a shrug and a c'est la vie. I love the fact that he is inherently a "good guy" who wants to be a policeman for the right reasons. I love that he tries to approach magic with a scientific mind.

It is that last point about Peter that really resonated with me, because I'd like to think I would react much the same way in his shoes. Also, it is the "science-y" bits in Rivers of London that in my opinion roots the story more to reality than a lot of other books in the genre. That said, sometimes the magic system still has that unfinished, not-entirely-developed feel to it, but I imagine this will be further explored in subsequent novels in the series. Speaking of which, I'm off to find the sequel.

Final verdict:

 

5 of 5 stars

Quotations about books and reading

When we decided to put this blog together, we brain stormed ideas for its appearance and features. I thought about adding random quotes about reading and books to the page and went hunting for content. We didn't end up using it for the site, but my old quote collecting hobby maaaay have gotten a bit carried away...

Book Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

It took me a while to finish this book. Two months to be precise. It wasn't because I disliked the book. I loved it from the beginning, but I could tell it might make a little more emotional than I wanted at the time, so I set it aside for a bit.

We follow the adventures of "R," a zombie who isn't decayed nearly as bad as some of the other zombies. He's described as being tall and dressed in business casual. Zombies can't remember their life before dying, but they take on the first letter of names that the might've had, names that are just beyond the reach of their thoughts. Communication is limited and very simple between zombies. They struggle with words to adequately express themselves and are often distracted away from their thoughts when speaking aloud, but "R" shows a crude complexity in his thinking, which is hinted at possibly being abnormal for a zombie.

The zombies spend much of their time performing a poor emulation of human behavior. "R" lives at an airport with a hive of zombies. They use escalators, have church, even get "married" and take care of children (young zombies given to newly married zombies). They attempt to do things like have sex, but their bodies aren't able to perform the act. "R" mentions it's like watching a pathetic imitation of bodies bumping against each other. There's also "school" where mostly children are taught to hunt by using live human prey. They also have a rough set of laws in place that they follow enforced by a group called the Boneys.

This book is unique because it tells the story from the point of view of a zombie instead of a human trying to survive in this world. It reimagines zombies as more than just mindless creatures. The need for flesh isn't as simple as a driving, animalistic hunger for it, but part of a craving for something lost, something they can no longer remember. I never thought I'd read a zombie book and use words like "heartbreaking" and "tender." But those are just two of the words that aptly describes this story.

R is presented in a self-deprecating, humorous way, but he's easy to connect to. However, this story is touched with a tinge of sadness that made my heart ache. He wonders about his former life and struggles with not being able to express his thoughts in more than a rudimentary fashion. He is already beginning to want something he can't quite grasp at first, but when he saves a living woman named Julie, things begin to fall into place.

It's never mentioned what caused the zombie epidemic, but personally, I was fine with that. I didn't need another rehash of a virus, God's wrath, or government experiments popping up. That would've taken up precious space in the book. R wouldn't know what caused it anyway, and even if he did, he might not have been able to really explain what happened to them. R is smart, but his thought process has its limits. But the cause is unknown to both human and zombie alike anyway.

One complaint I had was Nora. She just felt so out of place in the story. I liked the character, but it just seemed like she was in the wrong book. I was also a little surprised with her accepting attitude toward R all things considered, but that may apply to Julie as well. I'd read there was a novella out there about Nora, so maybe I can fill in the gaps with that and get to know her character a little more. She seems to be very optimistic despite their situation. She's very loyal to Julie, but that's explained in this book. And admittedly maybe the end wrapped up a little more hopeful than it should have, but I loved it. There's nothing "usual" about this book, so I don't necessarily see the ending being a problem.

Overall, I really loved this book. Marion took a genre that's so rife with clichés and tropes (as with most supernatural/paranormal things these days) and found a way to make it his own. Even if I hadn't loved it so, I would've still applauded his effort to be different. Also, Muse provided the perfect musical backdrop for me while I was reading this. Uprising even started playing during the ending, and it was so perfect.

Final Verdict:

5 of 5 stars

Swords of the Six by Scott Appleton

Swords of the Six by Scott Appleton

I wanted a good old fashioned sword and sorcery and dragons fantasy novel and was immediately drawn to this, the first in The Sword of the Dragon series. I was intrigued by the idea of a dragon fathering six daughters in human form to avenge the innocent blood spilled a thousand years ago by the dragon's chosen. I was instantly swept up in the opening battle where mighty warriors clashed with sword and soul. I was impressed by the depth of emotion the original Six showed, even daring to shed heavy tears on the battle field over those lost and those betrayed.

I tend to be lenient on epic tales like this one because I know a lot goes into threading together the world, characters and lore. It's not easy to pull it all together and sometimes, the first book in the series can be overwhelmed by the amount of information it has to cover. Unfortunately, after the birth of the six daughters of the dragon, the story began to wane, mainly because, I felt, not enough went into the development of these elements.

I didn't quite grasp the realm this story takes place in or its history and mythology or religion. A few details were dropped here and there, but nothing to formulate a comprehensive sketch. God and the Creator were mentioned, but the theology was never touched on beyond characters occasionally calling out to it. I assumed a monotheistic society, but then, about two thirds through the book, the sun started to be referenced as Yimshi in a distinctly divine manner.

A few interesting characters appeared, including Specter of the mysterious past. But since his mysterious past was quickly made obvious, I soon lost interest in his purpose as an agent of the great white dragon.

Speaking of purpose, the whole idea of the daughters was that the dragon needed them to cleanse the Swords of the Six by hunting down the three remaining traitors. The sisters found one of them, but we never get a clear indication of his motivations in the original betrayal, his current situation, and his ultimate act of redemption. I'm not sure if the swords are or ever will be cleansed, especially when a new prophetic sword is later introduced, while the big bad, Letrias, is only spoken of here and there, but never makes a menacing appearance. Not that I needed him to appear. But I would have liked to feel that he actually was menacing and could  have appeared at any time.

The daughters themselves were the biggest disappointment. Six was clearly too many when only one was meant to be important. Singled out by her father's choosing, various events and greater dragon blood powers, Dantress left her sisters well behind, not only in ability and face time, but in personality. The other five characters were given no opportunity to define themselves beyond Caritha occasionally stepping up to fulfill her role as the leader of the group, though she often deferred to Dantress' greater skill and insight. On their first mission, half the girls were removed from battle and I thought it would give at least Caritha and Rose'el some time to define themselves, but I was wrong. Not to mention the other sisters showed up part way through the battle, only to be quickly knocked out, leaving me to wonder why they even bother to show up at all.

I expected the sisters to end up turning against Dantress because of her differences, but hoped to be pleasantly surprised, but there really wasn't much to the sisters until the end when the provided one brief moment of conflict and a promise to hopefully serve greater purpose in the sequel.

The last part of the book involved the prophecy of Dantress' love life. This was where Dantress laid down her sword and took up the role of a Disney princess who fell in love with a handsome dream prince. This section came complete with talking animals and flowery fields and trickling brooks, but sadly, no one broke into song and dance.

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the idea of the dragon as a main character and did enjoy the author's descriptions of him,  but, I just didn't feel the book lived up to its promise. Or rather, by the end of the book, I'm not sure what its promise actually was.  I will give it an A for effort though. As I said, pulling together an epic fantasy world is no easy feat. Hopefully the future books in the series learn a little something along the way.

2 of 5 stars

Comic Review: Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka

AMAZING.

Admittedly, the art for this series is what initially made me want to read this series. I loved how J.H. Williams III used black, white, and red to create these images of her that really popped out at viewers in my opinion. And I knew there would be a solid story because I have yet to be disappointed in anything that Rucka has written.

Batwoman, Kate Kane, finds herself going up against a madwoman named Alice who wants to cover Gotham in a deadly gas plume in order to become its new ruler, but there’s far more to Alice than Batwoman expects.

There are a number of reasons that I enjoyed this comic, but there are two that really rank high on my likes. First, it serves as an origin comic. You learned about Kate’s background from her desire to serve her country in the military—a short-lived dream due to her sexuality—to her time spent wandering aimlessly without much direction to her decision to take up the cape and cowl and serve her city after being inspired by Batman and even how this decision affects her relationships.

Secondly, you have this character who is technically part of the Bat Family, but she isn’t Batman’s to control—for lack of better word. Batman acknowledges her and extends his help to her, but he isn’t deeply engrained in her life as he is the lives of characters like Nightwing and Robin. She functions independently of him, has her own resources, and fights her own battles without having to consult him about her matters.

And even though he appears only briefly in this comic and even gives some his gruff advice (telling her to cover her long, flowing hair, which is a wig, showing that he doesn’t know her identity at this point), he seems to respect her and what she’s doing by not interfering. I appreciate that in her character because it gives her a chance to really become super in her own right, a character that doesn’t cling to daddy’s coattails. This allows her to prove her own worth and show readers you don’t have to be Batman’s pet to make it.

Then, why have her take up the mantle of the bat instead of making her own identity? I think for the reasons that a put forth in the comic. She was inspired by Batman. She knows that the symbol of the bat stirs alarm in Gotham’s criminals. And part of it is to let the Bat Family that is a friend and she intends to play by the rules set forth by Batman and will help when needed.

I’m starting to think that everyone should have Rucka write their characters’ origins stories. He has such a way with really giving characters depth when he gets his hand on them. His writing combined with Williams’ art made for a perfect reading experience for me.

Final Verdict:

5 of 5 stars

Miserere by Teresa Frohock

Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock

Books like Miserere are why I'm glad I make it a personal rule to finish reading all books I start. It's always tempting to put a title away for something else when the story doesn't capture me right away, and certainly I had my doubts that this one would be right for me when I first began. But sometimes, a book can be full of surprises.

I ended up loving Miserere. All I needed was some time to get into it, and part of the reason is its pacing. It's the kind of book that takes its time revealing itself to you, doling out details about its world in a trickle as you read. I was unable to make heads or tails of the story until I understood a bit of the context, that the universe of Miserere is made up of four planes: Heaven, Earth, Woerld, and Hell. Woerld is sort of like the first line of defense against Hell and its demons, as it were; all the religions there work to keep Fallen hordes from breaking through to Earth. It is in Woerld where the book mostly takes place.

Exorcist and man of faith Lucian Negru has been in exile for sixteen years, banished for abandoning his lover Rachael in Hell in exchange for the life of his twin sister, Catarina. Catarina, however, didn't want to be saved, as she'd sold her soul to the Fallen for the chance to rule Woerld. Lucian was crippled and imprisoned when he refused to go along with her plans, until one day he escapes and endeavors to save Rachael, who has since made it back from Hell, albeit possessed by a demon that is slowly taking over and killing her.  

Along the way, Lucian also rescues Lindsay, a young Earth girl who had slipped through the Veil into Woerld, just as he had many years before. Like Lucian, Lindsay possesses special powers, and will one day become one of the Kathoros, able to activate magic through prayer. Lucian is determined to make it his duty to train and protect her, but that's easier said than done with Catarina's minions on his tail and traitors at the heart of the Kathoroi. 

Such a rich world, with so much history and background. I don't think I was able to absorb it all until a third of the way through the book, mostly because not everything's explained right away. You're meant to be thrown into Miserere without much guidance, letting the story do the job of explaining the details as it progresses. Call me impatient, but I don't usually enjoy books like that; I much prefer it when the setting and characters are set up early so I know what I'm in for. But still, Miserere ended up making it up to me in spades!

Contrary to its description and the nature of its themes, this book isn't really about religion, though religious philosophies and the notion of faith are interwoven into the story. More significant are the ideas of redemption and mercy, of finding the strength and reason to go on again even after falling from grace. It's also about love, of whether or not it is possible to trust again after betrayal. 

Speaking of which, one of the first things that struck me about this book is how beautiful the writing is. I felt that the interplay of emotions between Lucian and Rachael unfolded very naturally and was presented almost perfectly, as were the descriptions of Lucien's mixed feelings for his traitorous sister. And yet, the writing was not at all flowery to the point of distracting, nor did it disrupt the flow of the story, which made this a very easy and smooth read. The execution in the details was also phenomenal; I am thinking of one scene in particular involving an exorcism that is quite possibly one of the most awesome and yet horrifying things I've ever read.

I just breezed through the second half of this book, since by then it had me completely hooked. One night, I found myself still up at 3am because I'd lost track of the hours reading this. I'm so glad I kept my mind open and gave this book a little time, as the reward was very much worth it.

Final verdict:

4.5 of 5 stars

This review also appears on Worlds Without End 
as part of the Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

The Dragon Keeper is the second book I've ever read by Robin Hobb, the first being Assassin's Apprentice, book one of the Farseer trilogy. My first thought after reading that one was that I liked it well enough; Robin Hobb is great storyteller, and Assassin's Apprentice was quite enjoyable. Still, while I was definitely on board to read the rest of the series, nothing about it excited me enough to make me want to drop everything and rush out for the sequel, if you know what I mean. In fact, it's been almost two years since I read the first book, and I still haven't gotten around to Royal Assassin. Shameful, I know. 

Now, I realize I should really make the effort to finish up young Fitz's story first, but then The Dragon Keeper landed on my lap. This first book of the Rain Wild Chronicles has gotten rave reviews from many of my fantasy-book-loving friends, so I admit I've always been curious about the series. That, and it's hard to resist the prospect of a good story about dragons. 

The book begins with a group of sea serpents journeying upriver to cocoon themselves so that they might hatch into dragons. They are overseen by Tintaglia, the last known dragon. It is her hope that their efforts would reintroduce their kind to the world, with the help of humans on the Rain Wild Council. We are then introduced to our key characters: Thymara, a young girl marked by a birth defect that gave her scales and clawed fingers; Leftrin, captain of the wizardwood liveship called Tarman; Alise Kincarrion, a woman who weds a successful local Trader named Hest Finbok in a marriage of convenience for both of them; and Sintara, a dragon who has hatched from one of the cocoons mentioned at the beginning of the book. Their stories all come together when a group of human keepers must set out on a quest to escort a party of dragons to find the legendary city of Kelsingra.

I have to be honest; I found the first half or so of this book really slow, and it took me a while to figure out why. In the end, I determined it was the characters. While they each come from fascinating backgrounds and unique circumstances, I failed to drum up much interest for their personalities. Thymara, for example, came across to me as rather bland. Normally, Rain Wild babies with birth defects like hers would have been left for dead immediately after they were born, but she was rescued from that fate by her softhearted father. As a result, most people look upon her as a mistake that never should have happened. Don't get me wrong; while these little details about Thymara gave me insight into her character and I certainly enjoyed reading about them, the issue was that I found little else to set her apart from most young outcast protagonists in a lot of the other fantasy books I've read.

I felt much the same about Alise. Her story, however, was much more interesting to me. Her relationship with Hest is pretty sad, with him being a cold and emotionally abusive ass. To Hest, their marriage is just another business contract; Alise is only useful to him for her ability to bear him an heir, and in exchange he has offered his considerable assets for her to fund her dragon research. As it turns out, there's more to the reasons why he is incapable of ever returning Alise's attempts at affection, which made my heart go out to her. And yet, her personality was so unexceptional that I found it hard to truly root for her.

I think some of this stems from the dialogue. For instance, in the book is a minor character named Greft, a young dragon keeper who very swiftly and efficiently sways the others around him to set himself up as the leader of their crew. Often in his manipulations, he says things along the lines of "Surely, you must see this is the way..." or "I am sure you can understand..." I mean, do people really fall for patronizing verbiage like that? It all just sounds so forced and over the top. I know it's a minor gripe, but I didn't like how instead of actually giving the character a charismatic personality, the writing often falls back on dialogue choices like that.

Now, the dragons, on the other hand. Not magnificent and noble creatures, these. Robin Hobb's dragons in the Rain Wild Chronicles are weak, malformed and unable to take care of themselves, relying on humans to hunt for them and clean them. From what I read of them, they also seemed petty and squabbly, and Sintara annoyed me to no end with her arrogance and posturing. But still, the dragons here felt fresh and different for me, and I liked them a lot for that.

While the beginning was slow to pick up, the positive news is that once the characters were all set up and the adventure got going, the book just got better and better. In fact, I was quite irked when it ended, just as things were at their most interesting. It was actually pretty abrupt.

I have to say that in general I don't mind cliffhangers, not if they're executed deftly and with panache. Unfortunately, I can't claim that this was one of those endings. There was no real conclusion, no cooldown, not even any real attempt to wrap things up nicely. Without warning at all, everything just comes to a screeching halt.

However, to the book's credit, the way it ended was still very effective. I already have the next book on hold at my library. And that, at least, is more than what I did for the Farseer trilogy.

Final Verdict:

4 of 5 stars

Manga Review: Deadman Wonderland, Volume 1 by Jinsei Kataoka

Deadman Wonderland, Volume 1 by Jinsei Kataoka

The story starts with a devastating earthquake hitting Japan, leaving most of Tokyo underwater. Ten years later, 14-year-old Igarashi Ganta is joking around with his friends in class when a mysterious “Red Man” appears and kills everyone in Ganta’s class--except him. Ganta passes out in the classroom, but later regains consciousness to find out that he is the sole suspect in his classmates’ murders, which he is convicted of and sentenced to death.

Ganta is sent to Deadman Wonderland, a privately owned prison that uses its inmates to entertain the public. It’s purpose is to gain money to rebuild Tokyo. Supposedly. Ganta is placed in a collar (that he later learns emits poison that can only be counteracted by “candy”) and finds himself thrust in this bizarre prison life where inmates are mutilated and killed for the enjoyment of others. The public, however, believes that these “games” are staged.

This volume basically chronicles Ganta’s “introduction” into the system. There isn’t a lot of time spent on his life, his trial, or his classmates’ death. The readers are pretty much thrust into the beginning of his new life at Deadman Wonderland. You learn a little about the rules in his new home. Even though there is a “rule book,” you only learn pieces of the “rules” as Ganta learns the rules (of course he hasn’t read the rule book, silly) instead of having everything spelled out for the readers.

At first, I thought I would only give this three stars. I was enjoying the story, for sure, but I wasn’t bowled over. Around the middle of the story, though, I was trying to hurry through so I could find out what happened next. The pace picked up considerably as more characters and variables were introduced and as Ganta struggled with finding some way to make his prison stay bearable, which he at first decides will be done by following the rules of the prison--until he finds out there are too many conflicting rules in that place.

Two of the characters introduced in the story fascinated me--Shiro and Yō.

I really enjoyed Shiro. Shiro is very childlike and loyal. She’s quick and dexterous, seeming to view the prison as a playground more than a punishment. I love how protective she is of Ganta, even going as far as trying to ensure that he won the game they were in together. They seem to have a history together that Ganta can’t quite remember which dates back to the Tokyo earthquake. Ganta has blocked out the event, but Shiro remembers.

Then, there’s Yō. When we first meet Yō, he seems mostly innocent. He appears very friendly and somewhat shy, but as the story progresses, we’re given hints that something sinister is going on behind Yō’s mask. Even later in the story, we find out that the man overseeing the facility is using Yō to spy on Ganta and giving him large sums of the prison currency in exchange for information. I’m looking forward to finding out more about Yō and his motivations.

There’s a supernatural/sci-fi element that is hinted at throughout the story, also, but never fully explored, but I’m guessing, given the way this ended, that we’re about to find out so much about that part of the story and this “branches of sin” thing. Will definitely be reading the next volume soon. And I hope they start answering some of the questions I have like where are Ganta’s parents? Did they die in the earthquake? Great read overall, though

Final Verdict:

4 of 5 stars

Mogsy's Book Haul

I really shouldn't be buying more books. Really. I noticed that my personal e-library hit the 1000-book mark the other day, and it doesn't look like my to-read list will be shrinking any time soon. I know I tell myself this all the time, but it's hopeless, I just can't help myself! While I adore my Kindle, I have to say that damn "Buy now with 1-click" button is evil and murder on my wallet.

The following is my haul for this week. Five books. It would have been more, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I totally blame Booksworn for my splurge. They got me good with their masked ball, which resulted in me scouring the internet for excerpts, looking through my own books or asking my friends to look in theirs for clues. As I discovered more and more about some of these titles that I'd never heard of before until now, I became intrigued and drawn to them and...well, that's how the trouble begins. You know how the rest goes.

Miserere by Teresa Frohock

Goodreads description: 

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen's hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven's frontline of defense between Earth and Hell. When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn't so easy to escape!

The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams

Goodreads description: 

There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that attacks young and old, rich and poor alike. Geometric patterns spread across the skin, until you die in agony, or become a Carrier, doing the bidding of an evil intelligence, the Pattern Master. Anyone showing the tell-tale marks is put to death; that is Emperor Beyon's law...but now the pattern is running over the Emperor's own arms.

His body servants have been executed, he ignores his wives, but he is doomed, for soon the pattern will reach his face. While Beyon's agents scour the land for a cure, Sarmin, the Emperor's only surviving brother, awaits his bride, Mesema, a windreader from the northern plains. Unused to the Imperial Court's stifling protocols and deadly intrigues, Mesema has no one to turn to but an ageing imperial assassin, the Emperor's Knife.

As long-planned conspiracies boil over into open violence, the invincible Pattern Master appears from the deep desert. Now only three people stand in his way: a lost prince, a world-weary killer, and a young girl from the steppes who saw a path in a pattern once, among the waving grasses - a path that just might save them all.

The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle

Goodreads description: 

When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods--and a skrayling ambassador--to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?

Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador's bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally--and Mal his soul.

Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards  

Goodreads description:

Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.

Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.

Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!

A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.

Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri

Goodreads description:
 
Evie Manieri's Blood's Pride is the first book of The Shattered Kingdoms, an engaging, action-packed, and “highly imaginative” (Kirkus Reviews) series of fantasy novels with epic scope and “the perfect mix of romance, family ties, betrayals, and agonizing dilemmas” (RT Book Reviews).

Rising from their sea-torn ships like vengeful, pale phantoms, the Norlanders laid waste to the Shadar under cover of darkness. They forced the once-peaceful fisher folk into slavery and forged an alliance with their former trading partners, the desert-dwelling Nomas tribe, cutting off any hope of salvation.

Now, two decades after the invasion, a rebellion gathers strength in the dark corridors of the city. A small faction of Shadari have hired the Mongrel, an infamous mercenary, to aid their fledgling uprising—but with her own shadowy ties to the region, she is a frighteningly volatile ally. Has she really come to lead a revolution, or for a more sinister purpose all her own?

Set in a fictional quasi-Medieval Mediterranean region with a strong cast of male and female characters, the series “presents a striking world with civilizations similar to those of the Vikings and the nomadic cultures of the Middle East, and with the Mediterranean sensibilities of the ancient Greeks. Her characters are passionate and memorable, lending a personal touch to a complex tale of clashing cultures and philosophies. Fans of Sharon Shinn, Elspeth Cooper, and Gail Z. Martin should enjoy Manieri’s approach to culture and drama.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Cover Lover - Ptolemaic Princess

Welcome to Cover Lover, a feature on this blog dedicated to book covers! For a long time, I'd wanted a place where I can share some of my favorite covers, or talk about any that might have caught my eye. So when I came across this idea on fellow gamer/book lover Angelya's site The Oaken Bookcase, I jumped at the opportunity to adopt it as well. The "meme" was originally created by another friend of mine, Jaedia, on her book blog Once Upon A Time, so be sure to check out both their sites and take a look at some of the covers they have featured.

Ahem, so they say never judge a book by its cover, but I knew as soon as I saw this one that I just had to read it. This image for Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray is simply gorgeous, with its rich colors and a certain symmetry created by the girl and her reflection in the turquoise pool of water. 

Goodreads description:

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

Like I said, I don't usually go off to buy a book simply because I'm smitten with its cover, but in this case I did, especially when the blurb made it sound like something I would like. Anyway, I must have really lucked out, because not only did I get to scratch my historical fiction itch with this story of Cleopatra's daughter, this book ended up being one of my all time favorites. I couldn't think of a more perfect book to feature for my first ever post of Cover Lover.

You can read my review of Lily of the Nile here!

Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell

Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell

So every once in a while, I'll come across a book that's just so extraordinary and bizarre that I find myself struggling for the right words to describe it. I both love and hate it when this happens. Love, because chances are it's probably something really unique, and as a reader it's always a joy to find a book that surprises me. Hate, because chances also are I would also be completely torn as to how to rate it. 

Man in the Empty Suit is one of these books. Even now I find it hard to sort out my feelings for it. The intellectual theorist in me has her mind blown and wants to praise this book for daring to be different and a little strange, for having the guts to spit into the face of time travel paradoxes and say, "I just don't give a damn." The casual reader in me, however, feels there's something integral missing from the experience.

The book's description about its time traveling protagonist was what initially caught my attention. Every year, our narrator travels to a dilapidated New York City hotel in 2071 (the 100th anniversary of his birth) to party it up with all the versions of his past and future selves. And every year, it's the same -- until the year he turns 39 and becomes "The Suit", named for the dapper outfit he wears to the celebration. This time, the unexpected happens. He discovers "The Body", the 40-year-old version of himself, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Clearly, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong here.

From that brief summary, I figured I was going to be in for an easy, light and humorous read, but it turned out this book wasn't what I thought it would be at all. Sure, it has its funny moments, and while its relatively short length means that it shouldn't take you longer than a few days to complete, this book was also more cerebral than I expected. I remember telling a friend of mine that if you're the sort of person who likes debating brain-melting plot holes and time paradoxes in movies like Looper, then this book might be for you. Or, you know, maybe not. On the other hand, it probably has just as much potential to utterly frustrate you and make you want to tear out your hair.

I think on some level, even when things seemed to make sense, I had to accept while reading this that ultimately the story would go where it wanted, and that the author had purposefully taken certain time travel tropes and turned them all on its head. Some of the paradoxes went far beyond what I was willing to ponder, but I was also more than happy to sit back and go with it. I've been told many times by friends that that's probably the best attitude to adopt if you want to enjoy time travel stories. That definitely applies here.

Still, something prevented me from embracing this book completely. I believe it was the lack of context the story provided. I felt like I was thrown into the narrator's world without any explanation as to who he is or where he came from or when he came from or how he got there and what is going on. The book's NYC in the future is a very strange place indeed, but we have no idea why it is that way, why everything in the city seems rundown and abandoned, why its citizens live the way they do. There were just so many questions, so many gaps left unfilled. We don't even get to know the time traveler's real name.

I suppose in the bigger scheme of things, none of that stuff matters or is central to the plot. This book is about our main character trying to puzzle out the murder of his future self at his party and not about his time traveling adventures (though, more about his various trips through time would have been interesting), or how he built his time-traveling raft in the first place. I totally get that. Still, knowing more of the details would have gone a long way for me to ground myself to the story.

That was the main thing that bothered me. Otherwise, this book probably deserves a lot more attention than it has gotten, more praise than I have given it. Like I said, it was very difficult for me to rate this, and I have to wonder how much of that is due to its esoteric nature. However, in spite of everything, I have to say I admire and love the way Mr. Ferrell played with the time travel idea in a fun, clever and different way, and yet somehow still made it all work. Very impressive.

Final Verdict:

 3.5 out of 5 stars

XVI by Julia Karr

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

FanArt: Lannister Gold

asoiaf: Lannister Gold by ~MathiaArkoniel

From A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Book Sworn

While journeying across the interwebs yesterday, I happened across Book Sworn, a new site recently launched by sixteen of the hottest new authors in fantasy.

I swear (heh!) there is so much talent here, looking at all the names on that site practically made my head spin. Many of the authors featured here have written books I've either read, own, or have on my TBR pile, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm about to discover even more of them:

Bradley P. Beaulieu 

Elspeth Cooper 

Betsy Dornbusch 

Teresa Frohock 

Douglas Hulick 

Kameron Hurley 

Zachary Jernigan 

Mark Lawrence 

Stina Leicht 

Helen Lowe 

Anne Lyle 

Evie Manieri 

Jeff Salyards 

Courtney Schafer 

Mary Victoria 

Mazarkis Williams

Also, what they have currently underway is quite possibly one of the coolest ideas for a giveaway contest I have ever seen, so check it out.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

March's read for my book club is themed "Back to School." As in, return to the books you read in (high)school and see how they hold up today.

I don't remember exactly what grade it was that I read The Handmaid's Tale. In fact, I don't remember any related projects or essays. And this is both surprising and disappointing. The themes expressed are ones that ought to have been discussed in a classroom - otherwise, why bother to have students read this book at all? But what I do recall of my highschool English class years, was that not many of my teachers were willing to address more serious issues. Not many of my teachers were willing to go beyond the course curriculum, which itself did not delve too deeply into 'dangerous' topics.

Rereading it now I can appreciate it more and suppose I am happy that the school at least introduced me to it and a few other books that I now also intend to reread. I realize that this was likely my first introduction to feminist literature. It takes place in a not so distance future where the feminist movement of the past has been turned inside out. Women are now subjugated, in body, and worse, in mind. The depth of the subjugation is made clear because the tale is told through the thoughts of Offred, who's life was stolen from her. She is now a handmaiden - a womb on two legs, existing only to provide offspring for a Commander and his Wife. The circumstances of this future are extreme, but not impossible to imagine, considering some of the things happening in our own world now.

Some might have issue with the writing style, but it was an element I really enjoyed. I've recently read a few books told in first person narrative and have found them unbelievable. No one can remember things so clearly in that way! Train of thought though. That I can handle. In this case, the style serves to enhance the character, not just to tell the story. At times, she chooses not to pursue a line of thinking because of how it affects her, she recalls her past and the things she took for granted, she speaks in tangents to avoid dealing with the situation at hand, or reconstructs details of events she was not privy to. These moments I liked most because she isn't just reconstructing to tell us what happened. Her reconstructions, sometimes told in two or three different versions, are her way of coping with not knowing about the people she's lost.

This is not a happy ending story. It's a story that has moments of hope, but for both the character and the reader, you're never quite sure if that hope will turn into something positive. You're forced to cling to the tiny moments and objects, as Offred does. This is, for me, one of the great strengths of this book. The reality of the events through Offred's narration sucked me into her plight.

The only thing I didn't like was the long, drawn out epilogue that takes place further into the future in the form of a lecture that is trying to piece together the events of the past. I felt it takes away from the mystery of the book by adding this clinical element.

4 of 5 stars

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis

Taking a break from my usual SFF to check out another one of my beloved genres, historical fiction -- and I can never resist a Borgia book. 

I would recommend The Borgia Bride to: fans of Philippa Gregory. This book reminded me of her work in many ways, from the first person narrative of its female protagonist to the rich and detailed descriptions of the setting and environment. And of course, those like me with an interest in fiction about the Borgias should check it out.

I would not recommend this book to: people easily frustrated or offended by any historical inaccuracies or any creative liberties taken by the author. When it comes to historical fiction, it really boils down to your tolerance for such things, but it also comes with the territory. It just makes sense; like if you want to learn actual facts about the reign of King Henry VIII, for example, watch a documentary, not The Tudors. Same kind of deal here. Anyway, once I accept a book as fiction, so long as the author does not write with a complete disregard for historical fact, then I'm more interested in the story and how they manage to spin a tale around the real historical figures and events.

In any case, I have a feeling this book was meant to be a little shocking and a little scandalous, playing to all the rumors surrounding the Borgias, as most works of fiction about the notorious family tend to be. On some level, I was prepared for and even expected it, so in this the book delivered exactly the drama, intrigues, and conspiracies it promised. Jeanne Kalogridis includes a lot of true events, but also fills in the gaps with her interesting interpretations of them.

The main protagonist and narrator of The Borgia Bride is Sancha (or Sancia) of Aragon. The book begins with her childhood growing up in the court of her grandfather Don Ferrante (or Ferdinand I of Naples) which leads up to her marriage to Jofre (or Gioffre) Borgia and her subsequent move to Rome. There, she meets the rest of the family: Cesare Borgia, with whom she has a torrid affair; Lucrezia Borgia, whom she eventually befriends; Juan (or Giovanni) Borgia, for whom she develops an immediate dislike; and of course, the patriarch Rodrigo Borgia or Pope Alexander VI himself.

I notice there almost appears to be three sides to Sancha in this book, distinguished by her actions and behaviors, with each side accompanying or making an appearance only after certain events of significance in her life. The first third of the book, which builds up some of the history, features young Sancha who happens to be my favorite because she's headstrong and goes through life knowing exactly what she wants. But then when she moves to Rome and meets Cesare, she suddenly becomes wishy-washy Sancha, going back and forth on her stances and her feelings. I found it a little amusing and ironic how she repeatedly accuses Pope Alexander for being "inconstant", when she's being kind of a flake herself. Anyway, it got really frustrating, almost like Cesare cast a spell on her, one she never manages to shake off for the rest of the book, which was kind of a shame.

The third Sancha is "Mopey Sancha", who doesn't reveal herself until about the last quarter of the book, but at this point I've already accepted that her character was not who I thought she was. That isn't to say her reaction and change isn't justified, given what happens around that part in the book, but that was probably my one disappointment while reading this.

Apart from the inconsistencies in Sancha's personality, however, I have to say this was an enjoyable read. I had hoped the Borgias would be characterized and developed a little more, but considering the story was told from Sancha's point of view, I thought what the author presented was pretty good. Pleasant to read and entertaining overall.

Final Verdict:

  4 of 5 stars